Celebration is on the Menu!

Wow! These last couple months have been incredible! All of my AFS things have just suddenly come together. Everything from Application status to scholarships. I have quite a few big announcements to make.

1. Let's start off with the not so great to get it out of the way. I was informed that I didn't receive the Vaya A Latina America Scholarship. At first this was very disappointing to me, but after a while, I jumped back up and kept on fundraising. I still believed that I could make my goal even without that large scholarship.

2. Soon after that, AFS gave me a scholarship for $750 in financial aid. This new sponsorship gave me hope that if I just kept trying I would make it. Thank you AFS!

3. AFS Argentina accepted my application, and they are now looking for a host family. They told me I would probably find out who my family was in January. It is so thrilling to be able to discover what the people are going to be like that I will spend a year of my life with. I can't wait!

4. I kept on working and working and was able to earn some good money. My community has been wonderfully supportive of my trip and always looking for things to hire me for. I was able to sell two big ticket items for my parents that they gave me a portion of. My grandparents we also very kind and donated money. It is really incredible how much money you can make when you just put your mind to it.

5. Last (but definitely not least!) I received a scholarship from a local organization called Orca. Thanks to some help by Anne Davis, I was awarded $2000! Talk about getting the wind knocked out of you- I was so excited!

With all of this put together, I am getting very close to my goal. It is exciting to have my goal within reach. All I need is a little more help and work, and I will be on my way to Argentina! Only 4 MONTHS AND COUNTING!

Getting My Ducks in a Row

Congratulations are in order! These last couple weeks I have received two great pieces of news. Firstly, my application was accepted by AFS USA. It has been sent off to AFS Argentina and they will let me know if there is any additional information that is needed. I am officially on their list of Spring 2011 Argentina exchange students.

I received my AFS student guide book in the mail and have begun reading it. There is a lot of information that is in there that I had never thought of. Did you know that the U.S. is famous for wearing shorts? My guide book suggests "Don't arrive in another county in shorts or you will be immediately labeled as a U.S. tourist." I will keep this tip in mind when packing my carry on outfit. Wow! It is so exciting just to THINK about packing!

The second thrilling accomplishment was that I have gone over the half way mark in my fund-raising efforts. I now have over $6,900 in money going towards my trip! That means I only have $6,500 more. I am getting closer to my goal every day. If you know of anyone that would be interested in sponsoring me, don't be shy to suggest they check out my blog! I love to hear what you guys are thinking so comments or questions are always great.

Working for Safety

Hello again! Recently I have been working/volunteering for a group of local community members. A hillside above my neighbors houses is up for logging, and they are concerned about the effects it could have. Over the last several years, there have been many landslides that destroyed property and endangered lives. I am concerned that logging the hillside on a steep slope might cause the soil to become unstable and heavy rains will cause the hill to come tumbling down on my friends and family.

I have been working hard writing letters to our commissioner and researching information for my community. We are asking that the DNR only approve the portions of the proposed harvest with low to moderate slopes, where there is no indication of a landslide hazard, and that no roads are approved that cross any areas that are potentially unstable. This way, Sierra Pacific will still be able to collect their necessary harvest while not endangering property, people, or wildlife. We have an event coming up on the 25th called "Mycelium Rising". It is going to be held at the Bloom Cafe in Bellingham from 8-12 p.m.

This is a great cause for me to be working on because it helps me get closer to my goal of getting to Argentina, AND I get to help my community stay safe. It is wonderful to be able to get two things done that I love at the same time. I am able to accomplish twice as many things!

Giving It All I Got

Last week, I officially submitted my AFS application. It is currently being looked over. Next week, I will have my interview with my local AFS volunteer. Once that is done, my application will be sent to the Argentina AFS organizers. I should hear back from then within the next couple weeks.

This weekend the Vaya a America Latina essay is due. Over the past weeks, I have worked on draft after draft of my essay. The scholarship is through AFS and will cover half of my tuition ($5,112.5). It is really important for me to get it so I have been working hard to make that as possible as I can.

