NEW JERSEY SCHOLARS PROGRAM 2011

June 26 – July 29

HUMAN RIGHTS: PAST. PRESENT. FUTURE.

Comments from some of the 2011 Scholars follow:

NJSP fostered my love of learning and for this, I am eternally grateful.

This program has helped me view my world, and my place in it, very differently. 

NJSP has expanded my world view.  I know so much more about different cultures and the social issues with which different cultures struggle.

NJSP made me see the world through a new pair of eyes -- I saw things from a completely new perspective.

Harkness Tables/seminar style to learning proved to be a fantastic experience.  Quite aside from any specific academic experiences, the 1 ½ hour interactive dialogues were a new type of learning for me  -- and one that proved to me to be more intellectually engaging than any academic experience I’ve had so far.

What a life-changing experience this has been!

NJSP opened by eyes to the beauty and significance of humanities.  Taking on an extensive and sophisticated reading load, I quickly developed a greater appreciation for intellectual discourse without a right answer.

NJSP provided a forum for me to share my ideas with others, question my convictions, and truly learn about concepts critical to our society.

This experience has really made me much more accepting and open-minded. . . I would 100% do this every summer for the rest of my life!

If I were to rate NJSP like a movie, I would give it 10/10 stars!

I learned far more than facts about human rights.  I learned how to flourish in an intellectual community, how to balance the academic and non-academic in my life, and most importantly, how to enjoy the company of wonderful people who will remain life-long friends.

The New Jersey Scholars Program was about the world but out of this world.  I entered this program with a closed mind about the world but now I have opened my mind to the truth humanity faces.

I came to realize there is a much larger world beyond my hometown, wit so many people with valid and competing views.

Going into this program, I honestly did not think that it would be a “life changing” experience.  However, after these (short) five weeks, I can honestly say that I think it has been.

This experience opened by eyes to what intelligent discourse really is and what it can inspire.

I can only hope that college is remotely akin to the NJSP experience.

NJSP was not just an opportunity for intellectual growth but for personal discovery and development.  I can honestly say I am not the same individual I was five weeks ago.

Words simply cannot describe the appreciation I have for everything that NJSP has offered.

The Program is true to itself; that is, you actually get the experience that you’re told you will receive.

NJSP brought me out of my culture bubble.

After NJSP, I feel better prepared for college.

I discovered what it is like to have daily lectures and seminars in a collegiate-style atmosphere.

I enjoyed learning for learning’s sake.

I simply loved this Program.  Never before have I been in an environment where everyone shared the same passion for learning.  While our academic environment was intensive, I felt there was no competition.  We all came in wanting to learn and grow.

This Program completely exceeded all expectations.

NJSP has allowed me to realize my potential. . . I am truly grateful for this awesome experience.

I grew as a student and a person at NJSP.  I discovered what it was like to challenge your mind without the pressure of grades. 

I had never been in an academic setting where students were so eager to participate and so full of insight to share.

The research paper was one of the best academic aspects of this program.  It marked one of the first times in my academic career that I got to choose a topic that I was intensely interested in and explore it on my own terms.

The lectures were incredible.  All four teachers put so much thought and effort into each one and I felt like I was stepping into a whole new world each morning.

The number of eureka moments in this Program is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.

All four of our teachers were brilliant, fun and engaging. . . Their passion for their topics was contagious and encouraged me to learn and experience life.

Through NJSP, I have learned for the sake of learning and not for grades for the first time in my life.  Not only did I learn about human rights, I learned how to learn.

If college is like this [NJSP] then I will have four awesome years ahead of me!