 Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics is a cost-free, state-funded four-week program that immerses high school students in a college experience on one of the University of North Carolina's four participating campuses. Every summer for more than 30 years, academically talented rising juniors and seniors with an interest in science and mathematics live together in dorms, study with some of the best minds in the country, and have access to millions of dollars in labs and recreation equipment, all while having the time of their lives. I did not know that I would have so much fun and meet so many new people at Summer Ventures. When we were there, I actually went tubing. We did so many different things that it was I didn't know that I would learn many things, but I had so much fun while doing it that I didn't realize I was learning at all actually. It was quite a unique experience. It wasn't like you sit in a class, you take notes, and then you go and do homework when you left. Essentially, you did go to class, you did take notes, but at the same time you applied those different principles to make sure you had a better understanding of what you were learning. So it was a little different. I didn't expect it to be as interactive and as engaging as the program was, but it was definitely a difference from your typical high school environment. Everybody is on the same level, and it actually drives you to be the best that you can be. I loved the residence halls. We did like board games, card games, sports. We had movie nights, a field day. The list goes on and on. It was awesome. You become very close with the people you're living with, but it's really neat because they become your family while you're away from home. You're really going to miss the people when you leave. The residence home is a really good opportunity for you to get to interact with a lot of different people, get to understand different people's cultures, and at the same time learn a lot about yourself. I think it's really one of the best introspective opportunities you have as a high schooler. The course offerings encompass a broad range of topics across many disciplines. Students are encouraged to think independently in this hands-on environment and challenge themselves by focusing on a specific topic and participating in individual research projects. If you're going to spend four weeks of your summer doing research, then you obviously care about what you're doing. The research project was definitely challenging me because I'd never written a thesis paper or a research paper at that level before and also being around people who have the same academic goals that I do was very challenging. It was a great opportunity to really just see how a lot of the things you learn in your course work can be applied on an everyday basis. It's a good precursor to college. No matter which campus you attend, Summer Ventures is the experience of a lifetime. I couldn't believe how fast the four weeks were gone. The things I'll remember the most are the friends that I made because doing stuff with them was the most fun part of the program. It was the best part of the program to me. I'll remember it way, way more than anything else. Summer Ventures really provided me with the opportunity that I never would have gotten in my small school. If I hadn't stepped out and taken that opportunity, then I never would have met those people. I wouldn't be the person that I am today without Summer Ventures.