By Borislava Panayotova 

  The winter season is upon us but many summer programs are already opening their applications. 

   These programs are perfect opportunities for students to discover new passions and build off their interests. Sophomore Minh Thu Nguyen took advantage of a summer opportunity to grow in her knowledge of legal analysis and court procedures. Over the summer, she attended the University of Southern California Legal Reasoning and Argumentation program,a four-week summer pre-college program starting in mid-June and ending in mid-July. 

   Minh Thu decided to apply for this program because she wanted to explore her potential career options. Initially, she did not know what she was getting into but she wanted to improve her writing and understanding of the legal system. Min Thu said,“I learned how to read and pick out the most important parts of long passages and my reading speed increased a lot.” 

   The students stayed in the newest USC dorms, which Minh Thu describes as similar to apartments. The program itself consisted of multiple classes per day which focused on the topics of case analysis, legal writing, oral advocacy and law school admissions. On some days, participants engaged in court visits to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals proceedings.There were also other extracurricular activities including arts and crafts, movies and sports and day excursions to places such as Disneyland, Minh Thu’s favorite memory.

   As parting advice, Minh Thu says to those interested in applying, “ Try your best on the essay and apply as early as possible. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of securing a spot in the program.”

   A majority of summer programs require essays and letters of recommendation so research options, contact college counselor Mrs. Moffitt and start early so you can take advantage of these immersive opportunities.