Many colleges in the United States provide
pre-freshmen programs for their incoming freshmen students every year to assist
them in their high school-to-college transitions. From academic-based programs
to more social, community-developing ones, the several weeks that recent high
school graduates spend bonding and learning on the campus of their new home for
the next four years makes a tremendous difference on their first year at
college. However, not every college offers such programs to their incoming class
of students, nor does every student get the opportunity to participate in them
(be it that they were turned away from a competitive applicant pool or that
they could not find alternative options which did not conflict with pre-made
summer plans). To add on, the availability of such pre-freshmen programs for
students from low-income backgrounds, urban schools, first-generation statuses,
and/or athletic recruitment are even less abundant.
This is ironic when such students are often
those who need the additional assistance the most. Academically speaking, they
are just as capable as their fellow classmates to succeed, but due to
situations beyond their control, the process of adjusting to college life can
be especially overwhelming and foreign for them. As one of these students – a
first-generation Pinole Valley high school graduate coming from the lower
income bracket – I knew that, despite all the excitement and jubilee I shared
with my friends and family over my acceptance to such a prestigious and well-established
academic institution, I was often haunted by doubts beyond typical college
freshman jitters. I was doubtful of such things as whether or not I was ready
to pursue a degree among scholars around the world who may have had more
well-rounded and/or affluent upbringings than me; I was doubtful if I could
afford what many a times felt like a dream too good to be true. I was doubtful
if I could excel as I did throughout high school since Pinole Valley high was
really just a microscopic speck of a community relative to the entire world.
And sometimes, when I just couldn’t shake off this heavy weight of uncertainty,
I found that I had to personally console my worries with such remarks as:
“well, if it doesn’t work out in the end, at least there will always be
community college…”
As someone who comes from the working class,
the option to follow my parents’ footsteps after high school – to not pursue a
college degree and work a minimum-wage job for the rest of my life – may not be
unthinkable for me as it may be for some. I was familiar with hardship and
familiar with the fact that survival did not heed to personal preferences.
Caught in the webs of my own doubts, I frequented such alternatives, which, not
surprisingly, only added to my closeted insecurities about starting my freshman
year at the University of Pennsylvania.
That is why I am so thankful to have been a
part of PENNCAP (Pennsylvania College Achievement Program). For about four
weeks I, and ninety-nine other incoming freshmen from all over the country and
beyond, resided at the Harrison College House; took three college-level
introductory courses in relation to our schools (College of Arts and Sciences,
Wharton, Engineering, or Nursing); participated in coordinated social
activities beyond the Penn campus; and was introduced to many helpful resources
and faculty members that I would have probably missed out on had I started
college without PENNCAP. Reflecting on this experience today – the last day of
my summer vacation and the evening of my class’s convocation ceremony – I am
happy to say that, though I cannot guarantee I will not fall victim to doubt
throughout college, it will now take a most vulnerable time for me to do so.
As an undergraduate in the College of Arts
and Sciences (College for short) at Penn, I had the option to choose between
two class schedules for PENNCAP. Pre-med College students took Biology for
their third course and non-pre-med students – such as myself – took Psychology.
Only Nursing students were exempt from a math class and every PENNCAP
participant, regardless of school, had one writing seminar that shared the
unifying and appropriate theme, relocation. Personally, my schedule consisted
of Math, Psychology, and Writing.
Adjusting to this mock college schedule of
sorts was difficult at first because I had never taken classes that didn't
reconvene on a daily basis. In high school, I had a set series of back-to-back
classes that was unchanged for the entire school year and it seems high school
was the last time that was ever going to happen again. The first Monday of
PENNCAP hit me by surprise because I had the most classes that day – math
class, writing seminar, and a math recitation in the evening – and on top of
that, there was always some sort of PENNCAP event wedged somewhere in there.
