Sunday, October 27, 2013

I Had a Hunch This Brunch Would Pack a Punch

Just when I thought I was done blogging...

I hadn’t looked forward to getting up early on the weekend, but by the time I met Don and several ILCers from Brown and Yale at BART, I was wide awake. My excitement for ILC events was back—although I’m sure the freezing temperature was a factor in my sudden alertness.

The drive to the Olympic Club with Ms. Kronenberg and  Peggy, a Brown alumna, had comfortable conversation, and when we arrived, it was instantly clear that the Olympic Club was amazing. It had three golf courses, as well as several other high-quality sports facilities which Izzy Ramsey listed off for us on the tour. Oh yes, we got a tour. Mr. Ramsey was very kind to take us through some of the rooms of the athletic club, showing us a view of a golf course and the tennis courts, and it was fun to explore a little.

We mingled for a short while; I talked with Amy (a parent), Sophia (a Yale alumna), and Peggy (a Brown alumna). It was nice to hear from people who had first-hand experience with Brown and Yale, and I took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about college life and applications from these people.

Sonya, Elia, and I talking to Peggy from Brown

This type of conversation continued at the actual brunch, although other topics (like sports) jumped in occasionally. I was seated with three Brown alumni, Blake, Andrea, and Simon, who were very open and fun to talk with. I learned new things about college, and the brunch itself was delicious. I really look forward to future Brown/Yale mentor events; the ideas people came up with seemed interesting and fun, and these events will come with more chances to ask questions to the alumni.

It was still new to me to sit at a table with three strangers and still feel perfectly comfortable. I suppose I’m still adjusting to my new ability to relate to adults I’ve never met, which I’ve developed thanks to the ILC. I reread my blog about the Town Hall dinner just for fun, thinking that I would find my own description of a similar experience, but I was wrong. That blog was written by a younger, far more nervous version of me. I remembered putting in too much effort to maintain a conversation, worrying about my posture and manners…it’s incredible how different I felt at this brunch. I think that this feeling of being more mature than I was less than a year ago says something truly amazing about the ILC.

This brunch gave me an opportunity to reflect on the ways the ILC experience has affected me as a person, as well as to think about my future. I can’t express strongly enough how useful this network of alumni will be to me and to other ILCers. Getting advice from friends and siblings isn’t the same as getting it from people who have had different backgrounds and experiences at Ivy League schools, and having a mentor to reach out to is extremely valuable to all of us. I’d like to express my thanks to Charles Ramsey, Don Gosney, Madeline Kronenberg, and Izzy Ramsey, as well as all the Brown and Yale alumni who attended for this delightful event.

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