first generation

The University of Iowa – Summer Research Opportunities Program – Part II

July 2018

When July came around, I was halfway completed with the Summer Research Opportunities Program at The University of Iowa; four weeks down, with four more to go! This second month, I finished as much research as I could do, and then the last week was spent wrapping up the program: presenting posters at the annual undergraduate summer research symposium and recognizing all the Scholars for our hard work and contributions. This half of the summer felt like it went by much quicker than the first half.

WEEK FIVE
July 1st – That weekend, there was the Jazz Festival downtown, and fireworks were shooting off at night. Plenty of people flooded the streets of downtown Iowa City to enjoy the sizzling, fuzzy heat and hear some music. Some crowds were huddled all over the lawns on campus with their blankets on the grass. I did not go outside at night to watch the fireworks, but I could hear them from the dorm. A few Scholars did go to see the fireworks, even venturing into the neighborhood of Coralville to view the fireworks displays.

Photo credit: http://www.accalendar17.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/iowa-city-jazz-festival-iowa-city-downtown-district-iowa-city-calendar-of-events-logk.jpg

July 2nd –
At the “Grad School Admissions” panel, six graduate students shared their experiences and advice for us. These students were pursuing MFAs and Ph.Ds. in history, higher education & student affairs, and counseling psychology. They spoke on their transition from undergraduate to graduate school; some went straight through with their schooling whereas others had some time off for employment first. Some of these students were people of color, and I really appreciated seeing and hearing from POCs, because these were people like me who went on to graduate school.

Some tidbits of wisdom they mentioned during the panel included befriending your fellow graduate students because it is unfeasible and foolish to not do so, and to email professors and people for letters of recommendation immediately, even though it was summer and school had not started yet. One student said that one recommender should know you well personally, one recommender should vouch for your professional experiences, and one should be a “hard-hitter,” which is someone who is highly respected and esteemed in their field. There should also be a person available at the ready to write a back-up recommendation, in case one of the main three recommenders happens to not submit a letter on time, or at all. The panel was very informational. I made a note to myself to contact my recommenders right when school started in August; I wanted to meet with them in person to talk about our summers and then ask them if they would be willing to write me letters.

July 3rd –
We had a GRE study session in the evening.

July 4th –
SROP had a Holiday Picnic planned for us, but this was canceled, and we all just had the day off. It was eerily quiet downtown on the actual holiday, with barely any cars passing through the streets. A group of us played a few hours of Dungeons & Dragons and then walked downtown to see what was going on. About a dozen of us spent some time in a frozen yogurt shop, and we played a game called Headbands. Those who were over age 21 went to a bar to play billiards. It was a relaxing day.

Our D&D group within SROP used this Starter Set to play our campaign.

July 5th –
Our Research Seminar revolved around “Conferences & Publications,” presented to us by a speaker who was very engaging and captivated everyone’s attention as he spoke about types of papers, journals, and authorship. This Chemistry professor was very passionate and stated that this was not a lecture but a discussion; he wanted us to speak during class. Despite it being the end of the day, he did not show any physical signs of fatigue.

I learned that there are three types of research papers:
1) a letter (for general audiences, and the most brief type of paper at two to three pages, including figures and references)
2) a full-length article
3) a review of many articles (this is more rare)
The speaker said that it is common for professors to publish two to ten times a year, depending on their discipline. He also vouched for the value of attending conferences, networking, and attending society meetings. He mentioned that growing a thick skin would be beneficial because “academia is critical of ideas.” What surprised me was that this professor read academic articles every day, including weekends and holidays to keep up with the literature! In addition, journals have impact factors, which are numerical factors for the prestige of the journals. Higher impact factors are better. He also talked about for-profit journals being predatory, as they charge researchers to publish, without thoroughly reviewing the submitted work. Open-access journals on the other hand provide public access to articles; for example, the NIH mandates that NIH-funded research be posted on PubMed, a year after its publication date, so that the public can read this year-old article.

July 6th –
For our Speaker Series, a professor in the Sociology department whose research is primarily on social stratification and public policy! She discussed her research on implicit bias training in some schools in the Iowa City Community School District; her hope is that educators will recognize their own biases (every human being has bias, whether they know it or not) and ensure that their biases do not lead to disproportionate educational outcomes for different races of students.
Students and teachers filled out surveys as part of the professor’s research. Students were asked if they had mentors at school, and if they felt safe and supported, among other questions.
One result revealed that 19% of Black students enrolled in the school districts for 2016-2017, but 63% were suspended. This is an outrageous statistic, and indicates a disparity in disciplining students. Another finding was that white students had the highest rates of race-matched mentors, meaning they were the students who often had a mentor of the same race. Furthermore, LGBTQ-identifying students disclosed that they did not feel supported or understood by their teachers. Even 25% of all students surveyed reported that teachers do not recognize their hard work.

There are multiple areas to address in these schools, and diverse stakeholders must be involved when making decisions. Besides training teachers and staff (the implicit bias training in schools is contracted to last three years), a handful of schools are trying a restorative justice approach to discipline instead of suspending students. Also pertinent is recruiting and retaining diverse staff and students. Yet another suggestion raised by the researchers was to arrange school calendars so that testing would not occur on/near any religious holidays, not just Christian holidays like Christmas or Easter.

Source: https://www.lwhs.org/page/news-detail?pk=1140689

I support implicit bias training for school educators and staff; having grown up in the inner-city and attending public schools for my entire life, and often being the only Asian-American student in class, I witnessed bias and microaggressions from teachers who had little experience interacting with Asian/Asian-American people. For example, I have had teachers insist on knowing where my parents were born, and teachers who commented how my name did not suit me because it was “too American” for me. This lecture spoke to me, and I hope that teachers nationwide can be more educated and aware of their own biases and lack of knowledge and cultural sensitivity.

WEEK SIX
July 9th –
Sunny gave a professional development presentation on “Professionalism on Social Media.” What we post on the Internet has a permanent presence, even if we delete our photos or statuses. We must be vigilant of what we say or share, because you never know who could screenshot something and send it off to other people. Sunny asked us what social media networks we use, from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn, to some others. Most of us use a few social media networks! I use a wide array of social networks, and am very connected to the Internet. When I post, I keep in mind that I do have past teachers and older adults as friends or followers of my accounts, so I ask myself if things are appropriate for me to share.

Photo credit: https://ontargetinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/social-.jpg

July 10th –
Another GRE Study Session consisted of practicing vocabulary words and doing practice problems from our Kaplan books.

July 11th –
The evening session “If I Knew Then What I Know Now“ was a speed meeting with past SROP students who were in graduate school. The scholars were sitting at six tables, and we sat down the entire duration, while a graduate student circled around to each table every 10 minutes, and each of them had a specific topic to discuss with us.
One student, Maya, did SROP at University of Iowa some years ago, where she studied African-American mothers and stress. She talked about “building your cabinet” of people, or basically a support system.
Charles was pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education, and commented on “wearing multiple hats” and juggling various responsibilities. He aims to be a faculty member and administrator for student affairs. When he finished reading for the day, he would then focus on self-care and play basketball as his reward.
Nicole is in the process of achieving her MFA in Painting and Drawing, a three-year program. She talked about “department politics” and power structures.
Danielle was in her Ph.D. program for civil engineering, and was researching flood predictions. She commented on being a “Teaching Assistant (TA) versus Research Assistant (RA) versus Graduate Assistant (GA)”. TAs are popular for science disciplines while GAs are commonly found in the social sciences and liberal arts. She is an RA, and wants to do consulting after her program. She is also involved in graduate student government, so grad students can still be involved outside of the classroom! Danielle mentioned that she is the only woman in her classes, which is still a reality in STEM, but is slowly dissolving.
Lastly a student who I think was named Deron (De’Ron?) discussed “time management” in his MFA for printmaking program. He suggested we try to complete assignments one to two weeks before the given deadline, to allocate more time since procrastination is real. He was attracted to UIowa’s program because of the funding and stipends; also, the school’s printmaking program is third in the nation.
I was impressed by the diversity of graduate students and how they all came from various fields and states; a few went straight from undergraduate to graduate school, and it was interesting to hear all their perspectives.

July 12th –
This Research Seminar was on Poster Construction Do’s and Don’ts. Scholars were given a guide for designing our research posters, which we would present at a conference just less than two weeks away. We also received several handouts showing different posters; we went through almost all of them and critiqued each poster. All posters should be concise, with minimal wording and carefully curated diagrams or photos.

Elements of a poster should include, but are not limited to:
– Abstract – Why was this research necessary? What happened? What were the results? What are the implications for this research? This should be a short paragraph or two and should be easily understandable by anyone who reads this abstract.
– Introduction – What is the issue being addressed? What is the gap in the literature?
– Hypothesis – What do I predict will be the outcome(s) from the research?
– Methods – What methods did we use for the research? Was it qualitative or quantitative? This should be very specific and delineate how this research was conducted.
– Results – What were the results? Diagrams would be helpful here in visually representing the results.
– Conclusion – This section is a summary of what the results suggest and what future directions can be taken.

This is a sample research poster from my very own university! White space is necessary for a poster. There should be a balance between white space and the amount of text and images on a poster. It should overall look neat and have an organized structure.

There should be some models/diagrams/photos on the poster so that it is not entirely composed of text. People need to see visuals! Visuals can help draw people in and also aid people’s understanding of complex concepts. Some other elements could include Discussion and Literature Review. References are also another popular section. For my poster, I add in an Acknowledgements section, because I always want to give thanks to people who have helped me with my research. Furthermore, I have to thank Professor Welburn and Sean for allowing me to help them with their project and giving me guidance.

When presenting a poster, there are also some guidelines. Students should practice presenting the data in front of peers, before they present at a conference. Do their peers understand the information and can logically follow the points made on the poster? Students should prepare a two-minute version and five-minute version of their poster speech. They also should not simply read off the poster, but briefly explain the research and then give specifics if people ask. Another piece of advice was to be enthusiastic and lively about the research and the work accomplished. If people come up to you and see that you are energetic and excited, they would feel like you really care about the topic.