My host brother, Franco, has been living with us for about three weeks. His English is very good, and it has been a joy to get to know him. From him, I have begun to see snip-its of Argentina's culture. He has told me about words that vary from the Mexican Spanish I am currently learning. It has been fun to show him my home town and teach him about new things. It really brings light onto how different cultures are in simple, every day routines. Every time I hear about Argentina from Franco, I long to be there. Having him here has solidified my decision and thrive to travel to Argentina.

Over all, I am continuing to work hard to earn money. I am also taking time to learn about Argentina as much as I can. I am so excited to travel there and will work from dawn until dusk to make it possible. I am giving it all I got.

An Older Brother From Argentina

Recently, my family applied to be a host family for AFS exchange students. Because I am applying to go to Argentina, we were suggested towards a boy that was from there. Franco Longhi is a sixteen year old boy from Concordia, Argentina. Franco has taken English for four years so his English is fairly good. He will be staying with us for five months.

On August 14th, we will have an orientation and then meet Franco for the first time. I have been emailing him but we have never spoken to each other over the phone. I am extremely excited to have an older brother for a while. I know that at times it might be difficult to have another sibling, but I know it will be worth it. It will be exciting to hang out with someone from the country that I am about to travel to.

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I recently applied for a AFS Family Award. It honors families who have had a prior connection with AFS either through hosting a student or traveling some where. I was informed today that I have recieved a $400 award towards my tuition. This is wonderful news and I very excited about it!

I am continuing to work very hard. I have gotten more babysitting jobs lined up and have gotten house work scheduled for next week. I am also working on an essay for the Vaya a America Latina scholarship through AFS. I will be submitting it later this month. I will be posting more about my fundraising efforts later in the month.

Argentina Exchange

Hello. I am Jenica Barrett from the small town of Deming, Washington. I am a sophomore at Mount Baker High School and attend Three Rivers Cooperative School part-time. This summer, I am applying to study abroad in Argentina for a year starting in January of 2011 through the American Field Service (AFS) intercultural student exchange program.

In Argentina, I will be living with a host family for eleven months. There, I will be attending a Spanish speaking school and immersing myself in the language and culture. I have always been ecstatic about traveling to new places, and I love to experience the new opportunities that come with staying in a different culture. I have been studying Spanish for a little over a year now but I know that full immersion into the language is the fastest way for me to master it. Spanish speaking is a life skill that I believe will help me in many aspects of my life and is an important asset to acquire. During all of this, I hope to discover and solidify who I really am. I will strive to gain knowledge about myself from the people around me and about how my strengths can help better the world.

As a young women, I am currently juggling many things in my life. During the school year, I volunteer at my local special needs preschool every week. Every Tuesday, I participate in school meetings where I represent the student body and provide input on curriculum matters. I am in a band where I play the piano and sing. I also take theater and yoga classes. Continually, I manage to pull all my home work together and keep my 4.0 GPA in tact. This summer, I have also been busy. Once I decided to go on a foreign exchange trip, I began working every hour that was possible. I also had to make room for my family time and my prior engagements. Even with all of this, I pride myself in being able to stay calm and focused and get everything done that needs to be.

Hopefully, all of my hard work will pay off and I will raise enough for this amazing opportunity. My goal is to raise $13,400 for my trip. That will cover all of the costs for preparing, leaving, and staying in Argentina. I have been working really hard all summer long with babysitting, elderly care,yard work, house work, and selling items on Craig's List. I have applied for scholarships and am planning on entering essay contests that open this fall. My parents have been kind enough to also donate. With all this, I still need to raise $7,000. I will need a lot of help to make my dream come true. I appreciate you taking the time to read about my life and trip. Any contribution that you can give will be immensely appreciated. No amount is too small for every penny gets me closer to my goal. To donate to my exchange trip, click the ChipIn! gadget at the top right of my blog. I would greatly appreciate it if you sent my blog site to any one that you feel might be interested in sponsoring my trip to Argentina by forwarding this link.

http://jenicainargentina.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much!

Jenica