Photo courtesy of the University of Southern California.

  For some four-year universities, students have the opportunity to attend early for a pre-college summer program to get ahead and take extra classes. 2022 San Luis Obispo High School Graduate Cevina Manzano chose to take advantage of this program at her university. Expressions decided to interview her about this program.

Expressions: What college will you be attending in the fall?

2022 SLOHS Graduate Cevina Manzano: I’m attending the University of Southern California in the Viterbi School of Engineering

Expressions: I heard that you were going to a pre-college summer program. Can you tell me more about that?

Manzano: It’s called the Summer Institute of Viterbi. Basically, I’m going to spend a month at USC and I’ll be taking math courses that are not credited towards my actual degree, but more just for the experience of what the rigor is for the college courses that they provide there. I’ll also be doing research with PhD students that are currently attending USC and getting to do excursions in Los Angeles so that I can get familiar with not only the USC campus, but the environment that it’s in. I want to get to know the LA area, which will be really great because I don’t know LA at all. I only go there for like universal or Disneyland.

Expressions: What is one thing you are looking forward to with the program?

Manzano: It mainly targets marginalized groups. So I’ll get to meet a lot of people that are just like me, and it’ll be a great experience to bond with people and form friendships that I’ll have to rely on during my freshman year. If I go into a class, I’ll probably already know some people in my class, which will be really nice. It definitely will build me like a nice support system, which is what I’m, I think most looking forward to.

Expressions: Was this an optional program or required for your major?

Manzano: It was not required by nature. I got an email sent and it was like, here is this summer program that we provide. Apply, and we will let you know if we’re going to give you a spot. The program is completely free. They pay for my housing, my meal plan, and all the excursions that I’m going to be going to.

Expressions:  Is there anything you’re scared about at all or do you have any anxieties about going early?

Manzano: I’m hoping that the Viterbi Summer Institute will be an accurate reflection of how the actual college experience will be in the sense that there are a lot of people that are just like me that come from a that are like minorities, but at the same time  I know, that’s not always the reality. I know that. being a woman in STEM, it’s true that I’m gonna have engineering classes where I might be like the only woman of color in that class. But I’m hoping that this summer institute will remind me that like there are people that I can reach out to for support.