UK Adventures Blog

Howdy!

On this the second morn of our adventure in anticipation of the first full day in Edinburgh, the sunlight beamed through the glass window, clear as crystal, tilted ever so slightly to allow the chill of the breeze to serve as natural air conditioning. The courageous among us, overcoming the jetlag at an unfathomable pace, woke up at 6:00 AM to go for a brisk early jog. An intrepid group broke off from the main pack in pursuit of the coastline. After reaching the ten kilometer mark (that’s roughly six miles for you folks at home), they realized they might be late for breakfast if they went further. Luckily, after turning around, they arrived with minutes to spare.

Entering the cafeteria, the delicious smells immediately complemented the scrumptious sights of what was to be consumed: Hash browns, sausages, various fruits, eggs, both over-easy and scrambled, haggis, baked beans, pancakes, buttered croissants with marmalade. After an hour of dining, we made the trek towards the Hogwarts-esque classroom for the first course of the trip.

The faculty, the student leaders, and the students gave succinct introductions. Dr. Crick began his first lesson. First, we split up into randomly assigned teams of six, and created monikers for ourselves, as well as deciding on team symbols and colors. Back in the lecture hall, ethos, one of the Aristotelian modes of persuasion, was the primary focus of the Socratic dialogue which the professor conducted. We learned how virtue, practical knowledge, and goodwill constitute three methods of establishing one’s credibility. Further, we explored the concept of identification, with its resulting assumptions from one’s audience sometimes causing a feedback-loop that can amplify the originally claimed identity, and its relationship to con-substantiality, which led to a short deviation to a theological discussion of the Holy Trinity in the Christian tradition. Next, the student leader, Rudolf, led us in a team-building exercise in which we built increasingly complex structures out of simple office supplies. Success and struggle were commonplace, but together we bonded.

Before exiting the grand hall reminiscent of the architecture from Harry Potter, we were introduced to a simple seeming game that would soon turn into a passionate competition. The Goose-Chase: A selfie scavenger hunt consisting of twenty-eight challenges ranging from participating in a thumb war with a stranger to locating a unicorn, the national animal of the great country in which we reside. As we descended down the steps towards the coach for our imminent castle tour, the race was on.

Our tour guide led us up the cobblestone pathways, through the arches, and inside the walls of Edinburgh Castle, home to the Scottish Crown jewels. At precisely 1:00, a member of the Scottish regiment fired a canon, signaling all locals of the hour. Separating into smaller groups, we explored the centuries of history beneath our feet and grabbed a quick bite to eat. We roamed the cells where Prisoners of War were confined, the Great Hall, the oldest building in all of Scotland, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and much more. (Fun Fact: if you’re named Margaret or a similar derivative, you can get married free of charge in that church and join the guild of Margaret).

Then, the walking tour. We explored the Old Town along the Royal Mile, through a balcony overlooking the street that inspired J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley. We witnessed several statues including Adam Smith, the father of economics, David Hume, a famous Enlightenment philosopher, King Charles II, heir to Charles I and crowned upon Oliver Cromwell’s murder of the king. Inside the National Museum of Scotland, we found both another statue of the great physicist James Clerk Maxwell and the first mammal to be cloned, Dolly the Sheep. Scottish influences are pervasive.

Ending the tour at a recommended local restaurant, many of us enjoyed the traditional Fish and Chips. Subsequently, we split up and freely explored the wonders of the city on our own. Whether it be visiting the National Library of Scotland and its enclosed museums or the nearby French consulate, walking through the shops within Diagon Alley itself, taking a Gelato break, searching the graveyard for the famed inspirations of Harry Potter characters and at last finding Tom Riddle’s resting place, sitting down at a pub and trying Heineken Zero (I hear it tastes awful) or simply wandering the city, we immersed ourselves in Scottish culture.

 

At last, with the sun in the final stages of its descent, one group began heading back towards Pollock Halls (our dormitories), at first passing by the park upon which we played ultimate frisbee the day prior, but failing to resist a detour to the adjacent playground. As chance would have it, another group ran into the first and joined. Climbing, sliding, ziplining, and experimenting with a merry-go-round to prove the conservation of angular momentum (thankfully none of us threw up), we all lived in the moment.

An unforeseen consequence of this final escapade was that one of the writers for this piece was tardy to the previously agreed to rendezvous for the purpose of making this brief blog post. Nevertheless, we hope you enjoyed. Signing off for now.

Oidhche mhath!

– Andrew et Andrew

Hello readers!

