For the last 5 days I have had the most inspiring and motivating experience ever! I left for Baltimore, MD on Wednesday and when I got at Johns Hopkins University there were not many scholars there yet so I was kind of on my own until Thursday evening when was the official start of the Jack Kent Cooke seminar. There was a short opening session where all scholars were introduced, we got more information about the foundation and then we headed to dinner where the essence of the seminar started – the networking and socializing between the scholars.
Friday morning there was a panel connected with leadership, and in the afternoon my group had a session with three undergrad alumnae and current graduate scholars who shared their experiences of their transition from two to four year institution. After that was the financial session where the basics of the process of receiving the scholarship were explained. There was a short break so we could get ready for the class pictures and then we headed to the banquet at one of the hotels in Baltimore. That was the second big opportunity to meet practically everyone and share stories…and oh did we share…I have never imagined I will be part of such a diverse and talented group.
Saturday kicked off with the Cooke Conundrum where we were split in teams of five to six scholars and had to complete two rounds with several steps each of puzzles. It was very fun and challenging at moments. In the afternoon were the focus groups with the research team and then we headed to the National Aquarium 
We came back for dinner and then it was time for the talent show. OMG, these were the greatest two and half hours filled with music, dance, poems, martial arts, etc. After the talent show we headed to the Inner Harbor – the social area of Baltimore where me and three other scholars picked a nice Irish pub to have a drink and keep up the conversations. The seminar ended with a final session on Sunday morning and lots of “goodbyes.”
Nice addition to the seminar was the fact that there was another Bulgarian transfer scholar
Though I said it already 1000 times I will say it again – this was the greatest experience I have ever had. Listening to all the great stories and sharing mine made me feel very special. I can’t really describe the feeling of being with 150 other people from all ages who share your interests of studying hard and serving the community INCREDIBLE!!!At the beginning, I asked myself several times “Wow, how did I ended up here with all these people who go to the best schools in the country?” but after the first couple of days it started sinking in that with 5% acceptance rate it is no coincidence I am part of that group. After years of struggling with my self-esteem, this weekend was one of the biggest boosters I have had. I came back very inspired and very energized to go and do everything I dream of doing
