Arthur’s Adventure: A True Story

This past winter break, Arthur Burkart of the 2010 cohort rode his bike all the way down the eastern seaboard and then headed west over to Texas. On a chilly December morning, he grabbed a handful of clothes and all the tools he owned and bundled them into bags. He bungeed them onto his bike, and set off. Soon Wesleyan University was out of sight.

Arthur had spent all fall semester planning his trip. Over the next three weeks, he would bike over 2,000 miles and have an unforgettable adventure.

By the end of the first day he made it to New Jersey. He pitched his tent and camped out in Palisades Interstate Park. The next day he biked on to Philadelphia, where he spent the night with a friend. By day four he made it to Mount Vernon, Virginia. Just as he crossed the Potomac River, his bike rack snapped, forcing him to do get creative with his bungee cords. That night, he slept in a field of horse underneath a spruce tree.

In the south side of Richmond, Virgina, a tenacious black Labrador chased him. The dog took two bites at him, missed, and fell into the spokes of a bicycle wheel, breaking it. It took a few more days before Arthur learned how to deal with dogs. “When a dog chases after you, just talk to it,” he explained. “Say things like ‘good dog, you found me,’ or play with it and say ‘oh I know, Dog, I’m a horrible person’—if you just talk to them, they’ll mellow out.”

Broken spokes weren’t the only bike breakdowns Arthur dealt with. Overall he had 17 flat tires, and once got four flats in one day. Each night he would stop at a McDonalds, where he could take advantage of the free WIFI and plan his route for the next day. He would also find a grocery store each evening, where he would buy bread and peanut butter and cans of corn, beans, peaches, and bananas. He would eat some of for dinner and store the rest away in his bike for the morning’s breakfast.

On the seventh day he had to get rid of his tent because it was weighing him down. He still continued to get creative with his sleeping spots, camping out in a water runoff area and near a swamp, among other places. One night a possum crawled up and nuzzled his foot, but then the rustle of the tarp Arthur was sleeping on startled it, and it scurried away.

Each morning he would wake up at 6:30 and bike until 9:00 at night. With the exception of only two days over the course of the entire trip, he managed to bike over 100 miles. Atlanta was one his favorite places he rode through, because he found the people to be very friendly. One of the scariest moments of the journey was New Year’s Day in Mississippi, where he jumped awake at midnight to find people shooting off guns to welcome in 2012.

Accidents come with the territory while on such an adventure. Arthur was clipped by a car in both Washington DC and Arkansas. He also flipped over a guardrail in Mississippi. For the most part, though “I discovered that it’s pretty hard to die,” he explained. This realization gave him a newfound sense of confidence.

After three weeks of pedaling, Arthur reached eastern Texas. There he caught a Greyhound bus home to Wisconsin, where he was able to spend a few weeks with his family before returning to Connecticut for the spring semester. The memories he made over his journey are ones he’ll never forget, and it will be exciting to see what adventures he has in the future.

Native American Youth Challenge Summit

Teresa Baldwin's Hope4Alaska campaign for suicide prevention

This past winter, 2011 Hamilton Scholars Teresa Baldwin and Ekoo Beck journeyed to Washington D.C. for the Native American Youth Challenge summit. We sat down with Tessa to ask about her experiences with the program and her adventures touring the capital.

Teresa was accepted to the program in recognition for her dedication to Hope4Alaska, which works to help prevent suicide. She travels around the state of Alaksa raising suicide prevention awareness, and recently received a $25,000 grant to help further her efforts. At the summit, she had the opportunity to learn from and network with other service-oriented peers.
Together, these young activists participated in workshops designed to help them learn to expand the scope of their efforts, including one session that focused on techniques for utilizing Twitter to reach out to a mass audience. They toured the city together as well, exploring the Eisenhower building and the West Wing. They even got to meet with dignitaries such as Senator Byron Dorgan, who served as Chair of the Committee on Indian Affairs, Hilary Tompkins, the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior and the highest ranking Native American official in the United States’ government, and even President Obama himself.

The whirlwind summit taught Teresa effective strategies that will enable her to take her suicide prevention campaign to a new level. For instance, she learned about building a political base and effecting national mobilization. She also gained a lot of important networking connections nationwide, and was invited to speak at several Native American reservations around the country about her work.

For more information on Teresa’s work and the Native American Youth Summit, check out her blog at hope4alaska.tumblr.com and youtube video.

