Summer Fly-In: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Whew. What an awesome (and exhausting) two weeks full of learning, connections, and fun!

In the blistering heat of late July in Walla Walla, I was uber fortunate to have participated in the Whitman College Summer Fly-In 2022 Program as a Summer Fly-In Leader.

The Summer Fly-In Program is literally a magical time dedicated to incoming First-Generation/Working Class (aka FGWC) students. In a span of two weeks, we welcomed two cohorts of wonderful students who were flown in for a jam packed time full of amazing opportunities that I personally deem as once-in-a-lifetime.

Some of the opportunities include but are not limited to being first-in-line to access many important resources on-campus (i.e. the Dean of Students Office, Office of Financial Aid, Career & Community Engagement Center, Academic Resources Center, and so forth), getting a sneak peek feel on the First-Year Seminar experience, learning about campus and Walla Walla, creating meaningful connections and friendships and most importantly having fun! Both cohorts had a blast at the community pool, a local farm, the rock climbing gym, and chilling in Lyman House playing on a Nintendo Switch (popular options are Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Just Dance) and singing their hearts out on a karaoke machine.

The Summer Fly-In Program has always been an important part of my Whitman College experience. I personally attended the Summer Fly-In Program back in the summer of 2019 (yes, the heat was the same as back then). After a break of in-person Fly-Ins for two years, participating as a Summer Fly-In Leader in 2022 gave me a lot of nostalgia. I remember I used to be super shy and introverted as an incoming First-Year, until I met a bunch of extroverts who adopted me into their social circle at my Summer Fly-In. To this day, they are my best friends. In fact, some of them joined me on the Summer Fly-In Leader Team and we had an absolute blast.

I am so grateful for the diverse array of perspectives, experiences, and stories that each incoming student brings to our community. I am even more excited to have been part of welcoming them into Whitman College and look forward to giving all of my own tips and tricks when it comes to college-ing. Plus, now they have me as their go-to if they have any questions once they are back on campus for the fall semester.

Until then, I shall continue to reminisce on my own Fly-In experience and the wonderful memories I’ve made.

Cheysen Cabuyadao-Sipe (he/him/his) is a senior from Lāhaina, Hawaiʻi who is majoring in Anthropology. He is an avid anime fan.