Folsade Odeniyi Harvard University If there is one thing that I could relay to NSHSS members it would to be active during the summer. Though at times I feel like I would rather stay at home and sleep all day, there is nothing that could replace the experiences that I have faced. I feel that my transition from high school to college will be easier because of my summer experiences. I have spent my summer working tirelessly. Being that this is the summer before I attend college I thought that I should gain some work experience (since I never held a job). Although I would rather volunteer, I had to work to not only help my parents with domestic financial needs, but to also save money for the upcoming school year. I am currently working at the University of Pennsylvania bookstore which is actually a fun job. Being there I get to meet people from all over. I work in the clothing department which is an eye opening experience because I never realized the work that goes into making a store look attractive and keeping the clothes in order. At first I thought of it as an easy job, but it isn't. Working in the bookstore has enabled me to work on my people skills as well because at times I can be very shy and unwilling to open up or to just be personable. At the bookstore I have no choice but to be outgoing because I am always dealing with people. I am also working for the School District of Philadelphia at a summer reading program geared towards middle school age kids. This job is a bit of challenge from the bookstore. I get to help kids work through a computer simulation that allows the kids to be a manager at a paper company. The program challenges the students to think effectively by analyzing information given to them, by making difficult decisions, and by testing their knowledge. I have connected with the kids in ways that I would never have imagined. Since the kids are heading to the 7th and 8th grades, I get to tell them what lies ahead, to hopefully excite them about the school years that lie ahead. I also get to plant seeds of career aspirations, because I know that part of what led to a successful high school career was that I had set goals for myself before I entered the doors of my high school.