Two weeks at Tufts University's Pre-College Program were certainly the most memorable and unforgettable experience I have had this summer. Everything here is so good that it definitely outweighed my expectations.
To begin, I would like to talk about my own program, Leadership for Social Change. During the program, we are not only able to listen to meaningful lectures that cover a large range of social aspects given by prestigeous professors at Tufts University, but are also able to pay visits to community organizations that give me first-hand experience on how they act as a community agency and help solve inequality and inequity. For example, I chose to go to the ACDC (Asian Community Development Corporation) as one of my 3 community visit opportunities. Following ACDC staff, I learned a lot about the history of Chinatown and the problem that it faced, specifically under the pandemic. Moreover, as an international student, the program offered me an amazing opportunity to immerse myself in a U.S. classroom, participate in seminars, and share ideas with different people who have the same interest in making positive social change with me.
I also want to talk about the people I met at Tufts. The people here are so nice! From residencial counselors to professors to teaching assistants, all the faculty I have met are so welcoming and warm who try their best to provide me with the best experience. They gave me great assistance and recommandations when I needed it while also respecting my own ideas. The classmates I met from different programs are also so cool and great! They are so friendly and nice that I did not feel any sense of loneliness as an international student from China, but felt engaged in a warm environment. They respected every word I expressed, even though my English is not that fluent, which makes me feel really really nice.
All in all, the experience that I had at Tufts University's Pre-College Program is the experience that I have never had before, nor in any other summer program I have participated in around the world. I really miss all the people I have met at the program and hope they all have a bright future!