Air

There's nothing quite like waking up at 2:45 AM to leave for a nineteen day Ivy League Connection adventure to Yale/the East Coast. I expected to follow up that first sentence with something snarky like, "It's a perfect kind of hell - the wind chill burying your body in a blanket of cold and ice-o-lation." However, I got up relatively easily, well, for sleeping 4 1/2 hours, and grabbed some quick bites of homemade banana bread before leaving the house. I took extra care to check my room one more time - I wouldn't be seeing it for a while.

After we all arrived and filled out our paperwork, we took our departure group photo (so graciously provided by Don to you a couple posts below this one) and headed off. Our airport shuttle driver rolled in at 4:25 - five minutes late - and proceeded to ask us where he was taking us. After Tracey graciously mentioned to him that since he was an airport shuttle driver, he might want to take us to SFO (San Francisco International). We all thought that sounded like a great idea. I said my last goodbyes to my dad (who'd stayed up all night) and Don (short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt and shorts waving in the soft breeze), and we headed off, one of the only vehicles insane enough to be driving in the middle of the night, a low wind dabbing the shuttle and the hum of whatever makes noise at that hour.

After informing the shuttle driver what airline we needed to be dropped off at ("Geez, how much is the ILC paying for this?" were one of the many thoughts running through my head), we waited in line to drop off our luggage - a half hour line. "Why are so many people here at five in the morning?" I asked everyone. No one had a good enough response. 

And so began our aerial odyssey. We had all been told to meet new people and have new experiences on the plane rides there, so I was interested in what interesting and exciting people I would meet. On the first flight to Chicago, I sat next to an Asian man who promptly stashed his carry-on below the seat and closed his eyes. So much for conversation. While he dozed, I indulged myself in on-demand episodes of my favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation, and reviewed through some Yale readings. If you learn nothing else from my bloggings (though I hope you do), please make it a point, if you watch TV, to catch Parks and Rec. It's the comedy version of The West Wing and a brilliant political satire (which makes it sound boring, but it's actually the funniest show on TV). In one episode I watched, the main character, Leslie Knope, sets up a rival girl scout troop to the existing boy scout troop, but chaos ensues when the boys want to join the girl scout troop because it looks like more fun. The commentary on "separate but equal" doctrines and Millennial attitudes actually gave me lots of food for thought for an upcoming lecture on Frederick Douglass and seminar on social capital. So it goes. 

I ended up having a short conversation with the man after he woke up as the plane headed to the gate. I started talking to him about the Ivy League Connection, but he asked me if I knew an Andrew Goo. He was a big tennis fan, he said, and he wondered if Goo went to my school. I conceded that Goo actually went to the school two blocks away - in the Albany district. The unfortunate turnaround of my ILC pitch to the amazing Albany was sadly humorous, but I went with it. Don't worry, Albany, you have a special place in my heart; you just didn't in that conversation.

We had just enough time to grab a bite to eat and then get in line just in time to board our connecting flight to Providence. I sat next to a tired-looking mom who threw her carry-on under the seat and shut her eyes. I later found out that Damian and Liam had gotten to talk to a Navy veteran who worked in a nuclear submarine and went under the North Pole to spy on the Russians. Of course they sat next to him. For more on this fascinating man, check out their blog posts! 

We walked through the beautiful, but small, Providence airport and got our bags (of course, at the end of the carousel), proceeding to the exit. I expected to be blasted with hot East Coast humidity. Luckily for me, we came out to an 82 degree sunny day. The humidity wasn't as bad as I expected, and it would be wonderful if it stayed like that for the next eighteen days. The shuttle from the hotel never showed up (What was up with transportation today?), so we took a taxi to Hotel Providence. 

