吃瓜爆料

I don鈥檛 know anything. Not a thing.

I鈥檝e heard the greatest pain with learning languages, and indeed with any intellectual endeavor, isn鈥檛 the ennui of long lectures or grammar/vocabulary studies. Nor is it the potential loneliness of these long study sessions. No. The true pain from learning languages is the utter confusion. The confusion and the knowledge that, 鈥渢he bigger the circle of the known, the greater the contact with the unknown.鈥� I don鈥檛 know who originally said that, it might have come from Einstein鈥檚 quote of a similar sentiment, but ultimately its origin doesn鈥檛 matter. What matters is that more than anything, studying languages has shoved this thought to the forefront of my mind.

But, to me, that isn鈥檛 really a bad thing. It鈥檚 not painful. In a way, it鈥檚 exciting.

Before I fully explain the relevance these concepts have toward my study abroad trip to Spain, I want to make a potentially inappropriate analogy with another one of my favorite pastimes: video games.

Learning languages, at least, the fun way of learning them, feels like a really good RPG (a Role Playing Game, for those of you not in the know). You begin with the baby steps, entering a world full of life and beauty. You see all of its possibilities and breadth without fully understanding鈥攐r appreciating鈥攖hat those are lands you will soon have to visit. Not to mention conquer. You take those baby steps along a novice path. There might be the occasional branching path, or distracting brook, but you continue on that first trail with a na茂ve smile, unaware of what鈥檚 to come. Because then those branching paths begin sprouting up all over the place, like the decapitated necks of a hydra, and you can鈥檛 seem to escape them. Some go up mountains, through swamps, under bridges, across deserts, where ever. And once you鈥檝e walked around a bit, and seen the lay of the land, your once tidy quest book now reads like an enormous novel鈥攐r a moderately sized language textbook wink wink. And for the dedicated gamer, and language learner, this is not a hindrance but an excitement. Just look at all the places I鈥檓 going to go. All the things I鈥檓 going to learn. Yes, it will be tough. I might even present a quest that鈥檚 far past my present level, but I鈥檒l do it with a smile, even if it’s a na茂ve one, stretched across my face.

Spain, to fit the analogy, felt way beyond my level. I had been studying Spanish for five years prior, almost to the day, when I got on my first plane ride to Atlanta and then my second plane ride to Spain. This is five years of nearly daily study, from college classes, a nearly completed Duolingo course, hundreds of hours of reading/TV watching and a gross amount of time speaking in both online and IRL conversations.

But when that plane took off and I felt the G forces shoot to the moon, I began to get nervous. This was a new quest. A new brook or mountain or dungeon left to conquer. And how did I fare?

I went to over a dozen Spanish museums and read so much historical-jargon-filled Spanish, it made my head spin just thinking about going into another museum.

I stayed with Margarita, my host mother, who only spoke Spanish and I managed to live with her for four days without having to rely on any sort of translator. Plus, I never did feel like there was a language barrier. Maybe a language hurdle. One that I had to trip and stumble over like a three-legged stunt horse but I did it. And when I did, I sometimes felt more like an ass than some horse鈥攁 monolingual ass鈥攂ut I did it.

I helped familiar classmates throughout the trip with translations and in-person speaking when their Spanish had been pushed to the limit.

And with all this said, did I conquer that mountain? That dungeon? Well. You tell me. Knowledge and experience are funny things, often best viewed over the back of one鈥檚 shoulder. So I guess I should know now, almost two weeks after the trip, but I guess I don鈥檛.

I just can鈥檛 wait for what鈥檚 next.

The trip was amazing, and I can鈥檛 wait for another study abroad or personal study trip in the future. Maybe one to Germany, where I can finally practice my German, which I believe is almost as competent as my Spanish. Or I can go to Japan, and really cement in my brain just how bloody difficult Japanese is to the human mind and further understand that I really need to study more Kanji.

And this might sound tangential, but I think it wraps up my thoughts pretty nicely:

The US Department of State ranks languages into four categories based on their difficulty to learn by an English speaker. Spanish is a Category I, meaning it is relatively easy (or easier) to learn for an English speaker. Japanese is a category IV, which means it is the hardest to learn for an English speaker. But鈥� this only excites me more.
I don鈥檛 know anything. And the more I study, the more I travel (thank you 吃瓜爆料 Honors Grant Committee!), and the more I learn, the more I realize just how little I know. It鈥檚 a paradox. And for some learners, this is discouraging. They are constantly battling with themselves to attain as much knowledge as possible, just for knowledge鈥檚 sake, to somehow arbitrarily increase the percentage of available knowledge they have.

