UC Davis Summer Programs Help High School Students Explore What’s Possible

“There's nothing like a piece of rubber skin and a polypropylene needle that makes you feel qualified to take on the world,” said Megan, a student in the UC Davis Pre-College: Animal Science program. 

She was one of hundreds of young people who came to Davis from across the country and around the world for a summer of exploration. 

“Having the opportunity to learn skills like these has given me perspective on what my future may look like,” said Megan. “As an aspiring vet I no longer have to dream about how life will look. All I have to do is look back on my time participating in labs and repeat to myself: I am a surgeon.” 

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s summer youth programs give high school students opportunities to explore what comes next—whether that means testing out a major, exploring a career, experiencing university life, practicing English in a new environment or connecting with students from around the world. 

This summer’s UC Davis Pre-College offerings brought more than 230 students to the Davis campus from 11 states and nine countries, including Peru, Turkey, China, Spain, Puerto Rico and Denmark. In addition, five international youth cohorts totaling more than 100 attended international summer programs. 

Discovering New Possibilities 

Students in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s international youth programs had a chance to experience what it’s like to study at an American university and see how well they could communicate in an immersive English environment. They also explored interests in topics such as sustainability and business. 

In the Sangju City Summer Youth Program, students from South Korea had opportunities to explore various conversation styles in different situations. In U.S. College Study Skills, students from China developed academic skills, gaining confidence in academic performance and experiencing campus life. Students from Taiwan and Mexico participated in Business Beyond Borders, a two-week program focused on giving future entrepreneurs a look into what starting and maintaining a successful business looks like. 

Tania from Mexico said, "This experience at UC Davis helped me learn more about marketing and finance,” said Tania, a student from Mexico. “And I have new friends from Taiwan!" 

These short programs gave young people from around the world an opportunity to experience life away from home, build new skills and gain confidence. 

“UC Davis is heaven,” said one student. “I wish someday I can come back.” 

For students in the UC Davis Pre-College programs, this was a chance to see what it’s really like to study a specific major at UC Davis and envision a possible career in that field. 

Avery wanted to know what it was really like to be a doctor. Levi wanted to learn how he could apply his passion for biology, chemistry and the environment in a research lab. Ellery wanted to understand how to better care for her horse and how to apply that to a future career. 

“I’ve been interested in forensic science since middle school,” said Danny, who participated in the Pre-College: Forensic Science program. “I thought this would be a good opportunity to see if I would actually like doing it in real life.” 

“I wanted a crash course in veterinary science to know what I would be getting into if I wanted to major in something like this,” said Aviva, a student from the UC Davis Pre-College: Animal Science program. 

The UC Davis Pre-College programs gave students interested in subjects ranging from business and agriculture to chemical engineering, animal science and medicine firsthand experience with what they might study—and, most importantly, do—in those fields. 

Both Pre-College and international youth offerings expanded this summer, giving students new ways to experience UC Davis. In response to growing interest in entrepreneurship, new offerings included Business Beyond Borders and Pre-College: Emerging Leaders in Business. Other new programs explored agriculture, sustainability and food security, while Pre-College: Animal Science emerged as the most sought-after offering. 

Learning by Doing 

Some of the most memorable learning didn’t happen during lectures or while students were taking notes. It happened outside a conventional classroom, in horse barns and hospitals or during local business tours and cultural excursions. 

For some students, learning by doing meant practicing a medical procedure or stepping into a university research lab. For others, it meant tackling a sustainability challenge, interacting with a local entrepreneur or putting their English skills to work. 

Students in the pre-college programs toured the UC Davis School of Medicine and performed ultrasounds, sutured and intubated. They lifted fingerprints, extracted DNA and spawned sea urchins in research labs. They also performed physical examinations on horses and dissected a cow eyeball. 

“This program had access to so many research labs and tools I’ve never had access to before,” said Levi, a student from the UC Davis Pre-College: Environmental Toxicology program. 

“I learned how to intubate, which was really cool,” said Brian, a Pre-College: Pre-Med student. “The hands-on experience is really valuable and makes me want to pursue this as a career.” 

“You learn a bunch of stuff that you didn’t know about medicine before,” said Avery, a student in the Pre-College: Pre-Med program. “Not just biology, but what it’s like to be a physician doing hands-on stuff, taking tours of hospitals and talking to a bunch of medical doctors.” 

International students in Exploring Sustainability and the Environment applied what they learned by developing projects and designing small-scale solutions to sustainability challenges. In Business Beyond Borders, students applied critical and creative thinking to real-world business challenges, interacting with local businesses. 

Connecting Across Cultures 

Beyond academics, the summer programs gave students a chance to make new friends, experience campus life and connect across cultures. 

International student groups engaged closely with UC Davis student assistants, and their programming included campus and regional experiences such as a youth mixer, games at the campus student union, field trips to the state Capitol in Sacramento and exploring downtown Davis. 

“I experienced many different cultures here and my English skills improved a lot,” said one international student. 

Dorm life was a big part of the pre-college student experience. From having a roommate to eating in the dining halls, students got a sneak peek at college. 

“I really enjoyed staying in a campus dorm and getting to experience what it's like living away at college,” said Max, who participated in the Pre-College: Forensic Science program. 

As part of the college experience, students gained new perspectives and met like-minded people. It was these unexpected connections that stayed with them beyond the learning environment. 

“You’ll meet a lot of cool people,” said Anton, who participated in the Pre-College: Environmental Toxicology program. “It’ll definitely broaden your horizons, let you see things that you might not have known previously, and it might spark a new interest.” 

“I thought I was going to be alone, but I’ve met so many friends here and so many new people who ride horses,” said Valeria, a Pre-College: Equine Science student. “It’s just opened my mind to new possibilities.” 

“These past two weeks have been filled with laughs over pigeon domestication, struggles with sutures, gags over the smell of the swine barn and watching my friends' faces light up with curiosity as we dissected cow eyeballs after lunch,” said Megan. 

Leaving With New Possibilities 

Students who came to UC Davis this summer didn’t just wonder what could come next. They had a chance to experience new possibilities firsthand, from testing an interest to trying something new. 

Whether they left with new career goals, stronger English skills or greater confidence, they returned home with a clearer picture of what the future could hold.

Learn more about UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education's summer programs for high school students and international youth programs.