My Stanford Summer by Shae Wolfe, JIF '15

Blog post by 2015 Summer Scholar Shae Wolfe 


My neighbor (on the right) and I spent many days
laying on Stanford's basketball courts staring at the stars
and deciphering the text painted on the court!

The night before I left for Stanford University's Summer College Program, I had cold feet.  However, deciding to abandon my fears was a decision I made that I will never regret.  I enrolled in "General Psychology" and "Recognizing Inequality", both of which I highly enjoyed.  I want to major in Psychology, so it was a great window to see if it was still of my interest, and turns out, it is!  The professors were helpful, witty, and talked to us just as they would to real undergraduate students. Not only did I learn a plethora of things from the professors at Stanford, but I learned from some of the most brilliant students across the nation who participated in the program with me.  

While the studies may be rigorous, there are serendipitous ways to relax your nerves: dancing in Stanford's fountains, riding your bike past the palm trees, or eating ice cream at the Oval.  My favorite memory of the entire summer was getting to explore California when I was not studying. There were beautiful mountains, beaches, museums, etc.  It was even better having a group of friends to enjoy it with.  Living with a roommate was one of the best parts of the summer.  I always had a friend to go get ice cream with and someone to vent about the stresses of college with.  I was apprehensive at first, but she turned out to be a perfect fit!  We both loved napping and random dancing.

I began my summer adventure apprehensive about college admissions. With the help of the Joyce Ivy Foundation, I left feeling accomplished and ready to actively begin my college search with high hopes. Without the scholarship I received, I would have missed out on an incredible opportunity for my mind to learn in an ever stimulating environment.  I even built friendships that will last a lifetime.  Undoubtedly, I came back with a changed mentality.  I went from thinking my ambitions were unattainable to believing all things were possible.  Because of the Joyce Ivy Foundation, I was able to fulfill some of my aspirations while creating even more, knowing I am now capable.  Overall, my summer at Stanford is something I'll always treasure.  I learned from the best of the best while getting to have fun as well.



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