2012 Hamilton Award Application Now Live!

The Alexander Hamilton Friends Association is proud to announce that the 2012 Hamilton Award Application is now available! We are looking for high achieving, service-minded high school juniors with financial need who will be committed to participating in the Hamilton Leaders Academy. Applications are due on March 14th, 2012. To learn more and apply visit http://www.hamiltonfriends.org/application.php

The College Interview by Sino Esthappan

This is a compilation of advice I received from my college advisor, Kelly Herrington and my own experience for successful College Interviews.  Feel free to post on the Facebook page or the blog your experiences with interviewing and helpful tips you have for others. Can’t wait to hear your stories!

Before the Interview

Scheduling the interview: Upon sending your application, some schools may contact you about an off-campus interview. Most of the time, these interviews will be alumni interviews. Rest assured, your alumni interviewers are not your admissions officers. While off campus interviews are recommended and aren’t required for admission, you want to take the opportunity to show off your personality, so say yes if you can! Schedule your interview as soon as you can, because some schools interview spots tend to fill up quickly.

Preparing to shine:

• Clothing – The alumni interviews are usually going to take place somewhere casual (ie. restaurant, coffee shop, interviewer’s office). Therefore, you want to dress casual. Guys: I would wear nicely ironed khakis and a buttoned down shirt. Girls: I would suggest you don’t wear flashy jewelry or makeup. Look professional, but casual at the same time.
• Things you might want to bring – A resume, published articles, anything that you feel will highlight your achievements and help your interviewer develop a positive opinion about you. Make sure you give him/her a copy and not an original, because chances are, the interviewer is going to take it.
• If you’re meeting at a restaurant, bring money to pay for your meal. Most of the time, the interviewer will insist on paying. My college advisor says that often times, the University will provide the interviewer with money to pay for both of your orders. In the event that the interviewer absolutely demands that he pays for your order, order something light. Something messy like pasta is a big no-no.
• Research the school!!! You want to be able to formulate questions so that the interviewer can offer you insight. While it may be an evaluative interview, it can also be informative. Learn as much as you can from the interviewer. When researching the school, the school’s website can be a big help. Also, a website that I found on my own that is super helpful is theu.com. They also have a youtube page called theurocks. It’s really insightful on the different aspects of the schools that they have listed. Bear in mind, though, that not all the schools you’re applying to may be listed under TheU. I also know that sparknotes has some helpful videos that give you good insight on certain schools.
• Reflect! Reflect on your life and think about the certain things that keep your universe spinning. Whether it’s sports, acting, singing, dancing, etc., try to find that one thing that defines who you are. Often times, if you’re able to locate and understand that core aspect about yourself, you can shine in your interview more than you ever thought possible.

During the Interview:

Arrive early: It’s best to always plan for being there 15-20 minutes in advance because you want to be prepared for the worst. During my interview, it was pouring and the bus came late. I remember arriving at her office at 3:28pm for my 3:30 interview, but if I hadn’t planned in advance, I probably would have been late.

Introduce yourself with a firm handshake and smile! Even if you’re having a terrible day, be friendly and smile J

Avoid “like” and “um”.

BE PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS, LOTS OF EM! During my college interviewer, I saw that my interviewer came prepared with her set of questions and she tried to fill in those spaces as best as she could so that she could come up with something to write. Remember, if you’re in an evaluative off-campus alumni interview, your interviewer is looking to help you, not hurt you. He/she is asking questions so he/she will have something to write about in the evaluative report. Your interviewer is trying to advocate for you to be admitted. Some questions that I’ve compiled from advice given to me by my college advisor, Kelly Herrington’s conference calls, and my personal experience include:

• Describe your favorite book

-       I think this is a big one! My college advisor told me to expect this one and this was the first question my interviewer asked me. If you don’t have a favorite book, try to think about the books you’ve read (and if you don’t read, think about the books you’ve enjoyed reading for school… if you’ve never ever enjoyed a book your entire life, I suggest you inconspicuously try to change the topic). If you can limit yourself to a genre, think about how that genre reflects your personality and interests and talk about that. If you can find a common theme in all the books you’ve read, do the same. Also, if you talk about a specific book, know the TITLE and THE AUTHOR. Unfortunately for me, I forgot the author of my book during my interview, and I don’t know if that hurt me.

• Favorite movie
• Why do you want to go to this school?

-       I think that you should pretend, just for that day, that this is your first choice school. Build on that idea and the rest should come naturally.

• What can you offer to this school?

-       Think about your interests. Read your resume before you answer this question. Perhaps your interests in cognitive science will inspire you to conduct research at this school. Maybe your experience in dancing will make you want to join or even form a dance team at that school. Maybe your love for writing and your major in journalism can come together to make the college newspaper the perfect activity for you!

