Last year Ellie Marks and I attended the 4-H Illini Summer Academies having no idea what we were 

getting into. Not only did we learn new and amazing things, but we got to get a little taste of 

what college is like. Everyone who attends stays in the dormitory, Bousfield Hall. Having to live 

with three other people can be a challenge but it can be a fun experience overall. Both years Ellie 

and I have made friends with the people we roomed with.

There's a large range of academies to take. Every academy is different and has a different amount 

of people in it. This year I took the Applied Health and Sciences academy. We took a look into the 

different majors of health at U of I. We went to research labs, resource centers, and even went to 

the Memorial Stadium. At an EMT center, we learned how to make a tourniquet in the case of an 

emergency and learned new ways to do CPR When we met with a Kinesiology doctor we got to learn how 

cognition and movement tie together. At one research lab, I even got to do an ultrasound on my arm 

to see my muscle movement. We did many more things throughout the week and I made some amazing 

friends.

Everybody who went had different experiences than me and they had lots of fun. I encourage high 

school students to go to this academy. It's a great way to see what majors there are in college, 

and who knows you may even find your perfect career through it. With that, it is also a great way 

to get a general college experience.

University of Illinois Extension provid.es equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you 

need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact the Edwards Co. Extension office at 

618.445.2934. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting your access needs.