A Dinner to Remember

A day after the school board meeting came the dinner for the Brown I and II cohorts in San Francisco. I'd have to say that it was a pretty long Thursday for me. After school, I went straight to my house to get ready for this dinner. I made sure I was right on time, since I didn't want to hear Evil Don scream about his tardiness policy upon arrival. We all met at the El Cerrito Plaza Bart Station. There, Don handed each of us clipper cards and with a stern voice he said "I want these back." Of course Don, we wouldn't dare to steal your clipper cards.

My beautiful mother and I

We quickly made our way up the escalator to the bart train. I recall Don mentioning in his email to not sit with your friends or parents on the bart ride, but to sit with strangers whom you've never talked or met before. It seemed to look hard at first, but a member of the Brown I sat right beside me. His name was Jack. During the whole bart ride we talked about almost everything  from AP tests to coaches stealing golf clubs. It was a really nice conversation and I'm glad I was able to make a new friend even if we talked for only fifteen minutes. 

When we all arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by many waiters and waitresses as we made our way to the back of the restaurant. There we met several alumnis of Brown University and we each made small talk as we waited to be seated. Appetizers and drinks were served while everyone formed little groups conversing and exchanging information. Next we were ready to be seated. After a brief introduction of everyone at the dinner and a few speeches made by our own ILCers: Arnold and Yeonsoo, came Mr. Ramsey. Mr. Ramsey made a very deep and powerful speech about the ways of the ILC and a brief history about the program. He strongly emphasized how important it is to give back to the community after the program not just by starting a club but by changing the lives of a person. Mr. Ramsey wanted us all to speak to many people that we didn't know and to build leadership that will carry us on in the future. 

This was one of those nights that I will always remember. Not just because of the food or the location of the dinner, but because of all the alumnis, benefactors, parents, and of course; Mr. Ramsey, Ms. Kronenberg, and Don themselves. They are the reason why I am here today, preparing for my trip to Brown this summer. I can't thank them enough for making this a reality.