Grace Goes to Pre-College

Due to my slow blogging style this summer, I am just posting these pictures from a few weeks ago.  Grace spent two weeks in Atlanta this month at Emory University.  This was a "pre-college" program, and she was enrolled in a course called Global Health Leadership. 

Last summer she spent 3 weeks at Georgia Tech with a Duke TIP program about infectious diseases.  In comparison with that session, the Emory program felt more like college and less like an academic camp.  Although she lived in the dorm for both experiences, that is where the similarities ended.  With Duke TIP, she went to class all day, walked around with her group and a leader, and ate meals with the group.  With the program this summer, she had class in the morning and then could arrange her schedule as she wanted, with different optional sessions and outings.  She was on her own for walking around campus and dining.  It was definitely more of a preparation for the real deal.  

And for some reason, even though this was only 2 weeks instead of 3, I missed her like crazy!  Maybe because I know this reality is only one short year away.

I flew with Grace out to Atlanta to drop her off.  We stopped at the Ponce City Market before heading to the hotel for the night.  This was such a cool space!  It is an old Sears building that is now a shopping and dining hall.  We had lots of fun eating lunch and browsing around.

Grace loves sparkling lemonade, and we both ordered this yummy prosciutto/cheese sandwich.

 The next morning we headed over to Emory.  The dorm was so nice and modern.  I think it was pretty new.  The room was spacious, and we got her bed set up.

They offered a campus tour, so we did that.  A very beautiful campus!

And then I said goodbye and headed to the airport! 

Grace met some friends, and enjoyed walking through a park on the Emory campus.

This was one of the libraries on campus.

They went to a Braves game on July 4th.

And the Georgia Aquarium.

They went to the Centers for Disease Control.  

There was an exhibit showing infectious diseases as lace and bead artwork.

They also visited the Carter Presidential Library, Coca Cola World, Six Flags and more!

She had a great time at the program, and it firmly put Emory at the top of her college wish list.  Applications open on August 1st, so let the waiting begin!   And she flew home by herself without any problems.  It was a big step, more for me than for her, and she did such a great job!  Having a cell phone connection definitely makes saying goodbye a little easier.