STANFORD, Calif., Aug. 4, 2012- High school students of many different backgrounds gathered at Stanford University for three weeks to attend the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) Summer Institutes camp.
EPGY offers academically talented and motivated students an opportunity to pursue their intellectual curiosity and meet others who share their interests and abilities, according to the EPGY website. Participants take part in a single intensive-study course of their choosing and learn from a Stanford instructor.
The program was structured so that students experienced a simulation of college life. “The daily schedule and relative freedom in the way we choose to spend our time makes me feel like I’m really in college,” said Anna Mulia, a game theory student from Seattle.
After class in the morning, students participated in activities and ice-breakers designed to bring them closer together and get to know their fellow campers better. “Activity time was great because it allowed me to work as a team with people I never met before but had to live with,” said Sabrina Clevenger, a screenwriting student from California .”It really brought me out of my comfort bubble.”
Participants lived in resident dormitories on the Stanford campus and were separated into houses by the genre of the course they were taking. There was a humanities house, a science house and a math house. Within these houses, students found others who were as passionate about learning the same subjects as they were.
Despite these shared qualities, students marveled at the diversity and distinct individuality of their fellow campers. “The first thing I noticed when I looked at the sign on my room door was that my roommate was from China,” said Daniel Bang, a journalism student from L.A.
Students came from many different places, such as Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Singapore and Britain. Many of the campers were also multi-lingual, speaking languages like German, Spanish, French, ancient Greek and Latin. The majority of campers spoke two or more languages.
At the end of the three weeks, the campers felt like they have been friends all their lives. On the final day of camp, students tearfully said their goodbyes, with the occasional promise to meet again someday. “Leaving day was really sad because we’ve all gotten so close and it’s hard to realize that the people you’ve been seeing everyday for three weeks aren’t going to be there anymore,” said Clevenger.
Jay Choi
Jay Choi is a junior at Beckman High and a new editor for the Spring Semester. An avid musician, he enjoys playing the clarinet and saxophone and listening to all types of music. He spends his free time hanging out with his friends and playing improvised jazz solos. He hopes to make a positive contribution to JSR and looks forward to the semester.
Follow Me: