An Inspiring Get-Together

I must admit, going to last Thursday's One Market dinner in San Francisco for our Cornell gathering, I was skeptical. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I woke up, 25 minutes beforehand from my nap and simply did not feel like dressing up, putting on my tie and driving to San Francisco on a school night. Perhaps it was the thought that I didn't know what to expect from this dinner attended by many honorable guests and feared by me. Whatever it was, I must honestly say, it was a blast.

First off, I pulled my hair out trying to determine where we were supposed to meet up -- the El Cerrito Plaza or the Del Norte BART station. Initially, I thought we agreed upon meeting at Del Norte, but I think I confused myself, until my dad got mad and said it had to be Del Norte, that that was the main El Cerrito station or something. We finally arrived at the station and was relieved to see Jacky, who had already gone ahead with her mom after we exchanged greetings. We boarded the train and after a few minutes of sitting alone with my dad, we worried that we wouldn't find the others. We decided to get off, and just then, to my delight, I saw Ms. Ishmael, Ms. Lilhanand, Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg and several Ivy Leaguers.

Obviously, the night did not turn out the way I wanted it to. Having truly scavenged San Francisco only twice in my life, despite numerous visits to my cousin's house in SF, I was excited to see the beautiful city and impressing buildings. All that, however, was nothing compared to the simply put, extraordinarily extravagant One Market restaurant our group entered. It was something you'd see in fancy movies: an iron curtain pushed aside to reveal a stunning display of majesty and elegance. A mini-bar-like stand where a host proffered incoming attendees drinks ranging from orange juice to wine. Numerous hostesses walking around and in between people offering fancy-pancy appetizers that satisfied my every craving. I was afraid I'd become too stuffed to eat the main course.

Just then, I joined Wing in an engaging conversation with someone who I later learned was a 2009 Cornell graduate who resided in San Francisco. She gave us background information about herself, what she majored in at Cornell and answered our questions about the Summer Program. Samantha Berg, I came to learn, was incredible. To my GREAT luck, she sat right next to me at our table. Not only did she give me invaluable insight on Cornell, her adventures and years of progression around the gigantic campus, I MUST mention that she even took the time to draw me a map of the campus on a piece of paper and sincerely offered to help me in whatever I needed, be it calling her up on her cell phone or email, which she unhesitatingly gave me, OR editing one of my essays that I would write. Not only must I thank her from the bottom of my heart for all her advice and insight, but also for avoiding a terribly awkward night. Nervous and uncomfortable as I was, I barely spoke a word. Samantha, however, never allowed for an awkward or silent moment. She filled the night with stories which I will remember forever, such as raving Cornell hockey fans throwing squids and fish on the rink. Simply put, I am truly grateful for Samantha's presence. She truly connected with me, and I related to her in her tough decision in choosing a major, for I have no idea what major I will go for in college.

Aside from these conversations, dinner consisted of a one-inch thick steak and soup which I thought was gravy flooding three lonely pieces of shrimp. My dad and I couldn't control our laughter, but I'm sure it was from the wine he had. Jacky and Alex represented the Ivy Leaguers, as they gave their speeches to everyone present, including Cornell alums and parents of the students. Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg and Don Gosney, as usual, gave wonderful and inspiring speeches on the program. They pointed out how we must progress, that we cannot settle for anything less than what we deserve, and that we must truly prepare for our summer. No excuses.

What I gained, first of all, was a priceless experience with wonderful people, especially Samantha. I learned loads about Cornell, the college-making process, and the rewarding experience that will benefit us all after the end of our summer courses. Also, I can proudly say that this is the longest blog I have ever written in my life and have spent 1 hour and 30 minutes on it. To Cornell!