Tracey asked us to choose between the 5th floor and the 6th floor room. Liam and I decided on the 5th, and headed up to...the Herman Melville suite! We walked in to a luscious living room, followed by two comfy looking beds and two televisions. I could get used to this. I unpacked and started looking up the Providence dining options that I had gotten earlier in the day. (Muchos gracias to my dad, David Ko, and my aunt, Donna Ko, for taking time out of their day to get those to me!) It turns out that Liam and I were the only ones to get a suite - the odds were ever in our favor, I joked. 

After little debate, we decided on, well, we couldn't decide, so Tracey and I used the electronic concierge assistant in the lobby to pick Cav, a short fifteen minute walk away. As we walked there, thanks to Google Maps, we noticed how eerie the streets were. There were hardly any people walking

"When was the last time you did something
for the first time?"

around anywhere. I joked that "the population of Rhode Island must be, what, twenty?" We eventually made it to the restaurant and walked in to - one table occupied. "Where is everyone?" I thought to myself.  Well, regardless of patronage on a Tuesday night, the food was sublime, especially after eating that soggy mess of a lunch - a "Chicago-style hot dog." Was the soggy element inspired by the Chicago rain? Anyways, we decided to start off this more delectable meal with two appetizers: pistachio crusted crabcake with Sriracha aioli and taro root chip, as well as the butter poached Maine lobster with crispy noodles, shallots and sauteed Shittake mushrooms in a lobster sherry fumet. The crabcake was light and went well with the aioli, while the lobster was poached with great flavor.

As we went through the bread and butter while waiting for the main courses, we reflected on the day's travelventures and proceeded to head into random conversation-land (which, if you read yesterday's post, is in the same vicinity as Nowhereland). My entrees were pan seared scallops and shrimp, finished with lobster butter and balsamic reduction, served over lemon zest risotto with julienned snowpeas. I'm an East Coast fan because I'm also a seafood fan, so it was a treat to dig into fresh seafood! The risotto was a little rich for me, but it still went well with the scallops and snowpeas. We closed off the evening with dessert - and I went with the blackberry merlot sorbet. To say it was short and sweet should say enough. 

We walked out of the restaurant, all of us content with our first official meal together. We walked down the alley and through the quiet streets of Providence, ready to blog - and realizing that my joke about the population of Rhode Island being only twenty five might not be too far off.

Follow us on our college tour throughout this week! Send me feedback by commenting below and emailing jandakocompany@yahoo.com. And for a more intimate look at my Yale experience, follow me on Instagram @joshthebosh to see a more visual Ivy League Connection.

Capitol Ghost Town

Finally, after many essays, e-mails, miscommunications, and waiting, I am here on the East Coast for the first time in my life. I never fell asleep the day before we left. If I hadn't stayed up all night, my father would have never gotten up because his alarm clock failed to go off. I woke him up, telling him that it was almost 3:00 AM. He threw off his blankets with some profanity and got dressed. I began to pack some last minute things and I threw my luggage into the van. I got to El Cerrito High School at about 3:45 AM and had my luggage weighed, some forms signed, and some pictures taken. It was absolutely freezing outside, but the shuttle finally came! In the van my cohorts and I spoke of our classes, teachers, and our seminars. I found out that I have a few seminars with Josh. 

When we got to the airport we had more waiting in the freezing cold weather to do. After about half an hour we finally got to the front of the line. The personnel threw our luggage onto the belt and we proceeded to enter SFO. We crossed the custom and security and bought ourselves a little snack. Our trip had one stop in between our starting point and destination. We were to stop in Chicago, Illinois, then board another flight to Providence, Rhode Island. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I sat in the corner window and took a photo of the view I had. I wanted to speak with the woman who sat next to me, but she seemed a bit distant and worried, and I thought it best to leave her to herself. Without any Internet, conversation, or entertainment I became pretty bored. I started thinking and staring out the window looking at the beautiful scenery.

Finally, after a while of thinking the pilot announced that we will be landing. This excited me quite a bit, because I had never been to Illinois at all. I stepped off the plane and followed my cohort and chaperone to our next gate. This time, I knew that I would not be able to fall asleep. During the flight, we flew over New York, then Rhode Island. I was shocked to see so many houses that have swimming pools in their backyard, and so many trees. It's not something that you see very often in suburban Northern California.

