The summer before her senior year, Estelle Phelan (12) had an agenda. She wanted to fulfill her nine-week break with as many enriching experiences as she could, attending a total of four stay-away summer camps that not only helped her direct her future, but also helped her learn more about herself than she’d ever imagined.
In late May, Phelan received an official acceptance from the American Legion Auxiliary California Girls State (CGS) program, where she received a scholarship and was the only student selected from Westview. Eager to have the opportunity, Phelan said she readily accepted and left on June 13 to stay a week in Sacramento.
During this camp, the students were exposed to a mock government and election process, where they registered to vote and hold elections for city, county, and state levels. Some of the positions available included mayor, governor, and school board executive, she said.
There were two political parties that they could opt to be a part of: the Nationalist and Federalist parties. Phelan attempted to run for both Nationalist Party Leader and Public Defender, but after facing disqualification, she went on to win the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction, securing one of only five spots among the 418 attendees.
“This camp really taught me how to sell myself as a person,” Phelan said. “I had to stay up all night, make posters, write speeches, and do a speech in front of all 418 girls at the camp. Then I had to do a whistle-stop tour, where I had to go to every single county and they asked me random questions. I made it to the primary [election] and I was super happy, like all my hard work had paid off. I grew so much as a public speaker from the camp.”
At the end of the camp, Phelan finished her experience with a speech about her mother, which ended up winning her a $1000 scholarship.
Phelan, whose mother passed away early last year, drew inspiration and motivation from her mom’s encouragement to chase every opportunity she could.
“The reason I decided to attend [CGS] was because in middle school, my mom had watched the [American Legion Auxiliary California] Boys State documentary and she found out that there was a girls’ version,” Phelan said. “So when I got the email about it, I thought of my mom, and so I applied for it and got in. Throughout the camp, I failed a lot running for positions, but the reason I continued to get back up is because I had my mom’s voice in the back of my head telling me, ‘who cares, you’re never gonna see these people again,’ and that’s what I think was really meaningful about the camp. No one knows each other, and it’s a safe place for everyone to fail–which I did–but you grow from failure.”
Just a few days after she came back, Phelan went off to the University of South Florida for a college prep camp for military children sponsored by the Special Operations Warrior Foundation where she also connected with people who knew her mom and other peers who had experienced the same thing, along with getting guidance on writing her college essay.
Phelan said the camp helped her frame her experiences to reflect what colleges look for in the essay portion of the application process. Her past experience living in Belgium helped her hone in on her social skills because of how many new people she met, especially at her international school. She said that her ability to connect with cultures from around the world is a value that will help her succeed in her application.
During this time as well, she was introduced to the field in which her mom had served and the accolades she had earned.
“My mom was in the Air Force, and from what I found out, my mom was the first woman in her unit to attend that U.S. Air Force Weapons School, which is the Air Force’s Top Gun school equivalent,” Phelan said. “She even got asked to go back there and teach, which is a really big deal. There were a lot of people whose dads were in Special Ops, and only five of us whose moms were in it because it’s such a male-dominated field.”
After returning from this camp, Phelan left for Georgetown for a week to attend the HOYA Medical Academy where she and a select group of students from all over the country performed mock medical procedures like suturing and dissection. While she enjoyed the camp, Phelan said she felt discouraged after learning a lot of the students’ families came from medical backgrounds, therefore having prior knowledge.
“Don’t be put down if there are people around you that are smarter than you,” Phelan said. “Don’t feel discouraged; a lot of people’s parents were doctors, a lot of people came from very wealthy families, and a lot of people have taken a lot of science classes that were really kind of geared towards the medical field.”
Because of this, her ability to participate in discussions was hindered.
“In discussions, they were able to participate more, and I came with no knowledge at all. I felt really discouraged, and at the end, I was like, ‘Maybe I’m not meant for this.’” Phelan said. “I actually talked to my cheer coach’s mom, who’s a cardiothoracic surgeon, and she told me, ‘You learn that stuff at school, it’s all about the heart that matters for being a doctor, and it’s about your work ethic.’ I know I have a strong work ethic, so I had to just be comfortable with not always being the smartest person, but having confidence in myself that I’m meant to be here.”
Finally, along with the Westview Cheer team, Phelan attended a three-day annual program with the National Cheer Association [NCA] where they prepared for the upcoming season. As one of the varsity captains, Phelan said she knew she had to stand out and bring as much enthusiasm and spirit as possible. Here, she won the ‘All-American’ award, gifted to cheerleaders with the most spirit, skill, and ambition.
After reflecting on the camps she attended, Phelan said she was able to get clarity on her true passions and began forming a path for what she wanted her future to look like.
“After [CGS], I emailed my counselor and asked her to put me in [AP United States Government and Politics], so now I’m in that class after I learned about how to be an educated voter and understanding all the forms of the government, knowing that the city and county levels have a lot of power over my daily life,” Phelan said. “I’m thinking that for college, I’ll probably major in either political science or international affairs and then go on the pre-med track. I’ve been interested in being a dermatologist. I think it would be really cool to be a skin cancer surgeon because it’s dermatology and skin-related, but more hands-on and surgical, which I think is really interesting.”
