2018 Summer Program Highlights
Each summer, Minds Matter sends rising Juniors and Seniors to our version of summer camp: Summer Programs. Summer programs give students exposure to university life both domestically and internationally. This past summer, our students attended programs in a variety of places: Durham, North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, and Sydney, Australia, to name a few.
Lily Luu, 17, attended Stanford University’s Horizon Scholars Program. Her favorite memory included “studying alongside Stanford undergrads as a high school student for a summer quarter and getting to room with students from around the world for two months.” Although one benefit to summer programs is the exposure MMSEA students get to life on a college campus, there are other life skills that students walk away with as well.
Angelica Quinto, 17, attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where she “learned how to properly swim.” In some Northeastern universities, such as MIT, Dartmouth, and Cornell, students are expected to pass swim tests to graduate. Angelica was able to learn how to “dive, breathe, and correct [her] posture.” She says that although “there will be times that I [want to] give up, [I know] to improve myself, I need to find a way to overcome my challenges.”
In addition to liberal arts or technical programs focused on history, environmental studies, math, or computer science, MMSEA also allows students to explore careers in creative industries. Jenisa, 17, attended a summer program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL, where she focused on developing her creative side. “I loved every second of my summer program, because I completely indulged into being an art student in the city. Chicago helped my creativity flourish, and I was able to create pieces outside of my comfort zone.”
In 2019, MMSEA will continue sending students to summer programs around the world. For our students, this may be one of their few opportunities to visit a college outside of Seattle, Washington. We are both excited and proud to see where our students will be accepted next summer.