By Jennifer Kiilerich
This July 6 – 23, rising high school seniors in the Cooke Young Scholars Program immersed themselves in life and learning at Vanderbilt University. During the initiative鈥檚 annual Senior Summit, 57 students stayed on campus, studied in advanced courses and participated in engaging residential experiences.听听
Senior Summit听was designed and hosted by Vanderbilt鈥檚 (PTY), a unit within of education and human development that worked in collaboration with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The foundation supports education for exceptional learners with financial need.听听
鈥淧TY has designed and delivered programming to gifted students for 25 years, and we were thrilled to leverage that expertise to craft an enriching experience for the Cooke Young Scholars Program,鈥� said Camilla Benbow, Patricia and H. Rodes Hart Dean of Peabody College鈥攁nd founder of PTY. PTY offers academic programs and courses for academically advanced K-12 students from around the country and world.听听
Students in JKCF鈥檚 Young Scholars Program receive five years of pre-college academic and college advising, financial support for school, summer programs, internship opportunities and college scholarships. Their culminating summer experience is Senior Summit, and this year鈥檚 participants hailed from 24 states.
鈥淓xceptionally talented students are in neighborhoods and classrooms in every community,鈥� noted Jack Kent Cooke Foundation vice president of scholarships, Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn. 鈥淲hen educators and community leaders recognize this, they鈥檙e more likely to spot and support bright, motivated students who might otherwise be overlooked.鈥濃��听
Hands-on classes, real-world implications听
In keeping with PTY鈥檚 high-caliber programming, Summit scholars each selected a class from six college-level courses taught by Vanderbilt faculty and Ph.D. students from colleges and departments across the university.听听
While some designed working prototypes of adaptive toys, others built interactive sports technology such as jump-height sensors. Students analyzed psychology-driven data to answer questions about ADHD and food insecurity, and they planned urban transportation solutions.听
Another group learned about advocacy and civil discourse in a -guided course that was spearheaded by Vice Chancellor for Administration Darren Reisberg. All the students gained skills that will serve them in college and beyond.听
Kayla Gicovi, a scholar from Raleigh, North Carolina, took Ph.D. student Camille Msall鈥檚 psychology class, Unlocking the Human Experience. The course, she said, 鈥渕ade me more passionate on what I want to study and challenged me in my approach.鈥澨�听
In graduate student Kimberly Rogge-Obano鈥檚 neuroscience course, Los Angeles native Marilyn Carlon studied the impact of early childhood trauma on the brain. 鈥淭his was a new path of career I decided to explore, and it really changed my perspective,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t helped me understand that I want to work with kids in the future.鈥�听
The summit was punctuated with Senior Symposium on July 21 in the Commons Center鈥攁 chance for scholars to present their efforts to the Vanderbilt community and to Jack Kent Cooke leaders. 听
鈥淧roviding students the opportunity to stand beside a conference poster and present their work was an intentional component of the program design,鈥� said PTY executive director, Sarah DeLisle Fecht. 鈥淪enior Symposium was an exciting day for PTY staff and instructors who were able to see these amazing students showcase the depth of their on-campus learning.鈥�听
A taste of college life听
Students also participated in PTY-planned residential experiences, such as an evening at the home of Peabody鈥檚 , professor of teaching and learning and dean of residential colleges and residential education, to learn from Gresalfi and other Vanderbilt faculty heads of house about Vanderbilt鈥檚 unique residential model. Plus, students enjoyed a movie on the Wyatt lawn and visits to nearby Hillsboro Village neighborhood hotspots.听
Vanderbilt鈥檚 Office of Undergraduate Admissions gave campus tours, and learners鈥攚ho would be first-generation college students鈥攁ttended a college fair and higher education planning sessions. 鈥淭his experience helped take some of the mystery out of college; specifically, how to get in, what鈥檚 expected, and how to navigate it,鈥� said Jansorn.听
Capping a meaningful experience听
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation advisors and leaders, including CEO Guiseppe Basili and Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn, traveled to Nashville for Senior Symposium and for professional development led by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 听
“We were honored to play a role in the important mission of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation,鈥� said Mike Drish, executive director of undergraduate admissions. 鈥淥ver the course of two days, we offered programming focused on selective admissions insights and tips for a valuable application essay. We really enjoyed working with their fantastic team.鈥�听
Cooke scholars, meanwhile, toasted the completion of their experience with a dance party and video games in Carmichael College. 鈥淭he scholars are going to take this experience with them as they become leaders on their future college campuses and go on to contribute in significant ways in whatever fields they choose,鈥� said Jansorn.听