This lecture’s presenter also showed us sample letters of recommendation that he wrote for students he has worked with. He even handed out a copy of a student’s personal statement for a Ph.D. program. It was very insightful to read these papers and get the perspectives of a recommender.

July 13th –
A Biochemistry professor spoke to us on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. She introduced herself and her educational background. She spent four years in undergrad, four years for her PhD, six years doing postdoctoral work, and five years ago, she established her own lab. Then she gave us a mini lecture on her work. She explained how she studies how epigenetic factors influence gene expression and how the environment (stress, nutrition, exercise, etc. impact a person’s epigenome).

Source: https://harvardmagazine.com/2017/05/is-epigenetics-inherited Learning about epigenetics reminded me of public health, and how environmental exposures and other facets of people’s lives impact their health, even the health of generations of offspring.

Although I took introductory biology and chemistry courses, I never had instruction on epigenetics, so this material was new to me. A fact I learned from the lecture was that there is evidence that genes from a famine in Denmark are affecting people today. The professor said that epigenetic marks are reversible and have substantial therapeutic potential. Her lab works to understand more about chromatin biology and human disease, and help develop therapeutics, which are used for people suffering from disease, pain, or injuries. The professor noted that when seeking funding for research projects, the funders need to be motivated and excited about your topic or your research. I will keep this advice in mind, not just for when I am applying for funding for my research, but for scholarships; I have to make readers excited for me and want to help me achieve my goals.

WEEKEND –
Scholars who had missed a session for various reasons were required to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity again. This was no issue for me; I appreciated the opportunity to get to help out at the warehouse area. We helped restock furniture, move furniture around, assemble some furniture and appliances (lamps and lighting fixtures in particular), measure door frames, sort recyclables, and unload a few truckloads of even more furniture. It was my first time going inside a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and seeing the array of items that people donated and would be eventually reused. We even built a bunk bed. Furniture sold here is marked at affordable prices. For furnishing my own homes/apartments in the future, I now can add a Habitat for Humanity ReStore to the list of places to visit.

This is just one small area of the large warehouse of the Habitat for Humanity – Iowa Valley.

WEEK SEVEN
July 16th –
Natalie conducted our session on self-assessments; it was called “Know Thyself.” This was important because we have to know who we are to write our personal statements and to express ourselves in interviews. She started with asking us if we can define ourselves in one sentence. Statements from scholars like “I am 21 years old,” “I am studying [insert subject/field],” were shot down. Natalie inquired, “What if education and everything else was taken away from you? Who are you then?” What were we besides students?
“You can exist without your achievements.” This statement spoke volumes to me. I am more than my almost-perfect (3.966) GPA, my leadership activities, and my honors and awards. We must not define ourselves by a test score or other numbers or accolades. I define myself by values like “trustworthy,” “caring,” “kind,” and “inquisitive.”

Natalie gave us each a worksheet and a paper with a long list of values, from A-Z order. Using values from the list, we first listed five values that are the MOST important to us, then five values that were important to us, and finally five values that were the least important to us. Furthermore, Natalie wanted us to jot down why these values were important to us and how do we use these values or employ them in action.

My most important values are, in no particular order:
– Adventure
My life craves excitement and discovery. I want to travel the world and to different nook and crannies in America. I love adventure and learning about the world around me. So far, I have done some traveling, and that has kept me eager for more adventures.
– Happiness
I strive to be happy, and this has been a great area of struggle for me, with so many challenges I have encountered in life. Happiness is a universal feeling, but oftentimes I do not find myself in a happy state. To try to achieve this value, I spend time with loved ones, and they contribute positively to my mood. I also can make myself content when I am not with other people; blogging is a source of pride and happiness for me. Helping other people generally makes me happy.
– Friendships
What is life without friends? I have made many new friends in college and they have enriched my life. They have supported me and helped me get through school, and I have just had fun with them as we explored Columbus and hung around school. I make sure to see my friends at least once a week, and I often have a class with at least one of them!
– Family
My family have always been a part of my life, and they are there for me when I need them. My family has helped get me to where I am today. I make time to see my family a few times a semester. I return home for one to two weeks for winter break. Sometimes I am busy traveling to new places and forgo visiting Cleveland. Still, I call my mother once a week, mostly on the weekends, so I can hear her comforting voice.
– Knowledge
Education is one of my lifelines, one of my necessities just like blood. I call myself a lifelong lover of learning; I will always be reading books and online articles to better myself and increase my knowledge of various topics. Many subjects catch my interest. I have a major and two minors because I want to be more well-rounded and educated. While traveling, I try to visit a few museums so I can deepen my understanding of art, history, and different cultures.

For my one-liner, which I did not share out loud with the class but silently wanted to, I wrote down,
“I am someone who found her strength from her struggles.”

Photo Source: https://graceoutreachcenter.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/what-defines-you.jpg                                                                                       What defines you? Can you describe yourself succinctly in one sentence?

July 17th –
We had our usual GRE Study Session, which we all attend after we eat dinner at Burge Hall.

July 18th –
This day, I had a draft of my research poster ready and talked through the layout and content with my mentor, Professor Welburn. I sent her a PDF of my poster and she printed it; I would pick it up later in the office of the Sociology department.

For our session, we had Research Roundtable presentations. We printed out copies of our research abstracts to share with the Scholars at our table, and one faculty mentor/member from University of Iowa was present at each of the four tables around the room to hear us present our abstract and our research projects, and provide us with feedback. This was preparation for the conference next week, and it was also one of the most stressful sessions for me, since I do not like presenting in front of others. Nevertheless, I appreciated getting the chance to hear what my peers were doing and how some of them are really strong presenters and seem to not show any anxiety in front of audiences. Each table would select the scholar from that table who presented the most well, and to eventually stand in front of the entire room to present once more, and be judged. The four scholars presented and the four faculty members decided who was the best presenter. The scholar with the best oral presentation of their research that night was a fellow Buckeye, who I did not meet or know until we both began SROP together in the summer.

July 19th –
Our scheduled session was cancelled, so Scholars had this day to work more on research.

July 20th –
Our last Speaker Series session was presented by a professor in Astronomy and Physics. That night, we had a SROP Talent Show, where scholars had a space to show off their talents and skills. One scholar did a dance and later that night, a SROP-themed parody of an R&B song. Another scholar played his own musical piece on his flute; throughout SROP, when we walked down the hallways of our dorm floor, we would hear his whimsical flute-playing. Another scholar sang a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” and one scholar presented a slideshow of her artwork and she even completed a painting during SROP, and passed this around to the audience. I also volunteered for the talent show; when I submitted my name that I was participating, I only had in mind that I would perform a poem. After I elected to be a part of the show, I hurriedly began to brainstorm my poem. It was finished in two days, and then the few days before the show, I was revising the poem, only allowing two SROP scholars to read it and provide me with feedback. The talent show overall was very fun, and just like how multifaceted and unique each of us scholars are, our talents are different as well.

The Arts Building West building holds the Art Library. It is a tranquil place to study. The small pond sometimes will have ducks splashing around in it.

A link to my poem is found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lOQTGLslC5KJqb4pMxXsraARf24LRaubsaPxletvm3w/edit?usp=sharing

WEEKEND –
On July 21st, Scholars took a GRE Post-test, from 10 am to 2 pm, to compare our scores from the beginning of summer. I was relieved to earn higher scores for both the quantitative and verbal sections. However, the test we took was the same as the diagnostic test, except I did have some unfamiliar sets of questions because I knew how to answer a few previous sets. I scored in the 80th or so percentiles for this test, an improvement from last time when I scored in the 44th and 70th-something percentiles. When taking practice tests, I did not write essays, but in hindsight, perhaps I should have spent the time to do so. We printed off our results for the SROP staff’s records.

WEEK EIGHT
July 23rd –
Graduate assistant Sunny presented a session on self-care and support. For this interactive session, Sunny strongly encouraged us to discuss with him about our perceptions of self-care and what questions we had about the topic. We defined what self-care means for us. One scholar said for her, it meant “treating yourself.” Others said that for their self-care, they needed “music,” “solitude,” “stopping and thinking,” and “hanging with friends.” We then did self-assessments, which I believe were related to stress.

During the session, I took some notes related to self-care:
“Start a compliments file.” Sunny practices this activity, and I actually did this back in middle school when I would screenshot compliments that people gave me online. If someone posts something especially sweet and meaningful to me online, I still screenshot it and keep it on my phone in my Photos album.
“Mini-meditation.” I do not currently practice meditation, but it can be something simple and not even time-intensive. It could be something I do right before bed, or when I wake up.
“Unplug for an hour.” My world revolves around using technology and staying connected to my networks through my phone or laptop. I am almost always looking at a screen, if I am not sleeping or doing my personal hygiene routines. I even scroll on my phone as I eat though, so my everyday life activities seem to be consumed by my use of technology. However, by playing games with my friends, I am engrossed in the games and end up not using my phone. Unplugging can be a challenge, especially when I love social media and want to see/know what other people are up to. Unplugging is important and I hope to remember to engage in activities that do not involve me using technology.
“Notice your breathing.” By noticing my breathing, and focusing on only that, I can calm myself down.
“Walk around outside.” This is important and should be done daily. I am sure I can commit to this action and get my daily dose of fresh air.

Near the end of the session, we created our own Distress Tolerance Boxes, which are boxes containing items for self-care and stress-relief. Sunny brought some mini boxes that resembled rectangular take-out containers. He also had some rocks engraved with words like “Friendship” and “Love” and some Chinese finger trap toys. There was also some candy to stash in the boxes. We could decorate our boxes with construction paper and markers. While I liked the concept of the box, I knew I would not be able to bring a box with me in my luggage or in my backpack. I then came up with the idea to make the box into a care package to give to individuals suffering from homelessness; there were some we encountered in Iowa City, and I felt like presenting them with a small box containing goodies and toiletries would be very helpful for them and make their days.

Photo source: https://68.media.tumblr.com/acdc653d145b2cdc879b98933da1d78a/tumblr_nvexc6eF2W1uhd96jo1_500.png                                           A personal care robot from the Disney film Big Hero 6 wants to make sure his owner is taking care of himself. Likewise, he wants others to monitor their wellness, from physical to mental.


