When I stepped into 优蜜视频鈥檚 Barder House on June 18, I did not know what to expect. While I had researched the mission and programs of 优蜜视频, I was not sure what exactly the term 鈥渘on-profit management鈥� encompassed, nor was I familiar with the inner workings of non-profits, despite my experience volunteering with non-profits in the past. But having matriculated through gifted programs before, I was deeply moved by 优蜜视频鈥檚 advocacy for gifted education and focus on the 鈥�.鈥� With my interest in entrepreneurship and economics, I wanted to learn about the origin and development of 优蜜视频, and understand what makes a non-profit a non-profit.

I came upon after my friend told me about his experience as a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar. After researching 优蜜视频 and the mentors and sites at EXPLORE, I was drawn to the program鈥檚 career-oriented philosophy. I had taken courses at local colleges during previous summers, so I yearned for a more hands-on experience.

Here are three themes that defined my externship and made my EXPLORE experience unforgettable:

1. Community: Throughout my externship, I felt like a true member of 优蜜视频鈥檚 staff. Six weeks may not seem like a long time, but my mentor Abby and her colleagues welcomed me as an integral part of their team. From our July 4 potluck to our light hearted conversations during meetings, I appreciated the sense of unity and camaraderie within 优蜜视频. I was also fortunate to connect with 优蜜视频鈥檚 close-knit community of gifted students, parents and educators at the annual Summer Spotlight event.听And I cannot forget Not to mention the Friday workshops鈥攅very Friday morning EXPLORE externs came together to connect with each other and learn about career and college readiness. It is truly a small world that I got to meet fellow boarding school peers with whom I shared mutual friends. During our educational workshops and lunch breaks in Little Tokyo, we shared stories about our schools and became friends over udon soup and ice-cold lemonade.
2. Hands-on: In addition to learning about the fundamentals of marketing, development, and programming, I enjoyed applying my skills to worthwhile projects. By analyzing the history of donations to 优蜜视频, for example, I not only honed my statistics know-how, but also gained and shared valuable insight on areas of strength and weakness in our development strategy.听For my Google Analytics project, I delved into Google鈥檚 helpful tool for tracking a website鈥檚 traffic. Besides mining through the labyrinth of stored data, I harnessed my findings to formulate recommendations for possible future improvements. I discovered that 优蜜视频 has untapped potential to attract more Spanish speakers and implemented this recommendation by translating a few of our program flyers to Spanish.
3. Revealing: My externship shed light on the skill sets necessary for various careers. While working on my Donor Analytics project with Abby, I discovered the importance of statistics in data-driven fundraising, where past trends inform future strategies. It was also exciting to use my Spanish to translate flyers; I came to realize the significance of the language in marketing and communications-based careers. While my interests and goals may change over the years, at least I now have a grounded impression of what careers in the non-profit sector entail.

Rather than hammering concepts in a lecture hall, I fell deep into the weeds of informative projects and learned about marketing and management in an engaging way. No course or tutorial in non-profit management could have given me the same level and depth of knowledge.

Mark Blekherman is an EXPLORE extern at 优蜜视频 this summer. He is a rising senior at Phillips Exeter Academy.

The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations by Oprah Winfrey

鈥淒uring a time when I needed some inspiration in my life, this book, and the conversations Oprah shares, provided great insight into life lessons that some of the most brilliant leaders and visionaries have learned throughout their lifetime. I felt like a fly on the wall as I read through chapters about mindfulness, intention, fulfillment, love and connection.鈥� 鈥� Ni帽a Abonal, Senior Program Coordinator

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

鈥�The Great Alone explores a wild and sparsely populated Alaska in the 1970鈥檚, when a Vietnam War veteran moves his wife and 13-year-old daughter from Seattle to the very rugged frontier of Alaska to begin anew away from city life and war memories.听 The book is an insider鈥檚 examination of the harsh realities and lush beauty of life in Alaska that I knew little about, set against a troubled family鈥檚 story of survival over the course of several decades. The book deals with adult themes but is well-plotted with engaging characters.鈥� 鈥� Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Manager

