From the Parents of Leonard Eisen

A Parent’s Words of Appreciation for the Ivy League Connection 

When our son, Lenny, first began speaking about the Ivy League Connection, it was very difficult to believe that the program he described actually existed. We had lived through all the financial difficulties of our school district since Lenny’s older sister, Sierra, started kindergarten in 1995 when we lived in Richmond. We saw essential programs get cut and class sizes increase. When school-funding bond issues were on the ballot, they could and would be defeated even with a super-majority of 65% because of the two thirds majority required to pass. How could such a program as ILC actually exist for West Contra Costa high school students?

My wife, Melissa, and I are strong believers in public school. We believe that social and ethnic diversity is at the top of the list of characteristics that make a school system a quality learning environment. That’s why we both chose to live in the Bay Area. So, as programs in schools were cut, we’d supplement our kids’ education as well as we could.

I don’t think I was convinced that ILC actually existed even after Lenny was accepted and I started reading emails from Don Gosney. I still wondered how such a program as ILC could actually exist for our students?

I now know it’s thanks to the awesome, tireless efforts of Charles Ramsey and Madeline Kronenberg and the sponsors that they have been able to enlist in this terrific program. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Don Gosney and Cheryl Lilhanand. If it weren’t for Don and Cheryl, I might have had concerns about sending Lenny to New York City, without us, for a month. I grew up and went to college in New York City. I even drove a cab there. I know how easy it is to get into serious trouble in New York. I’m a pretty strict and very observant parent. I felt totally at ease all month because Cheryl was Lenny’s chaperone.

The Ivy League Connection is the most amazing program. Imagine flying to New York on Monday, touring and meeting with admissions officials and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, then visiting Sarah Lawrence College on Wednesday, Vassar College on Thursday, Yale on Friday, touring New York City as a group on Saturday, and then moving into the dorms on Sunday at Columbia University for three weeks of classes in Constitutional Law!

And, of course, there were all the cultural, culinary and entertainment extras! And all of this paid in full by the very generous sponsors!!!

Lenny, Melissa and I are forever grateful to the Ivy League Connection and it’s wonderful sponsors, who made this life-changing experience possible. Thank you!!!

Wayne Eisen

From the Parents of Eric Wang

Our son Eric is back from ILC’s Cornell University program. This is his 2^nd and last participation the ILC. Like other parents, we followed his cohort’s blogs daily. It’s obvious he and his cohort got a lot from it. What great experiences and fun memories it was for him and his cohort! Through the program he made many new friends and expanded his area of academic interests. This program has done much more to him! He learned through this program that a lot people in his community care about education and would go out of their way to support a program out of modest means. He learned that there is a great deal of support from his teachers and school administration staff. He learned that he needs to be responsible and live up to expectations to be good ambassador of his community and school. Above all, he learned that only great leadership can make such programs possible. We cannot think of a better program that can do all those. As parents, we feel so lucky our son was given such opportunities. On behalf of our family, we would like say a big “thank-you” for everything the ILC did for our and all ILC students

To donors, it’s without a doubt that your generous support will be remembered for many years to come, and surely made a positive influence on our son. On this point, we think we speak for all parents. The ILC program gave all of them opportunities to experience what would otherwise be impossible! Once you kindle their aspiration of trying to be as good as they can be, there is nothing that will stop them from pursuing their dreams. Some of the ILC participants will continue on the journey you put them on through your generous support. They will remember where their journey got started, and find ways to make sure the same generous spirits you taught them live wherever you call home. Thanks you for teaching my son and all ILC participants a valuable lesson of life.

To ILC leadership, your tireless efforts and unwavering support are amazing. We all know that it is no easy task to organize and administer a program like the ILC. You believe not only we can do it, but also do it with the highest standards. We appreciate you made every effort to include more students in the program and at the same time hold the same high standards. Starting from the 1^st meeting, you showed that safety and students’ best interests are always at the core of this program. We are so impressed with attention to details in the program’s administration from the trip checklist, campus visits, to all group activities. It comes as no surprise that our son enjoyed his every visit. Thank you for setting a fine leadership example, and proving a great opportunity to our son and all other participants.

