Quite an Accomplishment

Today, July 15, 2010 was our last day of class. I headed off to class a full hour early so that my group could finish working on our final report. We got a lot done in that time frame, and we went back to the classroom one last time for our final lecture. The lecture was very inspirational. We were told “Success is a state of mind, It’s knowing where you are going, and enjoying where you are.” Immediately after all the groups rushed back to the computer lab to finish the reports. My group finished the report, had it checked by Mark and submitted with 20 minutes to spare.

Upon submitting our project, I left Statler Hall and walked to Trilliams with Mrs. Kaplan where we met up with the Freedom and Justice students who had just finished their Final. After a discussion about their  Final, Mrs. Kaplan treated us to Cornell’s famous ice cream.

Trilliams:

One item on my checklist of things to do at Cornell was to visit the Uris Library which is commonly known as the “Harry Potter Library”. I was very excited to see it, and surely enough, I was blown away! The library is absolutely beautiful and it seems like such a wonderful place to study.

The Uris Library:

After our trip to the library, Andrew G., Alex and I went to the Cornell Store to buy souvenirs. We met up with Chris, finished our purchases and then Andrew, Chris and I walked back to the dorms. Upon entering my dorm room, it looked different. I then realized that half of the room was empty because my roommate had left a few hours ago.

A large chunk of the afternoon was spent thinking of something to do. After much indecision and a lot of waiting, Alex, Chris and I finally made it to the Ithaca Mall. It was the first time I had ever been to the Ithaca mall, or anywhere off campus besides our trips with Ms. Kaplan. Our plan was to grab something to eat, and watch a movie. We ate at Friendly’s and hung out at Borders. Soon, Andrew W., Andrew G., and a few of their friends joined us for the movie. We decided to watch Inception, and it was very interesting. After three weeks of class, a good movie break is just what I needed.

We arrived back at the dorms at about 9:45 PM and went to check out the Talent Show. The star of the show, by no contest, was Dyana. Her performance of Mariah Carey's “Bye Bye” was simply amazing!

As I was writing this blog, I came to an odd realization: I, as a rising high school junior, have just completed my first college course at an Ivy League university. I am very proud of this accomplishment, and I am also very thankful for the ILC for making this opportunity possible for me.

Tonight, I must finish packing because my check out time is 8:20 AM, and the graduation for the Cornell Summer College Hotel Operations and Management course begins at 10 AM. Immediately following our graduation, the Cornell Summer College Freedom and Justice graduation begins at 11 AM. The graduations are each an hour long, so Ms. Kaplan will have the opportunity to see both.

Finally, I must conclude by stating that after all we have been through: stuck for 24 hours in an airport, 3 weeks of intense classes, adjusting to college life, and many more, I find it very strange that in less than 24 hours the ILC Cornell ambassadors will be back home in California ready to share our experiences with our peers.