Gavin McCollom’s International History Olympiad

Hello, my name is Gavin McCollom. I live in Connecticut and I am an active member of my community. I am an actor in my school musicals, a Boy Scout at the rank of tenderfoot, and I volunteer at the Adam Stanton House historic site, as a junior docent in my free time. I recently I got the opportunity of a lifetime, when I qualified for the international history Olympiad and National Science, history and geography bees. The International History Olympiad is being held in Rome and I would love to go, but my family simply can’t afford it. The trip will cost at least $10,000 to participate- probably more! It would be amazing and will be incredible opportunity for me. I would have the opportunity to represent our small shoreline community at this competition. The cost for the competitions are approximately $15,000 in total. For Italy cost include: $3000 registration and activity fees; $3000 airfare for a chaperone and me; and $3000 hotel fees and additional expenses. The registration cost includes activities like visiting and competing at the Colosseum being at the Circus Maximus and other historic and cultural field trips. I would really like my family to come cheer me on and share with me in these events, but at this time, our family cannot afford the trip, since my mom just finished grad school and there’s been other expenses. I am currently seeking donations and sponsors to send me to Rome. The opportunity to travel to this amazing event would benefit me immensely personally, and it could also have a very positive impact on the Clinton community, since I will be representing our town at a prestigious international event. Secondly, I would like to encourage historical interest among the students in our town, and this could help do that. I also volunteer at the Adam stanton house, so history is very important to me. I would absolutely cherish this opportunity and would love to share my stories and experience from this trip with my classmates, teachers, and school. This could also help encourage other students to compete in competitions like this in the future.