Carole Rosner – Institute for Educational Advancement

The Many Faces of Gifted: Sneha

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 03:59:33 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through ��Ƶ programs. ��Ƶ’s – mentioned in this story – links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant’s skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Sneha Chidambaram
2013 Apprentice, Social Media and Media Relations, University of Southern California

“At first, I was definitely intimidated to enter into a real, adult workplace as a mere high school junior. But looking back, I feel this one nerve-wracking transition was what helped me gain more confidence in myself,” high school senior Sneha explained about her ��Ƶ Apprenticeship experience.

A counselor at an SAT Prep center told Sneha about ��Ƶ’s programs. “What interested me the most about ��Ƶ Apprenticeship was the fact that I would be working one-on-one and alongside a professional in my desired field of study, business. After searching for numerous summer programs as an anxious high school junior interested in business, I felt that the Social Media and Media Relations Apprenticeship suited my interests perfectly, as it is the perfect opportunity for getting a snapshot into the business world.”

During her apprenticeship, Sneha conducted competitive market research on Facebook pages, websites, and Twitter feeds; developed a logo; and wrote a news release that was published on the USC News and USC Marshall School of Business websites.

I asked Sneha how she felt going back to high school after her Apprenticeship. “In terms of academics, I feel my procrastination has reduced drastically, and I approach my tasks more methodically. I have definitely grown to plan effectively and manage my time more wisely!”

This summer, Sneha’s plans include “relaxing, eating, shopping, and hanging out with my friends and family,” before heading east to attend University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School to study business. “After my Apprenticeship, I can definitely say that I fell in love with the corporate world, and I definitely intend to work in a corporate firm upon my college graduation. At this point in time, I am leaning more towards the financial sector, so I aspire to work in either a top investment banking firm, or maybe even a private equity firm!”

Sneha (second from left) with her Mentors and Apprenticeship alumnus Hunter at ��Ƶ’s Summer Spotlight 2013

Want to meet more bright and talented individuals? Sign up for our e-newsletters, which regularly feature a different face of gifted.

The Many Faces of Gifted: Tara R.

��Ƶ Staff — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:03:18 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through ��Ƶ programs. ��Ƶ’s pioneering summer camps – mentioned in this story – unite highly able children and experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children and provides an opportunity for campers to explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical aspects of their lives.

Tara Raizada
Past Yunasa Camper
Current Student at Northwestern University

“The ‘gifted’ label, for me, mattered less and less as I got older,” college freshman Tara Raizada said. “When I was younger, the identification pushed me to achieve more, but I ended up going to a middle school comprised solely of TAG [Talented and Gifted] students, where being ‘gifted’ was the norm, and I began to attribute less to the term than I had before, since that kind of child was so ubiquitous in my life. I hardly ever heard the word during high school, and I began to think even less about it. Yunasa became the only place I ever really pondered the term, and then I thought of it in a positive light. At the same time, I think it’s important to strike a balance with this label, because it can put children under a lot of pressure to achieve what they think ‘gifted’ kids need to achieve. Yunasa, I think, contributes a lot to balancing that fear out for many campers I’ve seen there, to realize that being ‘gifted’ is also a personality trait and an intellectual mindset, not just a measure of intelligence.”

“I always think of Yunasa as a place for growth, which I especially experienced during the leadership years as I was entering into young adulthood. I describe it as an experience of introspection, but also friendship, where you learn a lot about yourself and how to grow. I’m still in touch with many of my friends from Yunasa. A lot of the campers there are on the same wavelength intellectually and interest-wise as me.”

Tara spent six summers at Yunasa. She started as a camper and eventually moved into the camp’s leadership program. “I really enjoyed the time at Yunasa as a way to relax and be myself, but I was especially hooked during the leadership program years. The leadership program for Emerging Leaders and Counselors in Training is amazing. It’s like a semester of management courses within a week, and I really learned to love being a leader and to always strive to improve myself, cliché as that sounds,” Tara said.

