Although it's been only about two weeks since my last post, there's been many adventures and exciting things crammed into these two weeks. First of all, I'VE GOT A JOB! I was hired by Office Depot and started Thursday. Office Depot seems like the perfect job for me because I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to computers, paper and stationary (especially legal pads- you learn a lot from 2 Debate seasons!), and love interacting with customers. Also, my friend, Fuuka, was an exchange student from Japan. She's become a wonderful friend over the past year and left Fort Wayne to spend a week or two in California before she returns home. Although I will miss her dearly, we plan on writing letters and visiting each other in the Future. Now on to the things mentioned in the title:
Hefner Scholarship: One amazing blessing from God this year was the Hefner Scholarship, which is paying for a substantial part of my trip. The Hefner Scholarship is a scholarship or grant to students in the Fort Wayne who are planning to study abroad. It was created by Bill Hefner and students at Northrop High School as a memorial to his son, Dave. I am one of almost 1000 students who have been helped by this fund and it truly has been a blessing as it takes away some financial worries of my year abroad.
Rotary Jackets: Have you ever seen these funky pieces of clothing out and about (or in an airport) and wondered what motivated the person to wear this blazer? Well, this is an international symbol of Rotary Youth Exchange. Each exchange student has a jacket like this with usually a patch of their country's flag (mine is actually a patch of the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange). The common color of the jacket is navy blue but I've seen blue, black, purple, and even red Rotary Exchange jackets! The fun part (and usually most unique) of the jacket is the pins on the jacket. Youth Exchange students exchange pins with other students and these pins usually represent their country or town. Students are encouraged to collect the pins on their jacket and can also add pins given by friends, family, or just pins they like. It's always fun looking at the jacket and knowing that there's a story behind each pin put on that jacket. So if you happen to see students wearing these jackets, don't be afraid to go up to them and ask about their jacket or a certain pin. You might even get an interesting story out of it!
An Owl Travel Buddy: I hope by now, you've assumed that this is a stuffed animal owl, and not a real owl I'm talking about! There's a bit of a story behind this furry owl but it's something worth sharing. A few weeks ago, my friend Bernie, now Sister Bernadette, started the process of becoming a nun. As excited as I was that she is taking a big step in her faith life, I know I would miss her (but am thankful that I can write her letters). At Bernie's postulancy party, she gave me this tiny stuffed owl that was hers because she knew it was small enough for me to be able to bring to Denmark. I appointed this owl to be my official travel buddy and am putting it in my Rotary Jacket pocket so when I travel in the airport, I know a piece of friends and home will be with me even if I'm a few thousand miles away. I haven't thought of a name for the owl yet, any suggestions?
That's it for now. I added a slideshow at the bottom of things I talked about in this post, I'm trying to add some technology to the blog! I'd appreciate thoughts and prayers over completing my summer school work on time (I'm taking two year-long classes) and I hope everyone is having a beautiful summer!
Venlig Hilsen,
Sophie
Hefner Scholarship: One amazing blessing from God this year was the Hefner Scholarship, which is paying for a substantial part of my trip. The Hefner Scholarship is a scholarship or grant to students in the Fort Wayne who are planning to study abroad. It was created by Bill Hefner and students at Northrop High School as a memorial to his son, Dave. I am one of almost 1000 students who have been helped by this fund and it truly has been a blessing as it takes away some financial worries of my year abroad.
Rotary Jackets: Have you ever seen these funky pieces of clothing out and about (or in an airport) and wondered what motivated the person to wear this blazer? Well, this is an international symbol of Rotary Youth Exchange. Each exchange student has a jacket like this with usually a patch of their country's flag (mine is actually a patch of the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange). The common color of the jacket is navy blue but I've seen blue, black, purple, and even red Rotary Exchange jackets! The fun part (and usually most unique) of the jacket is the pins on the jacket. Youth Exchange students exchange pins with other students and these pins usually represent their country or town. Students are encouraged to collect the pins on their jacket and can also add pins given by friends, family, or just pins they like. It's always fun looking at the jacket and knowing that there's a story behind each pin put on that jacket. So if you happen to see students wearing these jackets, don't be afraid to go up to them and ask about their jacket or a certain pin. You might even get an interesting story out of it!
An Owl Travel Buddy: I hope by now, you've assumed that this is a stuffed animal owl, and not a real owl I'm talking about! There's a bit of a story behind this furry owl but it's something worth sharing. A few weeks ago, my friend Bernie, now Sister Bernadette, started the process of becoming a nun. As excited as I was that she is taking a big step in her faith life, I know I would miss her (but am thankful that I can write her letters). At Bernie's postulancy party, she gave me this tiny stuffed owl that was hers because she knew it was small enough for me to be able to bring to Denmark. I appointed this owl to be my official travel buddy and am putting it in my Rotary Jacket pocket so when I travel in the airport, I know a piece of friends and home will be with me even if I'm a few thousand miles away. I haven't thought of a name for the owl yet, any suggestions?
That's it for now. I added a slideshow at the bottom of things I talked about in this post, I'm trying to add some technology to the blog! I'd appreciate thoughts and prayers over completing my summer school work on time (I'm taking two year-long classes) and I hope everyone is having a beautiful summer!
Venlig Hilsen,
Sophie