Emerson attended Butler’s Pre-College Programs (formerly BU: BeReal) while considering being the first person in her family to go to college. She’s grateful Pre-College Programs helped build her confidence and relationships, and the camp also helped her hone her expectations of the college experience.
Now, as a Butler student, she’s even returned to Pre-College Programs as a camp counselor to help students like her find support and belonging.
Emerson Baran ’29
Major: Sociology and Psychology
Minor: Education
Gas City, IN
What did you learn about yourself and your areas of interest through Pre-College Programs?
One of the things I loved about Pre-College Programs was the variety of experiences and activities offered. Before coming to Butler, I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to major in. Attending the summer before my senior year of high school allowed me to meet and interact with staff who are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their careers. I was able to learn so much about the different areas I was interested in such as education, psychology, sociology, and more! Additionally, Pre-College Programs was my first ever overnight summer camp experience. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit how anxious and way out of my comfort zone I felt. However, one of the things that the program does extremely well is ensure all campers feel connected at campus. There are many different icebreaker activities and time built into camp to get to know your cohort and other campers. As I got settled, I felt at ease and was able to create long-lasting friendships with people I still talk with today!
What were some of your favorite interactive/hands-on experiences during camp and why?
I can 100% say the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a fan favorite! I was lucky enough that both times I attended camp I was able to attend their sessions. COPHS lets you make your own hand sanitizer, vitamin C gummies, and/or lip balm. Their sessions are extremely hands-on seeing as you get to use lab instruments to mix chemicals together and make your own product. You get to pick your own scent for the hand sanitizer as well as flavor for the lip balm. In addition to being in a Butler lab, they provide white coats for you to wear while creating. Jordan College of the Arts is a close second with how interactive their sessions are as well. Typically in the morning is some sort of dance activity and the afternoon session is drumming. At first it seems intimidating to many campers, but as the session goes on, everyone gets more comfortable with it and starts having fun.
What did you think about attending college before coming to Butler’s Pre-College Programs, and how did this camp shape your view of college now?
Coming from a first generation college student, before I attended Pre-College Programs I had only the idea of how TV shows and movies depicted college life. My family loves watching Gilmore Girls and so I thought my life was going to be so similar to Rory’s at college. Coming to camp, I had an easily impressionable view of what college was going to be like. Throughout the week, I was able to talk to many of the counselors, who were/are current Butler students, and learn so much about Butler and college life. For example, a tradition since the camp began is to have a counselor panel where all of the “adults” leave the room and campers can ask any questions they want. Despite the few crazy questions, many of them were asking about making friends, managing a job and school, getting involved, enrolling in classes, and so on. These panels were extremely informative to me and helped shape what my life would look like at Butler.
How did Pre-College Programs prepare you to pursue a college degree?
Pre-College Programs prepared me to pursue a college degree by introducing me to different resources and people on campus who all work to help support you throughout college. Before even getting accepted into Butler and before coming here in August of 2024, I felt confident that I knew who I could reach out to or where I could go if I needed help at Butler. As I mentioned before, I’m a first gen student, so prior to camp I didn’t really have a clue of what resources were out there. Attending camp also made me feel comfortable physically being on campus. There are so many things to be nervous about as you transition to college and the simple act of knowing where you’re going and where things were helped me to feel more comfortable during my first year.
What was your biggest takeaway from your Pre-College Program experience as a whole?
My biggest takeaway was to be open to new opportunities outside of your comfort zone. When I first applied in 2023, the drawing factor initially wasn’t the different college explorations or leadership training but the fact that it was at Butler (I was set on coming here for college). Attending a camp like this was so far out of my comfort zone and I am so glad everyday that I stuck with it. Through this camp, I was able to form the best connections with not only my fellow campers but also the Butler faculty and staff. Many of the people I met at camp, I still see while at Butler. I mean, the leadership training coach ended up being my FYS professor, Nii Abrahams. I often saw counselors from camp while I was walking around campus. I’ve been able to be a part of so many meaningful opportunities all because of the relationships I built with people during camp.
What advice would you give high schoolers considering an overnight on-campus experience?
Take the chance and try to remain as open-minded as possible! At first, overnight camp can be nerve-wracking, but the experiences and connections you will build makes everything worthwhile.