Tara grew up in Portland and co-founded while a junior in high school. This student-run organization lets high schoolers teach science to elementary school students from underfunded, Title I schools in the Portland metro area. “In 2012, we won two grants – one from the Case Foundation and one from REI. The grant from REI included a trip to Bryce Canyon, in Utah, but we decided to use the money for materials from REI instead. The grants go towards materials for science experiments, camps, and programs—anything from laptop computers to cornstarch.”

Portland Junior Scientists also won the Case Foundation’s Fan Favorite grant of $10,000, and per the PJS website, they have set a goal to expand to five new Title I elementary school locations in the next few years.

I asked Tara why she chose Northwestern University for college. “When I made my college decision, I was sure what I wanted to major in – international studies, political science, and area studies – but I knew I wanted to explore other academic interests as well while at college. I chose Northwestern because it offers a whole host of departments and choices to pick from, and it’s on the quarter system rather than semesters, so there’s a large degree of freedom with the classes we can take. I also chose it because it has so many options for activities outside of the classroom, and I love being involved.”

Although Tara is a very busy college student, she still makes time to get together with friends, read (she just finished Mindy Kaling’s new book), watch TV (she’s obsessed with “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), hike and travel.

As for her future, Tara said, “I’d love to travel for a living and learn about other cultures, so I want to work in the Foreign Service after I graduate. Hopefully all the parliamentary procedure from Model UN will finally pay off!”

Do you know a gifted child between the ages of 10 and 14 who would be interested in Yunasa? We are currently accepting applications for and 2014!

The Many Faces of Gifted: Melissa

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 08:35:38 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Melissa M.
2013 Apprentice, Astronomy, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

“Seeing the way the professors critiqued their students truly was an unexpected treasure of the Apprenticeship Program, as it revealed, unfiltered, the true dynamics of a research environment and showcased the intrinsically collaborative nature of research,” Melissa said about her four-week ��Ƶ Apprenticeship at Caltech last summer.

“I worked under Drs. Djorgovski, Donalek, and Mahabal in Caltech’s Department of Astronomy to create interactive, multimedia presentations using the WorldWide Telescope platform. My main job was to take data from my Mentors’ research about atomic emission spectra, Doppler shifting, and variability, and present it in a way that the everyday person can understand through ‘tours’ on the program. I worked with one other apprentice, Daniel Wright, who worked on a tour about asteroids.”

“Every few days I would meet with one of my Mentors to discuss my project and bounce around ideas, and they would give me corrections and suggestions to improve my project. Having these meetings was invaluable, as I had the opportunity to work with professionals in a workplace environment as opposed to in a classroom setting.”

Melissa, a high school junior, heard about ��Ƶ’s program from her brother, Nick, who was a 2010 Apprentice also at Caltech. Nick worked with Dr. Ravichandran and tested materials for aerospace vessels.

“I come from a small, all-girls school that has little access to sophisticated resources for the science curriculum. The contrasting plethora of resources and materials at Caltech gave me an invaluable experience that I would not have had the chance to have at school, and it further motivated me to pursue a career in the sciences.”

Though she loves astronomy, Melissa plans to major in biology in college and is interested in studying virology. “Apprenticeship revealed to me the beauty of a research environment, and I wish to pursue that after college. I really value education and research, so what better way to honor both than to work at a university?”

Melissa is also a pre-professional ballet student, dancing approximately 15 hours a week. “I’ve been dancing ever since I was two, so ballet has become an integral part of me and has played a crucial role in developing my work ethic and worldview. Because my commitment to ballet became quite serious early on, I learned to manage my time very efficiently at a young age in order to juggle both school and ballet. As a dancer, I have to be able to memorize and perform a combination after a single cursory explanation, so following directions has rarely ever been a problem for me. Because the success of a dance depends on the precise execution of the details, I’ve naturally incorporated that attention to detail in my work. Ballet is all about performance and improvement, so I have to be quite open to critique and suggestions. Most importantly, since performances have no room for frustrated reactions to mistakes, I don’t have time to let problems and slip-ups compromise the quality of my work, so I’ve learned to accept, learn from, and use my mistakes to improve. My experience with ballet and the lessons it has taught me became crucial during my time as an Apprentice.”