To students who cannot make up their mind, you are missing an opportunity of your lifetime. There are only a very few high school students who have a chance to experience what is like living on an Ivy League campus. It’s all right you are not thinking about those schools yet. Visiting them alone is well worth your efforts. Get ready for the next ILC announcement!

To parents who have doubts what ILC can do, you maybe think too hard for yourselves. First of all, going through the ILC selection process itself is good experience regardless of outcome. Your children will learn to present themselves to a selection committee much the same way they would have to in a situation of a job interview. Secondly, chances are you are not quite as good at organizing a college trip as ILC does even if you have desire and means to do. The ILC has done a superb job to organize the program and your children are in a safe and positive learning environments. Thirdly, it really does not matter which program your children get in to. All ILC programs teach them critical thinking and problem solving, skills required in any profession. Having your children to work with other students from other areas can broaden their view in a great way. Lastly, the truth is that our children are not always cut out for what we do. Some of them can do a lot more than we can ever imagine. All they need is to have a peak at what is possible. Let’s give them a chance! ILC is designed to do just that. Encourage your kids to give a try, they do listen to you!

Finally, thank you, ILC, for everything you did on behalf the school district. Let us know if there is anything we can help.

Parents of Eric Wang

From the Parents of Frank He

A great program, a great experience

We would like to give our hearty appreciation for our son Frank He’s participation in the 2012 Ivy League Connection Hotel Management program at Cornell University. Frank enjoyed the trip immensely and gained a broader insight into top universities. His experience will be invaluable to him in preparing for the college admissions process.

The Ivy League Connection provided Frank with a taste of being independent. This was the first time he lived away from home, and he learned to care for himself as well as mutually support his fellow cohorts. It was very beneficial for Frank to experience the independence of college life.

We have observed that the program’s blog is a great platform for the participants to reflect on their days and express their feelings. It is also a great way for parents to catch up on their children. Reading Frank’s blog was our pleasure and allowed us to follow his adventures on the East Coast. We felt that Frank matured as a writer through his daily blogs.

Visiting Ivy League colleges and attending the Cornell summer course were the two main parts of the program, and both were very beneficial to the students. By visiting UPenn, Columbia, Princeton, and Cornell, Frank learned of the various academic atmospheres of these colleges, which may later influence his college choices. The Hotel Management course was wonderful from what the students described in their blogs. We believe that the trip was a very valuable experience that will help the students in their future academic endeavors. We also appreciate the hard work of the Cornell teachers and teaching assistants.

The Ivy League Connection is an amazing program organized by the West Contra Costa Unified School District. As parents, we would like to sincerely thank the WCCUSD School Board, especially Mr. Charles Ramsey, Ms. Madeline Kronenberg and Mr. Don Gosney for their time and dedication to our students.

Thank you all so much!

Dao-Yao He and Chun-Mei Xie

From the Parents of Calvin Kuang

We can truly say that the Ivy League Connection is the most valuable program to our family. It not only guided our children (Jennifer and Calvin) to reach a higher education—getting into college (which we did not have the chance to do when we were their age), but also allow them to see another world outside of the Bay Area and explore some of the top colleges in East Cost. This is all through the hard work and great dedication of the people in our school district, the supporters, and donors. For that, we cannot thank the ILC enough.

The four-week trip to the East Cost touring colleges and attending the Cornell summer program, Freedom & Justice, brought Calvin great joy and memories. During the first week of college visits, he had the opportunity to see different colleges, learn their cultures and get the first hand experience of their campuses, which widely opened his eyes and helped him understand what college he will be a better fit in.

The following three-week course at Cornell, it really provided Calvin the opportunity to experience what college life is: independent, decision making and time management. As a result, he has gained confidence in himself especially in writing. Reading his blogs each day, we could see Calvin’s writing has improved; he had a great time studying and living at Cornell. He enjoyed the lessons from professor Kramnick—which lit up his world. He misses his class, professor, TA, and all the friends he made on the campus.