But it shouldn鈥檛 be like that.

For me, this constant discovery of new places to go and explore is exciting. And without this trip, this great adventure, I don鈥檛 think I ever would have fully realized that.

Tyler Nicholson
Linguistics & Modern Languages
Class of 2025

I am incredibly passionate about filmmaking and when it came time to choose a capstone project I knew that I had to take the opportunity to direct a short film. Not only would it benefit my career after school, but the process of making short films touches on many of the values of the Honors College. Anybody can pick up their iPhone, grab a few friends and make a short film, but a substantial amount of money is required to make a short film that is professional and polished. The only reason that I was able to bring my short film Raccoon Soup to life was because of the URGE grant I received from the Honors College.聽

Once I received the grant I was able to start the process of making the film. If I was going to direct, I wanted to be able to throw myself into the creative process. I needed a producer to be in charge of managing the grant money and handling logistical issues. The first thing I did was approach my friends and colleagues, Emma Barrett and Griffin Dietrick, and asked them to be my producers. Once they were officially on the project, we started our crowdfunding campaign to raise another $1,000 for the project. This involved creating a GoFundMe, making a promotional video, and reaching out to friends and acquaintances to ask for donations. They also helped me recruit our crew of twenty-five 吃瓜爆料 film students to be on set with us.聽

In May, Emma and I began location scouting for a diner in the Central Arkansas area. Our requirements were that it had to look like it was from the 1970s, it had to look a little run down, it had to have at least two days a week that it was completely closed, and of course, the owner had to agree to let us film in the front and back of house. We visited about ten diners and received many rejections from their owners. Finally, in late June, we found Dan鈥檚 I-30 Diner in Benton. It met all of our requirements and more. I had no prior knowledge of the diner before Griffin suggested it as a location, but you would have thought I wrote the script based on the real life employees and clients. It was perfect!聽

At the same time, Griffin and I started auditions. There are three main characters in the script: Lori the waitress, Ricky the owner, and Jimmy the line cook. In addition to them, is an ensemble of regulars who come into the diner to wreak havoc including Candace, Jebidiah, Linda, Jacob, Gary, and Denis. A good actor makes the difference between a good short film and a great short film, so we decided to open up the main characters to a national casting campaign on Backstage. We auditioned over one-hundred women from across the country before we found our Lori, an actress from Los Angeles named Megan Wilcox. Thanks to the money I received from the URGE grant we had enough money to fly her to Arkansas from L.A. To find our ensemble, we scoured local filmmaking Facebook groups and film festivals to find the best actors for the roles.聽

After months of preparation, we filmed for four days from August 18th to 21st. Now I am working with a former 吃瓜爆料 film student to edit the film. It, along with my thesis paper, will be completed in time for Honors Capstone Presentations in May 2025. Making this film was an invaluable educational experience for me. Community, collaboration, and authorship are key pillars of the Honors College and also are foundational to filmmaking. We had a crew of thirty-one members, a cast of nine actors, and a total of thirty-six friends, colleagues, and family members who came out to be background actors. This film could not have been completed without a strong sense of community and the belief that every single person is integral to the final product. As the director, I was the captain of the ship, but we wouldn鈥檛 have even left the port without my collaborators. On this journey, my actors, production designer, cinematographer, and producers gave me countless ideas about how to make a scene funnier, how to make a design a better frame, and how to make the mise-en-sc猫ne more dynamic. Their experience and skills benefited the film and me as I gained a more interdisciplinary understanding of the medium.

Janie Gentry
Digital Filmmaking
Class of 2025

My trip to Rwanda was nothing short of magical. I was already excited about going somewhere I had never been to experience things I hadn鈥檛 before, but I wasn鈥檛 prepared for how much it would change how I thought.聽

Perhaps the hardest part of our trip, in my opinion, was learning about the genocide and witnessing the impact it had on Rwanda鈥檚 community. I was so thankful that the organizers of our study abroad program made going to the memorials and learning the harsh reality of the genocide part of our curriculum. Although it was difficult emotionally and mentally to hear the stories and see the mass graves or damaged clothes, it was necessary to understand how Rwanda had gotten to where they were. I loved seeing that Rwanda embraced its history and did not shy away from what had happened. It inspired me to think critically about some of the policy actions happening in the United States and how I and everyone else could use what we witnessed to make change at home.