Per Melissa, taking on the Apprenticeship Program from ��Ƶ is challenging but rewarding. “As long as you are willing to learn and aren’t expecting to be handed a major role in important research, I say go for it,” Melissa said. “Of course, your Mentor may entrust you with an important project, but don’t be disappointed if you aren’t allowed to handle the fancy equipment. Apprenticeship is about experiencing the daily life of a university researcher more than anything else. If you value this kind of experience, the Apprenticeship Program will be a treasure trove of learning for you. If you do become an Apprentice, it is essential that you keep your mind open to new ideas and suggestions. The program is meant to provide a unique learning experience for you, so I advise that you use that to your advantage.”

Over the summer, Melissa also found a community she values deeply. “Aside from the actual Apprenticeship, the ��Ƶ Apprenticeship community was so warm and welcoming; it’s almost like a second family. You’ll find yourself immersed in deep philosophical discussions with your fellow Apprentices during dinner and then laughing together over frozen yogurt. Sharing the program with other Apprentices in both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and industrial design will really give you a new perspective on everything – you’ll see not only the scientific mind, but also the artistic mind’s view of any given issue. Each person is unique and, obviously, gifted. I admired each and every one of my fellow Apprentices because they are all so talented, personable, and intelligent, and if you become an Apprentice, you’ll find that you, too, will form great friendships with other beautiful people.”

Do you know a high school student who would be interested in an experience like Melissa’s? We’re currently accepting applications for !

The Many Faces of Gifted: Arden

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 08:19:14 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted child has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through ��Ƶ programs, depicting the many faces of gifted. Academy – mentioned in this story – provides young students with challenging enrichment classes that focus on exploration and application of knowledge.

Arden
Academy Student

Although Arden is not yet six years old, he’s already been interviewed by the , met Al Gore, been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live twice, and received a personal letter of encouragement from Bill Clinton. Arden garnered this attention because of his love and extensive knowledge of world geography and presidential history.

Arden also loves Goosebumps, Bill Nye The Science Guy, and his first ��Ƶ Academy class, “Looking for Shakespeare.” This class is designed for slightly older elementary aged students, but Arden seemed to fit right in. “My favorite part was the big performance and the theatre games,” he explained. “In the ‘All the World’s a Stage’ scene, we all enacted the seven stages of man, doing different movements in a group. That was fun.”

Louise Hindle, ��Ƶ’s Academy Coordinator, loves seeing the students develop and thrive in the Academy classes. She described Arden as “a little dynamite with an astonishing memory. He played Puck and memorized and acted a whole speech, complete with full costume and makeup to depict his character – a true sprite of the woods!”

When Arden was in preschool, he regularly gave presentations in class about “passion projects” he was exploring outside of school. It became clear that Arden had a thirst for learning that was very different from his age mates. His parents discussed his education with the school district and eventually decided to homeschool Arden for Kindergarten this year.

Arden’s homeschooling has gone well so far. His dad, Casey, teaches Arden art and music before going to work, and his mom, Lynn, supports Arden’s homeschooling the remainder of the time, “including all the prep work each night after the kids are asleep,” Casey says. Lynn describes homeschooling Arden as “exhilarating, sometimes exhausting, and always worth it.” And, Casey says, “Arden is happy, engaged, and proud to home-school.”

��Ƶ offers a variety of Academy classes for students in Kindergarten through 6th grade, and new options are always being added into the schedule. This session Arden will be taking “Art of Film” and “Primary Advanced Math.” “Art of Film” is brand new and is the very first class ��Ƶ has been able to offer specifically for homeschooled students. “Primary Advanced Math” is part of a newer series of classes designed specifically for Kindergarten through 2nd graders.

Arden’s parents explained how the family discovered ��Ƶ, saying, “Early in our research we learned about organizations that offer resources and opportunities to meet other kids in similar situations. We came across ��Ƶ and found Arden could take classes with students who are a range of ages and learn from experts in their fields. For us, ��Ƶ is proving to be an integral piece to the puzzle; a lovely enhancement to his home-schooling.”

