A Dinner that was Both Bubbly and Informative

I have a confession to make:

When I first read the email Mr. Ramsey sent to us about the Cornell Alums dinner, I was not excited. In fact, I dreaded the dinner. I was nervous, too.

Granted, I was chosen to give a speech at the dinner, but having to give a speech wasn’t really what made me nervous. Mostly, I was afraid that I would not feel as excited about the ILC program as I wanted to feel. I was afraid that I would have to stand in front of everyone who had worked so hard to support us and have to act more excited than I actually felt. I was afraid of being a fake.

This guilty anxiety was bothering me even as I travelled to Town Hall via BART with the ILC leaders, students, parents, and chaperones. I did not talk much on the way to the restaurant. That’s not really normal for me.

We eventually got to Town Hall and it was cold. We were stuck outside and it was cold. I started talking to some of my Cornell cohorts, but I was still feeling uneasy. Pretty soon, we were all inside, marvelling at how adorable the place was. The restaurant was cozy in that way where any source of light appears to sparkle.

Eventually we all sat down. The two Cornell alums at my table introduced themselves as Jesus Verduzco (‘99) and Emily Wyffels (‘05), and the minute the two of them started talking to us, I started to worry less. After that, everything pretty much went uphill. What an instant transition.

Like Jobel, I felt a rush “once the human element had been introduced.” I was amazed at how much fun I was having. Right then, Ms. Kronenberg asked different people to “pop up” and introduce themselves, and that was when I looked around the room and noticed that I didn’t know most of the people around me. Even people I did know, I did not know. Then I remembered where I was and what the purpose of the dinner was. These people supported us wholeheartedly before they even knew us. That was kind of overwhelming to think about, and I was still in that dazed state of mind when it was time to make my speech. I ended up completely deviating from what I had previously planned on saying, but that, I am convinced, was a good thing. I tried to convey what I actually felt, and I was glad to find that I did not have to fake excitement, because I was really feeling it.

The rest of the night was bubbly and informative. After the dinner, as we all walked back to BART together, I found myself skipping along with Genevieve and humming and chattering about Cornell. Everything felt right, and it still does.

Unorthodox Studying for an AP Test

As my cohorts could corroborate, the whole BART ride on the way to the city I was stressing about my upcoming AP test early the next morning. However, the Cornell Alumni Dinner at Town Hall restaurant was probably one of the best things that could've happened to me that night- and not only because of the delicious food. As a Turkish proverb states, "No road is long with good company." And let me tell you, that Wednesday night my company was supreme.

Maybe I am a bit biased, but my table was, I believe, the best. Wouldn't you agree Don? Also seated at our little circular table were Yueming and her mother Mrs. Wang, and an alumni couple Doug Mitarotonda and Rachel Reichenbach. My mother and retired Hercules Highschool Assistant Principal Cheryl Lilhanand completed our group. After a few inspirational speeches and the very well deserved acknowledgements of all the hard work Madeline Kronenberg, Charles Ramsey, and Don Gosney do for all of us in the Ivy League connection (I thank you once more*), we dug into our dinner and got to know each other a little better.

Yueming, Rachel, and I Sitting In Town Hall

*I also want to thank again the individuals and companies who help fund this wonderful program, as well as the interviewers who selected me for it. There is a myriad of people whose support I am extremely grateful for, and would not have this opportunity without.

Yueming attended the summer Hotel Management program at Cornell two years ago, is now graduating from Hercules High School she will soon be part of the Cornell class of 2015! It was really inspirational to hear an account firsthand how the ILC program has shaped someone's life and to see it put into use. Maybe I'll even see her there this summer!

As inspiring as it was to see Yueming's story of success and her accomplishments to come before my eyes, I think it really struck a chord in me to hear glowing praise of Cornell from two of it's very own. Doug and Rachel not only attended school there in Ithaca, but they got married there! Beginning as a triple major, and then receiving both his Master's and PhD at Cornell, Doug is an exemplary embodiment of everything that Cornell has to offer. His greatest advice to me, other than good trails to run while I'm in New York, was about the broad spectrum of classes Cornell offers; it's broad range of classes leading him to take Nepali and further shape his life. Rachel, a graduate student of the Sociology Dept. of Cornell, also had very encouraging words about Cornell- and had also attended the University of Chicago, one of the colleges we will be visiting this summer, for her Bachelor's.