One of our goals throughout the trip was to be conscious of how we processed new information, new perceptions, new experiences, new foods, etc. The thought behind this goal was to challenge the preconceived notions of Western societies that anything different from our norm is bad. This practice of consciously trying to be open-minded made my trip so much better. Instead of being confronted with a foreign language, food, or something as obscure as driving norms and being uncomfortable, I was able to embrace the experience and learn how to better communicate and enjoy life with others.聽

The most unexpected learning moment for me was when I realized that no matter how different Rwanda was from home, it really wasn鈥檛 as different as I thought it would be. The people were kind and welcoming, the landscape was luscious and beautiful, and nothing was ever so out of my element that I was uncomfortable. There were so many times, before I left that uninformed family members, would tell me to be safe and careful because their idea of Africa was a desolate place with crime everywhere, but I frequently found myself feeling safer and more welcome on the streets of Kigali or Gisenyi than I would at home. I wanted to send them pictures and videos of my time there to show them just how wrong they were about the country I had fallen in love with being in.

Despite having these deep realizations and challenges, there should be no doubt that our trip made some of the best and most fun memories of my life. The people I traveled with have become some of my best friends, and many of us still talk on a daily basis. I can still remember how it felt to be on Lake Kivu riding a boat while eating raw sugar cane. I remember how many laughs and smiles there were during our fashion show where everyone wore the clothes we had bought in Kigali. I remember being terrified by the traffic and driving in the cities. I remember playing volleyball with students at the Nyabihu School for the Deaf and seeing their faces light up when we learned how to communicate with them. I remember passing massive tea plantations where all you could smell for miles were the tea leaves which brought me almost immediate peace. I remember how cool it was to see lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants, and so many other animals up close on our safari. And most importantly, I remember how wonderful it felt to be in a place where community was a top priority and kindness was the default reaction to others.

My trip to Rwanda obviously held a lot of educational impact especially because of my minor, but the personal impact it had on me goes beyond anything I could鈥檝e hoped for. The connections I made to people and the love for Rwanda that I now have run deep, and I could not be more happy to have had this opportunity.

Abby Bunch
Political Science & History
Class of 2025

As an applied mathematics major, I remember feeling discouraged each summer watching my friends go on exciting adventures abroad and thinking: Why aren鈥檛 there exciting summer trips for math majors? Sure, there are semester exchange opportunities available, but taking a higher-level math course in a different country for a semester just didn鈥檛 align with my needs and if anything sounded like a great way to raise my anxiety.聽

By the time I had decided on my capstone 鈥� writing a book that demonstrates the intersectional relationship between mathematics and art 鈥� I had nearly given up on getting to study abroad. Thankfully, my Oxford Tutorial professor, Cindy Lea, made me realize I didn鈥檛 have to wait for a trip to be made for me; rather, I could make my own opportunity for myself.聽

After this realization, I began concocting a trip that aligned perfectly with my research. I began looking into Germany due to its rich math and art history. Admittedly, making an itinerary for a month-long trip in another country is not an easy task and it took a lot of research, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of consulting with close German friends for tips and suggestions. After this hard work though, I was able to get the month-long trip fully funded by a travel abroad grant.聽

During this month, I spent each of the four weeks in a new major German city. My first week was in Berlin, my second week was in Bonn and Cologne, my third week was in Hannover with day trips to Braunschweig and G枚ttingen, and my fourth week was in Munich with day trips to Ulm and Regensburg. I got to explore a selection of math museums and sites including the Arithmeum; Futurium; German Technical Museum; Neues Museum; University of G枚ttingen math model collection; the Deutsches Museum; and the graves, birthhomes, and memorials to Kepler, Einstein, and Gauss. Additionally, I saw 10 different art museums where I analyzed how artists subtly used mathematics within their works.聽

Further, I allotted culture days in my schedule where I gave myself a long list of cultural destinations in the area that I could pick and choose from spontaneously on the day. These days were especially meaningful because they allowed me more freedom on my trip. Because of these flexible days, I got to truly enjoy the culture of the area instead of being restricted to the more tourist-y destinations. During these days I was able to see landmarks, make international friends, participate in the Euro Cup 2024 live viewings, watch the Isar river surfers in Munich, enjoy the Fete de la Musique on the Summer Solstice, kayak down the Oker River, visit local markets, and much more. Allowing myself these 鈥渃ulture days鈥� where I could explore the city for myself with little direction allowed me the chance to 鈥渄iscover鈥� things on my own. When I would accidentally stumble across an event or a notable historical building on one of these days I found myself reminded of Walker Percy鈥檚 鈥淟oss of the Creature鈥�.