Arden regularly takes sports, dance, music, and yoga classes. He has recently been accepted to the Davidson Institute Young Scholars Program. He loves museums, riding his scooter and bike in the park, playing with friends and his sister and going on family road trips. He hopes to one day be an architect and cartographer.

Take a look at Arden’s appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Many Faces of Gifted: Monica

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 01:54:54 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Monica Lienke
2001 Apprentice, Industrial Design at Art Center College of Design (Art Center)
Law Student, Stanford University

Twelve years ago, Monica Lienke was one of the first ��Ƶ Apprentices at Art Center. She worked closely with Stan Kong, a leading design educator in Los Angeles. She described her two-week experience as “long hours and a lot of work, but extremely gratifying. I remember feeling that I had learned a ton by the end of it. But probably the best part of the program was getting to know the other participants in the program, who were all incredibly talented and unique individuals.”

Monica focused on product design at Art Center and designed a concept for an ergonomic gardening tool. She said she chose a design-oriented program because she liked that there were creative and visual art components to it. Her days were spent in and out of the classroom with lectures, discussions, model-making, sketching classes and field trips.

After high school, Monica went on to earn a B.A. in political science from UC Berkeley and is now at Stanford for law school. “After graduating, I worked for a year at the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, a political economy research institute on campus. I then spent almost three years in the legal department at Google. Going into my job at Google, I actually hadn’t intended to go to law school, but I found myself really enjoying my role there, which involved learning about technologies, helping to realize innovative ideas, and working with amazingly smart and passionate people.”

“I’m still in law school and working on the side for a small early stage start-up that was co-founded by an engineer and a law school graduate who met each other at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute for Design. The product is a website for people with a creative project (like a product design, start up, or artistic work) to discuss their projects with a broader group of people, get feedback and guidance, and develop supportive communities around their projects to help them succeed. The A.I. component of the site is a recommendation engine that scans a person’s social networks to suggest people they know who could contribute to whatever issue they are discussing on the site. My role in the start-up is multi-faceted, but I mostly focus on user engagement and business development. I’ve loved getting to work with a great team on a product whose underlying goal is to encourage more people to undertake and participate in creative endeavors.”

Monica still takes some design-oriented classes and hopes to work with a start-up company or for clients that create and innovate.

When I asked Monica what she’d say to others who are considering ��Ƶ’s Apprenticeship Program, she replied, “It’s an amazing opportunity to explore an area you might be interested in and meet people who will inspire you!”

Does the Apprenticeship Program sound like a good fit for a high school student you know? 2014 Apprenticeship information and applications are now!

The Many Faces of Gifted: Shaun

��Ƶ Staff — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:12:21 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Shaun Yosslowitz‏
2001 Apprentice, Robotics, Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, CA
2002 Apprentice, Astronomy, Caltech
IT Consultant, Accenture

For high school students looking ahead to college, ��Ƶ’s Apprenticeship Program is a great way to do something unique and productive during the summer. Shaun Yosslowitz participated in two science-based research opportunities that put him right in the middle of real-life work environments. Shaun told me his Apprenticeships were “a fun activity that I was able to put on my college admissions applications. So, it was definitely a worthwhile experience that I would encourage pursuing for anyone interested.”

Shaun participated in two ��Ƶ Apprenticeship Programs—a Robotics program held at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto and the Exploration of Mars program held at Caltech. “At Xerox Park I built and programmed a modular robot and presented the project to other interns and researchers at the facility. Using light sensors and basic Java, I built a robot to move away from light! I did not have much exposure to coding or Java beforehand, so I found it challenging but interesting.”

“At Caltech, under the guidance of a professor, I researched sunspots on Mars and learned general information about the red planet. The program culminated with a presentation that I gave to the other Apprentices also doing programs sponsored by ��Ƶ at Caltech,” Shaun explained.

After high school, Shaun went on to college with plans to go into medicine. “I started UCLA as a Chemistry major, as I enjoyed my ��Ƶ Apprenticeships and science classes in school, but graduated with a major in Business Economics and minor in Accounting. My desire to become a doctor quickly shifted to an interest in accounting.”

