By Cory Dimke

As I walked onto the campus of Georgetown University I was in awe of the beauty and feel of intelligence which was a complete 180 from the view I have been reluctant to call astonishing at JW Mitchell High School. As I stood on Healy Lawn and tried to locate my dorm, I knew I would be ready for the challenges set ahead.

July 15th marked my “first day of school,” as I walked onto the campus for a month long college experience. For one month I would endure 100 hours of a college level class: Honors Constitutional Law, competitive debate and discussion, and also some free time to get a feel for the social aspect of college life with 200 of my fellow students from not only around the country, but around the world.

This was a life changing program that I will remember for the rest of my life. It gave me the confidence to work hard at a course where I had to devote hours of studying each night, it showed me what real research is when you are preparing two six page papers, I became a better speaker in front of my peers, I met with dozens of influential members of Congress and the White House, and I met people who will remain my friends forever.

So, what made this a true experience for me? Was it the textbook about our nations founding and complex laws, perhaps the studying until 2 am, it also could have been the casual atmosphere is which professors treat you like a person not a child, or even the daily time with friends walking to the market or deli. I honestly changed as a person when this program was over. The people you encounter in “another world” [or a university] open you to a new side of the world.

Being accepted into this program gave me hope that I could achieve anything I set my mind toward, and I did. I walked away from the course with a B average! I gained knowledge and experience I will never forget, and that I can get nowhere else, including learning how to do laundry and play Ultimate Frisbee! It was a college experience like no other, and I was lucky to have it in 11th grade.