By Nia Gallagher Stone buildings were dispersed throughout the ancient trees that stood over me, shading the old structures from the blazing July heat. Sunlight forced its way through the leaves that blew in the wind. Small shadows gently danced across the pathways that cut through Lehigh University’s campus. I made my way up flight after flight of stairs and finally approached Linderman Library, the prestigious stone building that looked like an old castle from a fairytale.
I pushed open the immense wooden doors and made my way to the sitting area to wait for my class to begin. During the end of my sophomore year, I came across a summer camp called Blueprint. I would be able to take a class of my choice and experience the college life at Lehigh University. Personally, I was interested in the Careers in Writing class with Andrea Scott; however, there were numerous other classes to choose from. At the Lehigh University campus, students could take Business, Computer Science, Psychology, Forensic Science, Careers in Engineering, Careers in Medicine or Careers in Writing. At other campuses such as Georgetown University, Howard University, UCLA, University of Florida and University of Virginia, there were courses that included Film Studies, Careers in Law, Careers in Veterinary Science and SAT Prep. No matter what course students decided to take, everybody was required to attend an hour of College and Career Readiness, also referred to as CCR, everyday. In CCR, I was able to get a general idea of colleges I am interested in and create a list of reach schools, match schools and safe schools. We also discussed interviewing techniques for both job and college application processes, later applying them with hands on practice activities. There was resume writing, personal statement creating and college application essay preparation, along with discussions regarding financial aid and the advantages of scholarship opportunities. One day, the underclassmen reviewed test taking strategies while the upperclassmen were informed about the SATs. I was able to learn valuable information in my writing class, as well. My professor, Andrea Scott, was a published children’s book author. She reviewed good writing techniques and discussed the importance of speaking out. Scott strongly believes that a writer should neither underestimate nor be ashamed of his or her voice. The last two days, we were able to create a newsletter that included one or two pieces of everyone’s work. It was then published and displayed in Lehigh University’s gallery. Even with a day full of work, our advisors managed to plan evenings of activities and some time to ourselves. Overall, my experience at Lehigh was outstanding. From the dorm rooms, to the dining hall, to the new friends, Blueprint was able to give me a taste of the college experience. A week living on campus may have been a short period of time, but it introduced me to a lifestyle that I am now looking forward to, thanks to the Blueprint program.
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