My name is Olivia Exum. I'm a Spanish teacher at the public high school in the small town of Goochland, VA. I teach Spanish 3 and Spanish 5 (AP). A couple of years ago, a kid named Nicole landed in my Spanish 3 class. From the first day, she was awesome. She participated, she wanted to know things, she used her incredible creativity to help make the experience of her classmates richer. She loves to read, and when we began our novel in Spanish, set in civil war-era Spain, her interest was piqued.
I issued an invitation to her parents for her to travel with a select group of students to represent us on our Madrid/Barcelona cultural exploration that year. She desperately wanted to go, but in the end, even with fundraising and working, her father said it would not be financially feasible for their family. "Maybe in another couple of years," he said. Nicole didn't lose interest, and, indeed, was the heart and soul of her class' "Becoming Spain" project, creating their chosen city of Bilbao on the walls of our classroom, and designing her own fashion line inspired by architectural elements of that lovely, quirky city. "It's okay I didn't get to go this time," Nicole told me one day during project time, "I would hate to be so close and not actually experience Bilbao." Under her leadership, her class won the school-wide project competition that year for their Bilbao.
Well, Nicole is a senior. She's back, now in my AP class, and she is one of the most dedicated students. Her class is blogging in Spanish, and she regularly writes blog entries on her Spanish blog, even when they are not assigned for class credit. She works outside of school, she's been accepted to college, and finances have always been tight.
By chance, we are going to Spain again this summer, and this time, we ARE going to BILBAO! We announced last school year this new, longer trip, including Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona. Nicole's best friend is even going! It seemed perfect that she had had to wait. Then the trip came out priced at over $3000, and she was crushed- there was no way, with college looming and her family's finances. She resigned herself to making the most of every Spanish 4 class last year, jumping into AP this year, continuing blogging and following TV series in Spanish. So here's the plot twist:
One of our participants has had to cancel, potentially endagering the ability of the group to be able to go. Not wanting to ruin it for others, that student's parents very generously offered for someone to take over the spot for only the remaining monthly payments, which total $1500, less than half the cost of the 10-day, all-inclusive adventure.
As soon as I heard, I contacted Nicole and two other students to offer the opportunity on a first-come, first-served basis. It's last-minute, it was a long shot, and Nicole has college to pay for. One of the students and her mom got back to me and immediately reserved the spot, so at least our adventure would not have to be canceled... But a couple of hours later, Nicole's dad phoned. We caught up and he expressed that this would have been perfect, they wanted to commit to taking the spot, that he'd wanted to do it two years ago but couldn't, nor could he this time when the trip was announced. The incredible discount made it doable, just, with Nicole contributing a lot from her job. He was the second to respond, delayed during his work day from calling me, and they have missed out.
They can come up with the $1500, but the first student to respond got that spot. The price to enroll a new student is $3345, plus the cost of ordering her passport and snacks during the day while there. If we can raise $2000, Nicole can go! I wouldn't ask if I hadn't dangled the hope in front of her and her dad, but now I can't bear to break her heart. I know it's life, and sometimes people are faster than others and get opportunities, but I can't help but think, this kid has always been so perfect for this trip, maybe there are generous people who can help make it happen!
I'm selling chocolate bars in class to divide among the participants. I will donate all future proceeds to this page and Nicole's fund if we can make this happen. Every dollar counts! Can you help us send this amazingly deserving student leader to "experience Bilbao?"
I issued an invitation to her parents for her to travel with a select group of students to represent us on our Madrid/Barcelona cultural exploration that year. She desperately wanted to go, but in the end, even with fundraising and working, her father said it would not be financially feasible for their family. "Maybe in another couple of years," he said. Nicole didn't lose interest, and, indeed, was the heart and soul of her class' "Becoming Spain" project, creating their chosen city of Bilbao on the walls of our classroom, and designing her own fashion line inspired by architectural elements of that lovely, quirky city. "It's okay I didn't get to go this time," Nicole told me one day during project time, "I would hate to be so close and not actually experience Bilbao." Under her leadership, her class won the school-wide project competition that year for their Bilbao.
Well, Nicole is a senior. She's back, now in my AP class, and she is one of the most dedicated students. Her class is blogging in Spanish, and she regularly writes blog entries on her Spanish blog, even when they are not assigned for class credit. She works outside of school, she's been accepted to college, and finances have always been tight.
By chance, we are going to Spain again this summer, and this time, we ARE going to BILBAO! We announced last school year this new, longer trip, including Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona. Nicole's best friend is even going! It seemed perfect that she had had to wait. Then the trip came out priced at over $3000, and she was crushed- there was no way, with college looming and her family's finances. She resigned herself to making the most of every Spanish 4 class last year, jumping into AP this year, continuing blogging and following TV series in Spanish. So here's the plot twist:
One of our participants has had to cancel, potentially endagering the ability of the group to be able to go. Not wanting to ruin it for others, that student's parents very generously offered for someone to take over the spot for only the remaining monthly payments, which total $1500, less than half the cost of the 10-day, all-inclusive adventure.
As soon as I heard, I contacted Nicole and two other students to offer the opportunity on a first-come, first-served basis. It's last-minute, it was a long shot, and Nicole has college to pay for. One of the students and her mom got back to me and immediately reserved the spot, so at least our adventure would not have to be canceled... But a couple of hours later, Nicole's dad phoned. We caught up and he expressed that this would have been perfect, they wanted to commit to taking the spot, that he'd wanted to do it two years ago but couldn't, nor could he this time when the trip was announced. The incredible discount made it doable, just, with Nicole contributing a lot from her job. He was the second to respond, delayed during his work day from calling me, and they have missed out.
They can come up with the $1500, but the first student to respond got that spot. The price to enroll a new student is $3345, plus the cost of ordering her passport and snacks during the day while there. If we can raise $2000, Nicole can go! I wouldn't ask if I hadn't dangled the hope in front of her and her dad, but now I can't bear to break her heart. I know it's life, and sometimes people are faster than others and get opportunities, but I can't help but think, this kid has always been so perfect for this trip, maybe there are generous people who can help make it happen!
I'm selling chocolate bars in class to divide among the participants. I will donate all future proceeds to this page and Nicole's fund if we can make this happen. Every dollar counts! Can you help us send this amazingly deserving student leader to "experience Bilbao?"