“During my last couple of years at UCLA, I interned with a local accounting firm and then at Ernst and Young, where I started working full time after school. Ernst and Young supported me through my Certified Public Accounting preparation courses and exams and also heavily subsidized my Master’s in Business Taxation from the USC Leventhal School of Accounting. Later, I decided that I wanted a change. I now work for Accenture as an IT consultant, specializing in the Finance/Accounting area in technology/systems.”

Shaun’s not sure where his life and career will take him, but he’s gotten some great insights along the way!

The Many Faces of Gifted: Manning

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 06:37:32 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through ��Ƶ programs. The program – mentioned in this story – awards highly gifted applicants with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual, intellectual and personal needs.

Manning Ding
2003 CDB Scholar
Business Analyst, McKinsey and Company, Minneapolis

Before Manning Ding graduated with highest honors from Harvard in 2012, and before she worked in Kampala, Uganda, and Beijing, China, she was a junior high school student in Iowa who was awarded the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship. The merit-based scholarship let her attend any high school of her choice, and she chose Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

“It was Exeter’s ‘Harkness’ method that did it for me. At Exeter, every class is conducted in discussion format, with 12 students and a teacher sitting around an oval table trading questions for answers on subjects from author Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories to how to prove the Pythagorean Theorem.

“I remember visiting Exeter in 8th grade and sitting in on an Existentialism course. I think I said one thing the entire time, but it was still exhilarating to listen in on the richness of dialogue across the Harkness Table by 14- and 15-year-olds,” Manning explained.

In addition to covering the cost of tuition for four years of high school, the Institute for Educational Advancement invites the CDB Scholars to an annual weekend gathering, called the , that includes discussions on a global and personal scale.

“My favorite memory was returning as an alumna to the Bradley Seminar with four other Scholars in my class and realizing that we were closer than ever before, sharing college updates and CDB recollections and endless laughter. Seeing Bonnie [Bonnie Raskin, CDB Program Coordinator] and Betsy [Elizabeth Jones, ��Ƶ President] and the younger classes of Scholars at the Seminar really cemented for me the realization that being a CDB Scholar has been a part of who I am since the age of 13, and it’ll always be a part of who I am. We, the Scholars, may grow up, but we won’t grow apart from the CDB community.”

Manning graduated Harvard with a degree in Economics, but didn’t start off majoring in Econ. “I actually went into Harvard thinking I would be a China correspondent at some international news agency. During my first two years in college, I vacillated between Economics (which addressed some of the world’s toughest development questions in an intellectually honest way) and Philosophy (for its rigor of thinking).

“Of course, the great thing about Harvard is the breadth and depth of opportunities available. So while I was able to delve into fascinating topics in Economics (by taking grad-level courses and working as a research assistant for professors), I was also able to try out a range of potential careers through extracurricular activities (I reported news for The Crimson and headed Harvard Yearbook Publication), internships (at various investment banks and the Beijing bureau of Thomson Reuters) and fellowships and research opportunities (which funded my summers in China, Tanzania, and Uganda).”

Prior to graduation, Manning applied for, and received a Fulbright Award. The Fulbright Award is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and is known as America’s flagship international exchange program. It is a competitive, merit-based grant that facilitates the exchange of students, scholars, and teachers between the United States and over 155 countries worldwide.

“I applied for the Fulbright during senior year of college and was fortunate to receive the grant, allowing me to spend 10 months after graduation researching Chinese social enterprises and economic development. The Fulbright is very flexible – while they provide you with a support network of local researchers and resources, I had complete ownership of my project and was solely responsible for driving the project forward. It has definitely been a challenging but rewarding opportunity both in terms of cultural exchange and career development.”

Manning explained more about the China Fulbright application process, saying, “The applicants determine the location and scope of the research project and are responsible for securing a host academic institution and a local advisor. They then submit a project proposal explaining the motivation behind their project and the methods by which they intend to carry out the project.

