A Month at GRACE

Initially, the idea of spending one month of my summer back in the classroom at Groton did not sound great to me. No one wants to be studying chemistry for more than two hours every day when they could be doing literally anything else with their free time. So when I returned to campus in late June, I had mixed feelings about what the next few weeks would look like. Looking back on my time at GRACE ( the Groton Accelerate Challenge and Enrich program), I find that it was a truly amazing experience and I am glad that I went.

I’ll be honest and say that chemistry was really difficult. Sitting through a ninety-minute class was tough, but there were some fun moments in class (like Mr. Maqubela’s stories). We covered a lot of material, and we were given a quiz nearly every day. In the end, I think I learned that despite the difficulty, I might actually like chemistry, even when I don’t feel like I am “all over it” —as Mr. Maqubela would say. There were special moments outside of class too, like days at the pool or going to see movies. Highlights were definitely going to Kimball Farms, where we did bumper cars and mini golf, the Zoar trip with whitewater rafting and ziplining, as well as watching Never Have I Ever in the classrooms after dinner with my friends. Time really flew by, and before I knew it I was moving out and leaving campus.

It turns out that though GRACE proved challenging academically, it also created an opportunity to make new memories and for our form to bond. There were many great moments (as pictured) and I honestly wouldn’t trade the time I spent there for anything else.

Back