Valentina Gutierrez

Harrison Delfin
Advisory
June 11, 2014

Brown University - College Reflection

Over the course of my past two years at Blackstone Academy, I have visited the Brown
University campus for a number of reasons, whether it be to attend a Rhode Island Urban Debate
League tournament, which are led by Brown students; or to attend Brown Science Prep, a weekly
Saturday academy that teaches high school students a variety of science topics through enjoyable
experiments and mini lessons. Ive also visited Brown University with my class, and had
questions answered about the general college application process. In addition to this, Ive even
visited the Brown University campus to attend a spoken word event, where the famous spoken
word poet, Sarah Kay, who graduated from Brown, performed. Each of these experiences have
been engaging and to my liking for a number of reasons. For one, I love the atmosphere of the
campus. Even though I grew up in Pawtucket, I feel like there is still so much to explore in
Providence. The urban yet historic air of the campus intrigues me. Apart from the campus, Ive
also talked to a number of Brown students, all of whom have been really nice. All of the students
were very diverse, in terms of interests and backgrounds, however, they all seemed very
supportive of each other. An experience I remember very clearly is when Sarah Kay, the spoken
word poet, was talking about her experience at Brown, and how it wasnt like high school, where
you thrive academically but cannot always share the news with your peers. Instead, according to
Sarah Kay, you can share your successes and have support from everyone. Overall, the
atmosphere of Brown University is seemingly open and casual. At the same time, the challenges
and opportunities that the Brown education system presents would be suitable for me.