Rachel, Doug, My Mother and I

After the dinner, I made my way home happy and full, the least of my worries a silly little test the next morning. Not only had I enjoyed a glamorous night in the city surrounded by people I was honored to bask in the presence of, I had gained some insight. This amazing journey I will be undertaking this summer is not a fairy-tale born of my dreams, but reality. A reality that might even include me considering attending Cornell University for college, if it lives up to all it is said to be; because if I haven't made it clear already, let me do so now. I have heard FABULOUS things about it. :)

Looking forward even more earnestly to this summer with every post.

"Popping Up"

It was a casual Wednesday afternoon and I found myself reaching for my suit. Funny how such a normal day can suddenly change into such a fantastic night.

Wednesday, May 11, was the date of our Cornell Alumni Dinner where we recognized all of the people who are either involved in our program, or who are somehow associated with it. The mere idea of this dinner, admittedly, was already beginning to make me nervous. I thought that I might freeze up in conversation with such civilized adults as the ones who I knew I would be dining with. What could I say to the individuals who were paying for my trip? Would I have anything to say that could possibly interest them? And more importantly, how could I thank them for their generosity? My interviewers who had decided to put me in the program would be there as well, so I would have to thank them too, but how could I really tell them how much I appreciate this colossal opportunity?

By the time we got to the Town Hall Restauarant, however, everything just seemed to flow. From the outside, the place seemed to be pretty regular. There was a big red tent-like room that we stepped into and we waited in there for a few minutes until we were seated. 

We Cornellians had been laughing and socializing the whole way over, so our amusement was only heightened when we saw that our "Formal Dinner" would take place in a heated tent. However, this was not the case at all. We took a left into the main building, a right past a rather large dining table, and then another left to the stairs. We climbed two flights and entered what was definitely one of the swankiest places that I have ever seen in my seventeen years of existence. All of our jokes stopped, and were replaced instead with genuine smiles of excitement.

I found my seat quickly afterwards and began speaking with the individuals sitting to either side of me; One was a Cornell Alum from the class of '63 and the other was the chaperone of last year's Columbia trip (and, as it turned out, she knew my brother from earlier ILC experiences. Nice to know that someone of importance recognizes and respects your last name). 

We spoke for a while until the first few speakers came up, saying how wonderful everyone in the room was. My fellow cohorts Taylor Doty and Terilyn Chen were asked to speak and both expressed everything that I felt for the people around us. There was a lot of thanks already drifting around the room, but they made it clear that we, as students, are truly grateful to everyone who has helped to make our trip possible.

And then Mrs. Kronenberg stood up. She walked to the front of the room and gave more thanks to the people that deserved it. However, a few minutes into her speech, she looked to us students and asked us to "pop up" and introduce ourselves so that everyone could see what the program was all about.

And that was when I realized it. As I stood up, I realized that the Ivy League Connection is not all about professionalism or fancy dinners; It's about us. It's about showing the world that the West Contra Costa Unified School District has potential and that we, being that potential, can compete with students from absolutely anywhere. We are not insignificant and we are not small. We are the reason that the people in that swanky room came together and we are the reason that our school district will be better recognized in the future. I realized that I never had any reason to be nervous around these people, because each one wanted me to succeed just as much as the next. They had all made contributions to our success in one way or another, and this was simply our chance to show them our appreciation.

From then on out, the dinner went very well. I was 100% comfortable and felt like I could speak with President Obama if he had decided to walk in the room. The Alumni Dinner was a great experience for me and was a true milestone in my journey with the ILC. Thank you to everyone who has made our trip possible, and thank you for providing us with what is truly the opportuninty of a lifetime. I am extremely excited to get to Cornell and show the world what the WCCUSD has to offer.

