We asked 优蜜视频’s Summer Programs Intern Kaitlyn Chen to write a reflection on her journey with 优蜜视频. Check out her post below on how 优蜜视频 influenced important decisions about her future career opportunities!

My name is Kaitlyn, and I鈥檓 currently a sophomore pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Film at California State University, Long Beach. In 2017, I participated in the program, externing at . Before coming into 优蜜视频, I had a set goal of wanting to become a film editor. For 6 years, I鈥檝e been self-teaching myself how to edit. I鈥檝e volunteered at multiple film festivals and nonprofit organizations in hopes of getting my foot in the door of the industry. However, the majority of the time, I was learning and editing on my own. When I started my junior year of high school, I decided that I wanted a mentor, someone who would guide me through the steps towards becoming a filmmaker, or more specifically, a film editor. I first learned of 优蜜视频 and their through my college and career counselor (Ms. Sisson) as I was nearing the end of my junior year. There, I met Ni帽a, who would become my program coordinator and later my supervisor this summer. I also met my EXPLORE mentor, Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, who would later become an influential person in my editing career.

How 优蜜视频 Helped me to Grow

优蜜视频 definitely challenged me socially by helping me step out of my comfort zone and opening myself up to new people, ideas, and experiences. The excursions that I visited during my year (2017) and this year (2019) in EXPLORE helped me to grow closer with the other externs and become familiar with the networking process. All it takes is a brief chat with someone, and there you go! You just formed a connection, and the next step is getting in contact with them. Through 优蜜视频, I鈥檝e learned that I shouldn鈥檛 be afraid of people, but of the missed opportunities in life. As the saying goes, 鈥淵ou miss 100% of the shots you don鈥檛 take.鈥� 优蜜视频 helped me see what it meant to be a gifted individual. It didn鈥檛 mean being born a prodigy or being the top 1% of the class (although those could be the cases). There are other individuals whose gifts might not be as obvious, yet they are the ones working their hardest to reach for their dreams.

优蜜视频 also challenged me academically by helping me apply my academic knowledge to the real world. Going into the EXPLORE program, I didn鈥檛 think I would need any prior knowledge, aside from video editing. However, I was wrong. Before I started on my editing project, Professor Amy gave me some books to read and some documentary films to watch. I understood that in order to carry out a project, I needed to know the background information behind it, or more specifically, the historical significance. That鈥檚 when I had to reach into my memory to recall some of the previous information I had learned at school. I never imagined history to be so alive and relevant in today鈥檚 world until I began applying my historical knowledge into everything I did during my externship. Moreover, 优蜜视频 taught me the technical side of the counseling field during these eight weeks I served as an intern. I learned how to format documents, file papers and keep records of the budget. I found these simple tasks to be very useful in my life, and I use them in all the things I do, whether that is formatting my assignments or recording my money spending.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The moment I stepped foot in Professor Amy鈥檚 house, I just knew my filmmaking experience would take a whole different turn. You wouldn鈥檛 believe how many cultural artifacts I saw in her house, especially her living room alone. It鈥檚 like walking into a museum of its own with paintings, musical instruments, books, and so much more. How cool would it be if all filmmakers had studios like this! My filmmaking experience was more fast-paced and contemporary. However, Professor Amy showed me another route I could take that was more slow-paced yet culturally informative. For three weeks, I worked with her in learning about various South / Southeast Asian cultures and getting a chance to edit one of her documentary films. I鈥檝e learned so much about the documentary filmmaking process 鈥撯�� not only the time it took to make a film, but also the time it took to learn all the information about the people and culture being documented. Professor Amy鈥檚 patience, guidance, and wisdom made my first hands-on experience in the EXPLORE program such a memorable one. I felt my work as an editor was even more valuable, knowing that it contributed to a global effort of connecting individuals to each other through cultural awareness. I never felt more valued as an editor when Professor Amy reached out to me after the program, asking me if I can help her edit again. It was that small favor that really ignited my passion for film. If someone believed in my ability, I should believe in it as well. I don鈥檛 think my connection with Professor Amy would鈥檝e been possible without 优蜜视频鈥檚 help because they were the ones who initiated the EXPLORE program. It is because of programs like these that allow students (like myself) to continually expand our networks and connect with individuals who are like-minded and passionately driven.

A Step Towards School Counseling

I always knew I had a soft spot for kids. I love being around them. They鈥檙e such a joy to work with because they exude so much energy and optimism. I had the chance to experience these ___ more fully this summer at 优蜜视频, engaging with students from all different backgrounds and grade levels. When I was at Academy and watching over the kids on their breaks, some of them would come up to me and excitedly ask me to play with them, whether that was tag or a board game. I felt like a kid at times, remembering when I used to run around with my friends or become super competitive in Monopoly. There were, however, times when I had to step in and calmly advise the kids not to run out onto the streets or to take turns in the game. On the other hand, when I was interacting with the high school students in the EXPLORE program, I felt, in a sense, more connected to them because I was in their shoes not too long ago. Whenever they voiced their victories, I celebrated with them. Whenever they voiced their defeats, I gave them some advice that others had given me when I was facing similar challenges. These moments of connecting and advice-giving allowed me to develop a sense of purpose and fulfillment that will transcend into my possible counseling career.