The entire time I was on this flight, I was speaking with Liam and an elderly Navy veteran name Boyd. I learned that Boyd was fairly liberal when it came to politics, he is from Kansas and moved during the Dust Bowl, and had a 99 year old sister along with some adopted grandchildren. Now, to be honest, I hadn't expected the ex-Navy man to be so liberal. I don't know why. He told me and Liam of the adventures he's had, like going to the North Pole, staying in China for a few years, and his time in a nuclear submarine. He was a fascinating man, with many fascinating stories. He's lived for a long time and had a lot to share. He kept me entertained for quite a while. Before I knew it, we had landed in Providence, Rhode Island.

We got off the plane and went to collect our luggage. Not surprisingly, my luggage was one of the last ones to come out. We waited outside the Providence airport for a while, but our shuttle was nowhere to be found. Ms. Tracey went into the airport and called us a cab. After a few minutes of discussing my 9th grade Geography teacher, our taxi came. He drove us to the hotel that we are staying in, Hotel Providence.

On our way to the hotel, I was shocked to see so many cars. For a small state, Rhode Island sure has some heavy traffic on its highways. I looked out and saw some nice houses and then some not so nice houses. Though even the highway was packed with greenery, I realized that there are many people who live in not so nice neighborhoods, the type of neighborhoods that plague the WCCUSD name. I've been to the scarier parts of some places and know that there are a whole bunch of dangerous neighborhoods, but seeing one from across the country made me wonder about how many people are actually forced to live like this. And I also wonder more about how we can fix this. But I'm sure the program will help me find an answer in a few days.

We finally got to our hotel. Hotel Providence was beautiful on the inside. There was artwork, a big clock, and a fancy restaurant that made everything looks beautiful. Josh and Liam decided to room together and Eric and I decided to room together, while Ms. Tracey gets her own room. Eric and I made our way up to the room and were confused as to why the door had two room numbers on it. We put in our key, opened the door, and found that there are two rooms behind the door we had just opened. Our room and a stranger's room. A door that led to more doors seemed a little strange to me, but I can't complain because this place was nice. We opened our door and found a medium sized room, with plenty of outlets, a great view, and one television. 

The room that Eric and I are sharing.

After exploring our room I layed down on the bed and looked up only to see some strange thing on the cieling.  I exclaimed "Is that a security camera?!" both Eric and I were surprised to see something like this attached to our ceiling. I couldn't help but argue in my head that this has to be an invasion of privacy. A few minutes later Josh called about what restaurant we wanted to go to. We were to meet at 7:00 PM in the lobby. Eric and I both agreed that we didn't really care for choosing. Preparing to leave was our next course of action. We finished preparing a bit early and surfed the hotel's cable and found nothing to our interest. Afterwards, we left.

The evil security camera fixated on the ceiling above my bed that Eric and I deemed to
be a normal random light.

When we arrived at the lobby we all decided to go a restaurant named Cav. It was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. Our walk there was interesting. I noticed that the capitol city of Rhode Island, an urban area, had no one walking its streets. It was nothing like San Francisco where there are always people around. This place seemed like a ghost town compared to San Francisco. We also got a bit lost on our way there. We probably took a wrong turn, but I'm not sure since Josh was in charge of getting us there. After a few turns and some critical thinking we found Cav. It was hidden in a little open lobby area in between a few buildings.

What interested me about Cav was that under its canopy were the words "Restaurant" and "Antique." I thought that this would be quite the interesting dining experience, and it was. I walked in and saw a bunch of antiques from around the world, be it Asia, Africa, Europe, or the Middle East.

