From the Mother of Romina Pelaez

My husband and I are thankful for the opportunity that the Ivy League Connection has given to our daughter, Romina, to be a part of its program—this program that sends qualified students to different prestigious universities and colleges to take up a short course over the summer. We were very happy and proud of her when we first learned about the good news that she was accepted to the ILC. The process that she went through to get into the program was challenging—defending her point of view on a not-so-easy topic through essay writing, experiencing the intense panel interview, and applying to the actual college—already gave her the opportunity to learn how it is like in college and in the real world after college.

The fancy dinner at Boulevard a couple of weeks prior to the trip to the East Coast was also a wonderful experience for Romina where she got to meet and interact with other Ivy Leaguers and sponsors. I can only imagine the wonderful events she's attended back east.

We had mixed emotions about it; happy for Romina because it was an opportunity of a lifetime for her, but at the same time sad because of the 3-week separation from each other. It was very hard for us to let her go because that was the first time that Romina would be away from our family for 3 weeks, considering the distance and fear of not being there with her in case she needed us. Nonetheless, her eagerness and enthusiasm to learn things outside of her usual high school environment changed our mind.

Aside from the academic understanding of the Women and Leadership course, her short stay at Brown University has taught her a lot of things: how to mingle with people from different walks of life, how to handle challenging situations in or outside the campus, how to budget her finances, and most especially independence from us. When she returned from Brown, there was some type of energy I saw in her—some type of drive to pursue her dreams and achieve her goals. The overall ILC experience made Romina a mature and better person, a blessing that she will cherish for the rest of her life.

As a parent, it's difficult to see your child slowly separate from you. Letting Romina go miles away from us at her age was not easy, but now it's definitely safe to say that it was all worth it.

-Dinah Pelaez, mom

From the Mother of David Barba

I first heard about the Ivy League Connection when David came home one day from school and just started talking about it. I was amazed that there was a program like the Ivy League Connection right in our school district, helping our students go beyond their full capabilities. I had my doubts of the program being a full scholarship because it was an Ivy League program, but David took me straight to the ILC website to prove. I have always wanted my children to have a better life than me: to explore the world, to have no worries, and be happy. The only way for them to reach this was by education, so I pushed David to go for the program.

After our conversation about the ILC, I knew it in my heart he would get accepted because he stopped doing his regular activities during the winter break and was focused on the program. His face was so focused on getting in, that when I finally heard that he had made the interview, I was glad to see him smiling again. The interview process was really nerve racking having to wait for everyone to go up, and then an extra hour for the final decisions. While we waited, I can remember him being ready to jump out of his chair, thinking that he was not going to be accepted. I remained hopeful and told him that he still had a chance because he gives himself high standards, and from personal experience as being his mother, he almost always does very well. As the results were being announced, he was surprised to have been accepted. The night ended with excitement for the whole family.

As the months passed, along with each of the events, I could see David’s excitement towards the program. I was a bit nervous myself as a mother, because he has never been away from home for more than a one or two days. The physics program was a month, which made me worry once he was there. After talking with him for the first week, his voice sounded very excited and I could tell by the blogs that he was having lots of fun, which helped take away my worries.

The ILC has opened the world to David, which he was able to do because he always worked hard in school. My family would like to thank Mr. Ramsey, Don Gosney, and Ms. Kronenberg for giving David this wonderful opportunity and for their dedication to help the students of our community to go beyond California. I would also like to thank Ian Lawrence, his chaperone, for the excellent care of the students. David seems more ambitious than ever now, because the Ivy League Connection has shown him hard work does pay off. Once again, thank you to everyone from the Ivy League Connection.

Silvia Barba

From the Mother of Mariko Whitenack

I would first like to express appreciation for the extraordinary opportunities the ILC program provides WCCUSD students.  When Mariko first heard of the ILC program two years ago, I was impressed that a program of such vision and scope existed in the WCCUSD.  As a graduate of El Cerrito High School many years ago, I was one of many classmates who applied only to the University of California Berkeley and did not even consider applying to any universities outside of California.  The entire ILC process requires that students demonstrate maturity and personal responsibility, including time management and interpersonal skills.  The ILC application requires that applicants develop thoughtful written and verbal responses to challenging questions. The ILC dinners expose students to alumni from select schools who describe their experiences of undergraduate, postgraduate, and career choices. Through helping to develop the U Penn group blog site and arrange for college tour dinners, Mariko was required to deal with the challenging responsibility of meeting deadlines and arranging logistics.  The college tours and the mentorship programs allow the students to interact with admissions officers, current students, and alumni; to become familiar with expectations of the application and selection process; and to hear individual insights into the academic, cultural, and social environments of specific colleges.