Being surrounded by kids/teenagers and interacting with them brought out my inner passion for helping others physically and psychologically. Because of my soft-spoken, compassionate, and observant nature, I believe school counseling might be a great field for me 鈥撯�� one that I can be myself and become the person I want to be. I realized that my purpose in life was to help those in need because the world so desperately needs that at the moment. I feel like my past experiences in counseling elementary and high school students at various nonprofit organizations, especially at 优蜜视频, have ultimately led me to where I鈥檓 at. It didn鈥檛 matter how many people I was helping because I鈥檓 satisfied knowing that helping one person can change his or her world. It鈥檚 strange how I entered 优蜜视频 wanting to pursue one field (film) and coming out wanting to pursue another field (psychology). It just goes to show that life and the choices you make in life are constantly changing. Therefore, you鈥檙e always learning how to adapt to these changes.

Selecting an appropriate summer camp for a gifted student requires careful consideration of the whole child. Who are they, and how can they benefit from the summer? There are no standard answers to this. Some students want to spend the summer more fully pursuing a passion. Others want to try something new. And some don鈥檛 want to go to camp at all, preferring to read, imagine, work for money, visit family, or more. All of these are worthwhile options.

To understand a child鈥檚 greatest strengths and needs, and how educational choices can best support a child, I often look to Dabrowski鈥檚 Theory of Overexcitabilities, also often called . If we can identify a child鈥檚 intensities, we can better analyze which resources best serve him or her. For a good understanding of Dabrowski鈥檚 theory of gifted children and their intensities, I recommend Sharon Lind鈥檚 article, 鈥�.鈥�

Before considering the environment of a summer program, there are a few overarching questions to consider. Do they want to fill their summer with what they already know they like, or do they choose to try something personally challenging? Do they want to stay in their comfort zone, or experience a summer outside of it? After your child has answered these questions, you can think about your child鈥檚 needs more specifically. Here are ideas, based on my work with gifted children, to help you think about summer camps and programs based on their personal intensities.

Psychomotor Overexcitabilities

These children are restless, driven, usually in movement, active and energetic. They can successfully attend camps with non-athletic foci, but they must have daily opportunities for physical expression.

Last summer a gifted rising high school senior was in a college counseling seminar I led. The best part of his summer was playing basketball, and it seemed the worst part was sitting in my two-hour meeting. His dream is to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, and toward that he had an aggressive schedule of running and weight lifting. Another student told me he had to practice circus stunts every day or he would be depressed.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• A big campus with easy access to open spaces
• Fast-paced sports options
• Challenging physical activities with some sense of riskiness
• A climate that allows daily outdoor activities
• Sleeping arrangements that accommodate students who need fewer than average hours of sleep
• Camp programing that encourages students to settle themselves into some quiet time

Sensual Overexcitabilities

These children are highly sensitive to pleasurable or displeasureable sights, smells, textures, tastes and sounds. They can feel overwhelmed by increased sensory input, especially if they are placed in a displeasureable environment. Food quality is particularly important for these children. Music, language and art camps are well suited to these students.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Appealing food – One 优蜜视频 client attended a Chinese language camp, which was a great experience for her 鈥� except that she did not like Chinese food. (She did come to like some of the menu鈥檚 choices.) Camps with strong kitchen odors can also be a problem for these children.
• Supportive dining arrangements – Food is what you eat, plus how you eat it. Is the meal rushed? Is the camp turning over tables to feed everyone? Is the eating area clean? Or are students encouraged to sit, have conversation and stay at the table as long as they want?
• Good air quality
• Access to music
• Visually soothing campus – One student told me she would only feel peaceful if she was surrounded by trees.

Intellectual Overexcitabilities

These children need to seek, understand, analyze and synthesize knowledge. They are able to concentrate for long periods and love to talk about theoretical and moral issues. They can be unintentionally critical of other students who are not peers.

Last month, I was in workshops with gifted high school students who aired their frustrations with limits on intellectual exploration. Most of them cited teachers who were sometimes unable to explain advanced material. AP classes are a mixed blessing: there is more advanced material, but so many assignments and a strict curriculum crowd out genuine thought.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Association with teachers or mentors who have complete mastery of their field
• Connection with peers who can socialize in compatible ways
• Intense learning possibilities
• Opportunities to discuss moral concerns
• Time to read

Imaginational Overexcitabilities

These children often create their own private worlds with imaginary people and storylines. They tend to prefer fantasies and dreams over facts and have preferences for the unique and unusual.

One gifted student interested in art had a superb summer in an architecture program. He was thrilled when his teacher gave him a viewfinder and told him to walk around the city, looking only at the details of architectural elements. He loved it all, especially working with the viewfinder.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Creative inlets and outlets such as plays, movies, creative writing, poetry, photography and crafts
• Storytelling
• Access to workshop space on an as-needed schedule
• Free time to imagine and wander
• Something within the program that is new to the student and out of the ordinary

Emotional Overexcitabilities

These children have intense feelings within themselves and strongly identify with the feelings of others. Their intensity includes physical responses, such as stomach aches, and they can be accused of over-reacting in situations.

This intensity is a challenge for residential camp staff, especially if the camp counselors are young. One student with emotional overexcitabilities was unable to sleep at residential camp until she was allowed a visitor and began to receive daily mail.

A summer experience for this type of student should include:

• An empathetic environment
• Mature counselors with good communication skills
• Camp commitment to accepting all feelings
• A calm environment, sometimes facilitated by a low staff to student ratio
• Good medical facilities, especially if the child is on any medication

As an organization specifically dedicated to serving gifted students, all of keep these overexcitabilities in mind. For programs not specifically designed for gifted students, theses intensities are important to consider and have the potential to make a significant difference in your child鈥檚 summer program experience.

优蜜视频 is currently accepting applications for summer programs for gifted kids ages 5 to 18. For more information about these programs, please visit the . Apply today!

What factors do you consider when selecting a summer program for your gifted child? Please share in the comment section below.

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