Emma's French Student Exchange

My name is Emma Walters. I am a 14 year old Year 9 student at St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee and I have big dreams. I am the ‘middle child’ in my family and live with my awesome Mum, my big sister Chloe who is 15, and my younger, much taller brother, Ashton, who is 12. We were all born locally and our family have lived in the beautiful Eurobodalla for almost 45 years.

For as long as I can remember, Batemans Bay has been my home. A place I feel safe and loved and free. But for all its beauty and wonder, and all the amazing support I have from my family, friends and school networks, I have always dreamed of being able to discover the world, immerse myself in new cultures and find out what life is like beyond our little piece of paradise, here in the Eurobodalla. There is so much here to love, but I also know that if I spread my wings a little it will open my eyes to the world and teach me so much.

That is why I am really hoping to travel to France in 2024 for a 12-month Student Exchange Program, and study Year 10 at a high school in France – immersing myself in the culture, developing my skills in French language and finding out what I am capable of outside of my comfort-zone.

I am blessed to be part of this incredible community and to have my amazing family, but despite working and saving hard for the past 12 months, I only have a fraction of what I need to make it to France. My beautiful Mum works hard to support our family, give us a roof over our heads and the education she values so much, but managing a family on a single teacher’s income is tricky. My older sister has significant medical needs and she and my mother spend a lot of time away in hospitals getting treatment, and so, like many families, we have a lot of commitments. As a result I have had to think outside the box in order to work out a way to make my dreams a reality! It is important to me that I try my best to balance being a good student, daughter and friend, as well as working hard to achieve my goals, without putting pressure on my family for financial assistance.

I have saved $1,500 so far, and will continue working to save for my goal, but committing to the student exchange will cost $15,000 and unfortunately that’s just not within my ability to achieve without sponsorship. I also need to attend school and make time for my studies at home (especially in French!) so I am reaching out to local businesses to ask for your help. Could you or your business consider helping me represent our amazing community as I broaden my education and skills through student exchange?

I plan to create a blog of my journey and post it online for my sponsors to follow as a way of documenting my adventures and all the things I learn along the way, as well as expressing my gratitude to those sponsors who help me get there. I look forward to sharing it with you!

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and consider sponsoring my educational journey. I really hope that I have the opportunity to represent our incredible community while I also learn about a new culture, immerse myself in a new language and challenge my world view! If I am not successful in raising enough funds to make this dream happen, I plan to donate any funds raised directly to Endometriosis Australia as I am affected by this condition and know it is a wonderful, worthwhile charity doing great work.

Sincerely yours,

Emma Walters