The Things They Carried by Tim O鈥橞rien

鈥淚 reread The Things They Carried every year. To me, no other work so perfectly captures the camaraderie that exists under the most trying, confusing and challenging circumstances. Though fiction, it is grounded in historical truth and humbling to imagine what these characters went through so far from home. O鈥橞rien doesn鈥檛 mince words, but his descriptions have a gripping gentleness that makes you feel more than think. I get lost in each vignette that eventually weaves together into a larger narrative.鈥� 鈥� Hillary Jade, Program Manager

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

鈥淎 unique coming-of-age story that follows Eva (and the food she loves) from birth through adulthood, told almost exclusively through the viewpoints of those she encounters along the way. It would be accurate to say I devoured this book. Not only was Eva鈥檚 journey compelling, but the vivid descriptions of the food that defines each stage of her life made me want to host my own elaborate, biographical feast. A great read for fiction lovers and foodies alike.鈥�-Nicole LaChance, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

鈥淚 had read A Walk in the Woods but never thought to pick up another Bryson book until this one was recommended by another 优蜜视频 staff member. This travel book about Bryson鈥檚 journey through Australia is a delightful cross between a page-turning beach read and informative historical commentary. I found myself laughing even while learning about the ecology, anthropology, history, geography and culture of this fascinatingly unique continent. You may even end up moving Australia up on your list of travel destinations!鈥�-Nicole Endacott, Program Coordinator

The Revenge of Geography by Robert D. Kaplan

鈥淭hough dense in historical examples, this book shows how many of our current tensions鈥攆rom the Syrian Civil War to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions鈥攕tem from monolithic geographical features. I particularly enjoyed the last two chapters, where Kaplan points at America’s demographic transition and concludes that geography, more often than not, determines the fate of nations.听鈥�-Mark Blekherman, 优蜜视频 EXPLORE Extern

Want more book recommendations? Check out what we were enjoying in ,听听and听.

What books have you been enjoying this summer? Let us know in the comments!

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classes are at once engaging and educational. While sitting in on three classes two weeks ago, I was surprised by the instructors鈥� hands-on, student-centered approach to learning. Academy students arrive at conclusions through discussion and inquiry; rather than feeding the class answers and formulas, Academy instructors give students room to explore and discuss concepts. Coming from a boarding high school that emphasizes a collaborative, inquiry-based approach to learning, I was impressed to see classes with younger students using the same pedagogy.

Due to the interdisciplinary and interactive nature of these classes, students are able to apply what they learned to real-word scenarios, from using chemistry to prepare food to making video games in Java and Python. During a Primary Geometry class, for example, students learned about shapes by creating their own mini-boats out of foil and straws and testing them in a tub of water. The instructor used the most buoyant boats as a segue into a discussion about 3-D geometry, helping students visualize the intersection of geometry and the outside world. If you missed out on Primary Geometry, check out our new offering, Math Magic: Numbers up your Sleeve, a class offered in .

In a Rocket to Calculus class, the instructor asked students to predict the path of a rocket using mathematical formulas before going outside to test their predictions with their own handmade rocket. Rather than plugging numbers into equations, the instructor helped students understand the origin and meaning of the formula. In both classes, the instructor made sure that each student had an equal opportunity to ask questions; due to the small class sizes and instructors鈥� approach to teaching, each student felt included and comfortable speaking up.

Although each Academy class has a structure and purpose, instructors are open to students鈥� suggestions and are there to engage their curiosity. On the last day of a Robotics class a few sessions ago, students were testing their robots when one came up with the brilliant idea of attaching pins to the front of the each robot and balloons to the back, then pitting the robots against each other. An eccentric way to test their robots, indeed, but the creative activity made for a memorable end to a Robotics class!

Classes are still open for Session II and III, so if you missed out on previous sessions, check out our offerings for this summer. In addition to our classic offerings of Video Game Design and Microbiology, we are excited to announce a handful of new classes, from Improv 101 to Creative Writing. Summer is only getting started, so we can鈥檛 wait to see you at Academy in the coming weeks!

Mark is an extern this summer at 优蜜视频. A Los Angeles resident, Mark will be a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy this fall.