My Summer Springboard Experience

At the end of the summer, the staff nominated a select group of outstanding students to the Springboard Scholars Program. The Springboard Scholars Program serves as an opportunity for alumni to stay connected with their peers, network with new people, and hone leadership skills. We asked the Scholars to write a short blog on how Summer Springboard has impacted their life.

Ayden Ottolini shares his personal experience below.

“I went into the SSB program at Cal Berkeley expecting to get a better understanding of what college I wanted to attend and if engineering was truly my passion. I gained insight on these, but I also gained much more. During the course of the two weeks, I gained many friends that I will keep relationships with for a long time. I gained many friends from diverse backgrounds and places, all bringing their life experiences to the table. It was very enlightening to hear everyone’s experiences and why they attended the program.

While attending the program, I as well gained insight on myself. I found that through the projects in my engineering class, that I liked to be a leader, not just a boss. I found it much more productive to take part and push forward for progress, instead of giving orders, which I previously would do. This program helped me find my true passion on creating as a leader of a team, not just doing it by myself or throwing out orders. This was very productive for me as a whole. I thank Summer Springboard for giving me the ability to test myself and improve.”