Although the time at YYGS was the most exhausting two weeks of my life, I would do it over again if possible and never change a thing. Every day was jam-packed with moments for learning and community bonding. I hope by sharing my five favorite things about YYGS, I can give you a glimpse into what made this year’s summer special for me.
5. The Seminars
As someone in IST I, I could explore deeper into my interests with seminars in Abstract Algebra and Cryptography and explore new worlds with seminars in Gravitational Waves and the World of Microchips. Having undergrad or graduate students lead the seminars made them an intimate education opportunity where you could genuinely be comfortable while learning. Whenever someone in the seminar went something like “This might be a dumb question to ask, but…” everyone else would jump on to say that they were confused too and were glad they asked the question.
4. The Lectures
What I loved about the lectures were the professors, who spoke deeply about their specialized field and how they used their research in interdisciplinary work. They showcased how STEM and the humanities could be interweaved to create solutions for society. I’ve never been interested in how robots can teach people to communicate or how music training can help nurses diagnose health conditions, but these lectures were genuinely inspiring. Now, I’m more curious than ever about connecting what I’m passionate about to help the people around me.
3. The Student Showcase
I will never forget the feeling of performing for the student showcase. When I finished performing my solo, I was amazed and so grateful for how encouraging and enthusiastic the audience was. By the end of the student showcase, I could see people walking together, talking about the talent show, and showering the performers with endless compliments and questions. At that moment, our residential college felt like one big family.
2. Family Time
While I’m pretty sure we were definitely not the most on-task family, we had lots of fun nonetheless. My family was definitely the best (although everyone will tell you that here), but what made them special to me was that they were a group of individuals with big dreams who weren’t afraid to share them. We definitely preferred to play games, but with enough encouragement from our family leader Julie, we could also share passionately about what we learned from seminars and lectures.
1. The People
If you couldn’t tell from before that YYGS is made by the people, I’m here to reaffirm that it is. There are so many people from different backgrounds, each with unique dreams, passions, and stories to share. Everybody is so inclusive here and wants to get to know you, so don’t be shy and make the most out of this experience.
Author Details:
Jennifer Ren
Innovations in Science & Technology
CA, USA