This was an overwhelming start at first but I later discovered that, as the
week went on, the majority of my workload remained in the first half of the
week. By recognizing this pattern, I learned to be more aware of my class
schedule and how to better my studying habits as a response. For instance, in
the case of this PENNCAP schedule, I realized how important it was for me to
preserve a lot of academic down-time on Sundays just so I could better
transition into my denser Monday schedule.
Now that PENNCAP is behind me, it is easier
for me to see just how fast time flew by – as if it had all been some distant
summer memory. On the other hand, I also recall distinctly that there were
times during the program when I felt the exact opposite – like one evening
spent staying up until 3AM to finish the draft to our writing seminar research
paper (the final paper was worth a significant portion of our class grade and I
really wanted to push the limits of my writing capabilities even though it was only
a pass/fail class). Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of my PENNCAP
experience. The struggles that came along with it – adjusting to Penn and
staying on top of all my classes – only added to the bigger picture of what
PENNCAP, and ultimately Penn, aims to show us all along: success was not in the
destination, but in the journey.
I have many fond memories of PENNCAP journey
but to tell you everything in detail would not only make this reflection longer
than it already is, but it would spoil the sweet surprise for all those high
school seniors out there getting ready for college and looking forward to all
the opportunities their future alma mater will offer them. As a result, I’ve
condensed my PENNCAP memories to a list of four things I’ve enjoyed the most,
largely because a great lesson was learn from each one.
THE SUPPORT TEAM
As someone who’s been exposed to several
college tours and information sessions thanks to the ILC, I’ve come to
anticipate a list of common features shared by nearly all college
presentations. Among these include “we have an amazing faculty that’s extremely
enthusiastic to help each and every one of you!”, and having heard this
consistently, I ironically developed skepticism. They reminded me of my own
high school experience and the great difficulty my fellow classmates sometimes
had just to get a hold of a reliable adult on campus. These thoughts led me to
fear that, when I become a Penn student, I’d just get swallowed by an ocean of
confusion and strangers, regardless of what the cheerful college campus tour
guide said last summer.
PENNCAP changed my outlook completely.
Throughout the entire four weeks, PENNCAP planned events, mixers, and
presentations for its participants so they could become better acquainted with
all the resources Penn has to offer. While the quantity of these planned events
was impressive, it is in looking back at my pre-freshman program experience now
that I realize a greater value laid in its overall quality. It makes a
difference when you and 20 other students are in a small presentation room in
Van Pelt Library, meeting Dean DeTurck, the undergraduate Dean of Penn’s
College of Arts and Sciences for the very first time. It makes a difference
when you can personally go up to a representative from Student Health Services
to be clarified on all the confusing details in getting the health care
services you need to be officially enrolled in school. And it makes a
difference to have the welcoming doors of the PENNCAP office always open to
provide additional support for its participants from freshman year and onward.
This welcoming nature of Penn and its faculty
is an authentic motif. At times, I am in awe of all the enthusiasm and honest
philanthropy possessed by a majority of the staffers here. Such abundance of
support was never common for many of my classmates back in high school, and had
it not been for the pivotal people I've personally encountered throughout my
life – those who saw something special within me long before I saw it within
myself – I doubt I'd be as blessed as I am today. To have this kind of
assistance and encouragement continue alongside my journey in higher education
is very important to me and Penn's faculty and students come together in such a
way that makes such motivation possible.
THE PENNCAP COMMUNITY
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| Angie Okhupe, Me and Sandra Nannozi |
Some of the things I cherish most about my
PENNCAP experience are the friendships I’ve developed along the way. The
participants of PENNCAP occupied three floors of suite-style apartment dorms at
the Harrison College high rise and we shared numerous classes and events with
one another. From sitting next to each other in the dining halls to sitting
beside each other to ride the tallest roller coaster at Six Flags Great
Adventure theme park in New Jersey, a unique and lasting bond formed between
most of us. Many of us didn't fully believe our Peer Counselors when they said
the friendships we'd make at PENNCAP would become some of the strongest and
most important bonds we'd form throughout our college years, but looking back
on it now, they were completely right. On the first night after PENNCAP, when
everyone had dispersed to their official freshman residences and I found a very
silent and empty Riepe hallway all to myself, I realized just how much I truly
missed everyone.
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| Lexi, Ayala and I after a rainy day finish for a community service project. |
The other participants at PENNCAP made Penn
feel more like home, as if I had brought 99 friends from my hometown to college
with me. Not only did I learn a lot about them and where they come from, I was
also able to share a slice of my background with them as well. We were like a
family, encouraging each other to reject doubt and strive. Many of us opened
our ears to listen because we were quick to catch on that we were not alone in
our frustrations and anxieties. Many of us were not used to being exposed to so
many members of our age group who effortlessly understood our trials and our
“nerdy” passions. After all, as Dr. Brian Peterson, author of High Learning:
Maximizing your College Experience and the current Director of MAKUU
(Penn’s Black Cultural Center) pointed out in that very book: “When you feel
like your successes and well-being matters to your friends, you want to stick
with it and win. Everyone will need encouragement. Don’t be afraid to give it,
or receive it” (38).
Our well being and successes did matter to
the staff at PENNCAP and on levels of friendships, this was especially true
with our Peer Counselors (PCs). PCs were appointed by the PENNCAP office
through an application and interview process. They were current Penn students
that had done PENNCAP before as incoming freshmen. PENNCAP was an important
aspect to their Penn experience so they returned as early as their sophomore
year to give back to an organization that had given them so much. Each PC –
mine was Alyssa Nieves, a sophomore - was assigned to a group of about 10
students each and, in collaboration with their students' mutual PENNCAP
counselor, acted as a student mentor.
I learned a lot from the PCs and personally,
their assistance to me went beyond simple survival tips passed down from a veteran
to a rookie. Their heart was truly invested in, not just making sure we have
the most memorable experiences possible, but also in making sure we understood
that they were there for us 100%. They understood our frustrations well and
their past experiences made them an expert at pinpointing our interests
throughout the PENNCAP experience. The PCs came in a breadth that worked
perfectly for our diverse group; chances were there was at least one PC among
the ten of them that shared at least one thing in common with us. Personally
speaking, the friendships I made with the PCs were one of my favorite aspects
of PENNCAP and, as a result, I have a strong desire to apply for the same
position next summer.
A TASTE OF PENN LIFE
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| Sunset on Locust Walk~Brillaint! |
One of the greatest advantages of coming out
as a participant of PENNCAP is getting to know the campus four weeks prior to
the start of class. Penn is beautiful in August; the campus is very tranquil
and picturesque during the summer – a major contrast to the crowds of students
I see on a daily basis now that school is in session. Every morning of PENNCAP,
it felt as if all one hundred of us woke up to a campus that was anxious for us
to explore it. I spent a good deal of my independent time walking around
various corners of campus, taking note of the facilities offered in certain
buildings, where my fall classes where, where the best study spots were, and of
course, all the shortcuts.
Living at Harrison College house was also a
very significant learning experience for all of us. Not only were we
accountable for our own personal spaces, we all learned to develop a respect
for sharing space. I shared a suite with three other girls – two of them were
students from the College (both pre-med) and one of them was a Nursing student.
Each of us had a room to ourselves but the bathroom, the kitchen, and the
lounge was shared among the four of us. Ensuring a harmonious living experience
is vital beyond coming home to a non-hostile environment; it also removes you
from worrying over one more additional thing (the last thing any college
student wants with all the work that they are faced with). And while my
roommates may not be the friends I turn to on a daily basis outside of our
dorm, they share a different relationship with me that is just as important.
Sharing space fostered a sister-sister relationship among us and, while we've
only lived with each other for four weeks, we are as open to one another as if
we've been living for four months.