I was excited when Mariko applied to and was accepted to the ILC program in experimental physics at the University of Pennsylvania.  Experimental physics seemed like an ideal subject for Mariko to apply the enthusiasm for math that she had gained from many exceptional math classes at ECHS to a field with so many real life applications.  Mariko’s experience attending the 4-week experimental physics course was phenomenal.  The curriculum, faculty, and lab facility were exceptional. The course enabled her to get a sense of the level of academic preparation and dedication experienced at selective universities.  The rigorous course provided Mariko an opportunity to process the strengths and challenges of her WCCUSD education.  She also experienced the gender composition of her class, which reflected that of a field marked by one of the lowest representations of women in the sciences. While she reported initial challenges, she emerged with an increased sense of confidence as well as perspective as to which sorts of colleges might provide the academic, physical, and social environment with the best fit. The visits to Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University enabled Mariko to consider opportunities in regions of the country she had never experienced. 

I appreciate the dedication and efforts of Charles, Don, and Madeline in developing, coordinating, and sustaining the ILC program for WCCUSD.  Many thanks also to Ian for taking excellent care of the U Penn group of students.  I hope that the returning ILC students take the opportunity to share with their fellow students their experiences of the opportunities that selective colleges offer, the academic rigor required, and intellectual rewards gained.  Mariko is extremely fortunate to have benefited from the life-changing experience the ILC has afforded her.  The WCCUSD ILC program serves as a model that many other school districts could seek to emulate to provide such invaluable experiences to their students.

Catherine Chin

From the Parents of Molly Radosevich

First of all, our sincere thank you to the Ivy League Connection for providing a fabulous opportunity for our daughter, Molly. Molly attended a summer session at Brown University where she participated in a two week seminar on Women & Leadership. The course work, social interactions, and exposure to east coast culture will be of benefit to her for a long time to come.

Looking back on the experience, the Ivy League Connection is a very generous program. The academic exposure at Brown was excellent. In addition, the opportunity to visit a number of other schools on the east coast including Wellesley, Dartmouth, Brandeis and Harvard was huge. Molly is very interested in music and during her trip she was able to meet with and play for one of the piano instructors at Wellesley. Another door opened.

Also worth noting is that the ILC is not simply generous, it is rigorous. The application process included both written and oral segments which were challenging. Getting through these was not so easy, and the experience will stand all the participants in good stead in the future. The attention required to meet deadlines, timelines, and be on time is a necessary skill that will contribute to success in the future for Molly and her entire cohort.

No review of this summer could be complete without acknowledging the many individuals connected with the ILC that we had the opportunity to meet. What a stellar group of people! It is amazing they can pull this off year in and year out. And in particular we (and Molly) thank Jackie Timmes, Katherine Williams and Ms. Kaplan who watched over the cohort on their trip.

The ILC has opened many doors for Molly, and the connections she has made through the program will undoubtedly make a real difference for her as she navigates the waters ahead. We are grateful she was able to participate in what turned out to be a truly great experience for her.

From the Father of Clara Lengacher

I wanted to share my perspectives about my daughter, Clara Lengacher’s experience at the ILC Experimental Physics Discovery at UPenn this summer.

To start, I feel that this program is creative, forward thinking and exactly the type of program that we should be seeing more of in the educational community. Partnerships with institutions of higher learning are vital to the articulation, matriculation and improved success of our students. The combination of social skills, networking, and the high quality of the educational experiences should be accessible to all and I feel this program opens doors for our young people to make connections, experience social interaction in a way that they might not be accustomed to, and pursue a specific subject of interest to them.

From my experience at the kick off dinner and discussions with various alumni of UPenn and major donors to ILC, I was encouraged about the state of education in our community and heartened to know that it extends across the country.

I Skyped with my daughter every week and was updated on the amazing things they were doing in class, the people she met within the program and during visits to the other schools besides UPenn, and about the new folks she met in her Physics program, not just from all over the United States, but the World.

My only constructive criticism of the entire process is that perhaps the interactions between the ILC staff and the students, in public forums, could be administered in a more respectful fashion. I witnessed an interaction at the dinner at La Folie that I felt was somewhat degrading and embarrassing to the individual. I realize the importance of developing their social skills in a short amount of time, but wonder if this could be done in a more mindful and respectful manner. I don’t think there is any benefit in dressing down a young person if front of their peers or adults that they may or may not know.

Thank you for your vision, time and energy in thinking outside the box, creating valuable opportunities for the students of this district, and for changing the lives of those individuals fortunate enough to participate.