July 24th –
Instead of GRE tutoring and preparation, all the Scholars were in one room and we learned about some handy and helpful websites to aid us for graduate and/or professional school.
These websites are:
beyondtheprofessoriate.com – career advice for PhDs, by PhDs – this requires money to join

myidp.sciencecareers.org – my Individual Development Plan –  an account must be created to access materials –
The site provides the following:

  • Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values
  • A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests
  • A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track
  • Articles and resources to guide you through the process

Imagine PhD – https://www.imaginephd.com/ – FREE career exploration and planning for the humanities and social sciences. An account must be created to access assessments and other resources

versatilephd.com – Helping graduate students and PhDs envision, prepare for, and excel in non-academic careers since 1999
They have a PhD career finder, discussion boards, job listing boards, local meet-ups and more.

Slack – https://slack.com/ – a chat app used by graduate students to collaborate and to chat, and is also utilized by teams/groups of people in workforce and business
This is FREE for small groups of people, for unlimited time. The other two plans cost money, monthly.

The GRE instructors we had for the summer informed us to go to conferences, to look at success stories, and to not let the competitiveness of a program deter us from applying! They also told us about academic Twitter; we could have a separate Twitter account for academic and professional purposes, to network with other people in our fields and disciplines and to share our achievements, aside from our personal and private accounts.

July 25th –
We had a SROP Closing Luncheon, where Scholars and their faculty mentors and some graduate students had lunch together and mingled. Ms. Diana gave a speech and thanked everyone for being in the program. At the end of the lunch, I presented my poem!

After this luncheon, the summer undergraduate research conference (SURC) began; it was from 1 to 5 pm, and students were placed into one of two sessions, so they were not presenting for a full four hours, but only two hours. Still, I was extremely anxious and did not want to present. I often have a concern that my research is not good enough, that I did not get enough research done and could have done mucmore, and other worries. I had several people stop by my poster. One sociology student who was at University of Iowa came up to me to discuss my research. I even printed out 20 business cards to hand out to people.

I appreciate the poster having a glossy finish. It should be resistant to water and other damages. It is also text-heavy, which can deter people from approaching the poster. I just like providing ample information for people.

July 26th –
This was a free day for many scholars, besides our awards ceremony that evening. Some scholars were busy printing their posters somewhere around campus. With two friends and my SROP roommate, we went to the medical side of University of Iowa’s campus and got food from food trucks. I tried some delicious gyros. Then we went to the mall to purchase a gift for Ms. Sproles: a Bath & Body Works candle, soap, and lotion, all wrapped up in pretty paper. I also went to some stores downtown for the last time. I really liked the White Rabbit boutique and the Blick Arts Materials, which was where I purchased my tube to hold my research poster. I also quickly toured the Natural History museum on campus; I had been meaning on going to the museum for all of summer, but on my very last day, I finally was able to venture in and look at the history of Iowa and the many taxidermied animals in its various exhibits.

At the beginning of summer, I saw a mere outline of this mural. On my last full day in Iowa City, I finally got to see the finished product.

In the evening, we had a Closing Session and Awards Ceremony. Earlier in the week, we all turned in completed sheets of “SROP Superlatives,” where we nominated scholars for various awards such as “Best Motivator,” “Best Trio,” “Most Likely to Achieve World Peace,” “The World Traveler,” and other fun awards. There were about a dozen superlatives in total. The SROP staff also gave out certificates of completion to everyone, and then gave additional awards to the scholars who did exceptionally well in the program. I received “Best Motivator,” and tied with another scholar for “Most Studious.” I also received the highest votes for “People’s Choice Award for Talent Show.” Outside of the visual arts building where the ceremony was held, a bunch of scholars took group photos, and we walked next door to the arts building to view an art showcase, with art from high school students who were also here in Iowa for some time during the summer. At night, a small handful of us went to a rooftop restaurant to see what Iowa City looked like from up above. While I was feeling sad that SROP was ending, I was still trying to make the most of my limited time and enjoy every moment with my friends.

I will miss my peers so much.

July 27th –
This was Departure Day, a very bittersweet day, and the last time I would likely see all the Scholars in one place. In the early morning, three scholars from Puerto Rico began their journey home. The remainder of us were able to eat breakfast at Burge and gather in the lobby to check out of Burge Hall, where we waited to be picked up by Ms. Sproles, Natalie, and Sunny to be taken to the airport in Cedar Rapids.

We exchanged many hugs, said goodbyes/see you laters, and shed some tears. While we waited in the airport terminals, some of us played card games, while others listened to music. I was about to board my plane before I turned to see my closest friends from SROP yell out “Bye” and wave at me.

The Cedar Rapids airport is fairly small. The staff are all pleasant from the encounters I have had.

Reflection

My summer was fruitful and full of learning, new experiences, and challenges. I am thankful for the myriad of opportunities to learn about a variety of fields, from biochemistry to physics to public policy, and to speak with some graduate students and faculty members. I also am grateful to have gotten to know some academically competitive, talented, and kind scholars from across America and Puerto Rico. Because of my eight-week experience, I am better prepared for my graduate studies, and have a strong CV and personal statement for my application to my program. I understand much more of what being in graduate school is like, what the process is for finding funding, and what it is like to be in academia. I really enjoyed getting to hear multiple perspectives each day of the program.

Also important, this was my first intensive experience conducting research, and contributing to a faculty member’s work. I engaged in qualitative research coding and analysis, which helped reinforce my desire to pursue qualitative methods. Although my research project was not explicitly public health, it related to public health because it involved studying experiences of a marginalized and vulnerable group: first-generation college students, with living, working, and attending school at The University of Iowa. I was able to read 15 interview transcripts and learned a considerable deal of these students’ backgrounds and some of their challenges, like substandard housing conditions (doors not locking, mold, and general uncleanliness), and 60% of them working two jobs to help make ends meet. These interviews were eye-opening and contributed to my understanding of how the quality and affordability of housing are especially influential in students’ health and wellbeing, and even their academic outcomes.

Besides the academic and professional growth, I also experienced personal growth, as I developed relationships with people. My interactions with friends and staff helped me become better aware of different cultures and backgrounds. My worldview has tremendously expanded because of my friends from California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Iowa. Even my fellow Ohio State scholar was someone who I had never interacted with before SROP, and I learned so much about him; he is in a different public health specialization than me, and he is also pre-med, so I was able to learn about the perspectives of a pre-med student and support him as he took his MCAT halfway through SROP. I highly suggest for undergraduates to get involved in research, including immersive and transformative experiences such as a Summer Research Opportunities Program.

Resources
Link to University of Iowa’s Summer Research Opportunities Program: https://www.grad.uiowa.edu/ogi/srop

Please see an upcoming post on “Applying to SROP” for details on the months-long application process and how I prepared for SROP! Hopefully the post will aid in people getting accepted to a program. More resources will be listed in the post.

The University of Iowa – Summer Research Opportunities Program – Part I

The University of Iowa offers the opportunity for first-generation college students and/or students from disadvantaged backgrounds/students who are historically underrepresented to take part in their annual Summer Research Opportunities Program (called SROP). Through the eight weeks of SROP, not only do the Scholars prepare for graduate school through GRE workshops and informational sessions on various aspects of graduate school, but they also enhance their academic and personal skills through engaging in a research project with a faculty mentor whose interests align with theirs. The Scholars also partake in volunteering and social events that augment their experiences while in Iowa City, Iowa. Students are challenged daily and are expected to uphold values of professionalism and integrity. Scholars are also expected to show respect and open-mindedness as they meet with other students from across the country. There is a great deal of work required of the Scholars, but there are many benefits to be reaped. All the hard work I put in was worth it, and Summer 2018 turned out to be one of the best summers of my entire life!

The campus loomed large at first glance but I quickly learned how to navigate it. I learned how to use the buses! Source: the university’s admissions office

This blog post describes what I did in June.

WEEK ONE
DAY 1 – June 4th

After landing in the United States, I was back home in Cleveland for six hours before I had to depart for Cedar Rapids/Iowa City! During that short period, I did laundry and packed my suitcase as full as I could; I had to lean on it to zip it up. I appreciate my parents for going through this exhausting ordeal with me and taking me to the airport, the last time they’d see me again until eight weeks later. I flew from Cleveland to Atlanta to Cedar Rapids, arriving at my final destination at 11 am.

While most students came to campus on June 2 or June 3, I came on June 4th. I was the latest student and felt terrible for missing out on orientation and a welcome picnic. But I was thankful to be there! I checked into the residence hall, set my things down, and went right to lunch, as I was famished. I made a new friend immediately; at the elevator, she greeted me and talked with me. We had lunch together and also went with a few other students to the library, where we had a session at 1:30 pm.

A librarian introduced us to the University of Iowa library system. There’s seven libraries there on campus and planned to go to each of them. The librarian showed us how to find research databases and contact library staff members. This session was very helpful in orienting us and the resource guide she provided will be a resource for our research this summer.

Fun fact: For every pig in Iowa, there are two books at UI.

I frequent the Main Library; it has a café, plenty of desktop computers around the building, and study spaces. You can also reserve rooms!

Then one of the two Graduate Assistants, Natalie, talked about professionalism and respect with us. We were expected to check emails regularly; it is not polite to ignore messages and we should respond within 24-48 hours. Afterwards, the SROP Scholars visited the gym and got a tour. I liked the facility and was impressed by the tall rock wall; it’s the tallest in the country for a college. We could purchase monthly or summer-semester memberships. (I passed on this chance, as I was unsure of my availability with my time spent between research, exploring Iowa, and studying for the GRE. I know that exercise is a vital part of maintaining good physical health, but because I perceived that I would be too busy, I did not work out at all.)

Right after that, we took our photo IDs! They are called HawkIDs and we use them to swipe into buildings for access. It’s similar to the BUCKID I use at The Ohio State University. I really like how I look in my photo.

