Looking Back: Pre-College Programs 2015
by Leah Nason, 2015 Pre-College Counselor
Summer in Rochester is beautiful. The grass is greener. The trees are taller. Bright sunlight illuminates Rush Rhees Library. Time passes by more slowly. Summer always feels infinite until it ends.
As the University of Rochester Pre-College Programs drew to a close, so did my time as the students’ Pre-College Counselor (PCC.) From quiet conversation with my Hoeing Hall residents to late nights spent laughing in the office, the Pre-College experience has truly been a blast. I’ll miss the students and my fellow staff immensely. Now, I find myself reflecting on the Pre-College Programs and all the memories I’ve made. It’s funny how the end brings you back to the beginning.
For the PCCs, the Pre-College Programs started a week before the students arrived. All fifteen of us spent time together attending staff meetings and participating in group bonding activities, including an intense game of laser tag and a delicious dinner at Aladdin’s. We also got to know our Graduate Head Resident (GHR), Stanley. Strangers to friends. Friends to family. The PCCs are a diverse group, but together we make one big, happy family sharing the same collective goals.
As PCCs, it is our job to ensure students are safe, healthy, and happy. We handle conflicts between students, plan evening activities, and aid in any other problems students may encounter. This includes letting students into their rooms when they are locked out and making sure all students are accounted for on field trips. Some days, we work in the Office of Admissions to help with any prep work that needs to be done. It can be a stressful job, but it is always a rewarding one.
The biggest events from the summer included a Pre-College Prom, a Red Wings baseball game, and a trip to Seabreeze Amusement Park. Those events were a lot of fun for both the staff and the students, even without PCCs Helen and James taking home a large, plush minion from the carnival bottle toss.
Many of my favorite memories, however, were set in Hoeing Hall. All the students lived together in the dorm building along with the PCCs. They got to get a taste of what it is like to have a roommate and to share a bathroom and kitchen.
As a PCC, it was really great to see the students form friendships while relaxing after class. Spontaneous dance parties could be found in the stairwell while a game of cards was being played just down the hall. The field was always packed with soccer players, and intense games of volleyball were common. Once, we decided to have a staff versus students game. It ended badly for the staff as the students clearly showed us who was the best on the court.
Overall, this experience taught me a lot about responsibility and leadership. Our job requires enthusiasm, dedication, cooperation, and focus. It can be tough, but it is also incredibly fun and rewarding because of the students and the staff. The best part of the summer was the friendships I formed. I loved getting to know the students and hearing about their day. Most really loved their classes and found the subject material fascinating. I even got to sit in on a few classes while taking photographs.
Jonathan, a student in Rochester CSI, commented on how much he admired his teacher. “I didn’t even realize I was learning,” Jonathan said. “Like how the body stays in rigor mortis… The teacher makes the information so entertaining.”
Others had similar things to say. Neighbors Alejandro, Matthew, and Jacob were all students in Session B. Both Alejandro and Matthew are taking the class, What’s Up Doc? Exploring the Pre-Med Experience. “Our teacher is very engaging,” Alejandro commented. “She includes a lot of hands-on activities.”
“We watched a C-section today,” Mathew said. “It was bloody, but interesting.” The boys laughed and Jacob added, “The University is expanding my mind in ways it’s never been before.”
It’s easy to feel sad that the program will soon come to a close. Classes will end. Students will move out. Hoeing Hall will feel emptier than ever. I hope to keep in touch with the students through social media and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them. I know that the friendships I’ve made with the other PCCs this summer will last beyond the program and I hope the same is true for the students and the friendships they made as well. This summer was great and I can’t imagine having spent it anywhere else but here at the University of Rochester.