We are writing to express how pleased we are about the Ivy League Connection program and what it is bringing to the WCCUSD. Our son, Malcolm Carson, has participated in the program over the last 3 summers (2 at Brown and 1 at Cornell). We are thrilled about the opportunity to participate in the program and very thankful that Charles and Madeline made the push to get the program off the ground and keep it growing in the district.
Malcolm (and parents) have decided that he will attend Columbia University in the Fall. Malcolm is a stellar student who was accepted to several top Colleges and Universities, and I'm sure would have done so even without participating in the Ivy League Connection. However, the benefit to him has been exposure to East Coast institutions that he probably would not have considered prior to his involvement with the program. That aspect has been invaluable and we would like to see as many students as possible benefit from the relationships that have been established by the Ivy League Connection. My husband and I being products of the UC system (Berkeley in specific) and participating in high school summer programs at Cal, strongly believe in the benefits of exposing students to college environments to reduce the intimidation factor and increase their confidence that they can compete and succeed at top ranked institutions.
The WCCUSD often gets negative press, so it's very exciting to see such a positive effort coming from the district and the outreach that Charles, Madeline and their team have done with the schools, students, alumni, business community and the corporate sponsors. Thank you again for putting this program together and offering this opportunity to our young people. Please pass on our appreciation particularly to the sponsors who have donated the funding to support the program activities.
Sincerely,
Rhonda and Desmond Carson
