Orientation Imitation

Today was the final ILC milestone before we depart to our respective schools. I don't think that there is a single word in the English language that can accurately describe how excited I am to be going to UPenn this summer. I'll start with "ecstatic," even though it's a monumental understatement. I was a bit scared for today because Don made it very clear to all of the ILC cohort members that we were expected to bring a parent, unfortunately both my parents had to work today and were unable to attend; luckily Don allowed my sister to take the place of my parents which I appreciated very much. 

The ILC members of Hercules high school continued our tradition of celebrating Don during the Orientation because...why not? Don does so much for the Ivy League Connections, there is so many little details that he handles that we might not even notice and this was our own way of thanking him, and showing him that he is appreciated. We all channeled our inner Don by wearing aloha t-shirts.

Imitation is the best form of flattery

Midway through the orientation, we broke out into our cohorts and we discussed a "rough-draft" itinerary for our trip in July. This is Mr. Hillyer's fourth time chaperoning the Penn group so he's pretty much a pro at this. He told us that the week before our classes start is going to be the most hectic; he and I similar in a way that we both like a little bit of controlled chaos in the mix. I'm mostly excited to party like it's 1776 on 4th of July!! We were lucky enough to have Alex Elms and Michael Vroom join us during our break out session. They are ILC alumna who went to Penn during the summer of '11 and '13. They told us a little bit about their time in Penn and the different activities that Penn makes available for anyone who wants it. I'm determined to go to a live baseball game if that's an option this summer. 

Penn group >

During our little break out, I was pulled away to give some tips to the Vanderbilt Cohort. I have to admit that I got a bit too nostalgic while talking about my adventures in Vandy, but it was fantastic to be able to reminisce all the memories and relive the stories as I told them. I think the Vanderbilt cohort is a great group of people and they are going to have an amazing time. Being able to talk about my memories inspired me to make new ones this summer with the amazing group of people that I've been blessed to be with.

After our break out, we all met again in the cafeteria and discussed loaner items. Seeing all the items on display perpetuated my excitement for this summer. Our flight to Houston leaves 30 days from today. The countdown begins...NOW