The High School Summer Experience

For most kids, summer vacation is always something to look forward to. Sunny days by the beach, action-packed sports camps, and hanging out with friends at the pool are all examples of the fun summer provides. After nine months of continuous studying and working, it’s surely something students deserve. Yet, it seems summer does not hold the same carefree air we knew when we were younger. From working at summer jobs to prepping for college, Gilman students have been immersing themselves in a variety of activities. However, are students genuinely interested in these opportunities, or do they participate just for impressive accomplishments on their college resume?

One such activity that a growing number of students are investing themselves in is research. With the abundance of free time that summer brings, many students interested in STEM have spent their summers working on research projects. One such student is Rohan Sinha ‘26, who spent an average of six to seven hours per day at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Interested in biology, Rohan used this opportunity to get some hands-on experience in a laboratory setting. His job was to help the scientists with any tasks they assigned him. “After observing for a while, I learned a lot about the machines. Then, I got to do things like genotyping and western blots,” Rohan stated. After this experience, he sincerely recommends this experience to kids who like STEM. While Rohan concedes that a small part of this was for his college resume, he genuinely enjoyed the experience, reflecting, “I’m definitely going to do it next year.”

Another student who spent his summer studying the sciences was Andy Krasulski ‘26. He spent weeks volunteering his services at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Through this experience, Andy got an in-depth look at the daily lives of doctors, nurses, and patients. He familiarized himself with various techniques and equipment around the hospital. Frequently, he would also shadow anesthesiologists and “got to see some surgeries ranging from radiology to endoscopy.” Before this experience, Andy knew he wanted to study medicine, stating, “I wanted to commit to pre-med for college, but I wasn’t 100% sure.” After being in the hospital environment, he cemented his views. This summer experience gave him insight that may very well have determined the trajectory of his future. 

Summer jobs were another activity that many students participated in. William Han ‘27 spent a small part of his summer working at Coldstone in the Towson Mall. William’s primary role there was to clean, specifically washing the dishes. He stated, “I don’t think my boss really trusted me to serve customers. I tried one time, but it wasn’t a great success.” This experience was not the slightest bit fun for him, with William commenting, “I would never work there again. I think my boss hated me.” Later, William claimed that his boss ghosted him, which subsequently ended his career there.

However, Willam’s lousy experience at Coldstone does not reflect all summer jobs. Jackson Armacost ‘26 also worked in the food sector, spending his summer at Mission Barbecue in Hunt Valley. He was entrusted with food production, with Jackson stating, “I helped make sauces…and made the lemonade.” From the delicious food to the patriotic culture, Jackson has been a longtime fan of Mission Barbeque, which eventually led him to get this job. “I’ve always loved…how everything there is pro-America and pro-military,” Jackson commented. Carrying this enthusiasm into this job, Jackson ranked #83 in the entire company for selling the most American Hero Cups, an initiative that raised money for military charities. Finding something he enjoyed allowed Jackson to not only enjoy his job but also excel at it.

Many students, rising seniors, in particular, went on college visits. With their impending graduation and transition into college, many students visited prospective schools to see if it was a good fit for them. Students traveled to these colleges independently or with the Gilman College Tour in early June. Hudson Seavers-Reale ‘25 went on the trip, which included multiple universities, ranging from Richmond to Duke. Hudson said he “just wanted to see colleges down south, so it was an excuse to go.” Overall, the trip was enjoyable and informative, providing students with an in-depth glimpse at some universities they can consider.

Summer programs were also one of the most pursued activities over the summer. These competitive camps can provide great value to those lucky enough to be accepted. Eric Cao ‘26 was fortunate enough to enroll in a course called Engineering Innovation at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. Over four weeks, this introductory college course covered various topics, such as civil engineering and structure design. Eric described it as “an application of some things we might have learned in high school.” A typical week consisted of lectures and one or two labs. Eric said there was “a decent amount of homework” and commented, "The lab reports were pretty awful.” Still, he had a great time there, noting that he would certainly go again for a different course.

Summer may not be the stereotypical abundance of adventures, but it can still be filled with happiness and delight. Most students testified that they had a great time and would be delighted to continue doing their activities next year. While summer has become undeniably busier, it may not be so bad.