City Council Meeting

Hey fellow Brownies! We (Pinole Valley High School) just came back from OUR city council meeting.

The meeting went very smoothly to say the least. Ms. Kahn, Ms. Kaplan, and Mr. Ramsey did an excellent job in stressing the importance of education and the determination needed in the youth today. As with the presentations, we all did a wonderful job at introducing ourselves and showing our commitment towards the ILC. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

I look forward in seeing everyone at the June 1 Orientation.

Till next time.

A Brunch without food

I feel that the Brunch went very well and was very informative. Thanks to Mr. Ramsey it ended on time! It was nice to hear about Brown all in one setting through very different perspectives (future student, mother, and admission officers).

I learned more about Brown and got some emails of people who could tell me more about Brown. One of my goals is to study abroad in Florence, Italy and other Renaissance related cities in Italy before I am 25 in means to learn more about the Renaissance. Go Medici! I am looking for a university that offers this. This was the first time I ever went to an event that informed me about a particular university. Knowing about Brown will help me have a guideline for judging other schools.

The meetings so far have helped me become more excited about going to Brown, take some pride on being selected to go and to experience what these kinds of meetings are like.

Additionally, I agree that learning is to learn.

I am looking forward to talking about my experience at Brown this summer to Mira Vista students.

Till next time.

WCCUSD School Board Meeting and Brown Brunch

Thank you to the WCCUSD School Board for approving our trip to Brown University this summer! 

On Wednesday, we were presented to the Board as the Ivy League Connection's students of 2010. It was very touching to know that so many people cared so much for us, and that they put so much effort into helping us succeed. I was moved by the speeches of Mrs. Campbell and the student speeches, and I felt very honored to be part of such a program, with so much community backing. I strongly agreed with what Mrs. Campbell said in her speech, especially the parts about how we need to bring what we learn from the Ivy League Colleges back to our communities, and about how we are far more than adequately capable to vie and compete with those with better backgrounds. The support of the Board and all of the parents and staff was overwhelming, and I have never felt so proud to be a part of something so monumental and important as this.

On Sunday, we were treated to brunch at La Strada to talk with Brown Admission officers. I have to say, I was nervous to sit at the front table in the beginning. But talking to Ms. Cohen of Coronado Elementary was very enlightening and informational. I appreciated her input to me about college experiences, and I really liked her speech to the entire crowd. I strongly believed in what she was trying to do at Coronado, and I would be honored to visit there sometime. I also hope that everyone enjoyed my speech, as I put a lot of time and effort into conveying my emotions and feelings about the Ivy League Connections and this opportunity. I learned a lot from the admission officers, and it really helped me realize that I do want to go to a college that is very loose and not strict. Thank you for this opportunity Mr. Ramsey, Mrs. Kronenberg, and Mr. Gosney! In less than one month, we shall be on our way to Brown, and to the future!

Italian Food and Brown Admissions Officers

The brunch was such a great event that truly gave me the insight on everything: the West Contra Costa Unified School District, the Ivy League Connection, Brown University and the many people who devote themselves to all of these things. I realized that our district is trying very hard to help deserving students get to where they can be. They place in our minds that those who dream big can really accomplish what they have the potential for.

When the Brown Admissions officers were talking about their passions for Brown, many of the things they said were the exact things I hope to have once I am in college. What Mercedes Domenech and Elizabeth Hart were explaining about Brown really held my attention: the open curriculum, the unity among the students, the types of study abroad programs, the rigorous academics and so much more that makes Brown such an amazing university. 

I am especially interested in the Portuguese studies department as I plan to major in that area and language. Mercedes was excellent in that she provided a great way for me to contact the head professors there. It goes to show that the Brown staff are incredibly helpful and open to students for questions and concerns. I am glad that they took the time to come to the Bay Area and have a meeting with us; I genuinely feel that it was an event I definitely couldn't have missed.

When Mr. Medrano spoke about the reasons why it is important to persevere and to endure hardships, especially to those of us who are minorities and low-income, I felt the same passion he holds towards equitable education for all. It's important to motivate students, even when they are young, like Linda Cohen, principal of Coronado elementary school, said. I am definitely planning to come visit the elementary school once I return from Brown to inspire these young and smart minds that they can go anywhere they want if they put their minds to it.

In retrospect and in simple words, the brunch was a cherished event for me. My passion for Brown has deepened and I find myself wanting to attend there even more. I can hardly wait for July to come around and arrive in Rhode Island for the time of my life. Again, I would to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm towards us. Everyone like Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Mr. Medrano, and everyone else on the school board as well as the Brown alumni who took the time to take questions from us did an incredible job of making the brunch a successful one. I appreciate it so much and I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Brunch with the Brown Admission Officers!

Today’s brunch at La Strada went great. I had the great opportunity to learn more about Brown University through Mercedes and Elizabeth. It was really an honor to get to hear about Brown through these wonderful women. After hearing all they had to say about Brown, I felt like I really liked that university even more than before. Their speeches made me really want to go to Brown. I eagerly want to see all the wonderful things they talked about.

