From July 8, 2019, to August 2, 2019, junior Vic Lin, will participate in the highly coveted program, Cochrane Summer Economic Institute (CSEI). Those who apply must be a junior in high school and live in the “Footprint of the Capital Region Collaborative,” an area comprised of Richmond, Powhatan, Ashland, Charles City, Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland, Henrico, and New Kent area. This four week internship requires an application with a recommendation, as well as a face-to-face interview. Lin and fellow attendee, Jakob Marshall, are the first Midlothian High School students accepted into this prestigious program.

Lin began this extensive application process on December 1, 2018, when the applications first opened with a pressing deadline of early January. The Midlo junior sought a recommendation from Economics teacher Mrs. Monica Van Arsdale. In February, the process continued with the selected finalists taking part in an interview hosted at Collegiate School. “It was my first interview ever, but it wasn’t that bad,” recalled Lin. The interview included a case study for each student applicant and an in-depth analysis. Alongside the interview, previous attendees met the applicants, who enjoyed group exercises that portrayed the applicants’ teamwork ability, while learning more about the institute. Lin received his notification of his acceptance in early March. Mrs. Van Arsdale stated, “This is a highly competitive paid internship that will, without doubt, open up opportunities for Vic’s future.”

In the summer, the collaborators will divide the companies or teams and assign each accepted student into each. The nearly month-long program lasts from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm every day. Then, for three weeks in July, the “Design Thinking Challenge” takes place. The idea behind the project is to innovate a current issue, like redesigning game day for the Richmond Kickers. This requires out of the box thinking and knowledge accrued through the CSEI. On the final day, students will participate in a closing ceremony or “Public Share,” presenting the group’s work on the Design Thinking Challenge. “This is what excites me the most,” admitted Lin. “I like the idea of hands-on learning.”