“As part of my research, I interviewed Beijing- and Shanghai-based social entrepreneurs, worked with both a foreign-run and a government-backed social enterprise incubator, organized dinners for female social entrepreneurs in Beijing, helped professors at some of China’s top universities put together a white paper (one of the first of its kind) outlining the state of Chinese social enterprises, and spent four months at a social enterprise aiming to revolutionize Chinese rural education with digital tablets.”

I asked Manning for the definition of a “social enterprise.” She explained, “Social enterprises are an exciting new model that is currently receiving increasing attention in China (and across the world) for its ability to solve social and environmental issues that the government and the market are not necessarily in a position to address. The legal and academic definition of ‘social enterprise’ is still being heatedly debated, particularly in China. There are, however, a couple of commonly accepted definitions of social enterprises.

“Social enterprises are essentially businesses whose primary purpose is to do social good. They’re different from non-profit NGOs in that social enterprises are financially self-sustaining and do not rely primarily on donations. They’re different from businesses (even socially responsible businesses) in their impact-first (versus finance-first) approach.”

This summer, Manning began work as a Business Analyst at global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company in Minneapolis. Since she’s a recent college grad, I asked her for any advice to incoming college freshman. I think her words of wisdom are perfect for any student or adult in a new situation:

“Be present. Half of achieving anything in college is simply showing up. Show up to lectures, extracurriculars, events. Show up on time, and stay the whole time. Put away your cell phones and laptops and tablets and actually engage that professor or speaker or new acquaintance — ask questions, remember names, take notes. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn and grow if you are simply fully present. And of course, take risks, have adventures, try not to pull too many all-nighters and always remember to laugh.”

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The Many Faces of Gifted: Marley

��Ƶ Staff — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 03:55:56 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Marley Jarvis
2003 Apprentice, Caltech
PhD Candidate, University of Oregon

In the summer of 2003, an ��Ƶ Apprenticeship opportunity in Pasadena grabbed the attention of teenager Marley Jarvis. To apprentice with Dr. Patrick Collier in the Chemistry Department at Caltech was just what Marley was looking for.

“In high school, I was really interested in studying the brain. This Apprenticeship was the only one that year that touched on neurobiology. I applied since it was also one of the only programs that offered lots of research experience for a high schooler that I found,” Marley explained.

One of Marley’s most memorable experiences as an Apprentice was the first lab meeting she attended at Caltech. “Listening to the Collier lab members talk about their research was when I first really thought about creating circuits that mimic neurotransmitter signaling in the brain. The reductionist idea of being able to break down the brain into its simplified parts – an electrical circuit – absolutely fascinated me. I could see why they were all hooked!”

As an Apprentice, Marley worked closely in the lab with Dr. Maria Esplandiu, a Postdoctoral Fellow, to grow single-wall carbon nanotubes to use as electrodes in circuits that mimicked the brain. At night, Marley joined the other Apprentices on the campus of Caltech for sightseeing and various activities. “It was also great to hear about the other projects from the other students in the program when everyone came ‘home’ to the dorms,” Marley reflected.

I asked Marley what it was like to go back to being a high school student after her Apprenticeship. “I got a lot out of having this research experience in an organized program setting. The experience did give me confidence, both socially and academically. This was my first real glimpse into life as a researcher or what being an undergraduate or graduate student in a science field would look like,” she said.

Marley is currently a PhD candidate in her fourth year of a doctoral program at the University of Oregon focusing on biological oceanography. “I live and work full time out at their marine lab on the Oregon coast. I study fronts in the ocean. Just like in the atmosphere, fronts in the ocean separate different masses and are quite common. A front is a boundary between two different types of water, and I study how these features affect the distribution of organisms and nutrients in the nearshore ocean. Despite my biology background, I’ve really come to love fluid dynamics and am studying current patterns in the coastal ocean using drogues – think sort of an underwater kite that moves with the current below the surface. The underwater kite, or drogue, is attached to a surface float by a long string. The surface float has a GPS in it that records the track of the drogue and tells me what the currents are doing at different depths. I do a lot of small boat work very close to shore, where currents get quite complicated.”