When it was my turn to speak in front of everyone, I was a little nervous. I realized that my cheat sheet for my speech was actually making me more nervous, so I decided to not use it. Afterwards I felt good. I also liked Austin’s speech. Everyone who spoke did a great job. I felt really inspired after hearing Antonio Medrano’s speech. His speech encouraged me to continuing doing my best and to try to learn as much as I can.

One thing I really liked the most was hearing about Brown's study abroad programs. It has always been my goal to study abroad because I feel I would benefit greatly from learning from new cultures and new environments.

Overall, like always this dinner went really well. Everyone was really friendly. I also loved the food. I enjoyed speaking with everyone. Juliann seemed really nice. She gave me her perspective and also her daughter’s experience in Brown University. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who made this brunch possible.

I can’t wait until our next meeting for our orientation on June 1st.

Strada di La Era Grande

Mr. Ramsey did an excellent job with the brunch with the Brown admissions officers today. La Strada was an ideal location to house such memorable occasion for its great food and it's ambiance.

It was such a treat to have the opportunity to talk to the Brown admissions officers and to discuss many topics that I will face during my time at Brown. 

Through this event, I learned that Brown offers many opportunities including research groups and projects. But most importantly, I learned that you learn for the sake of learning. True learning isn't just learning to get a good paying job but learning for your enjoyment and curiosity. I also have to agree with the admissions officers that most people are intimidated with the idea of going to an Ivy League School because of the price or the level of work being done. Instead, people shouldn't be scared of going to an Ivy League School and embrace the environment there. Determination will lead you to your destination wherever you go no matter what the obstacles are.

Anyways, see you guys at the orientation on June 1.

Till next time.

The School Board Meeting and Brunch at La Strada

It has been quite some time since this meeting occurred but I wanted to give my insight on it. The event was a complete success and most significantly it was wonderful. I felt so special being presented to the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Board of Education along with the other ILC members who like myself this summer will engage in a summer program at some of the most distinguished schools in the East Coast. The experience was absolutely terrific. I would like to thank Mr. Ramsey and the rest of the individuals involved in the ILC for making all of this possible. I really enjoyed meeting my chaperon, who looks like a really nice person and who will surely make my trip even more memorable. I really liked the part where all the members of the ILC were presented directly to the School Board and were given a very nice certificate in recognition for being in the program and for what they are to do this summer. The people in the audience seemed very impressed with what all of us are going to be doing over the summer and it made me realize the appreciation that people hold for us. Additionally, it was great to hear a fellow ILC member who is going to start his freshmen year in college at Columbia University. What really made the night even more special was the fact that my mother was there and that surprisingly my eight grade English teacher was in the audience. Afterwards, she told me that she was very proud and that it seemed that during all these years I have been keeping busy. Beside is a snapshot of everyone participating in the Women and Leadership course at Brown University, it was taken during the time when Don was taking the pictures of the ILC during the Board Meeting.



Today at La Strada, we had a terrific brunch. I found it particularly informative and enriching. I learned so many new things about Brown that only make me want to be there more and more. I'm becoming really fond of this university due to all the resources and opportunities that it provides its students with.

All the things that were discussed at this meeting were so exciting and helpful. For example, I learned that Brown actually has Classics which is one of the majors that I am debating about at the moment. The fact that Brown also offers its students plenty of research opportunities and to study abroad are only two of the many reasons of why I am considering Brown as the right place for me to spend four critical years of my life at.

We had great speakers at this meeting, like Madeline Kronenberg, the WCCUSD School Board President, who welcomed everyone to the event. We also had Cynthia Fong, a student of the WCCUSD who will attend Brown in the fall of this year, deliver a speech concerning her experience in the ILC and at the summer programs she was able to attend during her high school career. In addition, two other fellow ILC members Austin Long and Lucero Perez presented a speech. Afterwards, Linda Cohen, the principal of Coronado Elementary School, spoke about the necessity to push students and motivate them to excel in school really made me think about the elementary school that I attended and how we could all help the young students of the WCCUSD. In the end, she invited the ILC students to Coronado so that we could make some presentations next year, which I am really considering doing. Then we had the admission officers speak about the programs at Brown and other things that Brown has to offer. I really admired the fact that the admission officers are really dedicated to their jobs and are so helpful. I absolutely loved Antonio Medrado's closing speech it was absolutely inspiring and no doubt able to get its message across.

The food at La Strada was delicious and the atmosphere inviting. I loved the fact that we had the opportunity to have many of our questions concerning Brown answered. La Strada was just the right place to hold this event and welcome the admission officers of Brown University. Thank you Mr. Ramsey and the rest of the people involved with the ILC for this amazing experience!

(Featured in the picture are Mr. Ramsey and myself at the end of the brunch at La Strada