By Rachel Neglia

Let’s face it – there are some experiences that the school day simply does not have time to provide. Top-notch computer programming classes, three-hour philosophy discussions, travelling to a foreign country to achieve proficiency in a language… Some things students have to explore on their own time. And this means during the summer.

This summer, many TPA students participated in stimulating summer programs. They successfully navigated the rough waters of rigorous application processes with the help of Mrs. Moffitt and other magnanimous faculty, and a few shared their intriguing experiences.

Summer programs can enhance the enjoyment of similar curricular classes when students get back to school. Claire Newfeld, a senior, attended the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute. Over the course of the program, Claire read two books — one by Friedrich Nietzsche and one by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. She met with a discussion section daily to explore the literature. At the end of the program, Claire wrote an essay crystalizing the themes that were examined. “The program expanded my mind into areas that I hadn’t really thought about before,” Claire says. “I’ve been able to bring that new, open mind to the texts that we’re reading in Humane Letters this year.” Along with the academic benefits of the program, Claire explains that one of her favorite aspects was “meeting people from all over the world. A lot of international students came, and my roommate was even from New Delhi, India. It was great gaining different perspectives and learning about other cultures.”

Renzo Viccina, a senior, was accepted to the Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science. Over the six-week program, Renzo took classes and participated in projects. “This experience definitely helped me strengthen my calculus skills, and introduced me to new concepts that I’m going to learn this year in Calculus II, so I’ll be better prepared,” says Renzo. “I also took a physics course that helped with my overall physics knowledge.” Renzo also took interest in engineering courses. “My favorite aspect was that I got to take computer programming courses, and got to learn a new computer language called Python.” Summer programs like the ones offered by Carnegie Mellon University allow students to explore their extracurricular interests, and, in doing so, bolster their curricular knowledge with real-world applications.

Great summer programs exist locally, as well. Jacob Massie, a sophomore this year, attended the Summer Transportation Institute at the ASU polytechnic campus. Jacob learned about transportation infrastructure. “We went to ADOT (the Arizona Department of Transportation), Sky Harbor, Valley Metro, fire stations, and Phoenix Department of Transportation,” he says. One aspect that Jacob appreciated was the college dorm atmosphere that he stayed in for the week. “It was a good example of how to live the college life,” he points out.

Chris Moffitt, a junior, was accepted into the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Chris spent six weeks in the Sichuan province of China with a host family and studied Mandarin and Chinese culture. “The goal of this program,” Chris says, “is to teach youth what the U.S. Government considers to be the critical languages by sending them abroad to study… I think I grew both intellectually and personally through this program. I learned a ton about Chinese culture, and my Mandarin language proficiency was definitely greatly improved.”

It’s no surprise that such a prestigious program has a rigorous application process, but fortunately, Chris got through it. “The application process was quite extensive, but I survived it through spreading out the work over time. I had to write three or four 300-word essays, fill out lots of information, get a teacher recommendation, and also get many medical examinations.” A small amount of work went a long way.

Chris’s favorite memories of the program were the “times spent on my Chinese family’s roof garden talking, eating food, playing games, and singing songs with my Chinese friends and family. I was able to grow really close with my friends in China and I think with the country as a whole.”

Clearly, summer programs enhance students’ intellects and resumes, and provide life experiences, often for very little money. Mrs. Moffitt stresses that students should take advantage of many of the free programs that exist. There are summer experiences for all interests, so contact Mrs. Moffitt for more information.