We sat down at the table and ordered two appetizers, the crab cake and the Maine lobster and noodle. Then I proceeded to order the duck, Josh ordered the shrimp and scallops, Liam had the chicken and pears, Eric had the filet mignon, and Ms. Tracey had the salmon. To say that this dinner was delicious isn't enough. I was in awe. The crab cake and it's sauce was very different. The crab cake tasted, well, like a crab cake, but the sauce was sweet, tangy, and spicy and very good. The Maine lobster was fresh and it's noodles and sauce were great as well. My duck was absolutely delicious. I don't know why they even gave me a knife! It was so soft that only a fork was needed. We finally finished our entrees and got to dessert. Liam and I ordered the creme brulee, Eric had the Concorde cake, Ms. Tracey had the Tiramisu, and Josh had the sorbet. The creme brulee was delicious. The burnt sugar at the top was nice and crunchy, and the bottom portion was soft, rich, and creamy. I was extremely pleased and I think my cohort was too.

The lobby of Hotel Providence.

The delicious duck that I ate.

We finished our dinner and walked back to our hotel. We said our good nights and decided to meet at 6:30 AM tomorrow to tour Harvard. I can't wait!

Day One: Providence

What A View!

Well here we are. After a long day of travelling we have arrived in Providence, Rhode Island. This is my first time in the smallest state of the country, but lets start from the beginning.

My day began like any other... well not quite. I dragged myself out of bed at three in the morning, showered and headed out with my dad to meet the others of the Yale cohort at El Cerrito High School. We took photos, went over details, said our goodbyes, and before I knew it we were driving to the airport. We had to wait in a long line to check our bags, I think because we got to the airport before it actually was open. The wait was not that bad though, and once we checked our bags security was a breeze. We got a pastry each for breakfast, and arrived at the terminal just in time to board the plane. I was exhausted for this entire process, but far too excited to notice.

The "Security Camera" in our Room

The plane rides and layover are a blur. They were full of reading, doodling, napping (only on the second flight, I was too excited on the first one), and socializing with my neighbors. I met two people, one on each flight. The first one was a middle aged woman who was travelling to Chicago on a business trip. She was a lawyer, and explained to me her take on the ups and downs of her profession. This was great because law really interests me, and it was good to hear from a professional lawyer what law school and practicing are like. The second person I met was a man who did not divulge much about his personal life or why he was travelling, but we had an interesting conversation about the book he was reading, Plato's Republic, which was a central reading to the ILC course I took last year at Cornell. It was great to get to interact with adults as equals. All good things must end however, and before I knew it we had arrived at the Providence airport.

J'aime filet mignon

We exited the plane and retrieved our luggage without incident. I was expecting blazing heat and uncomfortable humidity to strike me the second we stepped out of the airport, as was my experience previous times visiting the East Coast during summer. I was wrong, the weather was perfect. A clear blue sky and temperature in the low eighties with no wind. I hope this weather continues!

Yum Desert

I am sharing a room with Damian at the hotel, and it meets all the standards that I have come to expect from the ILC. The room is spacious, the beds are comfortable, the bathroom is large (and clean), and there is a great view. There is a rather disconcerting fixture on our ceiling that looks like a security camera however... and its pointed right at my bed. I will just have to sleep facing the other direction.

Josh took charge on finding us a place to eat dinner and did an excellent job. It was a small, but fancy restaurant called Cav about a half mile away, easily within walking distance. The atmosphere was excellent, and I had a lot of fun getting to know my cohort better. We ordered a crab cake and lobster dish as appetizers, and were so hungry that we forgot to take pictures before we dug in. Then I ordered a steak dish for dinner followed by a slice of chocolate cake for desert. The meal was an excellent way to start our week of fine dining.

Now I am back at the hotel room with Damian, the only sounds are of both of us furiously typing away and the air conditioning in the background. Tomorrow we head off the Boston to tour Harvard and visit the city, although I am not a fan of large cities I am looking forward to visiting it and I really appreciate all the important history to our country that took place there. It is getting late however and I am exhausted. We have another early morning tomorrow; we leave the hotel at 6:30 AM! Come back tomorrow to read about our trip to Boston and my impressions of Harvard!

