This week, we welcome guest blogger Hannah French of Okemos, Michigan. Hannah is nearing the end of an 8-week program at Joyce Ivy partner program Stanford Summer College with her scholarship. She will have multiple college credits at the end of her experience.
Hannah participating in dorm wars
My name is Hannah French. I’m a rising senior at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan. I lead both the bioethics club and Aurora, a literary club, at my school. I also sing and spend a good chunk of my time volunteering. This summer, I’m enrolled in an 8-week summer college program at Stanford University. At Stanford, I’m taking a psychology class called “The Science of Emotional Intelligence,” an interdepartmental econ/environment class called “Well-being and Sustainability,” a badminton class, and an environmental seminar.
I have classes Monday through Thursday, and spend my weekends participating in dorm activities such as pool parties, San Francisco scavenger hunts, and karaoke nights. Of course, on Sundays I hunker down in the dorm or the library (or out in the hammocks, enjoying the beautiful weather) for some hard-core studying.
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My emotional intelligence professor starts out every class through guided meditation! He’s a great guy, and I’ve learned so much about empathy, mirror neurons, listening, leadership, acceptance, and courage from him. In my well-being class, I’ve learned all the different ways to measure things such as trust, education, and happiness, and how they contribute to a nation’s well-being. To be honest, it’s kind of made me obsessed with the Nordic countries (you can ask my friends, to whom I frequently rave about Sweden), who appear to be on top of almost every indicator for happiness that a country can have.
My dorm has that always-promised, yet rarely-delivered diversity everyone is always talking about. I have friends from Ghana, England, Dubai, Italy, and Turkey as well as from all over the United States and Canada. My roommate is from China, and although we aren’t close friends, we get along well and I’ve gained some valuable cultural insights from her. Living here, I’ve learned how to make gari, sardine, and shito, what true Italian food tastes like, and all the ways in which one can eat nutella. I’ve had to learn how to master the urge to stay in my lounge all day, which is nearly always full of card games, swordfighting duels, and fun conversations (in my town I am rarely surrounded so often by such stimulating activity) and seclude myself in order to get some much-needed rest or homework done.
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This last point is one of the main differences I’ve noticed between high school and college life. In high school, the only time you’re with your friends is when you’re in classes. Interaction is limited to the spaces between lectures and work periods. In college, the only time you’re not with your friends is when you’re in classes. In addition, you know people in a much different way than you know your high school classmates. While you may have a deep understanding of your close friends in high school, for the most part the base of knowledge you possess for your high school friends is wide-spread but shallow. For instance, you may know favorite artists, colors, and foods, but are you conscious of traumatic pasts, fears, hopes, and convictions? In college, not only do relationships move faster on the scale of life (two months would be about the equivalent of a year of knowing somebody), they go deeper. I’ll admit that I don’t actually know all my friends’ favorite colors, but I know them on a level that is much more important than that.
I started calling Stanford home when tourists started asking me for directions. When, approached as a student (or an extremely confident map-reader), I was able to give directions. There are a lot of things I didn’t expect of this home of mine: that embracing the total nerd culture would feel so good; that one minute I could revert back to the wonder and joy of childishness (can you say “nerf gun war”?), and the next carry out a deep discussion over free will. I didn’t expect to find a family here, one with which I felt safe, even if I wouldn’t call everyone a close friend, and I especially didn’t expect that family to include my amazing and loving mentors.
I expected to sunburn badly and often, but because of my friends’ incessant reminders, I remain relatively pale. I expected my classes to be difficult, but enjoyable, but didn’t know how often I’d join in on my friends’ homework or study sessions because everything they did was fascinating too. I expected to learn, but not that half of my learning would come from outside the classroom. All in all, it’s been an amazing experience here in California, one that would not be at all possible without the Joyce Ivy Foundation. I can’t imagine the memories and ties that I will take with me when I return home; I just know that all that I glean from this summer, I owe it to you. Thank you so very much for making this summer one to remember.
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Hannah participating in dorm wars
My name is Hannah French. I’m a rising senior at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan. I lead both the bioethics club and Aurora, a literary club, at my school. I also sing and spend a good chunk of my time volunteering. This summer, I’m enrolled in an 8-week summer college program at Stanford University. At Stanford, I’m taking a psychology class called “The Science of Emotional Intelligence,” an interdepartmental econ/environment class called “Well-being and Sustainability,” a badminton class, and an environmental seminar.