• What are your best qualities?
• What are you looking for in a school?
• What other schools are you applying to?

-       Find a school that is extremely similar to the school for which you are interviewing. Compare their similar features so that the interviewer knows that you are serious about looking for X type of school, so this school would be perfect for you. For example, my top two schools are Brown and Amherst. If I were interviewing for Brown, I would say that I’m applying to Amherst because just like Brown, it has no traditional requirements and I love that about both schools. I love how the students are thought of as mature enough to choose their own classes and decide what is best for their majors.

• What is your proudest moment?
• What has been your favorite course in high school?
• Tell me about your weaknesses.
• Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Obviously, you don’t want to memorize your answers to these questions and make it seem rehearsed. Just know how to answer them. Perhaps it would be easier if you practiced answering them in front of a mirror so you could feel comfortable getting out of your shell.

Questions YOU might want to ask your interviewer:

• What do you think is the strongest department as the school based on my major?
• Do the students as your school connect or do you think there’s a separation? Do you still keep in touch with friends from that school?
• What do kids at this school usually do on weekends?
• What is the surrounding area like? Hiking/fishing/running opportunities? City life?
• What’s the best part of attending this school? What’s your fondest memory? Your favorite professor/course?

Questions you DON’T want to ask:

• What is the required SAT score for admission into this school?
• Does your school have my major?
• Anything you could learn from the school’s website.

After the Interview:

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and none of you have to agree with me on this. I think you should arrange for your interviewer to not see your parents when they pick you up. I don’t think they should sit in on the interview, hover, or talk to the interviewer. I know that if I were an interviewer, I would feel intimidated or uncomfortable by speaking to your parents. Even if your parents are the nicest people ever, there is a chance that your parents’ involvement can backfire on you, so I think it’s best that you’re the only one who talks to your interviewer. After all, it is your college interview, not your parents’.

Thankthe interviewer when it’s over and shake his/her hand

Write him/her a note or e-mail thanking them for their time and include your contact info.

.

 

Hamilton Friends Blog Article: NextGEN Policy

Mary Sun and her partner at the Ron Brown Triennial Conference: Faces of Leadership

The Society for Neuroscience defines depression as “one of the most common and costly brain diseases … [in which] people feel intensely and persistently sad.” I remember reading that definition in the seventh grade, wondering if what was happening to my best friend could really be encapsulated by the phrases in front of me. As it turned out, my nights of research were no match for real life.

As I watched her and others suffer through sleepless nights and suicide attempts, I began to question current adolescent health policies. Why were current prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods so ineffective? Deeply concerned, I began an independent epidemiology project that modeled risk factors for adolescent depression by gender. I was lucky to find a very supportive mentor and win awards with my research, but it frustrated me that my results didn’t seem to have a real-life impact. The need to bridge the gap between knowledge and action was the beginning of NextGEN Policy, my nonprofit science policy advocacy organization.  

The primary goal of NextGEN Policy is to mobilize students to become educated about, advocate for, and participate in science policy advocacy. Political literacy and advocacy are key to harnessing the power of the next generation, educating and uniting youth to reach legislators, officials, and policymakers. As citizens, we have a civic duty to show that we are informed and passionate about important issues that affect the fundamentals of our health system. NextGEN leaders strive to evaluate issues from a non-partisan perspective, as health, science, and technology policy affect all of us regardless of political affiliation. Together, we can become a powerful force for positive and necessary change.

We draw youth from different schools, cultures, and communities to unite in advocacy. Members write articles, track elections, circulate petitions, host policy experts, and hold school-wide debates to engage their peers. Through their work, our Teams hope to impact the world of research and development while educating their communities. NextGEN Policy sponsors two scholarships for teen activism, organizes educational workshops, and publishes monthly e-letters. It is also involved in partnership and collaboration work with like-minded corporations including Cure The Process, In Need of Diagnosis, and the Ron Brown Scholars Foundation. Currently, we are under a 501(c)(3) umbrella and plan to file for independent incorporation this winter.

So, what do we focus on? Our organization is open to all science and technology related policy issues, but our most powerful work has focused on rare disease treatment, the drug development pipeline, and medical diagnostics. We have worked with policymakers, tech companies, and lobbyists to promote incentives for treatment research. Our long-term goals are to establish a rare disease registry, increase use of the Accelerated Approval pipeline for drugs, and push for the establishment of a board-license in Diagnostics. The work we are doing draws across all disciplines, and it is a particularly exciting time to be involved in the action on the Hill. We are grateful to have won funding from Youth Venture, and to have been invited to speak at conferences like the Ron Brown Triennial: Faces of Leadership and HOBY Leadership.