This is our first day in the UK! It started off with a 9 hour flight to London then a 4 hour train ride to Edinburgh, where we will stay for the next few days. We weren’t familiar with everyone so these hours were a great time to get to know each other.

When we arrived at Edinburgh, we went on a bus tour to view the city and the popular sights. The castles and architecture was really intricate and we hope to see these places more closely during other days of our trip.

After this, we went to the university to settle down and to place our belongings. Later in the evening, the group split off into smaller sections to explore and to get dinner. We think everyone enjoyed their food and have had the opportunity to connect with one another.

We are excited for the start of our trip! With two more weeks left of our trip, hopefully we don’t get too jetlagged 😀

Cheers,

Allison and Ajith

Final notes from the desk of our student leaders ♡

 

Caitlin:

 

On our last day in London, we all met up at our usual 9:30 for a trip to the National Gallery. I, the most directionally challenged of the student leaders, took the lead navigating the group, and we only almost got lost once. At the National Gallery we all got to walk through art from every major era, and enjoy so many works, particularly Athul, our resident art historian. It was at the gift shop that we all really went crazy, though, and four of us walked away with matching T-shirts. 

 

We then jumped back on the tube and headed to Camden market for lunch where we were then turned loose until dinner. After some great food, the thrifters of the group tried their luck at the Camden thrift shops where there were tons of interesting finds. At this point, the group split off to their own separate adventures. While some went off in search of more cool shopping, others went to the British and Natural History Museums. 

 

At the Natural History Museum, my group quickly learned that an old historic building meant no AC, and for some reason, a Monday afternoon was every stroller clad family’s favorite time to see some cool rocks. Despite the crowds and heat, we had a great time, and they got to hear me geek out over dinosaurs for a solid hour and a half. 

 

We all then headed to an Italian restaurant for our final group dinner where we enjoyed some good food and some good company. We took our final group photos in front of imperial college and then headed up to TJ’s kitchen to procrastinate packing and spend more time together. 

 

As this trip came to a close, I found myself amazed at how close everyone had become in just a short three weeks. I have already witnessed so much growth in every one of these 25 students, and I am so excited to see the amazing things that they will do at Texas A&M. Watching the bonds form between these students was so rewarding, and I feel so lucky to have gotten to know them all. 

 

This trip has caused me to do a lot of reflecting on my time as a college student. While there have been times when I have wished I had done things differently, this trip helped me to realize that I wouldn’t change a thing. This trip has provided me with so many incredible life-long memories and has helped me to grow profoundly as a leader and as a person. I know that my future and the futures of every student on this trip will be brighter because of this experience. 

 

To Mr. Brown and Ms. Smith, thank you so much for this opportunity and for everything that you have done for all of us. You both take such a sincere interest in everything that we do and take pride in all of our accomplishments. Thank you for always believing in us, even when we don’t always believe in ourselves. It means the world. 

 

To the students on this trip, I loved getting to know all of you. I am so floored by how incredible you all are, and I can’t wait to see the crazy and impressive things that you do in the next four years. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. I better see all of you on campus!

 

Best Wishes,

Cailtin Sannes ’24

 

Anish:

Starting from our first gathering at the airport, through the first morning of exploration along the walls of York, and finishing off with the last evening in London where we battled jet lag by striving to stay awake until our flight, the consistent thread weaving through it all has been the company of the 27 friends I’ve made. I can’t help but remark on how fast we have bonded with each other. While all of us were fairly timid on the flight leaving from Houston, it only took one night in the dorms until we were all bantering together like old pals reuniting. Although one of the student leaders, I feel I was able to be with everyone through it all; being a freshman one last time. While the students learned a lot from the educational sessions about what to expect from college, we all experienced the culture together and learned about independence and, most of all, the impact of our choices.

Being on this trip was reminiscent of my time starting college 2 short years ago. Being so far from home and in a new environment, being pushed out of my comfort zone served to really emphasize the skills and lessons I have gained through college. Every accomplishment, every interaction, and every mistake made have only built up who I am as a person, and all came into use on this trip. Being able to draw on those served me well through the challenges on this trip, but most of all further added to these experiences. It was as if each connection forged cemented a new layer onto the foundation I had begun building during my college years. Just as these first 2 years in college added to my person, this trip continued cultivating the journey of self-discovery and reinforced the idea that growth is continuous.

As one of the student leaders, leadership was the key part of this program. It was my greatest privilege to be able to serve in this role and for that I thank Ms. Smith and Mr. Brown who have done so much for the Brown Scholars and for me personally. This trip reinforced that leadership is not a one-way street. How much we put into it is how much we get out of it and through all the mentoring the students received, I believe I learned just as much on this trip.

