
Minds Matter’s Senior Program began on September 12 and Junior Program just kicked off on October 17. We caught up with current senior Stephanie to hear how the transition to virtual session was like last spring, and what she’s most looking forward to this year.
Q: It’s your final year of Minds Matter! What has the past month been like?
Stephanie: It has been going well. It’s pretty hectic with college applications and all the deadlines but otherwise pretty good.
Q: What was adjusting to virtual Minds Matter last spring like?
Stephanie: It was very weird since typically we are a very group-focused team. We would have discussions and speak out of turn and add on to each other’s thoughts, but with Zoom it’s different and we can’t speak as freely as we typically would. It happened near the end of the year so we also didn’t have a lot of time to get used to it and are doing so now.
Q: Did anyone on your team try to do anything to make things special when session went virtual?
Stephanie: My mentors and I kept meeting throughout the summer on Wednesdays to catchup and make sure no one was feeling overwhelmed. It was really nice to keep up with them since COVID made the college process so strange and took away a lot of experiences we would have had. We were already pretty close-knit triad, but even more so now. I think because Zoom feels less personal, talking to them frequently over the summer was really special and I feel even more comfortable sharing with them now.
Q: What are you most looking forward to this year?
Stephanie: I am excited to get into college and that whole experience, but not so much about the application part! I am grateful for any and all help I will get with my college applications and supplemental materials.
Q: Do you have an idea of where you want to go to school and what you may want to study?
Stephanie: Right now, I am looking at Middlebury and Brown; those are the top two choices. I currently want to double major in Sociology and Environmental Studies but we’ll see what the future holds.
Q: What is your favorite Minds Matter experience?
Stephanie: I liked the scavenger hunt we did as a team in Grand Central. My triad didn’t win but another mentor gave me his medal since that was why I was trying so hard to win. It was a fun team game and was refreshing to spend time somewhere that wasn’t a classroom. I also crave social interaction so maybe that’s why that stands out so much, but I loved it.
Q: Minds Matter is…
Stephanie: Minds Matter is a solid support system. I am really grateful for the sense of community it has given me and I know that without Minds Matter I would not feel as prepared for the future as I do. Even though there is trepidation on my end, I am confident that things will be okay!