...and by the way, here is a picture of my cohorts and me demonstrating our newfound enthusiasm. I am the one in the white, haha.

‘Dinner’ And The City

5:12: I rushed out of my house, forgot to put my makeup on and was convinced my mother and I were going to be late to our mandatory “beat Mr. Ramsey to the BART station” date. However when we pulled up and parked my fears were eased because I could see small crowd with no Mr. Ramsey; I had beaten him there. I joined my cohorts in a penguin-like huddle as we waited for the rest of the sponsors, students and Mr. Ramsey to show up.

The ILC students, parents, sponsors, and leaders shuffled onto the BART train. Naturally the car is crowded, but we (the students) were able to sit within speaking distance from one another. The sophomores, i.e. Genevieve Simmons, Kelly Xi, and Nick Shebek (Jobel Vecino and Kevin Buensuceso are also sophomores; however they were not taking part in the conversation) were attempting to study for the AP World History test the following day, while Joe Arciniega and I (both of us are juniors) laughed and thought back on what we had “learned” in our AP World History class. 

“Embarcadero Station” the BART driver said and we exited the train to begin the walk to the restaurant. I hadn’t been nervous before hand even though I knew I would have to give a speech at dinner, but now that dinner was getting closer I could feel myself start to get nervous.

The restaurant, I must say, was not what I was expecting. Not that I was disappointed by it at all, but rather I was expecting an extremely formal ballroom-like dining room. Instead the restaurant, from the first floor and outdoor tent took away some of my nervous apprehensions because it made me feel comfortable and like I was just going to dinner with a group of people who want me to do well, where there was no pressure on me to be overly prefect. However we were lead upstairs to a private dining area with a brick wall look, candles, and red trim windows. I was seated with my mother at a table with Mr. Ramsey, Sewellyn Kaplan ~ the Cornell chaperone from last year, Linda Cohen ~ the principal of Coronado Elementary School, Kevin MacQuarrie ~ the architect who designed my beautiful new high school, and Samantha Berg ~ an alumni of Cornell. I found myself spending the entire evening entertained by the running conversation Samantha Berg and I were having. In fact I want to credit my speech to her in part because she told me just to say what I felt, that speaking from the heart would hit people with a bigger impact than facts would and that is what I tried to do.

Samantha Berg graduated in ’09 from Cornell University with a major, as she said, that is a mouth full and now works for Palm in the city. I cannot thank her enough for her entertaining conversation and honesty. Thinking about college is always a scary thought for me, but Samantha put my nervous at ease with comments on the fact that no matter where I end up I will love college. She also told me good place to go for dinner and fun things to do while during the summer college program since she participated in the summer college program when she was my age. She also introduced me to Emily Wyffels who was a soccer player at Cornell University, which is of interest to me as a class one soccer player.

Of course there were many pictures taken by the camera wizard also known as Don Gosney. My favorite one (below) is of my new family =]. I cannot wait to spend three weeks of my summer with these amazing kids, and this dinner helped me realize that we were actually going to Cornell, that we had been selected and that we were the cream of the crop (so to speak). I am so thankful for the opportunities that the West Contra Costa Unified School District has given me, and continues to give me.

A New Gang in Town

Recent police logs indicate that a new gang has been formed and is making strong efforts to infiltrate everyday life here in the Bay Area.  This new gang—known on the streets as The Cornellians—seems to have as its main goal to raise the educational bar for everyone they come in contact with.

The public should be warned of the dangers of associating with this new gang.  Even the smallest interaction or casual contact can lead to a desire to read, have meaningful discussions and, even worse, the uncontrollable desire to check their emails on a daily basis and to blog every chance they get.

If anyone sees members of this gang, they should not try to stop them on their own.  This gang can be dangerous and affect permanent changes on anyone they come into contact with.  Please contact the professionals to deal with them by emailing The Ivy League Connection at

IvyLeagueConnection@comcast.net