Help Maya attend high school in Denmark

I'm in! Just got my confirmation that I am going to spend next year in Denmark with the AFS program. I've been working on the application for three months and finally got the acceptance letter last week.I'm heading to Ottawa on the 28th to get my residency permit at the Danish Embassy and then I'll be completing my grade 11 and part of my grade 12 there. My departure date is on January 28, 2022 and I'm trying to fundraise as much as I can before then.

I've been drawn to Denmark since I was little, which might have something to do with my mom going on about how great the Scandinavian countries are. I started practicing Danish on Duolingo when I was 12 (I'm 60 crowns now!) and I love their culture and the Hygge... and they have the best classes for high school engineers! My obsession with Denmark grew when we began hosting foreign exchange students and from some of those lovely experiences I got the idea that it could be possible for me to be an exchange student myself. It's a great program and I have made some lasting friendships with some of the people who stayed with us (Hi Ellen in Brazil!).

The program's costs are a little over $16,000 and I'm trying to raise $8,000. It's so weird asking for money so if you can't donate please share with friends and family. Every bit counts!

I'm attaching some letters of reference and highlights of the program so you can get a better idea of what an opportunity this is.

Tak!

Canadian Forces Station St. John’s

115 The Boulevard

St. John’s NL A1A 1K3

09 September 2021

To whom it may concern,

I have been asked to write a letter of reference for Maya Barry for enrollment into the AFS Program allowing her to attend High School in Denmark and am honored to do so. I have known Maya, who is one of our Flight Sergeants with 515 North Atlantic Air Cadets, for the past 3 years. Watching Maya grow from a young girl into one of our top cadets has been a privilege. She has developed and demonstrated great leadership skills over the past 3 years, being the cadet who takes initiative when others wouldn’t see the need and being one of the only cadets who the unit has fast tracked through some of the program. It takes dedication from a cadet to fast track through the program, they have to do double the work in the same amount of time as others. Maya proved that she could and would learn whatever was needed by involving herself in the optional training activities that the unit offered. She became a member of the Drill Team, the marksmanship team and was instrumental in setting up the units Discord platform when we switched to online training. Maya approached us and asked if there was anything she could help with while setting up the platform and when tasked with it, had us up and running in no time.

I am certain that if this is what Maya wants to do then she will do it and excel at it. It would be a great experience for not only her but for the other students that she will be interacting with while there. I am sure they will learn a great deal from one another.

Sincerely,

Captain Wheaton

Commanding Officer

515 North Atlantic RCACS

And more letters from my school:

Letter of Recommendation for my daughter, Maya Barry, to be accepted into the AFS Study Abroad Program in Denmark for January 2022.

There is so much to say and I am not sure where to start. First of all let me express my daughter’s love for the country of Denmark. She has been intrigued with the country since she was 12 years old. She started practicing Danish on duolingo, she named our cat Elska (the Danish word for love) and our new puppy has the Viking name Freya (a goddess of love) she has adopted the hygge reference for all things that make her happy and is dabbling in Danish cuisine. I am so happy for her to have the opportunity and experience of attending school in a place recognized for its recognition and commitment to community and education.

Maya has always been interested in the sciences and mathematics. As for me, her mother, my degree was in Anthropology so math and science were not my strengths but I am so happy for her to pursue her interests and I think her time in Denmark will definitely benefit her in her pursuits in aeronautical engineering.

I would sum up Maya as a curious, fun-loving, compassionate, mature and multi talented young woman. Her artwork is phenomenal. She started to draw at the age of 11 and by 13 her portraits were realistic and impressive for her age. She has gone into watercolor and charcoal since then and has even been commissioned to do artwork for others. And, as a modern teen she is also interested in Minecraft and online games which also offer her a place to spend time with her friends.

It’s difficult to express everything a mother wants to say about her child in such a formal address. I will close with a recollection of a memory.

Maya and I have been a team since she was five months old. Her father died at a young age and it has just been the two of us ever since. There are many obstacles and trivialities that face a solo parent which other sets of parents do not experience, but the one I recall the most wasn’t a financial burden (although I have worked a lot to make ends meet) but it was a realization I’d made when she was about 8 months old. I had just finished nursing Maya and was looking at her laying next to me in the bed and I realized that the greatest difficulties would not be the challenges of money and time, I could deal with those, but the greatest challenge and the heaviest sadness was the thought that there would not be anyone to share all of the joys with.

I am offering to share my joy.

Roseanne Barry (mom)

My resume:

RESUME:

Maya Simone Barry

199 Forest Rd.

St, John’s, NL

A1A 1E7

[email redacted]

(709) [phone redacted] or (709) [phone redacted]

Skills:

Teamwork Creativity

Organization Dependable

Self-motivated Written communication

Experience (2018 - 2021)

Market Family Cafe ( Sept. 2021 - Present)

Preparation and cooking of food

Serving Customers

Organize and clean up of the kitchen

YMCA, Camp counsellor/Lifeguard 2021 (Summer Camp)

Supervise children ages 5 - 12 during recreational activities.

Maintain a safe, fun and interactive environment which is both enjoyable and educational.

Coordinate activities in the pool and the classroom in accordance with the guidelines of the YMCA and within the safety standards of the aquatics programs.

Spirit of Newfoundland- 2018 - 2019 (Kitchen Help)

Packaging cakes.

Kitchen clean up.

Helping with supply pick-up and storage.

Education

Holy Heart of Mary High School

Soup Club volunteer, participant of Biophysics Club, Debate Club and Chess Club. Student of International Baccalaureate Program, 2020-2021. Certified Lifeguard, Red Cross Certification, Water Safety Instructor, Certified First Aid 2020, Cadet Correspondent training: Survival, Mun mini-enrichment brain science 2019, Girl-Quest Engineering summer programs 2018-20. Certificate for babysitting course, 2018. Basic knowledge in Danish and American Sign Language.

Awards

Honors student, Principal's List (BRJH), Duke of Edinburgh, Bronze. Air Cadets 515 squadron: Flight Sergeant and First class marksman. Top Junior Cadet award, 2020. Sid Butler award for most outstanding Cadet, 2021

References

Sheliagh O’Leary - Deputy Mayor, [email redacted] [phone redacted]

Dustin Rideout, BRJH, [email redacted] (709) [phone redacted]

Debbie Hanlon, Counsellor, City of St. John’s/ Hanlon Realty (709) [phone redacted]

Here's the online link to the program website:

High School In Denmark AFS