MicroLENDING #2

The International Society at ESD raised $518.00 in September, passing our goal of $500.00! The next big challenge was to decide what to do with that money (and trying to get a group of high school students to agree on what to do with that much money is a HUGE challenge)! But last week, we finally decided to lend through Kiva, a well-established organization through which the school can track the changes in the lives of the individuals to whom we lent. We chose three women, Zumrat from Tajikistan, Angelica from Peru, and Enid from Uganda. All had almost enough money to finish fundraising, but not quite all they needed to expand their businesses. Visit the links below to see their profiles. If you don’t speak Spanish, find an ESD Spanish student to translate Angelica’s for you. It’s good practice for them. We will update you via this blog regarding their progress, so keep checking back!
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=140202& te=ty
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=139988& te=ty
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=132873& te=ty

Foreign Exchange Student at ESD!

I’ve been doing really good these days. I’ve made a lot of friends and we went to the state fair together. I watch the football game every Friday. My friends and I even have a little tradition together, having dinner every Friday before the game.

I got a 90 on my first history test. I enjoy reading the history materials which help me understand better about the foundations and development of this nation. Learning history helps me know more about America and also gives me a new idea of thinking.

I also joined some really interesting clubs. Model U.N., Diversity, Breakfast, Community Service, and Environmental Awareness. I’ve done so many things that I’ve never experienced before. It’s such a great opportunity for me to embrace challenges, to grow, and to learn about another culture and in the same time to share mine.

My host family is great! They look me to Austin for Labor Day weekend, cook different and special meals for me to try, and make me feel part of the family. We are now planning our trip to Chicago during Thanksgiving. I am really excited about it.

Everything is awesome here. The teachers, friends and families are so nice. They help me a lot in my study and in my new life. I really love it here!

Shan (Foreign exchange student from China to ESD, September, 2009)

Postcards from College: Vanderbilt #2

I walked on to the campus and looked at the hundreds of kids flooding in and out of buildings, their lives packed up in little cardboard boxes. It was the start of my life in Nashville, Tennessee. Admittedly, I was terrified.

Busting through the gates of ESD and tackling the world seemed simple when I was sitting in senior hall looking out the window. In fact, it was all I could think about. After thirteen years and every positive experience I could think of, it was time to go.

But arriving in Nashville was a different experience. The reality started to set in. Parents out of town for a weekend: glorious. Parents out of town for the rest of your life: a little scary.

But when you start your classes and start to meet people, you realize this is what you have been preparing for all along. All those late nights of history papers and wolf run projects have been building up towards your college classes. All those club fairs and community service projects have been teaching you how to take the initiative and handle your own life.

It’s strange when the place you sleep isn’t your home, but when you get settled and buildings start to look familiar, college provides you the chance to truly discover yourself outside of the context of your family and friends.

In high school, I knew myself as I was around people I had spent the first 18 years of my life with; but at Vanderbilt, far from home, I’m trying to figure out who I am as a person, relying on myself for motivation, inspiration, and laundry.

ESD Graduate, Vanderbilt Freshman #2, 2009

Postcards from College: Vanderbilt #1

Greetings from College!

I always valued ESD’s community and incredible education while I was in high school. But now that I am a freshman at Vanderbilt, I have never been more grateful for my ESD experience. Coming into college, it was incredibly comforting to know that there were around a dozen ESD graduates sharing the campus with me. Regardless of the fact that I may not have known everyone of them well in high school, I knew there would be some familiar faces. But the fellow alumni have gone out of their way to make sure that I, in addition to the other ESD freshmen, have had a smooth transition into college life. The community definitely did not end after I was handed my diploma. Another thing I have taken away from ESD is a priceless education. I had no idea how well prepared I would be for the college workload. I have been able to be a contributor in every one of my classes by using skills and knowledge I attained throughout my years at ESD. From the community that lives on, to what I have taken from the classroom, I now have a whole new perspective on my ESD experience. I would not trade it for anything.

ESD graduate, Vanderbilt freshman #1, 2009

pictured: two former Eagles before a Vanderbilt tailgate