Many high school students use summer time for rest. But other students use the summer to explore. Senior Brandon Edmondson spent part of his exploring a swamp.
The work was part of a summer program at Tuskegee University in Alabama. He said that his experiences changed the way he looks at college and career paths.
“I’ve done this program twice before,” Brandon said. “ My uncle got me interested in it because he graduated from Tuskegee University. Initially, I didn’t want to go because it pertains to agriculture, which is a field I’m not fully interested in, but I enjoyed it.”
Although he admits he was nervous at first, the program began to be something he looked forward to. The people are what he liked most about the visit.
“At first, I was nervous since it was a two-week program without parents,” he said. “Over the two weeks everyone had gotten used to one another. It started to feel like a family. I met lots of great people. Many pushed me out of my comfort zone a little bit.”
The ultimate goal of the summer program was to introduce students from around the world about the different types of issues that come with food security. By the end of the camp, campers were expected to have learned something new about how food enters the country and the different types of environmental problems that can conflict with food accessibility.
The program challenged Brandon in unexpected ways.
“In my second year this past summer I would say I least liked the camping experience. We worked in a very swampy area. We also did fishing and archery. In my opinion, I feel like we did fishing for way too long. That was hours in 100-degree weather and standing the entire time since we weren’t allowed chairs. It was horrendous,” he said.
Brandon attended a part of the program that worked mainly outdoors, learning about nature, animals, and food chains.
“At the swamp, during the day, I was collecting data about avian abundance, seeing if the environmental factors of a swamp would seem appealing to birds,” he said. “I was working alongside my research group for our project that we would eventually have to present to a panel of experts.”
The lessons definitely outweighed the discomforts. Brandon even won an award for a paper he wrote this summer.
“Last year I was a little bummed because at the banquet everyone attends before going home, they announced the winners and my name was not called for winning anything,” he said. “I thought I did really well when I was announced for winning my second year. I was very surprised. It was definitely an honor being selected.”
Brandon isn’t the only one encouraging students to take advantage of opportunities. Miss Graves, the guidance counselor, also believes there are other ways to prepare for their future
“I’d recommend that students apply for summer programs,” she said. “It is a great way to get yourself out to the campus and immerse yourself in the college community.”
Miss Graves also reminds students to be careful when applying for things.
“If the program is from the college website or if we post about it, it is real,” Graves said. “If it seems sketchy, then it probably is. If you’re asked to provide financial information (such as bank accounts), then I would NOT trust it.”
Students can also join the guidance Google Classroom with more information about scholarships, college information, and more.
As for Tuskegee, Brandon said that there’s more to it than just the outdoorsy agricultural field.
“Tuskegee University is a wonderful place,” he said. “They have a lot more programs similar to the one I’ve done. Even if you’re not interested in agriculture, you’ll still find a loving community there and you’ll enjoy yourself.”
