Sidiki's Story

The start of sophomore year, I noticed my friend, Mamadou, storming through the doors brimming with excitement. He shouted "I'm pumped for college! I just had the greatest summer of my life." I stood there in silence, uncertain about his blabbering. I asked him "what are you talking about?!" He joyfully explained that he went to a Pre-College program at Yale over the summer, where he experienced life as a college student. Learning the responsibilities and commitments needed to become a successful scholar, he implied that college was everything he expected it to be and more. He also mentioned that the experience prepared him for a college course load and helped him identify the leadership skills needed to flourish. These benefits of a pre-college experience are, indeed, something that I am passionate about.

Attending Duke Summer Academy will help me pursue my passion for pre-college in many different fields. For starters, signing up for classes will really help me strengthen and stretch my interests in college. This will allow me to narrow my interests down to one or, maybe, two majors. Secondly, I will explore these different courses to try connecting with students from all over the world. This will help make me be more comfortable in a college setting and environment, which will ultimately lead to me being more prepared for college. To me, this is exactly what pre-college is about. Not only will the courses offered support my ambitions but also the activities, such as film series and academic expos. All of these experiences will help me build character and leadership attributes. Leaving the program I will me become a more powerful influence in and out of school and beneficially impact my community.