Student Spotlight: Tyler, Debate and Public Advocacy Institute
The Wake Forest Summer Immersion program is an experience that is truly worth every penny. My favorite moment from the week was a debate and advocacy lecture from Dr. Atichson. This lecture taught me about how to actively engage in representing myself under the law. My biggest takeaways from this program are that both professors and students are extremely motivated at Wake Forest to put their best foot forward. Another takeaway that I had is that Wake Forest has an incredibly beautiful and manageable campus, which makes for easy transportation and scenic views.
Something new that I learned about myself when attending this program is that if I am motivated like students and professors at Wake Forest, the sky is the limit for what I can achieve. Specifically, one of these experiences was hearing from Nakida Mcdaniel, an advocate pushing to end gun violence. Her message was extremely inspiring, and having the opportunity to listen to her speak was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. The way that she varied the tone in her voice to hammer through her point was very impressive, and the cohesion of her arguments made her extremely easy to follow.
Someone that I met that impacted me was the Head Coach of the debate team, Justin Green. Mr. Green is the most articulate person I have ever met, and he has had a profound impact on my interest in Wake Forest and my interest in debate. Thanks to him, I know that I want to apply to Wake Forest as soon as possible to be a part of Wake’s acclaimed debate team. This experience has impacted my future by helping me make up my mind about where I want to attend college: Wake Forest. This experience has changed my mindset as it has helped me become more receptive to arguments from the other side of the political aisle. This made me see the value in having a conversation with people that do not share the same beliefs as me, and also how compromise can be made between people with different beliefs.
The Summer Immersion Program at WFU also helped me further clarify my goal of, one day, attending law school. This clarification stemmed from the presentation about law as well as lectures throughout the week. The most interesting thing that I learned about Wake Forest is Wake’s small classroom size. It’s unheard-of for a school competing at such a high level in sports to have such a small class size, but Wake made it happen. I would recommend this Summer Immersion Program to any student interested in Wake Forest because it is the closest experience you can get to see what it feels like to be in college without actually being in college yet. The Summer Immersion Program gives you a unique perspective on what it’s like to be a student at Wake Forest University and gives you lifelong friends and connections. The Summer Immersion Program at Wake Forest was truly one of the most inspiring experiences in my life, and something that I’d encourage every high school student interested in Wake to attend.
For more information on the Debate and Public Advocacy Institute, click here.
Throughout the year, we will be featuring different alumni and current students to talk about their diverse experiences in our Institutes. Learn more about our Institutes from the perspective of our students and explore more of our posts here.