This card has several uses! https://idcard.uiowa.edu/iowa-one-card

We had the rest of the night to ourselves. Back in my dorm, I unpacked and rested before eating dinner with my roommate and other scholars. Everyone was very friendly and open to conversation! In my room, I wrote down deadlines into my planner. SROP provided each of us with a poster-size calendar of the program that we can hang on a wall. I had no tape or staples or thumbtacks so I kept this on my desk. SROP also gave us brand new GRE prep books and some booklets on Iowa City and the University of Iowa. I love reading, so all of these materials were great, and they helped me navigate campus and learn about recommended restaurants and places to visit. Then I reviewed the SROP syllabus to familiarize myself with our program’s schedule and the assignments. Here was how our schedule generally went:

Mondays – Aspects of Graduate School sessions (We had presentations about CV’s and personal statements, graduate student panels, and more)
Tuesdays – GRE Study Sessions (We were divided into two groups: Verbal or Quantitative; we switched subjects halfway through the summer)
Wednesdays – Question and Answer (Q&A) Discovery sessions
Thursdays – Research Seminars
Fridays – Speaker Seminars

DAY 2 – June 5th

I got breakfast with friends and walked the quick seven minutes to Seashore Hall, which houses the Departments of Sociology and Psychology. I would start research the next day but I learned the route to my building beforehand so I would not get lost.  I walked around campus by myself and went into the campus bookstore to browse the books. I then went to the Main Library to sit down and work on emails (and this blog!).

SROP provided every scholar with a GRE Prep Plus book to aid us in our studies!

On Tuesday evenings, SROP Scholars attend GRE prep workshops. We were presented with the basics of the GRE and then took a practice set of Verbal and a practice set of Quantitative Reasoning. This activity frustrated me so much, because it was so much more difficult than the ACT and SAT; I excelled at the ACT back in high school, but the GRE’s challenge level surpassed the previous standardized tests that I took by a landslide. Nevertheless, I persisted and answered each question because guessing wrong does not lead to any penalties for my score. Feeling defeated, I went home to Burge. In my room, I conducted an online search for fun things to do in Iowa City and around campus; I compiled a bucket list of restaurants to check out and museums to visit.

Day 3 – June 6th
After breakfast, I met with Sean, the graduate student who is working on the project with my faculty mentor. My mentor is Sean’s advisor for his graduate studies in sociology. He introduced himself and explained how we would be coding for the majority of my research. I became acquainted with Dedoose, an accessible and extremely user-friendly computer app. I can use Dedoose on any laptop or desktop, so I can be anywhere to work on the research!

My faculty mentor is Jessica Welburn Paige, Assistant Professor of Sociology as well as African American Studies at The University of Iowa. Professor Welburn’s research revolves around studying race and ethnicity, social mobility, urban inequality, cultural sociology, and qualitative research methods. Here is more about her (retrieved from https://clas.uiowa.edu/sociology/people/jessica-welburn-paige) 

Her work has focused on the experiences of African Americans in the post-Civil Rights era, including how they conceptualize their social mobility prospects and their strategies for navigating persistent racism and discrimination. She is currently working on a book tentatively titled Keep on Pushin’ that uses in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations to explore how working class and middle class African Americans in Detroit, MI navigate the city’s crumbling infrastructure. In addition, Professor Welburn is working on a book manuscript co-authored with Michèle Lamont, Joshua Guetzkow, Hanna Herzog, Nissim Mizrachi, Elisa Reis and Graziella Silva. The book draws upon over 400 qualitative interviews to compare the destigmatization strategies of blacks in the United States, blacks in Brazil, and several groups — Ethiopian Jews, Mizrahi Jews and Palestinian Citizens of Israel — in Israel.

She is a Summer Research Scholar at the Public Policy Center, and she is collaborating with another Scholar there on a project titled “Housing Inequality in Iowa City: Examining the Experiences of Community Members and University Students,” which I am helping with during my eight weeks here. The project is community-based and mixed methods and the principal investigators are Megan Gilster, Assistant Professor of Social Work
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For this week, I am coding one student interview and understanding how to use Dedoose. The website provides plenty of video tutorials and written out explanations for me should I need support. Sean also provided me with a manila folder of packets of readings to help me gain background knowledge on housing insecurity, food insecurity, qualitative methods, coding, and reading scientific/academic journal articles.

A screenshot of a Dedoose home page (from themidnightcoders.com)

Our evening seminar entailed working on our LinkedIn profiles and ensuring that we are presenting ourselves as well as we can on this professional social platform. I changed my introduction and edited some profile sections. As I become older and continue developing my professional career, I check my LinkedIn more regularly and I receive emails when there’s notifications for me.

Day 4 – June 7th
On this day, I worked on coding the interview and reading some assigned papers. In my planner, tasks are color-coded: red means research (look at databases, begin literature review), blue means doing readings, purple means meetings with Sean and/or Professor Welburn, and orange means coding using Dedoose.  Another proactive action I did was that I created an email signature for my University of Iowa email, and I downloaded the Microsoft Outlook app on my phone to make sure I could read emails quickly.

The SROP seminar was one of my favorite seminars thus far; it was about intercultural sensitivity and our various identities. Because of this, I learned more about my peers, and it helped make me feel less nervous.

Day 5 – June 8th
On Fridays, I meet with Professor Welburn for up to 45 minutes before I dash to the seminar at 4 pm.
Our speaker, Dr. Darrel Wanzer-Serrano, presented his research on the Young Lords, a group of mostly Puerto Rican youth activists. Many of them were second-generation Americans, so they were born in America and had immigrant parents. This group was dedicated to raising awareness for injustices in their communities in New York. They worked for positive change in their community health, environmental, and political needs. Through rallies, speeches, political education, and messages on the radio and in newspapers, the Young Lords made academic and physical impacts; they once were able to mobilize 10,000 people. They were able to get lead and TB testing programs, the first door-to-door program in the country. They also got meals to people in need. However, in the 1970s, they changed their group’s name, which hurt them deeply. They also stopped doing community work and shut down their clinics.

After dinner, about half of the scholars met up to go to the Coral Ridge Mall. On Thursdays and Fridays, the bus to the mall is free for UI students; with our HawkIDs, we were able to take advantage of this opportunity! The ride was about 20-30 minutes. When we reached the mall, we split up. I tried Zombie burgers and side of fries and loved the taste of it; the sauce was some mixture of mayo and ketchup. On the bus ride to and from the mall, I was able to talk to my peers and learn more about them. One scholar’s parents both attended The Ohio State University (my home institution) for their master’s degrees! Late at night, I looked up resources to make a GRE study schedule for myself. My plan was to spend 1-2 hours each weekday doing GRE prep, and then 6-10 hours over the weekends.
(Resource: https://gre.magoosh.com/study-plans)

WEEKEND
On Saturday morning, we all took a GRE diagnostic test (a Pre-Test) to gauge where we all were for quantitative and verbal strengths. This was my first time taking the entire GRE exam, minus the essays at the beginning. When we were done, we printed our scores and handed them to the SROP staff. I do not remember what I did the rest of the day, or the rest of the weekend, but I believe I was in my room working on blog posts relating to my study abroad, and the lengthy PowerPoint slideshow for my study abroad travels. 

WEEK TWO

June 11th
I researched more about the GRE; I plan to take it in mid-August because I am applying to a Combined Bachelors and Masters program at my school and this requires me to take the GRE before my application is due on December 1. Taking the GRE before the school year begins seems optimal for me because my mind will mostly be occupied by the test; if I take the test later on when classes are in session, I would feel more stressed.

Our evening session was about choosing a graduate school. The first step in this process often involves developing a list of criteria and assigning weight to each criteria. Some criteria to keep in mind when looking at programs include regional/geographic location, professor-to-student ratio, costs, financial aid/assistance, support and resources, faculty mentors, program reputation, duration of program, and physical facilities.

For me, I preferred a graduate school program in the Midwest, close to home. Ohio is all that I have known, and although it’s suggested to venture out and get a change of scenery, I believe in blooming where I am planted, and continuing to develop relationships with the people I have met in Columbus. I knew that at Ohio State, I’d benefit from the robust financial aid and my strong support system.

June 12th
This day was spent doing readings and coding another interview. I had a meeting with Ms. Diana Sproles, the director of SROP.

I was placed in the Quantitative group for the first half of the GRE study sessions; this placement was commensurate with my low quantitative score on the diagnostic GRE exam (I was somewhere in the 40th percentile, and was not too disappointed, taking into account that my last math course was Calculus in the twelfth grade and it had been a few years.) This session was challenging and engaging; we began it with a 10 minute quiz, which I was not expecting. The instructors are very passionate and present; they ask students about our reasonings behind approaching a problem. I felt like I was really learning (well, relearning math concepts I had learned back in high school.) After the session, I worked on our math quiz; we get a math quiz each week to practice our knowledge.

June 13th
On Wednesday mornings, I meet with Sean in Seashore; we go over coding and we strive to achieve intercoder reliability. I also have the space to ask him questions about graduate school. After lunch, I met with Mr. Joseph Henry, who I call Joe. He is in charge of Recruitment and Outreach for SROP. He asked me questions about myself, my passions, and my academic interests, as well as what I hoped to gain from SROP.

After dinner, we attended a session on “Life as a Faculty Member” and met six faculty members from various disciplines.

June 14th
In the late afternoon, we had a presentation on Research Collaboration, from two graduate students. One was pursuing a degree in Political Science, specifically racial and ethnic politics, and the other was in Geography, studying hazards. The PoliSci student told us how during undergrad, she went to Mexico to conduct research, funded by the National Science Foundation. She studied conflict and peace management. While she was rejected the first time she applied for NSF, she applied again and was waitlisted before eventually being accepted. Everyone applying is heavily and highly qualified; your proposed project should meet what the funders are looking for. When it comes to collaboration, she suggested that we make sure we are accountable to ourselves, and that our collaborators are also accountable to you. She also said to not be afraid to ask for help and help others on social media.