Bruce Lengacher

From the Parents of Emily Cain

What a Gift

When our daughter, Emily Cain, told us about her interest in applying to the Ivy League Connection, we were in full support.  We knew very little about the program but what we had heard was impressive. She worked diligently on her essays and got herself ready for the interview. When Emily told us that she had been accepted to the Women & Leadership Program at Brown University, we were thrilled at the unique opportunity that we knew awaited her.

The weeks prior to the trip gave us further insights into the program and the hard working individuals that make this program so special.  The informal potluck at ECHS was a great way to meet the other girls going on the trip and the wonderful chaperones. Chaperones, Sewellyn Kaplan, Jackie Timmes and Kat Williams really put everyone at ease with their relaxed presentation and open demeanors. The lovely dinner at Boulevard was a great opportunity to meet and speak with Brown alumni, a few of the sponsors and Charles Ramsey. Attending the School Board meeting and standing for the photo with all the selected students, program leaders and sponsors was an honor.

Before we knew it Emily was driving off in a shuttle at 3:30 AM, with her cohort, heading for the airport. This was the first time that Emily would be away from our family for three weeks; she was totally ready and excited for the days ahead. In the days and weeks that followed we cherished the blogs. The blogs served not only as a terrific skill for the participants but they provided us as parents with a window into the program and the experiences of the participants. Emily was so busy that we rarely spoke on the phone and her text’s mostly read:  “We are soooo busy. I am having a fantastic time…” The Blogs provided the details.

The Ivy League Connection is truly a unique and fabulous opportunity for students of WCCUSD. We would like to extend a special thank you to Charles Ramsey, Madeline Kronenberg, and Don Gosney for their tireless efforts and to the sponsors for making it all possible.

Emily Cain’s parents :  Tracy Westphal and John Cain

From the Parents of Jobel Vecino

July 2011: As soon as Jobel came back from Cornell’s Hotel Operations Management program, I asked him if he wanted to apply for the Ivy League Connection again. He answered yes and I want to take the Grand Strategy Course. Thinking it is in Yale University which is obviously a hard program, I advised him to think it twice and maybe he can apply for the other programs aside from Yale’s Grand Strategies Course. But he is determined to pursue the Yale program.

March 2012: During the interview night his dad and I were anxiously waiting inside the car. That four hours of wait was such a nerve wracking experience. I remember praying hard and a few times thoughts came in my mind what if he didn’t make it. Maybe enroll him in driving class so he will be busy during summer. A group of students then came out but Jobel didn’t show up. Later on, some adults came out and had informed my husband that Jobel made it. As parents we have experienced the overwhelming happiness that our son’s dream could come true. I could still remember when he hugged his dad in happiness informing him that he got in. How I wish I had taken a picture of that moment!

After reading the materials given to them and packing, the day finally came for him to leave for New Haven. His first week was full of experiences and information since they were able to visit different places and universities. Dinners were very informative with regards to each schools admission requirements and each schools setting. They were able to see how the schools look like. They were given a chance to talk with the current students and admission officers as well as ask questions about the universities. These are the special privileges that the WCCUSD Ivy League Ambassadors can avail from joining the program.

Four days ago, he’s back from Yale equipped with knowledge and more experiences. I can see in him that he was very happy. He said the Grand Strategies Course is the best program for him. Each student in that program worked hard to be in and he was very proud to represent the West Contra Costa Unified School District especially Hercules High School. From the college visits, dinners, meeting people and making friends—these helped him improve his personality.

Together with these experiences and the values and wisdom that he learned from home, I could say we are confident enough that he is ready to embark in his journey for college. It had helped him grow as a person. His desire to continue on what the Ivy League Connection started in him is visible by his willingness to share his experiences to the younger students in his school. He wants to help them to become prepared for what lies ahead for the coming challenges important especially—writing essays and preparing for the upcoming interview.

For the new parents who wants to have their children join this program, we can rest assure that the Ivy League Connection is the best program there is. They are very hands on for the whole duration of the program. It would help your kids experience college life in the east coast without compromising their safety. And you can see once they’re back from their journey positive results will be expected.

In closing, the whole family is very grateful to the WCCUSD’s Ivy League Connection for the experiences that our son went through. These informative and unforgettable experiences will not be possible if Jobel haven’t joined the program. It opened his options to continue his college career in the East Coast.

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, Don Gosney and to all the wonderful sponsors. To Mr. Litvin and Ms. Neal and to everyone who our son shared his journey with and to all who made this program possible, YOU all deserve a warm applause!

Respectully, Joselito and Belina Vecino