Cornell Summer College is off to a bell-ringing start

A group of Summer College students talks about their experiences at Cornell at Noyes Lodge recently. They are, from left, Yolanda Nunez, Carmen Vidales, Benjamin Angarita and Paloma Sanchez. Frank DiMeo/University Photography

By Justine Dougherty

Benjamin Angarita, a high school student from Queens, is effervescent when he speaks of his Cornell Summer College experience so far.

"There's just so much," he exclaimed recently, swinging his arms wide so that he seemed to be speaking not only of the campus but also of his new sense of what lies beyond it. "There are so many resources, academically and otherwise. I've seen my first Charlie Chaplin film, fabulous Greek architecture and an incredible suit of armor. Unfortunately by touching it," he added, "I set off an alarm. And it was only my first day!"

One of 18 students from New York City, Angarita is attending the 37th Summer College season. The six-week residential program provides high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to experience college life and earn college credits from a choice of some 80 courses, including offerings such as "Intensive Latin," "Organic Chemistry," "Law and the Legal Profession," "Introduction to the Universe" and "Exploration in Interior Design."

Angarita is one of 18 students recruited by The Boys' and Girls' Harbor in the Bronx, which, through fund-raising efforts, provides full scholarships for Summer College students.

But New York City students aren't the only ones who have Summer College patrons. Thanks to both Mobil Oil Corp. and Cornell alumni in Texas, 10 students from Jefferson Davis High School in Houston -- twice the number from last year -- are enrolled this summer. Mobil has made a three-to-one match of gifts by Cornell alumni who work for the company as well as sponsoring some students who've worked at Mobil stations.

Carmen Vidales of Jefferson Davis said, "We were told by classmates that 'you will have an experience that will change every aspect of your lives.'" "And we're not letting them down," added her Jefferson Davis classmate Sergio Gomez.

Altogether more than 100 of the 600 students attending Summer College are being provided with full scholarships valued at $5,100 each. Additional corporate contributors include Aetna, MBIA, M&T Bank and private foundations in Washington, D.C., Hartford, Conn., and northern New Jersey. The young scholars are from all over the United States and the world, including Austria, China, Egypt, Russia and Turkey, as well as 24 other countries.

"It's been great to meet kids from everywhere," said Muhammad Kamara of Boston. And Malika Kapadia of Rochester said she's liked the people she's met, "because everywhere you go you can expect an intellectual conversation."

Kapadia plans on becoming a doctor, though she is taking this summer as an opportunity to study Italian literature. Kamara wants to be either a journalist or an international businessman, while Gomez said his Summer College classes have helped him to choose mechanical over chemical engineering.

Around a table in Noyes Center last week, these Summer College students concurred that they're receiving a hands-on advantage. "We're learning discipline and endurance," said Paloma Sanchez of Houston. "As well as how to manage our own time and money," added Christine Cepeda, also of Houston.

And Joy Tabatabai of Savannah, Ga., more than matched her fellow students' enthusiasm. "I just can't believe it," she said, holding her hand to her head. "I've wanted to work for the FBI as a forensic pathologist since the sixth grade. But I've never met anybody who'd listen to me talk about being an 'advocate for the dead.' But then, in my first Explorations class, Kimberly Cooper suggested it. She's young, but she listens better than my older teachers back home."

Cooper, a lab assistant in genetics and development, spoke to the "Exploration in Biological Research in the Health Professions" seminar about researching and choosing an undergraduate college.

The Summer College program started June 27 and runs until Aug. 11, but beginning this year there's also an option for juniors and seniors to take one of two three-week sessions. "The program also offers an honors program for high school sophomores, with this year marking the first time that a student who has gone through both programs is returning to Cornell as a freshman in the fall," said Abby Eller, Summer College director.

"It's like we're in a playground," said Angarita, "with all the courses like swings we can try out. It's a joy and a responsibility, but most of all it's a blessing."

For more information about Summer College, contact Eller at 255-6203 or view the web site www.sce.cornell.edu/SC/.