Farther Foundation is able to serve deserving students thanks to people like you.
The upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic, while just an inconvenience for some, is a crisis for many – especially those whose lives have less margin for disruption. As you continue to stand by our side, we continue to stand with the students we serve. Travel programs may be canceled this summer, but Farther Foundation’s work is not idled. Already this year:
We reviewed applications and awarded 30 scholarships to students. Below you can learn more about our 2020 scholar cohort and the accommodations we have made to help them have life-changing educational travel experience – this year or next.
We reached out to our program alumni, many of whom are at crucial junctures of their education or career paths, offering advice, encouragement and support. Several of our alumni responded, including Jasmine who continues to pursue her college degree and summed up her feelings concisely saying, “Thanks for this. This was beautiful.”
Despite the temporary halt to travel, we pushed ahead with an ongoing project to make our website’s educational travel program directory more searchable and user-friendly. We do not think there is a more comprehensive resource on the web for high school students, their families, and advisors to begin researching program options.
A silver lining to the dark cloud of the pandemic has been a worldwide reduction in air pollution due, in part, to reduced transportation emissions. This sparked conversation at our board table regarding our contribution to air pollution through student travel and the possibilities of mitigating them via the purchase of carbon offsets and/or other contributions to environmental sustainability. An offset program could divert 1-2% of our program budget away from scholarships and toward this remediation effort. We encourage you to share your thoughts with us at: offsets@fartherfoundation.org.
Farther Foundation scholarship recipients for 2020
In this unusual and difficult year, Farther Foundation approved scholarships for 30 eager and deserving students. They will challenge themselves to learn, serve and grow across the country and around the world.
Unfortunately, most, if not all, summer 2020 programs will be cancelled due to the pandemic. Farther Foundation has made a promise to these students to work with them and honor their scholarships for delayed or alternative programs this year, or to renew their scholarships for the same or similar programs in 2021. They have earned our support and we want to see that they get it.
Here is a list of our students and a little of what they told us in their scholarship applications:
Ablavi
What excites me most about this program is the opportunity to meet and make new friends from diverse backgrounds and learn how to adapt to different personalities. Furthermore, this experience will help me improve my overall communication and leadership skills and help me succeed in a team environment.
Aileen
A challenge in my life was when my dad was deported. This had a huge impact on me, I went to school even when I was distracted, I tried my best to focus, not for me but for my younger sister. I had to mature and grow much faster than my peers and my focus became about my family.
Antonio
I once saw the statement, "Change your thinking and it will change your life " implying that if you adjust your perspective to reveal to yourself that you can do it, you will do it. I expect to become the first member of my family to attend college in the year 2022.
Ashley G.
One activity during my experience at the University of Notre Dame is Photography. The class is a college course, with the students learning the basics of photography, and understanding how a college class would function. At my school photography is not an option unless you have the resources to afford a camera. I want to further my skills from the program as a secondary hobby, or a tool that I can perfect to make a difference in the world. I want to have the ability to capture moments and create beautiful images that people will look at for generations.
Ashley T.
I didn’t realize that being Mexican American would be something that I would struggle with. We often have to identify ourselves based off our skin color, where we come from and so on. With the current President of the United States I realized that I was slowly becoming insecure and felt hatred towards my heritage. However, this soon changed when I discovered this small Mexican neighborhood called Pilsen located in Chicago. It was a place where my culture was represented and many people who were just like me lived there. The murals were the one thing that made me feel like I was reliving my childhood again. The art represented and told stories of the lives of many immigrants in this country. The negative feelings that I felt towards myself soon seemed to start fading away. I learned the importance of what it meant to represent yourself and the value that each person has.
Avril
I am close with my oldest sister and speak to her about my aspirations of being in the medical field one day. She says it will be hard and will take lots of time and investment, but that she believes in me. My parents believe in me as well. Other members of my extended family doubt my ability and tell me aspiring to become a doctor is naive and that it will take too long, but I cannot wait to prove them wrong.
Brennan
This school year has been one of massive challenges, from the CPS teacher strike in the fall that resulted in being out of school for two weeks and missing the end of my cross country season, to this current worldwide health crisis. Like students all around me, I have lost out on opportunities to complete activities that I have spent so much time in throughout the school year, including Robotics competitions, leadership training at Illinois Institute of Technology, JROTC military ball, and indoor track season. The most critical lessons that I have learned are to continually work to push myself both academically and athletically, to attempt to remain positive despite disappointments, and to continue to work to achieve my goals of studying architecture in college.
Caroline
One challenge that I’ve struggled with is my little brother’s condition. I was five years old when my brother was born. He was absolutely the most perfect baby in the world. A year later, however, we discovered he had autism. I’m sixteen now, and we’ve gotten used to the fact that he’s different, and that never changed the love my family and I have for him. It still isn’t easy, but I’ve tried to respect his new self. Because I love him so much. Sometimes life is hard, but defeat is optional, and I won’t ever give up on something I love.
