"Before the program I just dreamed of the possibilities, now i realize they are all too attainable and I am going to get there."
It has been a little over a month since I left from an intensive educational experience. From June 20th to July 25th I lived and studied at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. I was 1 of 30 out of 150 candidates who were chosen to participate in a program known as the Exploring Transfer Program. It is a 5 week reading and writing program designed for community college students who excel in those areas. Vassar was founded in 1861, it is a privately funded liberal arts school that is very progressive. I heard it is the sister college to Yale. I don't know the legitimacy of that, but still is pretty impressive. Some of there alumni include: Meryl Steep, Lisa Kudrow, Edith Clarke and many more, you can see the whole list here: Alumni of Vassar College. If you are a community college student and would like more information about this program or about Vassar College click on the links below.
Vassar College: http://www.vassar.edu/
Exploring Transfer: http://eter.vassar.edu/
Do you know how it's usually said certain things happen for a reason. It is how I felt about this program, I knew their was a reason that this opportunity was given to me I just didn't know why. If I can back track for just one second, when I choosing my classes for this Spring Semester it was a toss up between English 112 Honors and Intro to Video Production. Both were classes that I really wanted to take and I had a hard time choosing which was the right path. In the end I chose Eng 112 Honors (which is the equivalent to any secondary English class) and the rest seemed to just fall into place. It was like someone just threw me a football and right as I caught it a 250lbs linebacker hit me as hard as he could. Okay... Maybe I am exaggerating just a little bit, but it was still a lot to take in at first.
Exploring Transfer:
I was told multiple times from multiple sources that this is going to be intense. My English honors teacher, "Lavell, you can't be absent when you are at Vassar", the ET coordinator for my school, "Hello Mr. Wesley, I don't think it is smart to take an online class while you do this program. I don't want to undermine you abilities, but you might not have enough time", former ET almuni, "Omg it was intense there were nights where we didn't even sleep". In the end I kind of brushed them off and did my own thing. I have to admit I thought it would be a cake walk, I must be a masochist. Don't worry I almost cried a few times.
The first week there I had no clue why I decided to go through with this. I kind of wanted to call it quits, pack my bags, and run home with my tail between my legs. I mean it was a last minute thing I decided to jump into. I usually do that with things jump in with both feet and realize that things might take a little more work than I thought; and that was exactly what was needed, more work. The second week was no different I still kind of felt a little overwhelmed. It wasn't until the third week that I officially felt like I was starting to belong and everything was fine. Around that time I started to get a feel of my fellow classmates and my amazingly wonderful teachers. Who by the way, are probably some of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. Between thought provoking conversations and a wonderful ambiance of pure nature it dawned on me the purpose of me being there.
The Purpose:
It might sound a little cliche, but I feel like the reason I was there was to learn that I could do anything I possibly wanted. That I had the ability to do whatever I put my mind to. I mean, we did a whole semesters worth of work in a month, that has to count for something. Before the program I just dreamed of the possibilities, now i realize they are all too attainable and I am going to get there. It also made me think about reevaluating what I can do with this blog. My goals are still cemented in the crevices of my brain, but maybe I am able to help more than just myself.
So, starting today, I will not only post about my progress to bike across the country I will also be offering tips and advice to that you can reach your goals as well. A lot has changed for me and I would like to see people reach for a more positive change themselves. Please stay tuned for my next post.
Below are some pictures (taken by yours truly) of my month in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Side Note:
A side note, remember to always follow your heart, if an opportunity arises and your gut feeling is to do it then just do it; you have nothing to lose from it and can only gain. More than enough people make excuses for why they can't do things remember that the power is always in your hands.