For all the students, the memories I have made with each and every one of you on this trip will last a lifetime. I just know that whenever I see you next, we can pick up right where we left off, joking about some inside joke from the trip, whether it be about the red tower or something more profound. I am truly excited to meet you all again and see how you will use everything we experienced in the UK as college begins. As always, I am happy to help with anything these next 4 years and beyond that. Don’t be a stranger and I can’t wait to see y’all again!

Best Regards,

Anish Easwaran ‘25

Sarah: 

 

From strangers to inseparable friends, these twenty-five amazing students have grown as students, as leaders, and as international citizens. 

 

Every day was an exciting new opportunity for adventure. In York, we lived our cottage-core dreams and wandered around the small but beautiful town, warming up to the concept of being away from our families and traveling internationally. We were amongst strangers, plunged into an unfamiliar environment with hopes of finding friendship amongst our fellow scholars. Each student searched for belonging, learning more about themselves through discovering how they made friends, who they gravitated to, and also understanding the importance of being open to change. 

 

In London, we settled into a rhythm and strengthened our friendships with each other. After a relaxing ten days in quaint York, we were so excited to get out into the big city and explore. We ventured out into Soho, the West End, Chinatown, and more, and we enjoyed all of the markets around London, including but not limited to Borough Market, Camden Market, and even an indoor market called Spitalfields. We rode a ferry and explored a multitude of famous castles and palaces, many of which had been used in the filming of movies and TV shows. We learned how to use the London Underground, and with each passing day, we felt more and more connected with the city. London’s diverse and vibrant atmosphere lended way for us to begin to feel a sense of belonging. 

 

Just as quickly as it began, however, soon our trip came to a close. As one of our student leaders, I have loved seeing these students think deeply about their place in the world and delve into their own journeys of self-discovery. From conversations about philosophy to curiosities about the future, whether they realized it in the moment or not, every single student learned more about themselves. As this was their first foray into college life, guided independence, and being away from home, each and every student learned more about their personalities, their preferences, and their priorities. 

 

I was able to ask a few of our students what they have learned and how they have changed over the course of this trip. Some expressed how they learned to handle different situations, becoming more adaptable and open to spontaneity. Some students were able to discover and shape their life plans, especially thanks to the guidance of our staff and our educational sessions. Many others were surprised to find that they were much more capable and open to making new friends than they thought, finding close friendships most unexpectedly. There is power in change, and each of us were able to harness that power by choosing to take every new experience in stride. 

 

Being a student leader also meant working closely with our amazing staff. Gisele, Valerie, Luke—thank you for everything that you did to make this trip work. Thank you for being our mentors, our friends, our support. 

 

Of course, this blog could not be complete without a massive round of applause and gratitude for Mr. Brown and Mrs. Smith. Your generosity has made this trip possible for all of us. Thanks to you, us student leaders have had the opportunity to witness and encourage the change and growth in all of these students. Thanks to you, our students have had the opportunity to make friends, create a community, and explore their own minds and understand themselves during this fast-paced, challenging transitional period in their lives. We will never forget this life-changing experience. We appreciate everything you have done for us so much. 

 

I am so indescribably proud of what we have done and how we have grown on this trip. It was incredibly humbling and inspiring to see how talented and bright everyone is, and to see how each student brings their own unique styles and strengths when working together as a team. I certainly learned how to be a better leader and team member, and enjoyed hearing about our students’ growth firsthand. I was able to see how we went from strangers to a cohesive group, able to trust and confide in each other. We may be leaving the airport apart, but we are more together than ever before. 

 

More than anything, it was an honor to be able to mentor and get to know these spectacular students. As student leaders, we had the responsibility to guide and lead our twenty-five. But twenty days later, here we are: more than just being mentors, we have made connections and friendships that have more meaning than we could have ever expected.

 

And in the end, that’s what leadership really is. It’s being decisive, but also patient. It’s being there to guide, but also to step back and listen. It is being there for each and every single one of these students, being proud of their growth, and encouraging and uplifting them so that they can become even better leaders themselves. 

 

If our students are reading this right now, know that I am so proud and excited to see you again on campus doing big things. I had so much fun getting to know each of you and I want to thank you all for being kind, friendly, and open to learning from one another. Us student leaders are always here for you, so keep in touch! See you in College Station!

 

Sincerely,

Sarah Voon ‘25