The geography grad student explained how he studies the social vulnerability to natural hazards. He taught us some types of collaboration, in his words:
1) Vertical – you are given a job and you fill the part
2) Horizontal – the collaborating sides have similar interests, and work together but still in their own silos
3) Integrative/interdisciplinary – this is the hardest collaboration

After the session, everyone in SROP, including the staff, took a group photo! Pictured are Ms. Sproles, Joe, and Sunny. Natalie is not pictured. People also had professional headshots taken.

June 15th
After breakfast, I conducted an informational interview with a faculty member here so I could learn more about public health and her own experiences. It was a great conversation! Then I had lunch at Bluebird Diner with my faculty mentor, Professor Welburn. We discussed the research project we were working on and also Iowa City and life in general.

I worked more on an assignment on my laptop before I went to the Speaker Series session that afternoon. The session was about “Attention: The Mind’s Bouncer”, presented by a professor in the Psychological and Brain Sciences. I learned new terms like “target templates,” which guide our attention to things relevant to the item we are searching for; if we were locating some ketchup, our eyes would look for things that are red, in a bottle-shape, and relatively big. There is visual, manual, and cognitive attention. The speaker gave us some tips for the GRE and school. When reading a book or writing, preview it, and think about what the writing is about. Then summarize it. Next, evaluate it; is this writing true, in whole or in part? Sometimes I will read something and then by the time I have finished with the excerpt or the chapter, I fail to recall what I read.

The weekend was very fun. On Saturday, my friends and I went to Iowa City’s Pride Festival! I was pleasantly surprised that the festival was the 48th celebration of LGBTQ+ people in the community. With my friends, I witnessed the parade procession that began at noon. People on parade floats and bikers and walkers waved to the onlookers and passed out items such as condoms, health and beauty products from P&G companies, and candy. This day had blistering heat. In close-to-100-degree weather, my friends and I constantly quenched our thirst with water.

That night, I turned in my assignment: Introduction to your Discipline. This paper briefly covered when and how public health became a recognized profession; career options in public health; best schools and companies for public health professionals; current issues and new developments; major journals and publications; and how I see myself in the future in this discipline.

WEEK THREE

June 18th –
I read more interviews as part of my research during the day. Our session was about searching for internal and external funding for graduate school. I took notes on some funding opportunities that could pertain to me; one in particular was the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, for which first-generation and second-generation Americans are eligible. Later, I discovered I could not apply because I am pursuing a combined/joint degree.

When I think about graduate school, I am very concerned about how I will fully fund my education. In addition to being a full-time student, how would I cover living expenses? Financial aid stays on my mind as a potential barrier for me in completing my Master degree. Nevertheless, I will be proactive and persistent, and apply for both small and big funding, and look into both internal and external sources.
Helpful Hint: The 1-year-rule: The deadline for scholarships and fellowships is usually a year BEFORE you need the funding

June 19th –
I attended my GRE Quantitative Reasoning session. The session starts with a 10 minute quiz and then we review the answers. The instructors ask the scholars to explain how we arrived at a solution. It was always challenging but I was able to reinforce mathematical concepts and learn how to think smart, and not to think hard.

June 20th –
The evening session was about “Integrating Scholarship & Service,” presented by a graduate student in Education. Service during college should be done consistently, and not in spurts of activity, but one or a few activities that are sustained for years at a time. The presenter also mentioned how service trips could be problematic because the impact could be temporary, and possibly even detrimental to communities. This prompted me to consider how my alternative break trips were impacting the communities we visited, and if we were doing more harm than good.

June 21st –
After eating dinner together, the Scholars were transported by Ms. Diana, Sunny, and Natalie to Sycamore Mall Cinema to watch movies! This counted as a mandatory group social outing; we could choose to watch Incredibles II or Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. While SROP provided transportation to and from the movies, we each had to pay for our own tickets. Thankfully, Thursdays are discount days for students. We paid $6.00 admission and popcorn was free for us! What a deal! This mandatory movie night soothed my soul as I was waiting for 14 years between the first Incredible movie and its sequel. I was immensely impressed by the film and the Pixar short, Bao, that preceded it. We had a conversation during the car ride back to our dorm about Bao and culture.

June 22nd –
Our presenter for the day was a professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering department. His presentation “Water Quality and Public Health” began with a photo of John Snow, the father of epidemiology. He talked about public health and how his work in engineering would help improve public health in Iowa City. I was happy that we had a speaker mention the field I’m pursuing! I learned that the University of Iowa uses the Iowa river for their drinking water. There is a water treatment plant on campus that tests and treats the water. One of my fellow Scholars is the mentee for this professor, and she talked with animosity when she told us how she would actually go down to the river and collect samples for the lab! We regulate and treat water for a few purposes: for human and ecological health, for aesthetic purposes (cloudy water can still be clean, but people may not drink because of perceived impurities), and for economic purposes (acidic, corrosive water erodes pipes and the costs add up). This was another lecture that I really enjoyed. Furthermore, I already knew some of the information presented. I still took two pages of notes because there was a wealth of information that I did not know beforehand.

After dinner, I put on a long-sleeve shirt because I was going to visit a pet store. Two friends and I took a Lyft to PetLand at Sycamore Mall, just a couple miles away, for some pet therapy. Interacting with animals is soothing to many people. I love seeing fluffy animals who are just as excited to see you as you are to see them! I loved the bunnies and puppies the best. All the kittens had been bought, but there were still plenty of pets to be played with and sent off to good homes: ferrets, parakeets, guinea pigs, rats, reptiles, and fish. My friends and I spent an hour or so here. My favorite dog we spent time with was a Shiba inu puppy who was female. We looked up a Japanese name for her, and found that Haru seemed fitting. Haru means spring, and to me, it fits the puppy because when I think of spring, I think of flowers blooming and happiness in general. Spring means new beginnings, and this puppy was just starting her life. It was such a pleasant experience and I was relieved to get away from campus and to see animals. This excursion contributed to my self-care.

WEEKEND –
On Saturday, after a day of doing homework, with an hour-long nap in between, my friends and I went to Iowa City’s Downtown Block Party. This second annual block party involved many constituents. There were a plethora of games, including giant Jenga, Four Square, mini golf, and sand volleyball. We spent an hour outside exploring what the party had to offer; we returned to the dorm dining hall for dinner before we explored more of the party. Many of the Scholars attended the party. I enjoyed playing Four Square; it was my first time playing this game. We went to the public library to sign up for the Mario Kart tournament; there were many youth signed up to play the game, so after almost an hour of waiting, most of my friend group left the library. One or two stayed behind to actually play the game. After reuniting with some friends at Blaze Pizza, we walked around downtown some more. However, the streets were getting more crowded and the night was getting darker. We went back to Burge. That night, we had our usual Hallway Hours, where we hang out in the hallway and chat about anything. It is nice to unwind at the end of a long day by discussing life matters with your friends.

Iowa City is actually quite pretty.

On Sunday, I took a full practice GRE test using the Kaplan website. The downside of this was that I was in a coffee shop and music played nonstop. This was not an ideal environment in which to take a test. While I improved by seven points in quantitative reasoning, I dropped around twenty points in verbal, which was an extreme shock to me. Verbal should have come easily to me. After eating lunch, I reviewed my answers and looked at the explanations for the problems that I got wrong. I learned what I did incorrectly and how to correctly approach problems. After dinner, my friends and I played Betrayal at the House on the Hill, my new favorite board game. We played in one of the lounges on the floor. We went through two rounds of the game before we returned to our respective rooms to sleep and recharge for another eventful week.

WEEK FOUR

June 25th –
I spent most of the day working on my research and reviewing the interviews that I already had coded After lunch, I continued my review of past interviews in order to find themes and analyze the findings. Research is a continuous process and even if I code an interview, revisions often occur. The seminar for the day was about curriculum vitaes (CVs) and crafting statements of purpose, presented by a Ph.D. student in the Communications department. This session was very helpful for me as I learned how to write effective CVs and statements.

Some helpful advice this grad student gave was to reach out to potential faculty that I would want to work with, and email them to get to know them and ask if they are taking on new advisees for the year I plan to enter grad school. I should communicate with this faculty member multiple times to determine if the relationship as advisor and advisee would be compatible. Additionally, the CV tips were the most helpful because I had never made a CV prior to SROP.

Some CV tips:

– No bullet points. Those are for resumes.
– CVs and personal statements should match in terms of content, fonts used, etc.
– CVs should include headings like name & contact details; education; experiences; extracurricular activities; awards and honors; conference presentations, etc. 
– CVs get longer and longer throughout a person’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional careers.
– Keep them black and white, unless in the graphic design field.

After the session, one of the graduate assistants Natalie returned our “Introduction to Your Discipline” assignments to us. She commented that I had a “Nice Paper!”

After dinner, my friends and I visited the Van Allen observatory, which is on top of the physics and astronomy building.

We watched the sunset from six stories high. 

We also played the haunted house board game again, and I appreciated getting to bond some more with my friends.

June 26th –
I had no scheduled meetings but continued reviewing interview transcripts. I also viewed additional data from the college students; this data consisted of questionnaire answers, and it provided me with a better understanding of the subjects. Some questions pertained to health, such as exposure to radon in the home, and safety. My research question would most likely relate to health and housing; I still only had a vague idea of my topic and research question. I came up with a research question for the time being, and would refine this question through my research. That evening, the Scholars attended our GRE sessions, and I went to my last Quantitative session. The next time we meet, I would attend my Verbal session for tutoring.

June 27th –
Our session was solely on personal statements, and was presented by the Writing Center. Our personal statement should not be our whole life story condensed onto one to two pages, but it should reflect a couple parts of our lives that we want to highlight. To jumpstart our brainstorming, we were asked to describe ourselves using adjectives, and I think I chose “Persistent.” The Writing Center presenter showed us some samples of introductory paragraphs, and we voted which statements were the most compelling and intriguing. There is no one correct writing style; each person writes differently, so naturally we disagreed on which statement made us want to read more. These statements also gave me some insight into how to start my own statement, whether through a shocking one-liner or through immersing the reader into a scenario from the past.