When Marley is done with her PhD, she said she’d like to continue to work in nearshore hydrodynamics. “I’ve learned that we know the least about currents in the part of the ocean we live in close contact with. The first few miles out to sea has very complicated hydrodynamics as coastal currents interact with islands, sea stacks, coastal promontories and other coastline topography. A lot of our sea food, productivity and marine biodiversity occur in this narrow strip of nearshore ocean, and I am always fascinated by how currents move in the ocean and affect everything in it.”

“I see myself continuing to work as a researcher, hopefully back in northern California where I grew up. I really enjoy communicating science in an informal setting. I get a lot of joy in talking about “difficult” topics like physics and oceanography with people who assume they are not smart enough to get it. I’d love to start a girls’ physical oceanography club. I hope to be able to continue as a researcher but to leave time to work in science outreach. I love having conversations outside of the normal academic world to see the commonalities we all have in our view of the future of the ocean and what we’d like to see.”

For Marley, the ��Ƶ Apprenticeship program was educational, lots of fun and a “great way to peek down a potential future path.”

“I can’t say that this Apprenticeship was a stepping stone to biological oceanography, but it was definitely a stepping stone to becoming a scientific researcher. Taking science classes is completely different than conducting research, and this program was an excellent first look into a research lab.”

The Many Faces of Gifted: Hazem

��Ƶ Staff — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:22:57 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Hazem Zureiqat
2001 Apprentice, U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena
Planning and Studies Department Manager, Engicon
Co-Founder and CEO, Sowt

“I had spent all my childhood in Jordan, and I was interested in pursuing my university education in the United States. I saw the Apprenticeship Program as an opportunity to get a taste of higher education and research in the U.S.,” Hazem Zureiqat, 2001 Apprentice, explained.

Hazem was in 11th grade when a colleague of his mother discovered ��Ƶ’s Apprenticeship Program. Hazem had never been to America before but travelled 20+ hours that summer to spend two weeks at Caltech with Dr. Susan Hough.

“The experience, as a whole, was memorable—from meeting and interacting with fellow high school students from the U.S., to conducting research on the campus of a prestigious university, and to experiencing the Los Angeles area. I can’t think of a program that leaves such a large impact in such a short period of time.”

Hazem said that although he’d conducted some research before this Apprenticeship, he was used to researching questions that were more straightforward than those he encountered through his Apprenticeship. “I participated in a research project that looked into the relationship between earthquake occurrences and weather conditions. The research we carried out at USGS (U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena) and the research question lacked clear, definitive answers–even among experts and practitioners. I participated in various tasks, from gathering and crunching the numbers to assisting in preparing the final PowerPoint presentation.”

After graduating high school in Jordan, Hazem did venture to America for college. He went to Macalester College and then MIT, where he received a Master of Science in Transportation from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Upon receiving his Masters, Hazem moved back home and worked at the Greater Amman Municipality (“City Hall”).

“I was part of the project management team for several major transportation infrastructure projects in the capital. After two-and-a-half years at City Hall, I moved to Engicon, an engineering consulting company, where I still work. In addition to my work in transportation consulting, I started up Sowt (www.sowt.com) last year.”

Sowt, Arabic for “voice”, is an audio-based social networking platform. “It is similar to Twitter, but instead of text, people post short audio clips. Sowt was officially launched in March 2013 and is quickly gaining momentum across the Arab world,” Hazem explained. He founded the company with his brother and sister and currently runs the venture as CEO in addition to his consulting work with Engicon.

I asked Hazem where he hopes his life will take him. “I come from a region with many challenges and opportunities. I see myself as a global citizen, doing my part to improve the quality of life for the people of Jordan and the Arab world.”

The Many Faces of Gifted: Jonathan

��Ƶ Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:30:45 +0000

By Carole Rosner

Jonathan Horowitz
2001 Apprentice, CNN

Although some people may know that Jonathan Horowitz was the youngest person ever to call a horse race in the U.S. (he was 14 years old at the time), many people don’t know he was also an ��Ƶ Apprentice at CNN.