 If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact me(mary.sun@nextgenhome.org) or our Board (info@nextgenhome.org) to join the exciting NextGEN community! There are many different ways to help. You can become a Team Leader and start your own school or online chapter with as much support as you need. You can partner your organization/group with ours to accomplish aligned goals. If you know public or science policy experts, refer them to us! If you have a large space or a community that you think would benefit from one of our educational workshops, we would love to be there! If you have a budding venture, let us know how we can support you as well. Please check out our website at nextgenhome.org for more information, and contact me with any questions! Thank you!

Mary Sun

Sunburns, Spanish and Service: A Summer Adventure in Guatemala — By Hannah Smythe

This summer I loaded my sunscreen, toothbrush, bug repellent and a handful of clothes (okay, way more than a handful) into my suitcase and eagerly boarded a midnight plane bound for Guatemala City. An unforgettable adventure of service, leadership training and sightseeing awaited me.

Hannah Smythe with a group of students from the volunteer site

I had been waiting for this moment since May of my junior year of high school, when I won a Citizenship Achievement Award from The Alexander Hamilton Friends Association. After completing a series of requirements designed to aid with my goal-setting and professional development, I became one of roughly 25 students annually to earn the title of Hamilton Scholar and gain admission to the Hamilton Leaders Academy. As such, the summer after my freshman year of college, I was able to join my cohort on this all-expenses-paid trip to Guatemala to participate in an international service project.

To help coordinate operations, Hamilton Friends partnered with Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS), a volunteer abroad program with over 25,000 alumni. This year, our cohort volunteered at an all-girls elementary school. Following lesson plans developed by CCS, the theme of the week was children’s rights. In keeping with this theme, we painted a colorful eleven-panel mural of lively images designed to illustrate ideas such the rights to health, life, information, and love. The cohort also divided into six groups, each of which was responsible for teaching a specific grade level. I was chosen to lead the group teaching fifth graders.

When I first got to the classroom, I didn’t realize that while we were there, we weren’t just auxiliaries to the teacher- we were the teachers. As soon as the teacher saw me, he reclined at his desk, gazing at me expectantly. That’s when it dawned on me that sink or swim, it was up to me to muster my Spanish to engage the girls in a discussion on children’s rights and explain our word search and coloring activities. The first day was admittedly quite chaotic, and afterwards I dedicated myself to reviewing Spanish for an hour or two each night and reviewing lesson plans daily with the other fifth grade volunteers. Soon my classroom management skills increased and I began to forge friendships with the girls.

For me, the conversations I had with the girls were the most meaningful part of my experience. Once, upon learning that I’m eighteen and that I have a sister who’s fifteen, they asked if either of us is married. When I replied no, they then asked if either of us had kids. After swallowing my initial confusion, I later learned from CCS that for these girls, one of the greatest obstacles in their path to a high school diploma is early pregnancy. My CCS supervisor estimated that due to poverty and its accompanying factors, only three of the sixty girls I taught might finish high school, and none would graduate university. These conversations really put the girls’ circumstances in perspective for me.

When we weren’t volunteering at the school, CCS coordinated many cultural explorations for us. We visited nearby Antigua, where we toured a beautifully serene 600-year-old convent and tried with varying degrees of success to participate in the local bartering culture. We visited a Mayan village where we learned about a fascinating ancient weaving technique used to create elaborate brocade that is the same on both sides of the cloth, sampled coffee roasted from beans freshly picked from a nearby field, cooked tortillas over a fire, and even watched as five members of our group participated in a reenactment of a traditional Mayan wedding, completed with costumes, rose petals and a special kind of bread often incorporated into the festivities.

When my time in Guatemala came to an end, I knew that in addition to strengthening old friendships with my cohort through service, I had built new ones that transcended both language and cultural barriers. An international service experience is an adventure I would recommend to anyone seeking to broaden their perspective, immerse themselves in a new culture, make friends from around the world, or develop their leadership abilities.

Elena Hernandez: My Guatemala Experience

Elena teaching first graders in Guatemala City.

I had the time of my life in Guatemala. My experience during Guatemala Leader Week strengthened the mission statement of my Personal Development Plan, and sharpened my dream of pursuing a career in education.

