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Tealin Summer 2018

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My niece, Tealin Ratcliffe, has an amazing summer of service and education ahead of her this year! She will be attending 2 summer programs: studying at Temple University in Philadelphia and traveling to Thailand with Global Leadership Adventures. I am helping her raise the financial resources to meet her goals and hope you'll join me in supporting this remarkable young woman!

Tealin has experienced more challenges than most girls her age. After several years of poor health, Tealin's mother (my sister Armella Ratcliffe, a single mother) passed away on January 16th, 2018. This has been an extremely challenging experience for Tealin and our family particularly since Tealin and my mother, who was recently forced to retire from her position at the Clearwater Public Library, were Armella's primary caregivers for years. Tealin's resilience has been incredible during this difficult time.

Not only is financial support vital, but I want Tealin to know she has the backing of a community of people who care the way I do about her and her future, especially as she perseveres through loss. This fundraising opportunity is an excellent opportunity for her to feel the support from all of us.

Despite challenges and tragic loss, Tealin has maintained excellent academic standing as an honor roll student, member of NHS in her junior year, and still managed to work part time for the last year to selflessly help support our family and herself. She is a very strong person and I want to give her all of the support I possibly can. I have stood by Tealin's side her whole life and have been sending her to summer programs almost every summer of her 17 years and this summer is her most inspiring and exciting summer yet!



She has been accepted into Temple University's Summer Owls Leadership Experience (SOLE), where she will take the college-credit course, Youth Cultures, study a language, develop and expand leadership skills by participating in dynamic leadership workshops, a ropes course, and visiting successful professional enterprises to get insights from industry leaders. This is a 3 week residential program from July 9th - July 27th and it will qualify her for a $4000 scholarship to Temple, if she matriculates there in 2019. She has received a $500 scholarship from Temple for this summer, which brings her tuition down from $3995 to $3495. My family and I are passionate about giving her the opportunity to continue to build and actively continue to strengthen her position as a rising leader in the world of strong professional women. We visited Temple on a college tour this spring and we were very impressed with how much they have to offer and are very excited for Tealin to be there this summer!

https://www.temple.edu/summer/sole

Tealin will also be joining Global Leadership Adventures again this summer for 2 weeks in Thailand from June 17th - July 2nd! After her incredible service trip with GLA last summer in Costa Rica, building and supporting sustainable coffee-growing communities in underserved areas, this year Tealin has been invited back to do their "Thailand: In and Beyond the Classroom", where she will be teaching English in primary school, bonding with local students,  working with elephants at a local sanctuary and learning about Thai culture, including cooking classes and educational visits to Buddhist  monasteries!

https://www.experiencegla.com/destinations/teen-programs-asia/thailand/thailand-cultural-kaleidoscope/

It is also possible to call GLA directly to make a donation to them on Tealin's behalf or you can also send a check and note her name in the memo. Tealin received a partial scholarship of $1300 off the program cost of $3499, so GLA can receive up to $2199 directly toward Tealin's tuition.

858-771-0645 ext 2

Global Leadership Adventures
10509 San Diego Mission Rd., Suite A
San Diego, CA 92108

In addition to the program costs, airfare, especially to Thailand, is expensive. Tealin is contributing as much as she can from her very modest job earnings at DQ in the mall. 

Please help me help Tealin on her brilliant path to setting and achieving goals that will ensure she not only survives successfully, but so that she has the opportunity to study, grow as she gives to communities around her and to support her as she becomes the dynamic young woman and future leader I know her to be! 

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Tealin and I on a recent college tour in March 2018
One of my favorite pictures of Tealin when she was a little younger between her summer programs in New York in 2012

Tealin looking into her future!
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Donations 

  • Tracy Menefee
    • $50 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Jeanai La Vita
Organizer
New York, NY

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