While this trip was not my first time abroad or to Germany (my mom is a German teacher), I feel as though I can say that this trip was the first time where I traveled and felt as though I was truly immersed in the culture. This trip gave me an appreciation of German culture deeper than I already had because I had the freedom from the restraints of a typical guided tour where you find yourself whisked from tourist site to tourist site.聽

This month alone in another country, while challenging, was truly a life-altering experience. This trip reignited my passion for my major by placing me in an environment where I felt my niche interests were nurtured. It also showed me that I have the capability to be independent and the strength to travel solo even though it pushed me out of my comfort zone as a perfectionist, an introvert, and a socially anxious person. My trip motto was: 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 beat fear, just do it scared.鈥� This trip forced me to be adaptable and to have a positive attitude when things were challenging or not going to plan (ie. public transportation problems, dropping a glass jar of tomato sauce in an all white airbnb, or confusing the cities Giesen and Giessen). It forced me to be okay with potentially embarrassing myself or not doing things right the first time (especially when it came to trying to speak German). It was therapeutic as a perfectionist to allow myself this version of rejection therapy and see that making mistakes is not the end of the world.

In short, I will never forget the experience I had abroad and will be eternally grateful for the trust and support the college had in me. I encourage fellow students who may be discouraged because no trip seems to fit their interests or major to not be scared to trust in themselves to design their own trip. While it may be intimidating to travel solo in a new environment and potentially make mistakes, I can assure you it will be rewarding.

Brenna Metts
Mathematics
Class of 2025

The summer before my senior year in the Schedler Honors College, I was awarded a Travel Abroad Grant (TAG) for studying abroad for a month in Florence, Italy. I knew from I^2 Day, where it was explained that Honors provides special grants for traveling abroad, that I wanted to act on that opportunity for myself. At that time, I didn鈥檛 know this would lead me to Florence, but I am incredibly glad that it did. I am a psychology major in addition to being an Honors interdisciplinary studies minor, so this trip was perfect in two ways since it offered credit for Honors and for Psychology. Still, this was not the only reason I wanted to go. I was also drawn in by the course鈥檚 focus鈥攖he Renaissance鈥攁nd by the thought of finally seeing the Italian cities I had long been captivated by in movies, in person. I used to stare in wonderment at the screen, wondering what it was like to walk on the cobblestone streets and look up at the soft pastel buildings. I didn鈥檛 imagine that in a few years, I wouldn鈥檛 have to wonder because my feet and eyes would be able to answer the questions I had once asked.聽

During the trip, we explored popular chapels like Santa Croce, science museums like that of Otzi the Iceman, and art museums like the Uffizi. We also became regular users of the Florence tram system, as well as the Italian train system. I also got to ride a cable car and a funicular for the first time. I was surprised at how nice it was to ride on public transit. There was a sense of deep community and resourcefulness I felt on the tram鈥攏ot only was I cutting down on carbon emissions but I was also doing it with a thousand different permutations of people who were in Florence at the same time I was. I felt this same joy at walking around the different cities we visited. Coming from a country where towns are not always walkable, it was nice to feel a kinship with the other people on the street, whether we were walking to a restaurant, standing in a city square, or sitting down eating sandwiches with our feet hanging off the sidewalks.聽

Overall, I visited eleven different Italian cities within the trip鈥檚 four-week time span. These included not only well-known names like Cinque Terre and Pisa but also not-as-well-known places like Bagnoregio, Civita, and Bolzano. Here, I learned more Italian and discovered each city for myself. My favorite destinations were Bolzano, Bagnoregio, and Corniglia, a village in Cinque Terre. In Bolzano, I observed the blending of German and Italian culture. There were w眉rstel stands next to Italian pastry stands. There were also usually three languages listed on menus, street signs, and museum infographics: Italian, German, and English. I loved the city for how calm it felt in comparison to Florence during its busy season. Bolzano, in contrast, felt more open with its wide streets and mountains that we could see even from directly outside of our hostel鈥檚 automatic doors. Later, I went to Bagnoregio with Dr. Sobel and a group of five other students on one of our stretches of free days. There, we were able to stay in an Airbnb with bright yellow accents and an intimidating set of stairs off to the right that led to two other floors and an attic room. It was a brief, inclined walk from the small, quiet town of Bagnoregio to the smaller yet bustling city of Civita, which rested on a tall hill that made the city look like a picturesque scene from a video game. I loved these towns for their relaxed atmosphere and how they made us feel like we already belonged. Corniglia, located within Cinque Terre, was so beautiful that I felt I was inside the movies I had always admired. Each day, I walked down to the marina and felt grateful for the chance to swim in its clear blue-green water and sunbathe on its tall, gray rocks. I was also able to learn about the sea culture that exists there and to see what a local house looked like from the inside, with its historical patterned tiles and windows looking onto the street down below.

