Last night was a night filled with
praises, thanks, and powerful speeches. Let’s see, where to start, where to
start? Well, why not at the beginning. While in the middle of class, I received
a phone call from Don. Unfortunately, I had to take it at a later time because
my teacher would kill me if she saw me on my phone. I waited until after class,
gave Don a call, and he gave me the best news I’d heard in the past two weeks:
My comrades and I were officially going to Yale. I was walking in the clouds
for the next few hours, to say the least, and am so ecstatic that I will be
going. After that, I went on home and got ready. My preparation time was quick
before myself and my parents departed for Lovonya DeJean Junior High in
Richmond. It’s only a twenty minute drive from my house and looks quite nice.
The buildings are relatively new and free of graffiti that plagues most of the
other junior highs in our area. When Don Gosney told us that the board meeting
was going to be held in a junior high, I immediately thought, “Why isn’t the
board meeting going to be held in city hall?” I am very naïve and soon learned
that Don needed more open space to bunch us up for a huge group photo.
In any event, Don told us to get
there by 6:00 PM and that is when most people, including me, starting filtering
in. The meeting itself wouldn’t begin until 6:30, but Don knows that with some
people you got to tell them that an event starts half an hour before it really does so that they
get there on time. While waiting for the meeting to start I met up with an old
friend of mine, Mr. Thomas Johnson. He and I used to play flute back in Pinole
Junior High and it was great to see him again and get the opportunity to
participate in such a magnificent program as the Ivy League Connection. He will
be attending Vanderbilt this summer, the Ivy League of the South. I wish him
luck in his endeavors. In addition, I got to talk more with Mr. Malachi
Gonzales, another friend of mine from Pinole Junior High. He’s still the cool
character I remember him to be. He told me how he will be studying
macroeconomics at Brown and the excitement he expressed for getting the chance
to visit the East coast. I also talked with a few other ILC’ers and got to know
my comrades better. I wish them luck on the advanced placement testing.
Then at 6:30, we were all called to
sit down and begin the board meeting. Role was called, the agenda was amended
slightly, and a case was brought before the school board. The case was about
how the school board should keep a vital program for underprivileged children
open. The three speakers had such fervor and tenacity in their speeches that
even I, who knew only what they had told me about the program, felt as if it
was imperative to keep it open. I can only hope that my speech giving skills
will one day be that good.
After the board made its decision
on the program, the Ivy League Connection was introduced. It felt as though we
were the highlight of the evening, what everyone had been waiting for. The man
who introduced us was an eloquent speaker and gave the ILC’ers, the board, and
the benefactors such great praise. He went on to thank the board, and then the
first group went up. If my memory serves me, I do believe Mr. Simon Cohen went
up first to talk about Columbia University. He set a tone of professionalism
for the rest of the evening that made me feel as though my speech was going to
be no good. I admit that I did my best to mimic the speed of his speech and
timber in his voice to sound more professional. I only hope that I did as well
as him. One by one, each cohort went up: Brown, Cornell, Penn, Vanderbilt. Yale
was last. At first, I thought that they were saving best for last. But as each
troop approached the podium and Ms. Michelle Phung, Ms. Audrey Ehi Webb, Ms.
Crystal Tse, and Ms. Kimberly De Dios, spoke on behalf of their cohorts, I felt
great pressure to follow up such good speeches. Then, the Yale troop was called
up. Ms. Tracey Singh-Poole introduced us all and Don got some good pictures of
us. Then it came time for my speech. I thanked the board, told them why I am
proud to be part of the Ivy League Connection, and what I will bring back to my
community and my school. I felt I did okay compared to the other very well
planned speeches. We were then walked off stage and given a certificate. I felt
a certain relief on no longer having to give my speech, and yet I felt I did
well enough that I can do this again if I am requested too.
Then the main benefactors were brought
up, thanked, and also given a certificate for all of their hard work. I spoke
with Mr. Dave Olsen and thanked him in person. He told me that getting up there
and being thanked felt unnecessary and that we, the ILC’ers, deserve more
credit. As humble as Mr. Olsen is, I thank him and all the benefactors. Their
contributions turn dreams into reality. We then wrapped up the night with
inspiring speeches by Ms. Madeline Kronenberg and Mr. Charles Ramsey. If anyone
had a shred of doubt that the Ivy League Connection has sent people and changed
them not only for self-benefit but for benefitting the community, then they
have been disproven. Mr. Ramsey even went on to say that we were the
ambassadors of the West Contra Costa Unified School District and that we are
the crème of the crop. Thank you Mr. Ramsey, we will not disappoint you.
Later, Don took a picture of all of
the people in the Ivy League Connection and their parents, and even managed to
squeeze in the chaperones. We finished off the night by bidding farewell to
everyone and hoping that they are successful in their struggle while on the
East Coast. I feel honored to be part of the Ivy League Connection, and I will
not let them down.
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| All the ILC'ers, parents, and chaperones. |
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