There's this imaginary clock that runs in my head. It ticks and tocks and mirrors the beat of my heart, whirring softly as I run from place to place. The seemingly never ending cycle of something finally took some kind of beating as I finished the last AP test of the year on Wednesday, May 15. The clock winded down until it was nothing more than a slight whisper. And of course, what better way to celebrate the ending of adrenaline-induced stress than by celebrating...
Oh, of course. It'd probably be better to build up to there. When I got home from school that day, I turned my phone back on (after keeping it off during the test) and was surprised to find that I had received a voicemail from Don Gosney. The only thing I could think about was Yale. "I wanted to give this message to...you know, person to person..." the message started out. "Oh, snapple," I thought to myself, but then the message went straight into saying that "they're going to take all four of you in." And with that, the muscles in my face managed to twitch up into some form of a big grin, although I had to quickly adjust it so that grin wouldn't look too creepy.
Four hours later, my mom and I arrived at Dejean Middle School in Richmond, CA to attend a WCCUSD (West Contra Costa Unified School District) School Board meeting, where we'd be introduced and congratulated as this year's members of the Ivy League Connection. It already planned to be a more poignant evening thanks to the day's earlier terrific news. After getting there, I met up with the rest of my cohort and shot the breeze, talking about the AP tests, trip to Yale, college tour, and a whole gambit of random topics. Eventually, we took our seats and sat down as the board came back after their closed session.
After a rousing Pledge of Allegiance, the meeting kicked off with some rousing public comments over the changing of the guard at Gompers from the district to the county. A lawyer team brought up their plaintiff's case during the comment period, so of course, lively discussion between the board and the lawyers followed. After the board refused to back down, the pair of attorneys walked out, in step, their briefcases moving in tandem with each other. It was quite the way to start off.
However, soon enough, we made it to the ILC presentation, and cohort by cohort was introduced by their chaperone and speaker. After Tracey's short introduction, Liam took the podium for us and did a fantastic job, expressing his deep gratitude for what the Ivy League Connection is going to do for us this summer and for the rest of our lives. In fact, all the speakers that went up did incredibly well, speaking eloquently and expressively. The ILC program closed out with grateful thanks toward the benefactors and leaders of the program & congratulatory notes from all of the board members. The group photo ended up only taking twenty minutes to set everybody up - and then bright, loud flashes of light repeated over and over again as Don told us to "sit still" and "stop blinking." As soon as it was over, my mom and I rushed back to the car, headed off to a swim banquet. The clock ticked in my head, but I managed to keep it in the back of my head, quietly as the hands moved.
To close, here's what I thought about last night put in Public Comment form:
To the Board of Education, to the benefactors of the Ivy League Connection, and to the community of the WCCUSD: I am honored and privileged to stand before you today as a member of the Ivy League Connection. Thirty eight of us stand here, holding our flags of the Ivies and throwing up smile after smile. How did we get here? We didn't grow up in a community of the very wealthy. Our district is thought of as the place with the crime and grime and no time. The money that goes toward education here is certainly not that of other areas. And yet, we hold these flags, and we speak to you today because of you. The very reason we were able to interview with the best of our abilities and think critically is because of the people in our lives that brought us up to be those quick, critical thinkers. In a community riddled with stereotypes that people hold from far away, you hold us close as we learn from you.
Mr. Ramsey often talks about the idea of giving back, the fact that that idea is something that just...must be done. When I look back and see what the community has already done for me, teaching, nurturing, guiding me through my life, even before I entered into the ILC, how can I not want to repay all of you? Your generosity of time and talents means so much to me and everyone else here, and I thank you for all of your service to the students and community of the WCCUSD.
When I go to Yale this summer, people will ask where I'm from, and I'll tell them that I'm not simply next to the Golden Gate Bridge or "that hippie town Berkeley." I am a proud citizen and member of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. We fought tooth and nail to get to where we are. We read till our eyes hurt and spoke till our mouths were dry to compete. The fact of the matter is that there are other places where other students are given more tutoring, more education, more money...but none of that matters. The tenacity, perseverance, and strength that this district has causes all of us to invest not only in ourselves, but in each other.
When I get back, I want to give back. I want to attempt to give even a fraction of the time some of you put into this community. I want to show people what's out there, what people can accomplish, and how to dream and succeed.
So thank you, Board, for your support of us - your smiles are infectious. Benefactors, thank you for believing in this community. Don, thank you for your tireless efforts to get us to work hard and achieve great things. And community, thank you for standing behind us proudly. We are the Ivy League Connection - proud ambassadors of the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
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