Some tips I took away from this session:
– Use simple and elegant prose.
– Do not make sentence structures complicated.
– Read your writing out loud to catch more mistakes or clunky sentences.
– Read many examples of statements, but be sure to not plagiarize!
– Avoid generic statements such as “I just want to help people.”
– Do not use “I believe” or “I think.” These just take up more space and are not necessary.

June 28th –
The Scholars learned about ethics and research integrity, from a staff member from the Human Subjects Office. Even though we all did CITI training online before we even arrived on campus, we refreshed our memories of how to be ethical researchers.

June 29th –
At this session, we had a professor speak on the Art of Black Students for the first half, and a professor discuss her work with marginalized students in education for the latter half. The first professor asked which scholars attended schools with African-American studies or Black studies programs? Only about six of the 24 of us had African-American studies programs at our institutions, whereas none of us had something called Black studies. I was unsure of the distinction between the two. This professor’s dissertation had been on defining Black studies; programs dedicated to this area of study began in 1968. During class, we read a poem called “For My People” by Margaret Walker; the poem was one piece of a book she wrote for a Master’s thesis. She was the first African-American woman to earn her MFA in Writing. This was a powerful poem and encouraged me to read more of her work in the future.

The second half of the session, a professor presented “People, Place, and Policy: Examining Access to Opportunity for Marginalized Students,” and this was a lecture that I particularly enjoyed because of my interest in education and my experiences in education as a marginalized student myself. She talked about school choice, school testing, desegregation, discipline, health policy, standards-based accountability, and immigration. A startling statistic she shared was that 400 school districts are still under desegregation orders, in 2018! This equates to over a thousand schools, the majority of which are in the South. This impressive woman is working on seven studies; one of them is about the intersection of education and immigration policies, and this is very important in order to accommodate and meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students. This professor also suggested we find “academic crushes,” people in our fields who we look up to, and see how they got to where they are. She also said that we do not need to plot out our entire life!

WEEKEND –
The Saturday morning involved some physical exertion. We had our first volunteering event, and it was with Habitat for Humanity! Half of the Scholars had a shift in the morning, and the other half had an afternoon shift. It was hot and sunny that day, but thankfully my partner and I were on the area of a roof where we were underneath some shade. This was my first time working on a home; this house will eventually go to a family of five: a couple with three high-school or middle-school aged children.

Part Two of this blog segment will be posted shortly. (It was intended to be posted at the end of July, but I did not have the time to work on either Part One or Part II this summer.) I apologize to all my readers for this extended hiatus!

YSP Summer Bridge Experience 2017 – Peer Leadership

This summer, I was like a duck to baby ducklings entering the giant pond that is college! Before this summer, I did not know how much impact I could have in the lives of incoming freshmen. However, as a Summer Bridge Experience Peer Leader for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion – Young Scholars Program (a program which I have been in since 2010), I took in a group of 10 scholars under my wing (three males, seven females). Each of the 12 Peer Leaders had around this number of freshmen to mentor and guide. Our groups are called our families. Since I just completed SBE the previous summer, I still had fresh knowledge of the experience that would enable me to effectively mentor the incoming scholars.

Analogy of me guiding young ones and preparing them for college life! In actuality, my Scholars were born the same year as me or the year after. http://www.acuteaday.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/duck-mother-with-ducklings.jpg

From July 30th through August 18th, 2017, I played a vital role in helping the 118 Young Scholars of OSU’s Class of 2021 participate and thrive in this three-week summer bridge program. This program is mandatory but will be transformational. It can be intimidating since students are in a huge place and they don’t know their way around. After the three-week summer bridge program, they WILL be able to navigate campus without much problem. The overview of the Summer Bridge Experience includes college success seminars (college success, professional development, and scholarship services). In these seminars, students discuss diversity, campus climate and social integration. Furthermore, they work through figuring out their career goals and how to prepare for them. They learn to interpret their financial aid and about financial wellness. Their academic core classes include an English, math or statistics, and an elective of either chemistry, physics, economics, or psychology. These classes will help prepare them for the challenge of a four-year college institution. Lastly, there’s time allotted to do rec sports and wellness workshops!

The 12 Peer Leaders serving during Bridge were all rising sophomores, while one was a rising junior. After applying and interviewing for the role, we were chosen because the YSP staff believed that each of us had something unique to contribute to Bridge. We have knowledge about OSU and college life, and want to help younger cohorts be successful in college. For the first week of Bridge, we physically lead them to their classes and other locations. Then they can get to their classes themselves for the most part. We’re still available to guide, if needed. But there’s so much more than that. We help with any issues they’re having; they may be feeling homesick, or overwhelmed because they slowly realize that they will indeed be college students, and that high-school level attitudes and work ethics do not cut it here at OSU. The Peer Leaders are a resource for these students. We offer advice and also listen to them and work with them to make sure they can make the most of their first year of college. The months leading up to Summer Bridge, my excitement for them increased!

TRAINING

Wednesday, 7/26 – We checked into Siebert Hall where we’ll stay for a few days. Training is at Hale Hall, across the street. We received our Peer Leader Training Manuals! We reviewed the Young Scholars Program (YSP) policies and procedures. We discussed pre-college student success services as well as the undergraduate student success services such as the success coaches, academic success partners, and freshman seminars. We did an activity where we were divided into two groups and one group drew what a good Peer Leader looked and acted like, and the other group drew what a bad one would resemble. Finally, we reviewed Chapter One of Students Helping Students: Peer Educators on the College Campus.

Thursday, 7/27 –
We did Conflict Resolution role-plays; scenarios are based off of true incidents that have occurred in YSP. I paired up with my outgoing friend Anthony and he played the role of a student whose grandmother just died and he wanted to go home and never return to OSU. I was the Peer Leader and my peers and supervisors informed me that I acted well!! I went close to Anthony and asked if he was alright. I talked with him through his decision to leave college. Although the death was a sad loss since his grandma was close to him, I reminded the student that he should go to college for his grandma and make her proud. I also asked if he’d be comfortable talking with the Bridge coordinators about this, so we could come up with solutions and not have him miss out on college and his YSP scholarship. This fictional scenario felt real when I stepped into my role.

We learned about Leadership Dichotomies: Practical Leadership Approaches, presented by Kris Y. Coleman, J.D., MBA and Program Director of The Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Post-Baccalaureate Preparation Program (which is also called Tri-P). Different situations require different leadership approaches, and authenticity is the crucial element in leadership. Ms. Coleman claims that there are 12 different dichotomous tools to use:
1. Control and/or Empower
2. Respect and/or Fear
3. Advocate and/or Enable
4. Astute and/or Obtuse
5. Decisive and/or Collaborative
6. Introvert and/or Extrovert
7. Morality and/or Integrity
8. Judge and/or Ascertain
9. Condescend and/or Relate
10. Platitude and/or Praise
11. Body language and/or Verbal language
12. Sympathy and/or Empathy

I feel that my leadership style involves being introverted, empowering, and respectful. I won’t be the first to speak in the room, but I am still a warm, motivating presence to others. I’m there for others and never have an attitude. I listen while not being judging, but trying to step into the person’s shoes to fully assess the situation along with them.

Friday, 7/28
We discussed Chapter Four of Students Helping Students, which is focused on Interpersonal Communication Skills and creating the helping interaction. It’s easy to give advice to others; however, that’s directed interaction and it’s talking to the other individual, whereas in interpersonal communication, interaction is collaborative and you’d be talking with the person. After practicing icebreakers, we went to RPAC (rec center) to learn how to give tours to our own students! Then we designed and created door decorations for the students in our families! I printed and cut out Harry Potter house crest signs for my group! Other Peer Leaders had Pac Mans, cameras, keys, puzzle pieces, Lego pieces, and more.

The Harry Potter house crest door decorations I created for the Scholars in my family

 

Another PL, Zach, made himself Pac Man and his Scholars the ghosts he was chasing


Saturday, 7/29, we had the day off to rest and prepare for the gigantic class. The Peer Leaders moved to Lawrence Tower. I was assigned to Group 1 (out of a possible four groups) for the workshops in the morning. I would just need to take attendance of the students there. Additionally, the PLs were divided evenly into taking attendance at the Chemistry, Economics, Physics, and Psychology classes; in other words, three PLs per class. I was placed into Economics. I have never taken economics during high school or college, so this will be interesting. I may actually pay attention in the class as well, to further my knowledge and see if I can help the students too!

WEEK ONE OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Sunday, 7/30 – Move In Day!
The 12 of us, along with the YSP staff, gathered around 8 am to set up the environment for the Scholars. Debbie and I chose to be stationed outside to direct traffic and the Young Scholars the right way to get their belongings unloaded, then the car parked in a lot across the street. She was on one corner and I was down on another. Young Scholars were told to display an orange sheet of paper with the YSP logo on it on the car’s dashboard, so that’s what we were trying to look for when eyeing the sea of vehicles that continuously whizzed by us. While move-in wasn’t scheduled until 9 am, we had some early birds by the time we were down in Lawrence’s lobby preparing. Later, another PL Anthony came to help Debbie and I, since Lawrence Tower has several apartments around it and some people were confused which building it was. What made the time go by was Debbie dancing as she was standing on the sidewalk and pointing the directions to go. She got happy honks from drivers. I cannot dance, so I swung my arms around. The other PLs helped unload belongings into red carts, wheel them into the Scholars’ rooms, unload the things, and bring the carts down. It was a strenuous three or four hours but nearly all the Scholars made it within the time frame! At one point, around 11 am, many flooded in, and we had a line of cars/vans in a procession waiting to be unloaded. The line stretched for a block and more! What made it more challenging was that we had another Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI) summer program which had participants coming in at the same time that the Young Scholars were!! A pedestrian walking past even asked what was happening. It made me fatigued; I am thankful a supervisor came to give us water! (Also my brother is one of the Young Scholars in Summer Bridge this year, and I could recognize our dad’s SUV from far away!)

