ANova Through the Eyes of an ANewbie
Out of the hundreds of clubs on campus at UC Berkeley, ANova remains a distinct organization; while college students interested in computer science can find solace in a community of others facing the same challenging courses, they can also build similar communities of middle school and high school students interested in technology. ANova enables typical college students to make computer science education more accessible for all, giving them the means to mentor and teach younger scholars. It draws those compassionate enough to be a driving force in widespread computer science education.
Since Berkeley has so many passionate, intelligent students pursuing technology, ANova’s recruitment process had to be thorough. I completed short essay questions, sent in my portfolio, and spent time preparing for a face-to-face interview, all of which went well enough for me to obtain a spot on ANova’s Publicity Committee! While the different components of the application required quite a bit of effort on my part, this meant that the officers on the receiving side of these documents had even more work. It was good to know that the club I chose to apply for had officers extremely dedicated to building community for their cause.
Not only were the officers welcoming and committed to the club, I soon discovered that the rest of the members were just as affable. Orientation was just as much informative as it was friendly introductions, hug-filled reunions, and giggle-inducing icebreakers. I instantly felt like a vital part of a club that truly values its members.
The following Monday, when it came time to attend the first General Meeting of the semester, I felt completely comfortable sitting next to anyone. Everyone I talked to seemed genuinely interested in our conversations. As a freshman entering my first couple of weeks at Cal, fearing the competitive atmosphere, I was surprised by the sheer amount of authenticity in the room.
Our next meeting was a DeCal meeting; we met to discuss the background of the communities we mentor and how to effectively teach them. A highlight of the discussion was discourse on the shortfalls of the infamous equality, equity, and justice diagram. DeCal prepared me for my first site visit, a one-hour lesson at Willard Middle School. The students there were so lively and participatory, the experience collectively made our group of mentors enthusiastic for coming visits. My site leader was so happy, he repeated the sentence “That was so satisfying,” at least five times afterwards.
I am more than excited to continue participating in ANova, and I can’t wait to see what opportunities this semester brings for a club full of such a warm, driven community.
