“Our day was filled with presentations, lessons, workshops, and masterclasses. These classes would typically help us develop skills such as creating a creative habit, how to learn a new piece, and more,” Justice says.

“I am having so much fun while simultaneously learning so much about the world and myself at CPP. In a week, I’ve gained a set of experiences as valuable, if not more, than those I’ve had in the past six months,” Reka says.

“Using Python, we have begun analyzing audio recordings and other forms of data to draw meaningful scientific conclusions, and I am excited to continue applying programming to better understand neural systems as the program progresses,” Francis says.

“The program is very busy with activities, lectures, and labs. One of the most exciting parts of our course is the hands-on labs. They allow us to visualize the concepts we learn in class and understand them better,” Claire says.

“We began with some lab basics and learned how to use micropipettes—specifically how to set them to draw different amounts of liquid and convert between microliters and milliliters,” Katya reports.

David says that he has been enjoying his first week, and has “learned so much from talking to people from both regional and international backgrounds, and I’m pleased to say I’ve already made some new friends.”

Takamichi reports that although the course is the most rigorous academic program he has ever attended, it has been a great learning opportunity and has helped him to grow as a student.

“I spent the first weeks of summer researching mass spectrometry, which was a field I had not known much about. I found that it was not as daunting as I originally thought, and my excitement to apply my newfound knowledge increased,” Molly explains.

“During my first week at the University of Michigan’s Neuroscience course, I had the opportunity to explore the fundamentals of the brain through both classroom learning and hands-on activities,” Isabella says.

Anne Popit reports that her first week at the Notre Dame Summer Scholar’s Program where she is studying “Neuroscience: Understanding the Human Body’s Command Center” has been “incredible.”

On her first day, Margaret learned about how things work at SCAD, the bus system for students, and information on the historical buildings at campus. Her first class was an introduction to architecture, followed by an assignment.

Trennis reports that during his first week at MMSS, the class focused on core physics concepts before moving on to more complex material.

This group of students is a tribute to Carbondale Community High School (CCHS) and Carterville High School (CHS), which provide these students with excellent academic structure and support close to home.