A Human Superwoman
Heading one of the 20 largest organizations atHarvard while training to be anationally-competitive wrestler and designing yourown concentration is the kind of resume mostHarvard students only associate with their mostdriven peers.
But looking back, Summer sees it differently.
"I wish I had acted with more self-confidence,"she says, talking about how hard it was for her toovercome a feeling that "I didn't deserve things."
Like most Harvard students, she talks about howshe needs to work at being calmer, and not gettingupset about dealing with relationships, gainingweight or not having money.
"She may seem like Superwoman...but she's morehuman than human," says Diane M. Hughes, Summer'sbest friend.
Hughes should know--she's been close to Summerthrough her successes, but also through the timesof insecurity and alienation that plague manyHarvard students.
One winter night in Summer's first year, shehit a low point. "Depressed [and] distraught,"Summers called Hughes.
"She was having trouble relating to people fromHarvard. We've come from similar backgroundseconomically," Hughes remembers. "That was beforeshe had much structure--she wasn't wrestling thatyear or anything--so one night, she insisted onleaving the dorm."
The two gathered up every blanket, sweater, hatand piece of warm clothing in the room, and madecamp in the Pit, curling up to sleep for a fewcold hours.
Though she makes it clear it's not somethingshe would ever do again, Summer says that nighthelped her re-center herself.
"I'll never forget it," Summer says. "It feltmuch freer. I could choose who I was. The sun roseand it was just better."
It continued to get better, Hughes says,