I also made friends, both inside and beyond the Honors community. One of my favorite memories with this group is when we walked to a Florence movie theater to watch The Little Mermaid, completely in Italian. We had to rely on our previous knowledge of the plot to understand what was happening, which made the experience even better. That night and the language barriers that sprung up on other days also reminded me of what it may be like to be an immigrant in the US, trying to decode the words and signals other people toss at them. I have a belief that so many connections lie outside of our reach due to cultural and linguistic barriers. I feel that, because of my time abroad, I am now better equipped to connect with other people by bridging the gaps that lie between us. I am coming back from this study abroad opportunity with a greater confidence in myself and a broader connection to life outside of my immediate surroundings.

Erin George
Psychology
Class of 2024

Reflecting on the last four years of my time in the Schedler Honors College, I underestimated how much the program has helped me grow as a learner, a thinker, and a person. With the program鈥檚 focus on interdisciplinary learning, I found new interests in a diverse array of subject areas. As I am continuedly exposed to different ideas, my perspective on life expanded and I began to develop a thirst for learning. When it came time to propose a capstone project in Oxford Tutorial, my new-found thirst had instilled within me the courage to do a project outside my comfort zone: writing a work of literary journalism called聽Thank the Evil,聽the real-life story of a Cambodian genocide survivor.

I came up with the idea after returning from an Honors TAG funded trip to Southeast and East Asia. I met with an old high-school friend, Amanda Lee, and she told me about how her parents enjoyed seeing the pictures I posted in Cambodia. As refugees of the Cambodian genocide, they hadn鈥檛 returned to their homeland. Seeing pictures of visitors smiling behind Angkor Wat showed them that the country is healing and progressing. According to Amanda, her father, Mr. Dereck Lee, frequently recounts his experiences living under the Khmer Rouge regime, and she hinted that Mr. Lee may desire to have a written documentation of those times. Being the owner and operator with his wife at Oriental Kitchen, a small Chinese-takeout restaurant in Conway, Mr. Lee more than likely never had the time nor energy to write. It then occurred to me to ask Amanda if I could write a book about Mr. Lee鈥檚 story for my capstone project.

It was terrifying at first to tackle this immense project with no prior writing experience. Luckily, I found a mentor from the creative writing department in Dr. Case who was willing to guide me through both the writing and publishing process. I cannot acknowledge her enough for the advice she gave, her developmental edits, and her patience answering all of my questions. Dr. Case helped me believe that I was capable of finishing this project, which was important because I never realized the amount of time it would take to write this book. I spent the Fall 2019 semester interviewing Mr. Lee while also transcribing his audio recordings. I spent the following six months writing the first draft, and the following six months hiring an editor, book designer and typesetter. Despite devoting energy each day to work on this project, it thankfully never felt like work. It was a pleasure interviewing Mr. Lee; his childhood story felt more real and intense with each Cambodian genocide source I read. This project also kept me from losing my sanity during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic. Finishing a full manuscript became my goal, giving me a purpose and the energy to wake up every morning.

Almost a year-and-a-half later, Thank the Evil is now available to the public. In hindsight, it feels surreal, but again this book is a testament to the lifelong impact of my Honors education. Writing a book-length work of literary journalism about a major historical event as a pre-physical therapy major embodies the culmination of an interdisciplinary education. Whether or not I continue to write in the future,聽Thank the Evil serves as a memento to my Honors experience from the courses I took, to the friends I made, and the adventures I had studying abroad. This capstone project and my Honors education made me realize the beauty of knowledge, the awe of curiosity, and the eventual gratification of leaving your comfort zone.

This past summer I was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant (URGE) to work on my senior Honors capstone project, 鈥淓nduring Artifacts of Slavery: The Deletion of the Black Female Body and an Excavation for Historically Informed, Modern-day Healthcare.鈥� My thesis focuses on how slavery medicine has perpetuated myths about Black women and how these myths have developed into present-day medical biases. My major is Biochemistry, and I am applying to medical school this fall. Throughout the course of my shadowing experiences in preparing for this career path, I encountered instances of medical prejudice against Black women specifically, right here in Arkansas. I wanted to use this thesis as a way to learn about the history of medical biases toward Black women; where they come from, why they exist, and how to alleviate these biases. I hope to use my thesis as a reference to come back to when I finally practice as a physician.