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| Outside Harrison College House |
Another aspect of Penn life that PENNCAP
introduced us to were the use of our Penn cards. Serving as both a student ID
card and a key to many of Penn's facilities, this card is the heart of our Penn
experience. We purchase meals and pay for printing with this card. We get
discounts to museums and access to online databases with this card. There are
so many features embedded in this simple, but very important, Penn card that
familiarizing ourselves with most of its functions proved to be major advantage
for our college transition.
ADVICE
The world is your classroom; there are things
you can never learn in a desk and on a chalkboard. One needs to have
experiences and constantly ask questions, to always have an open-mind, a
fearlessness about failure, and an optimism to keep moving forward when the
going gets tough. I acquired a lot of advice throughout my four weeks with
PENNCAP and some of them are as follows (may some of these influence you to
approach college differently as they have for me):
- Learn how to balance fun and work; it's unhealthy to have too much of either.
- Be an individual; don't be pressured to take a class just because “everyone” is taking it. These four years are of your own original composition.
- Shed common high school habits (ex: procrastination, “doing just enough to get by” mentality, never participating in class, cramming the night before, etc.)
- Never be afraid to seek help.
- Make as many friends as possible, but always surround yourself with a group that will motivate you as much as you motivate them.
- Don't doubt your place in college; you're not there by mistake. You're here because you already possess the potential to succeed.
- Intelligence is subjective so stop measuring your compatibilities relative to that of another individual.
- “Thrive not survive.” (Professor R. Ghrist)
- Being “smart” isn't enough without wisdom.
- Keep an eye out for your friends; college is a stressful environment and it can occasionally break down even the best of us.
- Your time is valuable, so are your limited, four years of undergraduate studies in college.
- Never keep problems to yourself; make sure you always have someone to talk to.
- Work smarter, not harder.
- Don't obsess over grading, obsess over learning.
- Live in the moment and be “engaged” (Penn's President A. Gutman)
- Don't forget where you come from.
- Discover what it is that makes you “sparkle.” What makes you special? (Ms. F. Hamilton, PENNCAP counselor)
THANK YOU's
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| Ms. Edwards and I after PENNCAP’s Closing Ceremony |
First and foremost, I want to thank all the
staff at PENNCAP for overlooking this wonderful pre-freshman program and for
giving the priceless gift of self-confidence and support to one hundred blessed
incoming freshmen to Penn every year.
Thank you to Ms. Pamela Edwards, the Director
of PENNCAP, for supporting me and for giving me and the ILC permission to
document my PENNCAP experience in the form of two reflection blogs.
Thank you to Ms. Faith Hamilton, my PENNCAP
counselor, for being so welcoming and open to all our needs and concerns.
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| Me and Alyssa Nieves, my PC! |
Thank you to all the PCs and RMs (Room
Managers) for watching over us and ensuring that we had the best time possible.
Specifically, thank you to Alyssa Nieves, Kathleen Rogers, Kevin Alcedo, Kerubo
Mokaya, Nicholas Mushaike, Joanna Shen, Mike Choi, Emmanuel Martinez, and Jamie
Gwynn. It was an immense honor to represent PENNCAP 2012 as two of the speakers
giving speeches for closing ceremony.
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| Delivering my closing ceremony speech. (Photo Credit to PENNCAP) |
A special thanks to all my fellow PENNCAP
peers for being such a welcoming bunch and for making Penn feel like home. You
guys remind me not to stress out so much and to have some fun once in a while.
Thank you for picking me for “PENNCAP Queen” during our pseudo-prom event on
our last night together as PFPers.
Last but not least, thank you WCCUSD School
Board President, Mr. Charles Ramsey, for introducing this program to me shortly
after I was accepted to Penn. Even though I am no longer a participant of the
ILC, I deeply appreciate the continued support you provide me and fellow ILC alumni
beyond our high school “ambassador” work. You have inspired to inspire others
and I hope more students within our school district will continue to aspire
higher and possibly pursue higher education within the Ivy Leagues.
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| Onward! The journey ahead isn’t going to be easy, but I am so close there’s just no giving up now. |
