Reflections and the Final Blog

The end has finally came to my amazing three weeks of adventure and learning at Brown University. Thinking about it, I wish I could go back in time and do more things, but it's already in the past and the future is coming in quickly.

The past 3 weeks have been the most extraordinary 3 weeks I had in my life. In fact, it went far beyond what my expectations were when I was accepted after being interviewed and completing an intensive registration process. I lived in a college dorm with other intelligent and outgoing people, attended a college level course, and most importantly, experienced a little bit of college.

Living in a dorm and residence hall was a completely new experience for me, but I persevered and adapted. My roommate Alex was a bit of a mess but I managed to constrain him from becoming a mess, just like me when I was his age. My residential advisor Josh was amazing; giving enriching information about how to get into college and his high/college life. The showers and restrooms required time to get used to but I managed. Most importantly, I developed life-time friendships.

My class -- DNA-based Biotechnology -- was an unusual twist on my view of a class, which was strictly book work, lectures, and tests. Not this class. The majority of the class was labs. I previously had little experience in labs and was genuinely afraid of the mistakes I'd make. After overcoming some barriers and mistakes, I became a better scientist. My final project consisted of disabling the expression of a gene within a coding sequence. With the resources given to me -- the library, friends, and Ms. Hall -- I was able to obtain some colonies of bacteria that had the recombinant (new gene that achieved my goal).

This ILC progarm has inspired me deeply to strive to achieve something greater than what people normally want to attain. Now, I realize that I don't have to look at UC schools or Stanford or Harvard, but to Yale, Brown, MIT, Boston College...ILC has opened up my mind and views on college. 

I will always thank the ILC for doing that. I also thank Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, and Don for supporting us and allowing each generation of high school students to realize their own potential. I will, in my part, try to encourage another generation and pass on the word that no matter what you are or what condition you're in, you always have the potential to look beyond UC Berkeley and be accepted at an Ivy League School. ILC will always have a lasting place in my life. William signing off.