My URGE grant allowed me to stay on campus during the summer, which was crucial to me having the resources necessary to continue developing my thesis. Some resources that 吃瓜爆料 provided were the library historical archives, the online databases, and the Interlibrary Loan service, which was a fundamental asset for my historical research. I did not end up using 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 archives during this summer, but I plan to use them in the future for Black Arkansans鈥� stories of medical bias. My goals at the beginning of the summer were to restructure the foundation of my historical background, get through all the cornerstone literature for my thesis鈥� ideal framework, and to narrow my topic.

A big challenge that I encountered over the course of my grant timeline was first and foremost the immense amount of literature required for an adequate historical background. When I first decided on my thesis topic, I underestimated the amount of literature that I would need to get through by a wide margin. This underestimate was exacerbated by the fact that I started this summer with a much broader focus on my topic. To help alleviate these problems, my thesis mentor helped guide me to a clearer and narrower focus for my topic.聽 I am by no means a history expert, and my gap in historical scholarship related to Antebellum slave medicine was fairly wide. My mentor was amazing at helping me close that gap. She led me toward countless concrete resources that have augmented my level of understanding. My new goal is to use my thesis as a sort of overview of a few streams of historical literature and statistics for Black women鈥檚 health outcomes in gynecology and renal medicine.

Other challenges that I encountered were restructuring the goals of my thesis into a more manageable workload for the next year, narrowing my thesis topic to enrich its effect, and managing the emotional weight that accompanies the severity of this topic. When I was reading hundreds of pages a week, the emotional heaviness that I felt was a big weight to carry. Compacting dozens of horror stories into a few months鈥� time is a lot for anyone. I took this heaviness in waves and tried to remember that my thesis is not just a sad story about racist medicine, but also a way for Black women to gain agency in telling their own stories. I plan to devote a large portion of my thesis to Black women鈥檚 stories of medicalized racism.

Overall, I think my URGE grant experience was a positive one. I feel like I achieved most of my goals for the summer and that my purpose and direction for the remainder of my thesis has been refocused and reinvigorated. I am forever grateful for the experience I had this summer, and I would recommend every Honors student take advantage of an URGE grant. Thank you again to 吃瓜爆料 Schedler Honors College, 吃瓜爆料 Foundation, and all donors to these funds that made this experience possible.

Over the past month I have volunteered with a high school basketball team, which has challenged me mentally, physically and emotionally. The experience overall was great, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to grow a connection with these players. During the camp, I have improved in many areas in my life, things that will be helpful in the future. My communication skills improved and my leadership skills. I was able to take on a task where I was responsible for the outcome of the improvement of the players and the outcome of the camp. During these few weeks, I was able to meet some young players who I saw potential in. Seeing and meeting these young ladies, it felt as if it was me in high school all over again. They were so determined and motivated to learn. Their love for basketball could not go unnoticed. Throughout the summer, they were patient, consistent and hardworking. There were so many problems and situations that continued to pop up and came close to ruining our plans for this summer. With players who were both trained well and overachievers, we were able to overcome every obstacle that came our way. I am currently majoring in Exercise Science, which consists of being around a lot of athletes. My goal for this experience was to be able to experience hands on what I plan on doing in the future. Also, this opportunity enabled me to gain volunteer experience and hours. Although those were my main goals for this experience and I was able to achieve them, I gained so much more. Being able to work with these players and interact with them confirmed that I am in the correct field. I enjoyed every part of it, even being able to come up with solutions to different problems. From this experience I was able to gain better leadership and communication communication skills. I was able to learn how to be patient and encouraging. I became more comfortable with speaking out and taking charge of what needs to be done and corrected. Not only did I achieve my actual goals, I was also able to achieve lifelong goals. With this summer camp, I was able to grow a better connection with my old teammates from high school. We always worked together as a team on the court and now this summer we had the opportunity to work together as a team to help another team improve and grow a lifelong connection. Every problem that came our way we tackled together, moving forward and making sure the players were able to gain from the summer camp instead of having to worry about anything. Something that I particularly enjoyed about this experience was the connections we grew with each player. Each connection was different but special. We made sure that it was not always just about basketball, but also about learning how to connect and communicate with new people. Over this month we participated in team bonding activities, getting to know one another on a personal level.