Carina Li, 16

Beijing, China

“Hiking and seeing glaciers in Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people, including me. I consider myself a visual learner, and the immersive experience drew my attention. At home, I am not around many people who share similar passions in environmental studies, and I knew that the Brown Environmental Leadership Lab brought driven environmentalists together. This experience transformed us into one big group instead of scattered clusters of students. The instructors were outstanding and clearly passionate about their roles as teachers, and I am so grateful to have had them in this process. The students who decide to devote part of their summer to a program are motivated and ambitious, and they all have much to offer. The diversity of high schoolers I met at BELL was unmatched, and I learned valuable lessons — from both good and not-as-fun experiences — from all of them.”

Preslav Genov, 17

Sofia, Bulgaria

“Biotechnology immediately caught my attention because it combines cutting-edge science with the potential to improve people’s lives in meaningful ways. The program also became deeply personal for me. My aunt has been battling lung cancer, and seeing how advances in biotechnology and modern therapies have given her hope and more time with my little cousin completely changed the way I see this field. Listening to the science behind these treatments made me realize how years of research, innovation and collaboration can eventually change countless lives. It stopped being just a subject to study and became something that has the power to solve real-world problems. You don’t need to have all the answers before you arrive. You just have to be curious. Brown gives you the freedom to explore new ideas, challenge yourself and discover interests you never expected to have.”

Emily Adeyemi, 17

Burke, Virginia 

“The Brown Experiential Education: Oxford program not only covered my favorite part of biology, genetics, but it also dove into the innovation aspect of biotechnology. I was also really drawn to the fact I wouldn’t be stuck in a classroom learning from one professor; I would get to go on site visits to different companies and facilities to hear from people in the field and what their role is in research or supporting it. In the end, I was able to learn more about the research space as a whole and what kind of work environment I see myself in the future. If someone was on the fence about doing a Pre-College program at Brown, I would tell them that it is the perfect opportunity to explore a topic they gravitate towards in a collaborative and supportive environment.”

Annabelle Brusky, 17

Claremont, California

“I’m fascinated by how we can study and improve the relationships that shape the world. I signed up for the Leadership and Social Justice course under Brown’s Leadership Institute because I wanted to know how I could be a socially responsible leader. I wanted to learn the skills that would help me manage those positions effectively while making sure that the impact I create in those spaces outlasts my time within them. The workshops on public speaking and active listening were especially formative. [Participants in this program] will make lifelong friends who not only have such unique interests that they are passionate about, but are also genuinely interesting people.”

Allysa Doss, 14

San Antonio, Texas

“I signed up for the Becoming a Millionaire: Entrepreneurial Algebra for Financial Success because of my interest in math. I also liked that it incorporated real-life problem-solving skills and financial literacy. My group assignment was to serve as financial planners … We evaluated living expenses, taxes and investments like retirement plans and 401(k)s. My group collaborated really well and created a presentation summarizing our financial plan. It felt like a real college experience to work as a team to build and present our work at the end of the course. This course exposed us to the stock market, investing and a lot of financial literacy that is very helpful in the real world.” 

Rayyan Alhabsi, 16

Providence, Rhode Island

“The majority of my writing is speculative fiction mixed with philosophy and realism. I took Writing Speculative Fiction, and I learned how to become not just a better writer but how to publish and create stories. It showed me my strengths and weaknesses as a writer and how I can better my work. It’s knowledge I can use in the future when I publish my first book … The people I met have taught me not just a lot about myself but the world around me through both good and bad times. Whether it was a movie night in the dorms or a study sesh in the library, I learned what it was like to be a real college student and manage my time well.”