My dorm showing off our Cardinal pride
When I got here on opening day, I was immediately greeted by a screaming, festively (and eccentrically) dressed crowd of mentors, and a stereo blasting cheery music. We were given our IDs, and a free “Nerd Up” tshirt. Even though I’m not the type to enjoy the spotlight, I couldn’t help but grin at the exuberance of these people, who seemed bent on giving me a summer worth remembering. They haven’t disappointed me yet.I have classes Monday through Thursday, and spend my weekends participating in dorm activities such as pool parties, San Francisco scavenger hunts, and karaoke nights. Of course, on Sundays I hunker down in the dorm or the library (or out in the hammocks, enjoying the beautiful weather) for some hard-core studying.
"This tree is in the engineering quad, right outside my "Well-being and sustainability" class. Every Tuesday (because I'm stretched for time), I grab lunch at the Coupa Cafe and eat it in the little amphitheater. I've dubbed it the Tree of Life, because it's always very cool and peaceful under the tree."
My emotional intelligence professor starts out every class through guided meditation! He’s a great guy, and I’ve learned so much about empathy, mirror neurons, listening, leadership, acceptance, and courage from him. In my well-being class, I’ve learned all the different ways to measure things such as trust, education, and happiness, and how they contribute to a nation’s well-being. To be honest, it’s kind of made me obsessed with the Nordic countries (you can ask my friends, to whom I frequently rave about Sweden), who appear to be on top of almost every indicator for happiness that a country can have.
My dorm has that always-promised, yet rarely-delivered diversity everyone is always talking about. I have friends from Ghana, England, Dubai, Italy, and Turkey as well as from all over the United States and Canada. My roommate is from China, and although we aren’t close friends, we get along well and I’ve gained some valuable cultural insights from her. Living here, I’ve learned how to make gari, sardine, and shito, what true Italian food tastes like, and all the ways in which one can eat nutella. I’ve had to learn how to master the urge to stay in my lounge all day, which is nearly always full of card games, swordfighting duels, and fun conversations (in my town I am rarely surrounded so often by such stimulating activity) and seclude myself in order to get some much-needed rest or homework done.
Laser tag with Rayonna, Krishaun, and Christina, three other 2014 Joyce Ivy Summer Scholars at Stanford
This last point is one of the main differences I’ve noticed between high school and college life. In high school, the only time you’re with your friends is when you’re in classes. Interaction is limited to the spaces between lectures and work periods. In college, the only time you’re not with your friends is when you’re in classes. In addition, you know people in a much different way than you know your high school classmates. While you may have a deep understanding of your close friends in high school, for the most part the base of knowledge you possess for your high school friends is wide-spread but shallow. For instance, you may know favorite artists, colors, and foods, but are you conscious of traumatic pasts, fears, hopes, and convictions? In college, not only do relationships move faster on the scale of life (two months would be about the equivalent of a year of knowing somebody), they go deeper. I’ll admit that I don’t actually know all my friends’ favorite colors, but I know them on a level that is much more important than that.
I started calling Stanford home when tourists started asking me for directions. When, approached as a student (or an extremely confident map-reader), I was able to give directions. There are a lot of things I didn’t expect of this home of mine: that embracing the total nerd culture would feel so good; that one minute I could revert back to the wonder and joy of childishness (can you say “nerf gun war”?), and the next carry out a deep discussion over free will. I didn’t expect to find a family here, one with which I felt safe, even if I wouldn’t call everyone a close friend, and I especially didn’t expect that family to include my amazing and loving mentors.
I expected to sunburn badly and often, but because of my friends’ incessant reminders, I remain relatively pale. I expected my classes to be difficult, but enjoyable, but didn’t know how often I’d join in on my friends’ homework or study sessions because everything they did was fascinating too. I expected to learn, but not that half of my learning would come from outside the classroom. All in all, it’s been an amazing experience here in California, one that would not be at all possible without the Joyce Ivy Foundation. I can’t imagine the memories and ties that I will take with me when I return home; I just know that all that I glean from this summer, I owe it to you. Thank you so very much for making this summer one to remember.
Main Quad at Stanford
With new friends on Field Day
Want this experience for you or another young scholar you know? Learn more about Joyce Ivy's Summer Scholar program.
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