Students checked in and received their room key, and YSP provided them with three meal passes (totaling $30) and all-day parking passes. They had time before our Summer Bridge Student Welcome & Family Orientation Event at 1 pm over in Hitchcock Hall. We disbursed student folders, which had their schedules, information, and paperwork to be completed. We also collected BuckID cards when the families were done with lunch. The session involved a warm welcome from all the YSP staff: the Director, Assistant Director, Program Manager, and the two Program Coordinators. A few PLs spoke and gave words of wisdom and raised morale. All the PLs also were lined up in the front of the room for a couple minutes so students could realize who we were! I did not know what any of my students looked like, so I was excited.

Peer Leaders in matching polos and khakis.

Afterwards, we had free time and at 5:30 pm, the 12 PLs gathered the 118 students in the lobby of Lawrence and one by one, each PL would call our group members’ names to bring them outside. I took my group/family to a shady area by the NROTC building. I introduced myself, then had my 10 students introduce themselves, and then we all created a family GroupMe. We did an icebreaker (“I’m a Buckeye and you’re a Buckeye too if …”) and then did a Family Chat, which I was instructed to do by the YSP staff. The topic was social media and its impact on college students’ lives. We did not have a discussion, but I asked questions such as what social media accounts the students had, what do they post, are they private, and do they use their real name? I understood that this was a long day for them and many had to get up early at 6 or so in the morning, so we ended quickly. I answered questions and said that the rest of the day was free to do whatever.

Monday, July 31st – First Day of Summer Bridge Classes

The day goes like this:

  • ODI Workshops – 4 different groups of scholars, randomly divided
  • Academic Core – 4 classes (Chemistry, Psychology, Physics, Economics)
  • Mathematics or Data Analysis (Statistics) – Math 1050, 1075, 1075, 1148, 1148, 1150 and 1151 (7 math classes) and 1 statistics
    • The math classes have a supply of iPads (YSP has used the same ones since I was in eighth grade)
  • Lunch
  • English and Research Methods – 4 English classes and one Research Methods
  • Afternoon Workshops (if applicable)
  • Dinner/Free Time
  • Evening Activity (if applicable)

The first day was very eventful. We had a student with the stomach flu, and several were lost. Scholars needed to have schedules on them at all times, and should be using the Ohio State app or Google Maps or Maps app for iPhones. Their PLs should not be reminding them which class to go to next. (The first week in general could be described as conditions being hectic, hot and hungry.)
In the afternoon, the students had a Campus Police safety presentation. While the students learned about this, the PLs and YSP staff assembled to debrief on the day and discuss what went well and what didn’t. In the evening, we had a welcome event at the RPAC, where a wellness director talked to us. The Wellness Center provided ice cream of all kinds (Drumsticks, Oreo sandwiches, popsicles). They also had a sign-up station for Zumba, yoga, crate stacking/rock climbing, or personal training. All students had to choose at least one session to attend. There was a space in the RPAC for coloring pages, playing cards, and giant Jenga. I had another Peer Family meeting with them to discuss basic rules (be down in Lawrence lobby by 7:25 am to be led to their classes, no open foods in the dorms to prevent ants, have your school supplies and backpack, communicate in the group chat, etc.)

Tuesday, August 1st –
PLs led students to their classes. In the evening we had an introduction session from RPAC and students went on tours of the facility. There were always some who wanted to leave and do homework, but they were required to stay for the duration of the program. Therefore, we suggested that the students hang out in the Nike Lounge in the basement of the RPAC. There’s a pool table, couches and game consoles.

Wednesday, August 2nd –
Full day of workshops and classes again. Every day during the first week of Bridge, the PLs gathered with the YSP staff to do a debrief meeting, and troubleshoot any issues. We could bring up anything we noticed among the students and work to find solutions.  Groups 1 and 2 had a wellness presentation in the RPAC (topics covered most likely were condom club, nutrition and financial wellness) Back in Lawrence at night, we invited anyone interested to play the game Mafia. There’s a conference room on the 11th floor with enough tables and chairs to have at least 20 people.

Thursday, August 3rd –
After classes, students had a presentation from OSU Libraries about employment opportunities. Then I held a family meeting to discuss their feelings towards bridge and about school involvement, including informing them about the Involvement Fair! I reminded them to respond to my group chat messages and like them to indicate that they read the messages. Furthermore, I suggested that they budget their money and begin packing. Then we headed towards Lawrence Tower to catch a bus to the Adventure Recreation Center (ARC). All Scholars had to come; those who signed up for Crate Stacking and Rock Wall Climbing would participate and the others had to be in the building. There’s cardio equipment, basketball courts, and turf fields for running or playing soccer. I played soccer with a few of my Scholars as well as other people, including my younger brother! This was my first soccer game, so I was not the best by far. At night, I played the Mafia game with other Peer Leaders and Scholars. This was a way to get to know each other better and wind down. We also all packed a moderate amount in preparation for the next day, which is move in. To end the day, I informed my group about upcoming weekend events such as Gallery Hop and Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday.

A soccer field at the ARC

Friday, August 4th – Move Into Permanent Housing
Today was an exciting day because we all were able to move into our permanent dorms for the academic year. There were no ODI workshops, to allow for everyone to receive more sleep, so just academic class, math, and English. Throughout the morning/early afternoon, PLs had one-on-one debrief sessions with the Program Manager LaNorris or Program Coordinator Marissa. We could disclose how we personally felt about Bridge. I actually believed that I was a weak PL since I do not speak often and do not assert myself. However, Mr. LaNorris told me that my thought was not accurate; I was strong and competent after all. Afterwards, I met with my freshman year Success Coach Alvian, who is also a YSP Program Coordinator (and graduated with a B.S. in Public Health in 2015!) The Peer Leaders, after taking attendance for their English classes, began packing. We used a notebook to keep a numbered list of which Scholars would be moving out first. At 3 pm, two of my Scholars in my family were already in the lobby because they speed-walked and wrote their names on the list. I was flabbergasted at how quickly they arrived to Lawrence Tower and how eager they were to get out of it! They were the first ones to leave. Young Scholars Program staff came with ginormous SUVs to take the Scholars. The process went by smoothly and efficiently; the PLs were able to be transported in the SUVs around 7 pm. I could not believe that one week had already passed, and was thankful that we had ironed out the rough edges during the week. During the weekend, most of my Scholars had went back home to pick up more items. I would have liked to spend some time with them, but they were busy. Instead, I went on my first Gallery Hop with two close friends/fellow PLs. Furthermore, Mr. Lanorris stated that it is important for me to relax and do self-care.

WEEK TWO OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Beginning this week, the students can get to their classes independently (ideally). The PLs do not escort them. To my chagrin, there were still several students late to their classes daily, some were repeat offenders from the previous week. Some said they overslept but a PL retorted that that is not a valid excuse.

A screenshot of what the Ohio State app looks like – All students should get this!

Monday, August 7th –
The majority of the time after I take attendance for my classes, I leave the class. However, I enjoy sitting in on the Economics class because the teacher is so engaging. I learn from his class too because he provides a plethora of examples. He told the class the secret to becoming rich: “Buy low, and sell high.” Later, my family and I came to a consensus to have our Family Meeting after English. I reserved a room in Thompson Library for the 11 of us, and they all were mostly on time. Our meeting lasted about 45 minutes, the longest meeting we had! This was a good thing. We learned about each others’ birthdays and then did a few icebreakers. (One of my favorites was reading out loud a random fun fact and then telling the student “Name five [objects, people, etc.] in 10 seconds.” Our conversation included their weekend plans and their thoughts on their dorm assignments. We discussed what jobs they were looking for and most said Office Assistant or library jobs, or Hale Hall. Also, I wrote out questions on slips of paper and the students randomly chose a slip to read off of and answer out loud. The meeting had lots of laughs and joking around. Finally, we reached the assigned Family Chat Topic, which was about study habits. I asked how they all studied and received a mix of answers (memorization, flash cards, study groups, depending on the subject). Most of them also claim to be procrastinators. I am the total opposite, with a Type-A get-it-done mentality. I shared some study tips. Additionally, we talked about which subjects they were most concerned about and would likely request tutoring for. I made a list of these classes to try to look up resources. The evening activity was indoor volleyball and dodge-ball; Scholars could go anywhere in the RPAC as long as they did not leave until 8 pm. I saw many of them playing ping-pong, using an exercise bike, or doing homework, or simply sitting around on their phone.

Tuesday, August 8th –
Another normal day of classes, followed by OSU Libraries Employment Opportunities Job Fair, held specifically for the Young Scholars Program. Many students were not interested in working for a library, so we suggested networking for 15 minutes before leaving. After dinner there was a Zumba fitness class, and everyone had to be at the RPAC regardless of whether they signed up for the class or not. I spoke with a student who I didn’t know much about, so I was glad to be deepening a connection and actually learning details about her. She’s a Cleveland Young Scholar, like me, but we had never had a conversation until now. Meanwhile, there were students who checked the clock constantly for it to be 8 pm to be dismissed from the evening activity, and as soon as the time changed to exactly that, they immediately exited the RPAC.

University Libraries employs many students for Federal Work-Study in various positions! Several Young Scholars were called back for interviews within a day of applying.

Wednesday, August 9th –
In the evening, I held another family meeting, in the same room I reserved before at Thompson. We had an hour reserved. I began with asking what the Scholars remembered about me. In general, they guessed the city I hailed from (Cleveland). One of them knew my exact birthday, while others knew the month. Nobody remembered my major, so I repeated it to them. Next we did a short icebreaker of Two Truths and a Lie, which is commonly used but doesn’t take a lot of time to complete. The other icebreakers I had in mind would require us to be outside and loud. My family had trouble figuring out which was my lie! Next, we quickly went over who wanted help with resumes! Then we went into our Family Chat Topic, which was about the highs and lows of my college experience. To begin, I brought back the question I asked when I first met the group: “What are you looking forward to in college?” Some responses were: being away from home; getting the whole college experience; making friends; graduating; and football games. I shared mine when I entered Bridge: being independent and in a new environment and just growing as a person in general. Following this was the worries we had. Mine were academically adjusting to the rigors of a reputable university and staying in school. Some of their worries were the overwhelming class sizes, writing papers, and managing their time. Making note of these concerns, I moved onwards to briefly describing my High and Low points of my first year, going from how I did during bridge and then how I progressed. The meeting ended with me assuring the students that there’s going to be ups and downs expected but they can survive, and I quoted “Stars cannot shine without darkness.” My family erupted in laughs and support. At night, the PLs gathered for an exclusive potluck. We celebrated making it halfway through bridge!