Jonathan explained how he found out about ��Ƶ: “I had a fantastic high school and college counselor based in Newport Beach named Ellen Weinstein. She knew how passionate I was about journalism from my horse race and sports announcing, and she found out about the Institute for Educational Advancement Apprenticeship Program and recommended it to me.”

“Looking back I cannot believe how great an experience I had through the Institute for Educational Advancement to be at CNN Center in Atlanta in 2001. Before my junior year of high school, I had the chance to learn something I was passionate about at one of the biggest and most successful news organizations in the world.”

“I still remember the first television package I ever made as part of the program. It was about the proliferation of cell phones as a social rather than business tool—which seems obvious now, but it was less apparent in 2001 (just watch the famous scene involving Michael Douglas from the movie Wall Street). The experience at CNN was the first time I ever had to film, write and edit my own television journalism story. It brought what I was passionate about to life. And we learned from some of the leading journalists in the industry. When I see someone like Gary Tuchman on television now, I think that some of my first lessons as a journalist came from him.”

“I also enjoyed sharing this experience with people my age from different high schools and backgrounds. Atlanta was a really fun city, as well. We went to a Braves game, Lennox Mall and other interesting areas in the city. Ludacris’ album “Welcome to Atlanta” had just come out, and I thought Atlanta was such a cool city.”

Jonathan horse race announcing at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico, last year

Jonathan’s ��Ƶ Apprenticeship seemed to give him a leg up in the college application process – and in the real world, too. “When I applied to college in the School of Journalism at USC, admissions interviewers specifically referenced the CNN experience as a great internship that showed my passion for journalism and that I would be a good fit at USC. And now that I announce horse races and other sports professionally, along with hosting the “A Day at the Races” television show in the summers on the Altitude Sports network based in Denver, I look back at how my first lessons about broadcast journalism came from CNN via the Apprenticeship program. That’s about as good an experience to begin my career as I could have asked for.”

Jonathan still has a passion for journalism. He has been involved in the publication of three books, with another one in process. “I work in the Publishing Office at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where I am a contributing author for a forthcoming book entitled about 400 years of football history in the United States and its influence on American life and culture. At the Library of Congress, I also contributed to a book entitled and edited . I am also the author of , published by Pomegranate Communications.”

Jonathan announced at a boxing match at the University of Maryland in March

is a set of “knowledge cards” that challenge the reader to name the sport event or person that is the most well known for various accomplishments. I asked Jonathan how he came up with this unique idea. “I was interested in why certain sports figures and moments stand out compared to others and become associated with a definitive label. Sports fans debate endlessly about the best this or the greatest that, but there is never any argument about who was The Great One, what was The Dream Team, or who was The Man. There are thousands of drives in football history, but only John Elway’s is The Drive. Michael Jordan made thousands of shots in his career, but only his jumper over Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers is called The Shot. So I went back to original accounts of these people and moments, such as newspaper articles or television coverage, and tried to learn how each definitive label became associated with that particular one to the exclusion of all others. It was often a spontaneous emotion from a journalist, announcer or headline writer that stuck for posterity’s sake.”

What’s it like to work at The Library of Congress? “The way I view the Library of Congress is that if someone has a question about any topic in the world, the Library of Congress will likely have the answer. In terms of the breadth and history of materials, it is fascinating to get lost in time looking at old books, photos, presidential papers and other manuscripts. Many of these items have never been seen or published before either. Being able to pick up, for example, a letter Teddy Roosevelt wrote from the White House brings the history to life,” Jonathan explained.

Since Jonathan has called races in England, too, I asked him what the differences are between the two countries’ horse tracks. “Racetracks in England can run clockwise or over different-shaped courses, while American racetracks are all counter-clockwise over uniformly-shaped flat ovals (with rare exception). The racetracks in England are also much larger, and an announcer has to use a television monitor to announce because the horses can be too far away to see even with binoculars. Since the racetracks in England are generally older (i.e. before the innovation of a public address system), the announcer’s booths can also be in odd locations and angles, and even amongst the fans.”