During the week, I had the privilege and honor to teach first graders at an all-girls school, “Oficial Urbana de Niñas N.52 A. Gonzales De Lopez.” I have taught many times before, but I was a bit nervous to teach in a foreign country. Nonetheless, as I entered the classroom I could only see the smiles of all the girls, shining at every corner. Listening attentively, their faces showed that they were eager to learn. As I was teaching about children’s rights (such as the rights to education, love and life), instantaneously I realized that with compassion, humility and effort, I was truly making a difference.

I gave a week of my life to teaching, playing, singing, painting a mural and dancing with the girls and in return they gave me so much more. It was them that made a difference in my life. Their smiles reminded me to never forget where I come from. Their laughs energized me to follow my dreams of becoming an inspirational teacher. And their hugs moved to me to become a better citizen of the world.

Now, I carry a little bit of Guatemala with me, and a part of me stayed behind there after I left. My experience in Guatemala will always be part of who I am as a person, and my first grade girls will be my inspiration to continue to pursue a higher education. Put simply, Guatemala Leader Week helped me inform my future so that my future could inform my present.

Jenelle Yee: A reflection on my volunteer experience in Guatemala

Jenelle with two of the girls at the school we volunteered at. Notice the mural we helped paint on the wall behind her. The flowers are made of the children’s handprints!

Not many people can say that they had the opportunity to interact with students in a foreign country or experience the history and culture of a far away place.  Through the Alexander Hamilton Friends Association, I was privileged to have the chance to build a friendship with the students at the elementary school we volunteered at.  I am so proud to have been a part of teaching the students that they deserve many rights ranging from a quality education to a healthy living.  I’ll always remember how appreciative and welcome the students at the school were.  It was very meaningful to bridge the cultural divide as the kids regarded us without judgment and only open arms.

Connie Lim: My Hamilton Friends Experience

Connie kicking back after work.

I had plenty of internships during my high school career. When I received Joslin’s email offering me an internship at the Hamilton Friends Association, I thought it would be the same as what I had always done: go to work, do what I’m told to do, then go home. However, from the start of the internship I realized this experience would be unlike any other I’ve had before. On my first day, the first thing we did was make lists detailing how I like to be managed, things that motivate me, and my goals for the internship. When I came to the question about things I disliked from a manager, I felt like I was telling Joslin what to do instead of the other way around.  It was a startling experience for me, and I saw how Hamilton Friends really wanted to provide me with a genuine learning experience instead of just doing busy work.

As a business major, I initially didn’t think that the position as a Programs and Communications Intern would be applicable to my academic field. However, both Joslin and Melanie shaped the internship to suit my personal goals and these past couple of months I have gained more understanding of how a small non-profit functions. Joslin even let me look over the financial reports, allowing me to observe how budgets are allocated and see the reconciliation of separate bank statements. Mostly importantly, I had the opportunity to engender the foundations of an alumni program and was given a lot of freedom to decide what to include in the project.

While at previous jobs I felt exhaustion, dread, and anxiety at the end of the day, working at Hamilton Friends made me feel motivated and excited; I truly feel like I have accomplished something. Because I am always really busy with school, working here has almost been therapeutic because it allows me to take a break from my fast-paced academic life. Hamilton Friends is also extremely flexible around my crazy time schedule and very understanding about my time constraints. Most importantly, I have learned so much more about the organization, what they stand for, and the people that make it happen. I love how everyone is so passionate about their work and has such pragmatic, energetic attitudes. Whenever I have a suggestion, they listen to what I have to say and are completely willing to try something new. It’s refreshing, comforting, and has made my freshman year of college so much easier.

The wonderful things I would like to say about this organization are endless and I wish I had more room! Nonetheless, in short:

Thank you so much Joslin, Melanie, Puddin, George, and Cathy for making my experience here unforgettable. I appreciate you all so much!

Erika So: Relay For Life

Erika So at University of California Berkeley Relay for Life

I just participated in my school’s Relay for Life at UC Berkeley and was wondering how many of the other Hammies are involved in this great cause too! For those of you who don’t know, Relay for Life is an event sponsored by the American Cancer Society in order to raise funds and awareness about cancer research and prevention. You register with a team and host your own fundraisers that can go year round. On the day of the event, you have a representative from your team walking the track at all times. If it’s not your turn to walk, you can explore all of the fun activities and on-site fundraisers hosted by other teams.

At my Relay, I had tons of fun getting a Henna tattoo, performing in a karaoke and dance competition, watching Tron, reflecting on how I am personally affected by cancer, and also making a luminary bag for my friend who had cancer. If you’re not already involved in this exciting event, check out their website http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/ and register for your local team today. If you already have experienced this wonderful event, please share your experiences and pictures!