After the one-month ILC experience, we found him to be a more grown up and mature person. We have more confidence in him making his own independent choices & dealing with difficulties when facing pressure and challenges. Calvin now has a better understanding of colleges and interesting courses. He is so fortunate to have this lifetime opportunity, and he knows he will give back by doing his best in school and helping the community and others as well.

We would really like to thank the Ivy League Connection for giving Calvin the opportunity and widening his knowledge and experience.

We want to thank all the people who made this possible: the administrators, the sponsors and the donors. We truly believe no other school district is like ours that the management is so much involved & engaged with students, I always admire the strong leadership from Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Board members, and all the staffs involved. We really appreciate Don and Alfredo Chan-Law so much for their dedicated works.

Sasa & David Kuang

From the Parents of Ying-An Wang

Growth in Every Step with ILC

The first time we heard about the Ivy League Connection (ILC) was when Ying-An mentioned a school assembly regarding ILC toward the end of fall semester. His eyes sparked with some excitement and uncertainty. After some research, we all thought this would be a valuable experience if he could grasp this opportunity, a precious funded opportunity to study summer programs at Ivy League schools that we could not afford.

Over the winter break, he worked on the essays for the ILC applications. A willingness to trade off short-term play time for a life-changing rewarding experience was a hidden test embedded in the ILC application process, and we were glad that Ying-An made a wise decision.

The wait for the interview list was longer than expected (several days past the scheduled notification date) and created some anxiety. His hope level went from high to almost zero. Plucking up courage with preparation to face the reality of being rejected, he followed up with Don and quickly got a hopeful response. The interview list was not sent out on time due to some delay in the selection process. The delay resulted in only two days to prepare for the interview. It was somewhat a nerve wrecking experience for Ying-An, as this was his first interview experience and had only such a short time to prepare. He took up the challenge and did the best he could.

Even he was not satisfied with his interview performance, I was very hopeful in the waiting room because I knew he has always set a very high standard for himself. He was totally surprised when the selection result was announced. Regardless a long night, it concluded with excitement for the whole family. If not for ILC, he would not have been through all the essay writing and interview experience that he will eventually face when applying for colleges.

Along the way, he participated in the blog webpage design, gained blogging skills, was presented to the School Board, and enjoyed a fancy dinner and meeting with sponsors and Brown alumni. He learned that his responsibilities came with privileges given in each of the events.

During the four-week trip on the east coast, he completely soaked himself in all the activities from college tours, dinners with network resources, the biotech course, exploring campus and places, bonding with his cohort and meeting new friends. The whole experience has changed him. The immediate impression when we saw him at the airport was that he looked more confident. And he should feel confident as he managed to adapt to a new environment and take care of things on his own the first time being away from home for four weeks. He is now more enthusiastic about going to college. Ivy League schools and MIT that seemed unreachable are now under his consideration for applying. He is also more sure that biotech is the field he wants to pursue.

We would like to thank Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Don for the countless hours and effort they have devoted to ILC. We also want to thank Ms. Kaplan for taking excellent care of the students. We appreciate very much for the wonderful opportunity given to Ying-An. There is no doubt that the whole experience has expanded his knowledge, broadened his perspective, and enriched his life experience. This experience has also prompted him for self discovery. He has striven for excellence and might have set a high bar for himself. By recognizing that not every thing comes easily, he will work harder, improve, and grow.

From the Mother of Lucas Lochner Bravo

Reflexiones

It was late December 2011, summer in the Southern Hemisphere. We were on vacation in Chile. As soon as we got there, my son Lucas informed me that he was applying for ILC and that he needed to talk with someone in the USA to get the details. After a long and expensive phone conversation, Lucas told me, “I have to write some essays as part of the selection process,” and “I have a deadline.”

From that day on, I started my own journey as a mom, being with Lucas every step of the process.

During that vacation in Chile, while the rest of us spent time on the beach, or in the pool, or going places, Lucas stayed home, sometimes going to bed as the sun was rising, working on his essays for ILC.

I saw how just writing about a specific topic enhanced his knowledge about life, about the world, and about himself.

It was the time of the Occupy movement in the USA, a time of economic hardship for many families—foreclosures, unemployment, global warming and so on. I saw how Lucas was becoming more and more interested in what was happening in the world; at the same time I saw how he started an internal dialog, searching for possible solutions.

