BY LAUREN RAGUETTE
PALS Volunteer Leader
As we look forward to Summer 2022, we are excited to bring back the PALS model - week-long programs at our host universities with on-campus activities and trips in the local area. Explore what a day at PALS looks like as Lauren describes her week at Philadelphia in 2019. We can’t wait to see you in 2022!
Lauren is a Chemistry Graduate Student living on Long Island in New York. She joined PALS at Philadelphia in 2019 and never looked back! In 2019, she was paired with Cat who was her partner for the week. This past summer, Lauren was a director at our Princeton Program and cannot wait for her next program!
Describe a day at PALS. Pick a specific day you remember from the 2019 program. What did you participate in with your partner, Cat?
One of my favorite days at the Philly program was our Six Flags and Karaoke day. We started it off with a bus ride full of singing Taylor Swift and playing animal charades in anticipation of our VIP Safari Tour at Six Flags. We stormed off the bus and got right on our private safari tour where we saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, and so much more. We got to hop off and feed the giraffes and Cat fell in love with two baby bear cubs who couldn't have been any cuter. We sat and talked to them and hopped back on the tour to begin our day of rides. Cat, my partner, convinced me to go on a rollercoaster that I never would've gone on without her confidence. It was so much fun. We went through a tunnel, and when we came out of the tunnel, it was raining and we couldn't stop laughing. We figured we might as well keep up the fun and ride the log flume while we were already soaked! After tons of more rides and exploring the park, we met back up with everyone to take a great group picture in front of the fountain, which I have framed in my apartment! I honestly didn't think the day could get any better until I remembered that we had karaoke waiting for us when we got back. Cat LOVES Taylor Swift and had been practicing “Shake it Off” all week. Performer after performer, the energy in that room was MAGICAL. Everyone was on their feet the whole time: singing, dancing, jumping, and cheering. By the end of the night, we had all lost our voices and danced back to the residence hall so we could get ready for another incredible day.
How did PALS help you to form a transformative friendship?
PALS has this incredible way of taking in complete strangers and having them leave the week attached at the hip. From waking up and talking about what we were looking forward to, to enjoying each activity and chatting about our lives during every meal, to debriefing on our day before bed, we grew as people and as friends. We learned so much about each other and taught each other so much.
What are you looking forward to most about PALS in 2022?
I am so excited to be back to our extended in person programs! I loved my time at Princeton this summer and our virtual programs, but I can't wait to see all of our participants transform in their week-long programs like I know I did in 2019. Seeing the same people every day for a week and laughing, loving, and growing together is incredible. But while I'm SO looking forward to our in person programming, I also can't wait to see how we continue to incorporate virtual events! We've learned so much over the past two years about having virtual welcome calls and reunions and even full length programs and I know PALS will take advantage of everything we've learned and create the best of both worlds!