Meet the Minerva Freshmen - Vantrease Wilson

What made you apply to Minerva? 

After high school, I took a gap year in Taipei to go far from home and learn Mandarin. There, I met Minervans from the Class of 2025 who changed the course of my life, by showing me what education and community can look like. I had never been in a space where every single person I met was incredibly open with deep curiosity and immediately felt like I had met my people. I had already committed to a university in Spain the following year and knew despite loving everything about Minerva, I should give it a shot. In Spain, I learned a lot about myself and met some incredible people, but I never felt like I belonged. Within a month, I applied to Minerva, hoping that admission would agree that Minerva was the right place for me and they did! 

What have you learned about yourself during the application process? 

The Minerva application places high importance on accomplishments emphasizing that there is no “best” accomplishment but they should collectively be diverse, have depth and commitment, be quantifiable, and be important to who you are. Using these lenses, simple things like the Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) I ran in high school and scuba diving became something to be proud of. I realized the importance of framing and how something important to me can always be leveraged to show someone who I am and I should never stop investing in my side projects and personal passions. 

What was your favorite accomplishment you mentioned in your Minerva application? 

From age 10, I attended an all-girls summer camp in New Hampshire. This place quickly became my safe happy home away from home where I could be myself, especially when I realized I was trans. For me, the single-gender space removed my perception of gender allowing me to just be, without being a girl (sounds counter-intuitive but that's how it felt for me). I eventually became the first trans staff member and pushed for improved LGBT+ policies, especially for trans kids, and fell in love with teaching archery. I would not be myself without this camp, so the opportunity to showcase this part of my life on a college application was deeply empowering.

Is there anything you are particularly excited about regarding your first year at Minerva? 

Before arriving in San Francisco, I was most excited about the community, and it still is the most incredible thing about Minerva. Looking to the rest of my first year, I am genuinely excited about what I will learn. In two months, the Minerva curriculum has completely changed the way I think and what would have taken one month to cover at my last university, we cover in one class at Minerva. I have never learned so much so quickly and I can’t wait to continue rewiring my brain and learning more than I could have ever imagined. 

What are your first impressions of the Class of 2028 community or of San Francisco? 

The Minerva community and San Francisco are somewhat separate for me. I adore the community and thought I would have a lot of imposter syndrome considering how accomplished everyone is, but I have felt nothing but belonging since I arrived. The genuine curiosity and love expressed and shared in our little cohort is so special to me and I can’t imagine myself without them. 

I didn’t expect to like San Francisco having grown up in New York City; I thought it wouldn’t be stimulating and too similar since they are both US cities, but I couldn't have been more wrong. San Francisco is my favorite place I have ever lived in. The city is so bright and open. People want to get to know you and make an effort to welcome you into their community even if it's just for a short time. I don’t explore the city much with other Minervans but I have made many of my own friends all across San Francisco and the whole Bay Area. I know I will always have a home in San Francisco and I am so grateful Minerva brought me here. 

What is your favorite Minerva memory so far? 

Human connection and emotion are central to my existence and what I consider important. I was nervous to have roommates since I’d never had them before, except at the summer camp, but they have become some of my closest friends. One night in particular my bunkmate and I stayed up late talking about everything, as we do on many occasions, but this night I am not sure what was different. Maybe I was feeling brave and open or maybe broken without knowing how to put myself back together. I told him about a memory from my past that I had never told anyone, not just at Minerva, no one in my life. Not my family, high school friends, therapist, no one. I don’t know why I chose to share in that moment and I didn’t know what I expected as a response, but him responding “me too” was the last thing I expected. While I still get lost in those deep memories, they now feel less lonely and for that, I am forever grateful. It is not exciting or what I expected to write when I read this prompt, but feeling deeply seen by one of my new closest friends is something I will never forget.

What advice would you give to future applicants? 

Minerva is an authentic loving community but it is also very intense. If you think it is the place for you, apply and show them who you are. There is no right way to be a Minervan so there is no reason to try and be anyone else. Trust yourself and trust the process! Be prepared for rigorous academics and constant uncertainty. If you don’t get in, you can always apply again; some of my classmates got in on their second or third try!

If you were inspired by Vantrease's story and are seeking a college experience that will teach you valuable pragmatic skills that will enable you to change the world, apply to join Minerva today.

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