Thursday, August 10th –
In the morning I was able to sleep in (Group 1 had no workshop and Economics had office hours), and then I just had to take attendance for math and Research Methods. The afternoon workshop was held by the Office of International Affairs, addressing the entire cohort, in Hale Hall. It was great information, from several speakers, including students who had previously studied abroad. At 6 pm, there was a personal training presentation at the RPAC, with my best friend and I being the PLs assigned to take attendance for it. A certified personal trainer described the various facets of training (full body workouts, exercise equipment types, cardio, strength training, and resources that rec sports offered). Today was a more relaxed today and I felt like we had no major issues. However, I did have one of my Scholars arrive to the study abroad presentation half an hour late. Tardiness is not tolerated, and it bothered me because we were halfway through with bridge and it made no sense to be that late. At the end of the day, in GroupMe I messaged some more reminders! I also helped two Scholars in my family with their resumes!

Friday, August 11th –
This was a good day. In the morning, the entire YSP cohort went to Hale Hall for a presentation from various ODI speakers about tutoring and work-study opportunities. Many Scholars were interested in working at one of the desks/offices in the building because it was not strenuous work and would give them time to study. Furthermore, the hours are flexible and include availability on the weekends! A few of the people in my family indicated that they’d apply for a position. Later on in the day, my family and I were supposed to have a peer family meeting, but we agreed to postpone our meeting until the following week. At 9 pm, some PLs and Scholars joined up for more Mafia! I was actually narrator for one round and I struggled with coming up with scenarios of how the individuals were killed. Also there was cheating in the game, which we had never encountered while playing before.

Saturday, August 12th –
From 11 am to 1 pm, ODI had a special event on Saturday which involved bringing in YSP alumni to serve on a panel and meet the incoming freshmen! The YSP Alumni Association had representatives come from as far as Los Angeles to talk about their experiences as well as offer words of wisdom. There was time for question and answers. Then we had a catered lunch. Finally, we had a YSP cohort photo immediately after the panel on the steps of the Public Affairs building. This was a great time because the Scholars all wore the same shirt which made them feel united. The PLs coordinated with red polo shirts, so we felt included as well. Additionally, my own family wanted to take a group photo (all the girls were present while all the males returned home).

YSP – 2017 Cohort
(OSU Class of 2021)

The Peer Leaders for Bridge 2017! The dream team!

The females in my family! A lovely group of girls.

WEEK THREE OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Monday, August 14th –
I had a family meeting in Hagerty Hall by the café area, and we did an icebreaker before I discussed mental health resources and physical health resources. The Student Wellness Center, Counseling & Consultation Services, and Rec Sports were mentioned. Additionally, I disclosed my own struggles with mental health and self-care.

Tuesday, August 15th –
My family meeting was after English and we had a shorter session, with less information provided. The family chat topic of the day was Accountability Among Peers. The family requested that we not do an icebreaker. I asked if it bothered my family that I did not smile much. They said “No”, and they said they respected me and liked me. What’s important is that I remain true to my authentic self. I asked what accountability meant and examples of how to employ that characteristic. Then I provided advice of how to be accountable in various areas, whether that be work or school or with roommates or friends.
Battleship was an optional evening activity and had a maximum of 75 participants. In the game, there were six teams, one team per canoe. Each team could have four people, and they were provided with two buckets. They had no oars, so had to use their hands to move the boat. Their goal was to be the last canoe floating by trying to dump water onto other people’s canoes so they’d sink. There were three rounds, and we had a good turn out of people! There were several who watched the battle, and I enjoyed spectating too. Two of my Scholars were on a winning team!

Battleship was a great activity. Two of my Scholars participated and three came to watch.

Wednesday, August 16th –
The 8 am sessions were facilitated by the PLs according to their groups: 1, 2, 3 or 4. The PLs all made Kahoot games for their groups. They asked questions to test what the Scholars knew. “How much are Swipes worth?” “What service on campus can provide safe rides for you during 7 pm through 3 am?” We also included questions about all the PLs to help them get to know us better. This was the last week of Bridge, and we had a good handful who did not which PL was which. We had some people who did not know what about our majors. There are 12 PLs, so I can understand that to an extent. It was overall a great session, with the students gaining knowledge or reinforcing concepts they had learned previously. My group had 25 questions, and we stopped in between questions to explain ideas in detail!
This day, we also had more sick students having to go to the Minute Clinic or emergency rooms. It has been quite an eventful Bridge. It has made me more attentive to how people show their symptoms. It can be very subtle, like a flushed face or sunken-in eyes. Although I have to adjust my personal plans to accompany the Scholars, I am helping people, so I cannot be remorseful for it.
Later, during Research Methods, I walked around to assist students with creating their research posters, which they’ll present on Friday. The afternoon workshop was about wellness center coaching in the PAES Smart Lab on the 4th floor, but nobody arrived, so we dismissed the Scholars after 20 minutes of waiting.
At 7 pm, another PL and I brought our families together to walk over to Mad Mex, a restaurant on South campus, to eat Mexican-style food for dinner! This was my first and only family dinner, and the last time we would meet to have a conversation. Our family chat topic was Balancing Home Life and College Life. I genuinely enjoyed the dinner! I learned that most of the Scholars were inducted into YSP a year ago (in 2016) or in junior year. Meanwhile I was inducted in the 6th grade, and we are colloquially called “the Originals.” Nonetheless, I beamed when my Scholars asked me questions about what I liked in terms of movies and sports.

Our family photo! @Gateway, outside Mad Mex

Thursday, August 17th –
The ODI workshop entailed the YSP cohort meeting their ASPs (Academic Success Partners!) These people are generally junior or senior year undergraduates who are employed to mentor a group of Scholars throughout their freshman year. They meet weekly or biweekly for at least an hour. The evening activity was the ODI Early Arrival Programs Mixer, with about 300 students from the Young Scholars Program, Morrill Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, and Bell National Resource Center. The PLs helped the Scholars mingle. There was Italian shaved ice and a DJ playing music and announcing giveaways. The Scholars could enter raffles to win festival tickets and even Kendrick Lamar concert tickets! The Scholars met new people and had a great time dancing and socializing.

Friday, August 18th – Culmination of Summer Bridge Experience 2017
At 8 am, we had the YSP Closing Session and Evaluation. I was excited to give out the superlatives to my Scholars. All the PLs colored in a trophy sheet template for their families. After a speech from Ms. Chila, the Assistant Director, we had Scholars complete an evaluation of Bridge, with questions about their courses and about their PLs. The PLs left the room to avoid biasing the survey results. We then passed out our superlatives and it was heartwarming to me because we saw how not only the Scholars had grown, but how we ourselves had prospered.

Superlatives I created for my family, with a specific and special motivational quote for each Scholar

We still had academic core, math, and English classes. Furthermore, the Research Methods class had poster presentations occurring from 2:45 to 4 pm. This allowed the class enough time to print their posters, which were suggested to be 36″ by 48″ (3 feet by 4 feet). ODI provided them with printing money. There were printing issues, which happened last year as well. Some students could not print their posters, so had to resort to normal size 8 by 11 inch sheets to pin up onto the boards. At Hale Hall, faculty from around campus were invited to come see the posters and engage with the Scholars. The 17 of them were the guest judged. YSP encourages all Scholars to get involved in undergraduate research at some point! This poster forum can serve as a catalyst for students to be more inquisitive and creative. I was impressed at how the posters were all detailed and well-designed.

Research Methods Poster Presentation Winners 2017 – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place (left to right) Their topics were child abuse, prostitution, and renewable energy, in that order. The one on the right is my brother!

 

23 presentations in progress

The evening activity was the ODI Early Arrival Program Basketball/Dodgeball Tournament, at the ARC. Here, YSP, MSP, LSAMP, and BNRC were mixed together on teams so that it wasn’t entire ODI programs competing against each other. We do not want rivalry, but cooperation and coexisting. This was the final ODI event and marked the official end of Bridge 2017!

REFLECTION

Summer Bridge Experience allowed me to strengthen my leadership, empathy, communication, and problem-solving skills.  I refined my speaking skills through my staff debrief meetings as well as through my Family Chats. I had to remain open-minded when understanding conflict. Also, Bridge tested my patience. With the issues of tardiness, absences, lost schedules/school supplies/IDs, and disrespectful attitudes we encountered, we had to remain calm and positive. At times, I had to drop what I was doing and immediately rush into action for the students. I helped search for missing lanyards and whatnot. I skipped or delayed meals to take students to get medical care. This reflects my mission of putting the Scholars first. My job/priority was taking care of the students, especially the ones in my own group/family, but making myself available and extending my help to others as well.

I built relationships with multiple students, especially in my family. I gave my insight and fostered a nurturing, supportive environment where students could ask questions and learn about campus/community resources. I encouraged them to have a healthy self esteem and to aspire for greatness by setting high but achievable goals for themselves. A college education is valuable, and especially when most/all of it is paid for by YSP, it is important that they complete college. Although it would be nice if some Scholars looked up to me, if I could just instill in the Scholars a sense of purpose, I will be satisfied.

I was not provided a stipend at all for being a PL, but my early move-in and meals were covered. I would suggest this opportunity to be a Peer Leader to other Young Scholars who want to give back to the program while serving and leading. The experience was worthwhile.

“Until you cross the bridge of your insecurities, you can’t begin to explore your possibilities.” – Tim Fargo

KEY:Abbreviations and Acronyms

ODI – Office of Diversity & Inclusion
YSP – Young Scholars Program
PL – Peer Leader
ASP – Academic Success Partner
Bridge – Summer Bridge Experience
BNRC – Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male
MSP – Morrill Scholars Program
LSAMP – Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
Hale Hall – the hub and headquarters of ODI; official name of the location is Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center

Build bridges for student success. I am pictured with fellow PL Anthony (in red polo). In between are two Scholars. One of them was in my Family.