Kat Barber ‘23
The EA College Guidance Office strongly urges Upper School students to spend their summers productively, causing students to brainstorm the best ways to maximize their three months away from school. Cynthia Crum, Director of College Counseling, states, “Some students volunteer their time, some students take classes here at EA or at college campuses, some students work, some students participate in athletic activities… and sometimes they [will explore] some career interests.”
Given the constant challenges of COVID-19, many summer programs have transitioned to online formats or considered cancellation. Mariana Ramirez, Associate Director of College Counseling, remarks, “Everything is just digital, via Zoom, so you don’t have those opportunities to be away from home, and explore a little bit of your independence. Very few things we’ve seen have been outright cancelled, I guess unless it includes international travel. [Sports] got delayed a bit last summer, but it seems like everything is back on track for athletic related summer opportunities. I think people have figured out how to safely do many of these things, with the caveat being these overnight opportunities.” Over the past year, many of these programs have adjusted to COVID-19 guidelines and are gradually transitioning into an in-person environment for the upcoming summer.
Global Online Academy (GOA) is a program in which students are able to register for a variety of summer courses. Since its creation, GOA has been an entirely online platform where students can pursue their academic interests for credit or the pure enjoyment of learning. The program offers a broad range of topics. Some specific courses include: Personal Finance, Digital Photography, Computer Science I, Genocide and Human Rights, Medical Problem Solving, and many more. The full course catalog can be found on GOA’s website: globalonlineacademy.org.
There are many benefits to participating in summer programs. Ramirez comments, “It allows for students to explore without risk. They’re exploring different interests, or perhaps career paths, but it’s not in the classroom and it’s not with pressure. It also provides an opportunity to learn some skills in independence; maybe money management, maybe schedule management.”
During the past summer, EA students were able to find ways to help the community despite the challenges and restrictions of the global pandemic. One student, Riya Mukherjee ‘23, founded a project where she created face masks in response to pandemic shortages. Her motivation behind the project sparked when she heard about people without access to masks and other PPE. Mukherjee’s summer project has had an impressive impact on the EA community and greater Philadelphia area, independently sewing a total of 600 masks.
Ella Sundstrom ‘21 spent most of her summer baking cookies for the University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC). “Mrs. Brinks reached out to the community service board last year to stay connected with service during quarantine. I had always loved baking and saw this as an opportunity to work with the community. It was amazing to bring something I loved to do to UCHC during the pandemic,” explains Sundstrom. She adds, “I have been able to stay connected with the UCHC community by making cookies almost every week last summer and also sharing different and fun recipes with the UCHC group. Getting involved in the community is super easy and can allow you to pair something you enjoy doing with service.” One of the main takeaways from Sundstrom’s project highlights that contributing your passion to the outside community can make a significant difference in many lives.