I saw my son more involved and engaged, with more clear political philosophies that reflect his own values in everyday life.

Finally, after a stressful but extremely enriching interview process before the ILC panel, Lucas was nominated as one of the kids who would participate in ILC at Columbia University, attending a Constitutional Law class.

What followed that day was a preparation for the big day that he and five other students would leave for the East Coast, to be active participants in the Constitutional Law class.

Before the trip, Lucas prepared everything by himself; I was silently close to him.

When he left for Columbia, I felt a mix of feelings: emptiness, joy, and excitement. I knew that this would be an extraordinary experience for him.

During the four weeks that he was there, I had my own routine; at 10:00 am I would have my coffee break and I would enjoy reading Lucas’ blog as well as the other students’ blogs.

I saw how Lucas was transforming in front of my eyes; he became this young man, who started using terms like “social justice,” “human rights,” “freedom,” “equality.” It brought memories of my own adolescence, growing up in a country under dictatorship.

What ILC has given to Lucas is a treasure, an experience during which the kids needed to integrate intellectual work, social skills, life skills and ideals that make you grow as a person.

We are so grateful to ILC for this opportunity that otherwise we would not have been able to offer to Lucas.

Lucas’ younger sister has seen his progress through this experience, and now she is thinking of applying to ILC too, because she knows it would be an experience that would change her life too.

For now I need to prepare myself. My son will leave soon for college, a new chapter in his life as well as mine. In my culture, kids stay with their families when they go to college. Here it is different. I need to let him go.

As a friend of mine says …..”We give our children roots…and we give them wings.”

Thanks, ILC

Victoria Bravo (Lucas’s mom)

From Adrianne Ramsey's Mom

It seems like ages since Adrianne pushed the trunk lid open, grabbed her suitcase, and joined her anxious, shivering cohort around 4:00 AM for their journey to The Big Apple and a Columbia University summer program. Don Gosney's friendly, yet informative presence, and Cheryl Lilhanand's polished attentiveness eased our separation. Over the course of weeks, I envied the variety of sumptuous dinner plates, drank in eclectic photographic perspectives of various east coast towns and cities, and commiserated with students as they put in long hours of critical reading, note taking, rewrites, debate preparation, and daily blogs. Individual ILC student blogs continue to relate the fascinating mix of social and academic activities in which they participated. For example, I never knew a woman could devour 48 hot dogs in eight minutes at the Coney Island eating contest. There were just 29 competitive high school students in the Constitutional Law class at Columbia University. Members of this cohort were not intimidated by subway nor train travel while in New York. In many cases, this cohort responded to challenging or unusual situations as a team. As a parent, I would like to take credit for the confidence my daughter exuded during her ILC experience. However, I am sure her veteran chaperone, Cheryl Lilhanand provided this group of ILC selected high school students with the kind of preparatory advice, sage direction, and personal accessibility that formed them into a consolidated cohort. I thank you, Cheryl, for graciously managing with care my daughter and the rest of the ILC cohort for a month in a mega-city at a prestigious university. I am most grateful that you dealt with my concerns abouth the availability of the reading material with such aplomb at an ungodly hour, as well. As a witness to the blood, sweat, tears, readjustments, advocations, inquiries, refinements, and commitments of the team of dedicated public servants, private individuals, professional businesses, and working men's and women's institutions that continue to steward and fund The Ivy League Connection, I say to all ILC parents and ILC cohorts that showing our nation's top educational institutuions that West Contra Costa Unified School District students are willing and able to compete and contribute in their academic programs is a good thing! I am most thankful for the kind of program that showcases some of our best and brightest. Thank you, to all of the people that make this possible. Now, here is some brief advice for the ILC cohorts: Education is like a bountiful meal. It is best shared with others. Please find a way to share your academic and social experiences with your peers. Let them know that it is all right to want to learn about the world in some way, that is good to seek help for what is not understood, to stop by a career center for college info, to attend a college presentation or two, to join your community in making the environment better. It may seem bothersome, yet you may be planting a good seed in the heart and soul of another.