Hi, my name is Thea Vogel. I am 17 years old and a Junior at Ashland High School. I have realized a goal of mine is to experience new cultures and learn what it means to be a leader in other areas of the world.

In pursuit of my goal, I applied for and received a scholarship through CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) to travel this summer to Cape Town, South Africa, to learn and apply Nelson Mandela's theory of peace. While in Cape Town, I will be volunteering within local youth organizations and reflecting on how the country addresses inequality and economic disparity in underserved communities. I've been a part of my high school's leadership council and plan to help inform our own community's youth of the perspective that I will gain while in Cape Town.

Despite receiving a scholarship of almost $4,000, the cost of the trip as a whole, including airfare and part of the tuition, is out of my family's budget at this time. My initial goal through go fund me was $3000, but because of a generous contribution it is now $1500.

If plausible for you, I would greatly appreciate a donation to see the world through this ever-important global lens!