Yale Departs

Two Hundred and Thirty Days.  That’s how long it’s been since the Yale cohort interviewed for their scholarships and were selected to attend the Young Ivy Scholars Global Strategies course at Yale University.

What they earned that night was a scholarship where The Ivy League Connection would pay their way and help prepare them for this rigorous course.  After that, though, it was up to these four young gentlemen to apply to Yale, be accepted by Yale and then prepare themselves to succeed at Yale.  A tough undertaking.

In a recent communiqué from Yale we were informed: "We received approximately 450 applications for regular decision, bringing our total number of applicants -- from over 60 countries -- to just over 1240. To give you a snapshot of the competitiveness of our applicant pool, the median SAT score among applicants, not just admitted students, is 2160. Of course, the students we admit to the program are not just very academically gifted. We look for students who have strong leadership potential, who will gain much from the program and contribute very positively to the program community, and who will ultimately give back to their school, local, regional, national, and even global communities.”

We’re proud of our Yalies and we know they’ll succeed at Yale.

This morning, though, they gathered in front of El cerrito High School braving the chilly 57ª temperatures.  The slight breeze made it feel cooler than it actually was.

Of course, after some paperwork was filled out we held the “weighing of the luggage”.  With one of the Brown-II cohort’s luggage just two weeks ago we had a new record for the lightest bag at 18.3 pounds.  Our Yale chaperone--Tracey Singh-Poole--topped that this morning with a 17.8 pound bag.  Considering that the bag itself had to weigh 5-6 pounds, it begs the question just what it was she packed to last nearly three weeks.  She even packed three pairs of shoes.

The group was issued hard copies of their itinerary and contact info and were reminded about their blogging responsibilities.

After all of the talking was concluded, the Yale cohort took the last group photo of this season.  We’ve snapped thousands of photos of our ILCers this season just while they’re here in the Bay Area.  Our ILCers have also snapped many more thousands of photos to add to their blogs and share with friends and family.  Here in the ILC we truly love our photos.

Finally, the airport shuttle arrived, was loaded with their luggage and then with the cohort.  At 4:27 they were off to SFO and by 4:28 the thoughts running through the heads of those of us left behind centered around how quickly we could return to our nice warm beds.

What A Way To Start Senior Year

As I forced the zipper closed on my ridiculously over-packed suitcase, it finally dawned on me that this is my last night of summer vacation. Tomorrow, well in five hours, my journey to the East Coast begins.

I remember feeling almost exactly the same way last year when I participated in the ILC program at Cornell University, but this year is even better. I know (somewhat) what to expect, and how fun and life-changing it will be. Years ago when I first heard Don talk about this program he described it essentially as two weeks in a teenager's hell: school all day, hot weather and no AC, thousands of pages of reading, zero to two hours of sleep per night, and you get to do it all in suits! (Great sales pitch by the way, Don) Yet, for some reason I decided that was the program I wanted to do, so last year I did Cornell, my practice run. I had a fantastic time, and learned to live and work alone, but a class called "Freedom and Justice" can only be so rigorous. Now the real work begins.

The Studies in Grand Strategies Program had a change of management, so we are not sure exactly what to expect, but so far it seems that the clothing policy is more lax and the preclass required reading is less than previous years. We do not yet know if the actual course will be less rigorous however. Personally I do not mind either way. If the class is easier then I have more time to explore college life, and if it is just as difficult or more so then I will be challenged and forced to grow academically which will prepare me for my senior year and college. I am very excited to find out what the class is like, and look forward to blogging about it. However due to Yale's policies and the rigor of the course students are not allowed to blog, so you will have to wait to hear about our experiences until we leave.

