Jinny Chung '22
Outings week - when seniors travel around Southern California with the College Counseling Department - is something that many seniors look forward to. For me, it represented the first step towards real adulthood; a life outside of Cate where my choices will have life-changing consequences. I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Charlotte He’22 later confided to me that, “To me, this college trip feels like I’m finally getting outside the Cate bubble after staying put on campus for so long. Ever since COVID-19 hit, we were in a stagnant state at Cate... I got to see the outside world, lively college campuses, and overall, the whole trip felt very animated to me. I loved being with my friends and exploring my passion at different colleges. Also, don’t forget the FOOD!!”
The day started with a somewhat sleepy whimper as we met at the gym 6:00 am sharp. We stopped by a total of 12 schools: UCLA, USC, The Claremont Colleges, Chapman University, etc. On Tuesday, September 7th, we visited Whittier and UCLA. Pleasantly weary, we signed into Hilton Pasadena Hotel afterward for a much-needed rest. For Ashi, the time together was more than just a school tour, “I loved spending time with my friends in a real city outside of Carpinteria. Even though I wasn't applying to some of the schools we looked at, it was still informative to see what aspects I didn’t like in a school. It also gave me time to work on college applications.” On Thursday, September 9th we visited Otis, Liberal Arts College as well as the University of Redlands. The next day we toured the Claremont Colleges; Here we had the chance to meet and ask questions to Cate Alumni. I was grateful and warmed by the sense of community that we have as Cate students and imagined the day that I too could meet and give help to future Cate Alumni.
One of the highlights of the trip was the USC vs. Stanford football game at the end of the trip. I’m not much of a football fan but I was not immune to the energy and the thrill of being in a crowd reminiscent of the days before COVID. At that moment, I felt an awakening of renewed purpose. The last year was terribly stressful and at times, I was so tired I felt like a cast member on the set of the Walking Dead. However, surrounded by my Cate friends on that beautiful sunny day, I was reminded of what mattered to me just then: school spirit, camaraderie, health, and the hope of a beautiful future.
After the trip was over, I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Dorion. She expressed how there were some challenges in planning due to COVID-19, but there were unexpected positive aspects as well: “So many campuses were closed to group visits… it wasn’t ideal in terms of distance and trip planning. However, the timing of the trip [Senior fall] felt much more engaging compared to our historical east coast college trip held in Junior spring.” I think I speak for all of us when I would like to take this time to thank Ms. Dorion for organizing the trip and Ms. Bond, Mr.McDonald, and Mrs. Boardman for being amazing chaperons. Additionally, I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the Cate teachers who brought us to this pivot point in our lives. Thank you for preparing us so that we are able to face the challenge of choosing our school and taking the next step with excitement rather than fear and indecision. We only have a few months left in our time at Cate. Let’s finish the year with a bang, not a whimper.
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