By Cole Klassen

In these cold, wintery months, something as warm as an Arizonian summer can seem so far into the future that it’s almost hard to think about. However, there is something you can do to plan ahead for those warm months: apply for a summer program! Summer programs are a great way to spend your summer, but before you roll your eyes, hear me out. These programs are not mere summer classes, but instead are fantastic educational experiences that can be gateways into new career paths and hobbies. Here are a few programs for you to check out.

Held on the campus of University of Arizona, Summer Scrubs is a medical program like no other. Offering different

programs for 9th, 10th and 11th grade, Scrubs hopes to not only educate the doctors of tomorrow, but to also inspire others towards medicine. The 9th and 10th grade program focuses on teaching about the different kinds of health care practitioners and what exactly they do and the 11th grade focuses on becoming a physician, For those wishing to apply, the deadline is March 1st and you can access the application at http://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/summerscrubs. If you are interested in medicine, there is not a better program in

Arizona.

For those who are not particularly interested in medicine, there is always F.E.E, which stands for Foundation for Economic Education. F.E.E hosts seminars across the nation at a variety of colleges, from Chapman University to Clemson. If you know an alumnus, they will often waive the price of admission. At a F.E.E seminar, you are given a crash course in economics and basic capitalism with an emphasis on influential speakers and group interactions, much like a Humane Letters class. F.E.E is open to all ages 14-18 and is a fun, fantastic experience that gives a glimpse into the web of economics. The deadlines vary by seminar, so hurry to https://fee.org/events/fee-seminars/

Now, all of that sounds all fine and good, but what if you simply do not care about economics or medicine? What if you care about law or biology or really anything else? Well, if you do, Lindsay Newfield has the program for you. Lindsay recently attended a law program at Stanford. She spent 3 weeks over the summer living in dorms and taking real classes from actual professors and assistants. She spent 3 hours each day being taught by a professor and then would head to the dorms for personalized learning and even fun trips,like going to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Speaking of her experience, Lindsay said “It was a great experience and helped give more of a sense of what a lawyer does. There’s more to being a lawyer than simply prosecuting or defending a criminal and this program really helped me to appreciate that.” However, these courses are not just for would-be lawyers. Stanford offers over 170 courses in over 40 departments through this program, accepting ages 16-19, and has a deadline of Feb. 28. For more information, check out http://summer.stanford.edu/application/. Now, if none of those sounded cool to

you, though I don’t see how they couldn’t, please see Mrs. Moffitt for more information. Have a great summer.