Although this will be the most significant part of my summer, it has not been uneventful so far. I began my break with a camp hosted by Cal Berkeley designed to help rising seniors with the college admissions process, which was a huge help and a lot of fun. After that I filled my time with all the things I love: my family, my girlfriend, my friends, kung fu, and lots of reading. It was a blast! Yale, however, was always in the back of my mind.

Now it is here, the moment I have been waiting for for two years. If someone had told me years ago that my senior year of high school would begin with a class at Yale, I would never have believed them, but due to the ILC and my own determination, that unimaginable future became a reality, and I am ready to make it in to an experience that I will never forget.

First Time Away

Words cannot describe how I feel. I haven't had anything hit me until today. A whole tsunami of emotion has crashed over me today. I am scared, happy, excited, and anxious. I have never been away from my parents for such a long period of time and I haven't even been on the East Coast! While I'm typing this, my mom and dad are lecturing me on safety, what to pack, and where to put my things. A few days ago -- no -- a few hours ago, their nagging seemed repetitive and annoying. Now, I have a feeling I'm going to miss it.

This summer I've been a bit busy. I've finished the reading that was required. I also starred in a small theater production in Walnut Creek, which occupied the first month of my summer. I now feel even more comfortable speaking in front of people and enjoy it, which I know will help me during the program. What will also help is the few Speech and Debate practice sessions I had with the team that I will be co-president of. The fact that the current president of the club went to the Yale Young Global Scholars program under the ILC and the vice president was part of the ILC didn't hurt either. They provided me with valuable tips, tidbits, and encouragement for my study trip. The president told me that I will be "enlightened" by this experience and I can't wait.

I can't wait to go to the East Coast and learn about other cultures. I have never really gotten a chance to talk to people on an intellectual level from across the world, let alone across the country. I also haven't had much of a chance to visit colleges on the West Coast. I'm looking forward to touring colleges on the East Coast and see how they are compared to the few colleges I've visited on the West. I'm really excited. These past few days I've pretty much been relaxing. Enjoying the little time I have on the West Coast is important to me. I know I'll be coming back soon, but I don't want to miss home too much while I'm gone. 

From what I've heard, Yale looks a lot like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though I doubt there will be any evil wizards and soul sucking demons trying to kill me. I have a really strong feeling that I will be too busy to cast spells while running down the hallways. Instead, I will be too occupied with learning how to rule the world, as Don had put it in an e-mail sent months ago. 

Now I just rest, wait, and pack any last minute things that I have forgotten.

Joshua A. Ko: An American Life

"To make one's self as pure of heart as one is capable of becoming, to put fear and cynicism and craftiness behind one, and to abandon one's self to the reflection that if the simple truth will not do, then nothing will."

- The Prince, Dostoyevsky's The Idiot

And here we are, 228 days since the great academic adventure that is the Ivy League Connection Yalie journey began. Eight hours before I rudely awaken myself (by choice, mind you) and head to El Cerrito High School to board a shuttle to an airport to take me to another airport and take the Yalies and our wonderful chaperone, Ms. Tracey Singh-Poole, to one final airport where we'll begin a college tour before starting an intensive 16 day Grand Strategies course at Yale as Global Scholars. Just typing that sentence felt draining. We are going to exert all the effort and tenacity and work ethic and determination and perserverance in the world, because we plan to prove that the West Contra Costa Unified School District BELONGS at institutions like Yale. And to think I once thought one sentence ago that writing this post felt difficult.

You could say we're under a lot of pressure. You would be half right. Am I nervous, eight hours before our nineteen day excursion? Of course I am, but there's also this inner peace and calm that I have inside. And trust me, it wasn't because that's who I normally am. You see, this summer, I went through numerous life-changing experiences that shaped the person I want to be going into this trip. And the miracle of the narrative of this summer is that the lessons I learned prepared me for Yale as well as the required readings did.

"Often there is a gap between principles and actual events that cannot always be bridged by a succession of logical deductions. Then a measure of self-confidence is needed, and a degree of skepticism is also salutary."

