By Gabrielle Sanders
Today was my first official day at The Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists and so far it has been a unique and highly different experience.
Something that I have never experienced in my entire elementary to high school career, leaving me to navigate a drastically different environment compared to what I know and what I am used to.
I have never stayed away from my family before, let alone as far as I am now, which for me, would be 40 minutes to an hour away.
I thought I would be okay being away from my family—at least in theory. But actually going through with it was a different challenge I had to face for myself. Still, I believe I can get used to, or even overcome, the anxious and uncomfortable feeling of being apart from them. I’ve never had any experience living with someone who isn’t a sibling or relative, so this is all new to me. But as I’ve started to grow more comfortable in this short amount of time, I’m learning to trust myself. I believe I can push past the fear of being away from home and eventually feel ready for the idea of going away to college.
Although I may feel a little intimidated at first by the idea of being thrown into a new environment with new people, I still believe I can improve my openness, communication, and networking. Not just with people my age, but with others outside my age group as well. Whether it’s by sharing ideas or talking about my interests, I hope to build a personal community through those connections. I think this program is doing a great job of helping me take those first steps—even if it’s just through small, quick conversations.
I really appreciate the experience of self-sufficiency, showing me what I need to improve on, like my networking, social skills, and opening up to others that aren’t people I have familiarity with, family, and friends. While I’m here, I hope I get to know everybody at camp and become more open.