Summer Study at the Colorado State University

Why did you decide to study abroad with Summer Study?

Mary: I have always been intrigued by Colorado’s beautiful environment. Boulder is known worldwide as a wonderful area to live in. University of Colorado at Boulder has been my dream university since I was a little girl. When I heard about the program being held at the campus, I jumped at the chance of a pre-college experience.

What did your typical morning look like?

Mary: My typical morning at University of Colorado at Boulder was an improvement from the everyday routine of waking up for school at home. Every morning, including weekends, the majority of the students of Summer Study chose to go to the Center for Community (known as the C4C). Everyone had the option and freedom to do what they wanted. We ate a cafeteria-style breakfast - it was really good! There were many options to choose from, meeting everyone’s needs. My favorite was the omelet bar made specially for each student every morning. On the weekdays, classes were held at around 9am, so there wasn’t much time to sleep in (none of us wanted to sleep in anyway!). Although we spent the morning and afternoon in classes, we had plenty of time afterwards to enjoy the campus life and activities planned specifically for our program.

Afternoon?

Mary: My typical weekday afternoon consisted of college level classes, including Intro to Law, Engineering, and Business/Marketing. These reflected my personal interests, as they’ll reflect yours as you choose from the many courses offered. The classes were hands-on and exciting. Summer Study did an amazing job of keeping students busy! There were many activities to choose from on a daily basis, including dodgeball tournaments, hiking up Boulder’s famous Chautauqua trails, various other sports held at the Recreation Center (which was open to SSP students every day), and creative activities held in the hall. You don’t have to be athletic to join in on the fun - on my first day I actually played soccer with boys from Europe! On weekends, our afternoons consisted of excursions to places like Breckenridge, Vail, Canyon City, and many more. I was very impressed with all the activities and trips packed into three weeks! I’ve never done so much in one state, including my own!

Evening?

Mary: My typical evening was packed with fun and friends. Nearby was Boulder’s famous Pearl Street (a pedestrian mall), which was very popular amongst my peers - there was always something exciting happening. The safe environment made it not only easy and convenient, but also amazing! 29th Street Mall was a fun place to go with friends - free student transportation on buses made it easy to get around. I’ve never experienced karaoke or the other social activities that we had going on right there in Smith Hall, where we resided. Having Staff Advisors (SA’s to us) around to chaperone made students feel safe and also helped us have fun. Every student was assigned to an SA, who also lived in the dorm rooms. At midnight of every evening, all students were required to attend a meeting to prepare us for the activities and events held the next day. After midnight, all students had curfew and had to stay on their floor.

What made this experience unique and special? Some highlights?

Mary: The Summer Study Program made the experience unique because it wasn’t just a summer camp. This is a real pre-college experience. The freedom we had was unlike any other. The friendships made are unbreakable, and the knowledge gained will never be forgotten. I went into Summer Study Programs hoping to figure out what major to choose for college. I left with a better idea of college life - though still undecided. After taking college level courses with real life college teachers, I have a better idea of my future education. I now feel more at ease to enter college life, thanks to Summer Study Programs. The highlight of my trip overall is the lifelong friendships I now have with people all over the world. I’ve already had a visit from my best friend from New Jersey to Orlando, and I’ve visited friends in other parts of the country. My friends and I are planning a one year reunion for the summer. The many places we visited and the hundreds of activities offered (horseback riding in Vail, white water rafting in the Arkansas River, walking along the longest suspension bridge in the world, and many more) made summer 2012 the best experience of my life.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Mary: My future has changed because of Summer Study programs. I always catch myself reminiscing about the amazing times spent in Colorado. After three weeks of being around a group of people, bonds are created. People who attended the program are definitely less shy and more outgoing after all the collaborative/group activities we did. Personally, I feel like every single person I met on the trip made a difference in my life.The millions of laughs shared are unforgettable. Academically, I am more focused on schoolwork and I’m driven to attend university in Fall 2013. Summer Study Programs was the best time ever spent.

I have been co-owner and Director of Programs and Operations since 1993. In addition to handling most of the logistics for all our programs, I manage all IT for the organization and spend every summer with about 700 students and 50 staff at Penn State University.

I was a sleep-away camp counselor beginning when I was 16 and although I was a Business Management major (and Psychology minor) in college, I always wanted to work with kids. I hated my first job after college in which I was a Credit Analyst for a finance company and left to begin an MBA program at The University of Chicago. That, however, was derailed when after leading a group of 42 teens on a 7-week cross-country summer “teen tour”, I was offered a full-time job with the company. Combining my management education with my passion for working with kids, I had found my niche! I spent 7 years, including 7 summers on cross-country trips, with the teen tour company and 3 years as Director of Special Events for a marketing and promotions company before joining Summer Study Programs.

No, I did not and have always regretted it. During college, I was very active in my Fraternity and the Campus Entertainment Committee so I never wanted to miss anything. I did however go to Europe on my own for 6 weeks during my 3 years away from the student travel/study businesses. While I wasn’t quite as adventuresome and free-spirited as I might have been in college, it was still an amazing experience. I strongly encourage every high school and college student I meet to have a study abroad experience if they have the opportunity.