Allie's second summer at EXPLO has been full of meaningful conversations in courses, clubs, and at Main Events. Although she's ready to head home, she has her eyes set on her next adventure: our EXPLO pre-college program on the campus of Yale University.
I think about EXPLO constantly during the year. I'm always thinking about when I'll get to come back and the new courses I'll get to take. It's different because I get to study what I want to study. I want to do something in psychology or be an artist when I grow up.
It's funny because there are so many courses that you'd think couldn't be educational, but they put so much thought into the curriculum and the execution of the classes. It's really cool. I look up to my instructors here at EXPLO. They're out there advocating for us, and studying what they love. I want to be like that.
My Making Art for Social Change course was a good way of discussing the things that affect us here at EXPLO but also in the real world. Some people have very different perspectives. Sometimes it's hard to listen to, but it's important to try and understand. I also got to participate in the Gay-Straight Alliance Club and the Speak Out Society. I was hesitant to go to GSA at first, but the conversations we had about LGBT issues and the media felt really important. Speak Out Society had good conversations and got to plan events like Take a Stand to make EXPLO a better and safer environment for everyone.
Looking back at "EXPLO-Day-1-Allie," I'm definitely more open and more willing to advocate for myself and the causes I care about. I'm not afraid to go to the Programming Office to make suggestions and be a part of this community. I get to contribute to this wonderful, unique place.
Charlotte Steinberg