- Clausewitz, On War

Camp Royal was advertised as a life-changing experience. The skeptic in me went in a skeptic. He came out a believer. The leadership camp, held somewhere in the California Nowherelands, taught me an incredible number of ideals about how to be a great, mindful, thoughtful leader and person. The experience forced me to open myself up and be willing to admit my faults, and I truly saw the good in humanity. There's a wealth of knowledge to share and not enough time, but I will be posting more about how my summer affected my ILC experience when I get back. I will share with you the phrase Tashi deley: a Tibetan expression that means "I honor the greatness in you. I honor the place in you that holds your dreams, your courage, your hope, and your love." A good leader knows his people.

Loni Hancock's Chief of Staff office

After a restful family vacation to Vancouver (A good leader takes time to rest), I headed up sixty minutes to Cal State Sacramento for the 76th Session of the American Legion California Boys' State. I was to be a delegate of a political experience that would challenge everything I had just learned. Delegates (all rising senior boys from all over the state) ran for different political offices and worked as journalists, musicians, lawyers, and such. In this incredibly realistic simulation, I saw firsthand the corruption that permeates every level of politics. After recently completing Machiavelli's The Prince and remembering The Art of War, I saw the top two gubernatorial candidates get "sued" for money laundering and slander, respectively, and overlooked the hostility and competition that loomed over the week. I saw imaginary wars break out and boys fooling the legal system and getting away with the hundreds of simulation dollars they had stolen. Boys' State was the antithesis of Camp Royal. It showed me the evil in humanity and the corruption of power. It made the readings I had just done feel more tangible and applicable to me. A good leader gets things done that will serve his people.

"The result is that there is no place in public life for an honest and moderate man."

- George F. Kennan

Ignore the fact that I attempted dressy

on top and casual on bottom

Not counting one day of rest (and I wouldn't call running around to errands and activities rest), I traveled immediately from Sacramento to Manitou Springs, Colorado, where I underwent a two-week apologetics and worldview conference at the Summit Hotel. The conference bridged the two previous experiences I had had. It acknowledged the real world while giving me the tools to survive out there. I learned how to defend my beliefs and ideals. Logic and critical thinking were extremely important and well taught. I read John Lewis Gaddis's George F. Kennan: An American Life and appreciated reading a biography of a man who worked hard to understand the Russians in order to fulfill the most of his duties with Russian-American relations. A good leader defends his positions, and even Clausewitz points out that defense is the most essential part of war. 

"...experience counts more than any amount of abstract truths."

- Clausewitz, On War

After getting back, it was time to rest up...not for Yale, of course, but for my third annual Relay for Life, a 24-hour cancer walk. As co-captain of my team, we raised $1800 for the American Cancer Society. Walking through the dead of night was tiring and difficult, but it was an incredible experience, which is why I do it year after year. Seeing people like cancer survivors and caregivers walk the track reminds me of the struggles that cancer patients go through year after year. As I walked, I realized how lucky I was to have a great team dedicated to helping each other relay for each other's lives. Great leaders have great advisors. 

Heading into Yale, I've learned how to see people differently. I've learned the ideals of being a good leader and have seen the corruption that I will have to face later in life. I've read thousands of required reading pages and learned how to defend my positions. I've learned how to relate to people as a person and as a leader, and how to get things done. I hope to bring back a great wealth of knowledge and give back to the wonderful community I'm proud to be a part of, and I sincerely thank you for following me on my journey. 

Follow us on our college tour throughout this week! Send me feedback by commenting below and emailing jandakocompany@yahoo.com. And for a more intimate look at my Yale experience, follow me on Instagram @joshthebosh to see a more visual Ivy League Connection. Please note that you won't be able to hear about any of the seminars, discussions, etc. at Yale due to their privacy policy.

"He had a historian's consciousness of the past, which gave him a visionary's perspective on the future."

- John Lewis Gaddis, George F. Kennan: An American Life

We're off in nine hours. Will you join us?