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Help Gaby Go To Seville!

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My name is Gabriela Ibarra. I attended Socorro Sandoval Elementary School, Whitney M. Young High School, and am currently at Moraine Valley Community College. I've always had the strong urge to travel and those that know me well are aware that I have begun to feel trapped within the city. SO, I found out that my school offers various study abroad programs, including the one that I will (hopefully) be a part of at the International College of Seville this Spring.

I had been receiving Financial Aid since I started school, but this year I was rewarded NO Financial Aid whatsoever. For those of you that have had this happen to you, you'll know that it feels like you fall between the cracks of having your parents "make too much money to award you aid" and "not making enough to pay for your education".

This is where I will greatly appreciate your help.

What Is the Program?
The program consists of a wide academic component centering on the intensive study of Spanish language and culture. This is coupled with the opportunity for complete cultural immersion in the life of the Spanish community.

These opportunities include:

Field trips
Cultural visits
In-home stays

Required Courses:

Spanish languages courses based on placement test (6-8)
Spanish culture course: "Three Cultures: Jews, Muslims, & Christians in Spain" (3)
Service learning course (1)

Elective courses will be available to me and once I decide my schedule I will update you all with that information.

Why Did I Choose This Program?

This program was more enticing to me than the others because it focuses on classes being taught in Spanish. In almost every job that I've ever had, I've had to communicate with Spanish-speaking indivuals. This program would introduce me to another culture while simultaneously giving me a better understanding of the language.

I currently do not have the privilege of studying at a school outside of the city for financial reasons, which limits my experience. In other words, I plan to be living with my parents for the duration of my educational career. Studying abroad would allow me to go on a temporary adventure while completing my 2-year education. I would become self-sufficient and thus rely less on my parents/others in the future. Studying abroad in a country with such a vibrant culture and extraoidanary artistic heritage would benefit me greatly, especially considering that I'm a Fine Arts major. Studying in Spain would allow me to bask in its beautiful architecture and go to museums there or in surrounding areas as well.

Having this experience could also benefit me when transferring, looking for internships, and when applying for other jobs.

How Much Is It?

The total cost of the trip comes down to around $9,000. The site takes 5% of every donation given, which is why I raised my goal in order to accomadate for that.

The fee will cover:

-Instructional costs
-Airport reception for designated flights
-Housing with laundry and full meal plan
-Health insurance, private clinics, medical specialists, house calls, 24-hr. support service
-Free cell phone for duration of semester
-Cultural visits & field trip excursions
-Free Wi-Fi access
-Tutorial assistance
-On-site library & study areas
-"Intercambio" program with Spanish students

The fee does not cover:

Airfare
Passport/Visa
Personal expenses

My flight plus Passport and Visa would come out to be around 1,500 (roughly) but I am NOT including that amount in this campaign because I am applying for some scholarships to cover that and personal expenses. (I don't want to ask for too much from everyone either. I need to do something myself!)

What Do I Do?

My focus in life is to help others. I've volunteered the moment I knew I could (right after I graduated grammar school). I went back to that school and volunteered more than I needed to because I wanted to help out. I do not like staying idle. I've worked with Southwest Youth Collaborative, Yollocalli Arts Reach/The National Museum of Mexican Art, and After School Matters.



I worked as a Teaching Artist Assisstant for 2 years at my former grammar school (yeah I know, I never left that place). I worked with students ranging from grades 1-5. 

I've worked on several murals, whether it was actually painting or helping an artist prep a wall, over the course of 3-4 years.

REMED 2013 w/ Yollocalli located on 16th & Ashland

Christopher Silva 2013 w/Yollocalli located on 28th & Ridgeway

My portion of another mural on 28th & Ridgeway

I was also part of a mural internship program this summer with 3 other interns and we worked together to create 3 murals on our own without a Teaching Artist. Here are 2 of them:



Next Summer I am also looking to do another internship in Oaxaca and having this study abroad program under my belt would really help me persue that!

THANK YOU for any and ALL donations. You will never know how grateful I am for you all.

 

If you would like to help in another way, PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK with others on your pages! Thank you for your support!

-Gaby 

 

Donations 

  • Michael Muhammad
    • $25 
    • 9 yrs

Organizer

Gaby Ibarra
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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