Chyna
I live in a single-parent household. My Dad was murdered when I was three. This tragedy caused my Mom to gain full responsibility for me, which was difficult, especially when she was used to having the support of another parent. My Mother works so very hard for my benefit. She makes ends meet but there is no extra wiggle room for me to participate in programs or experiences beyond school and other necessities.
Daisy
When I was 10 years old my grandfather passed away of a heart attack. This created sadness and anger because it started as a health problem that eventually led to taking a life from a joyful and loving person. At that age I was not sure of what that really meant, but I did know that the heart controlled much of the body. As I started to understand how important our body is, I found myself interested in how body parts function, and since then I knew I wanted to be part of the medical field.
Francis
I was born in the Philippines and taken in by a family of five. I was the youngest in the family. Growing up, my school experience in the Philippines wasn’t excellent. I was a victim like the many other students who were bullied on a regular basis. I had to deal with the torment of multiple bullies picking on me - I am the little guy. As the years
passed by, I turned 8 years old, and started a new beginning in America. I was overwhelmed back then; I wasn’t confident that I would fit in a new environment- not only that, but a different country.
Hallie
I am interested in the Fundamentals of Law program. The part of the program that most excites me is meeting with attorneys and attending court cases. I would like to know what it is actually like to attend a court case. We would get to ask attorney’s questions about their jobs, and it would help us understand the type of work it takes to be a part of this field.
Jessica
I'm excited to tutor Dominicans in English because it's actually my favorite subject in school. I'd love to teach people the basics of reading and grammar, and maybe even more depending on how far the tutoring progresses. I expect to grow in the sense that I'll be able to see if I like teaching/tutoring, as well as learning how to bolster my communication skills when it comes to explaining things, especially in Spanish.
Jordan
I try my hardest in school to push myself to the best I can be, which includes me putting myself in the most academically challenging classes that I can and involving myself in many clubs and extracurriculars. While it is all very enjoying, it can be difficult sometimes balancing these academics with each other but also with the family issues I have at home, as my parents are undergoing a divorce; however, I do not let these things hold me back.
Kamlin
My father left my family when I was a child. His absence is what inspired me to step up to the plate and become the role model my sister never had. Being the person she looks up to gives me a sense of purpose. I have to be good so she can be better. I want to inspire her to chase her goals and teach her to have the determination to achieve them.
Kayla
I am involved in a service group at my school called F.O.C.U.S. It stands for Fundamentally Organizing and Cultivating Urban Society. In this group we do service projects such as volunteering at the neighborhood children’s book fair, breast cancer walks, and organizing clothes drives. Focus has given me the sense of community in my school and surrounding area that I’ve never experienced before.
Keith
I am going to be the first person to make it through high school and get a high school diploma. None of my older brother or mother or cousins have made it that far in life. It is a heavy burden on my shoulders, but I must be the one in my family to break this cycle. There is nothing that will get in my way of walking across the stage as the first African American male in my family to be something more than a gang member or drug dealer.
Kiara
I have learned that the color of my skin will be my greatest asset in my future. My greatest challenge in life has become my greatest armor against the world. You tell me that I can’t, I will prove you wrong with my achievements. My family has taught me that I need to embrace being a woman of color. All the women in my family have taught me the biggest lesson of my life so far. No matter what life throws at you, you keep fighting.
Kierra
Attending a summer college program is an amazing opportunity for me because I’ll be able to get a glimpse of college life. I’ve always known I’ve wanted to go to college but there’s always been this fear in the back of my mind that I won’t be able to adjust. Being so far from home is an idea that’s very foreign to me since I’m a very family-oriented person. I want to put my mind at ease before this constant fear prevents my academic success.
Liliana
The most meaningful part of my identity is my desire to help others. I am that friend that everyone trusts and goes to for advice or when they just simply need someone to talk to. When I offer my friends my ear to let them vent their problems, I try to give them advice on how best to deal with their emotions. At the very least I can offer emotional support to those that need it which is often all that people need.
Melanie
A time when I faced a setback was when my grandma passed away last school year. This affected me because I had finals week at school when she first went to the hospital. I was sad and stressed at the same time. I would get home from school, eat, and then go to the hospital to visit her. After the hospital visits, I would get home late and do homework going to sleep very late and waking up tired. At school I would lose focus very easily thinking about how she must be feeling and if she was fine. My mom talked to me about my grades and told me how if my grandma was awake, she wouldn’t want me to put school off for her and that she would want me to do better.
Mikaela
I am eager to tour New York and have an opportunity to study hands-on inside the newsroom and see how reporting is done in person. I have always been interested in learning how stories are chosen and portrayed in national and global newsrooms especially those who use multiple forms of media.
Nancy
A lot of what I have done and accomplished has been because of my parents. Twenty years ago, my parents traveled from Mexico, their home country, to the United States so that my siblings and I could have a better life. As a result of this, I have had to work a lot harder in school. They have always encouraged me to take advantage of all the opportunities presented to me, reach for high goals and do everything possible to achieve those goals.
Neeci
I started to get into photography in the beginning of my sophomore year, even though I take pictures on my iPhone my pictures come out as if I took them with a professional camera. Whenever I have free time, I go downtown and take pictures of my beautiful city, but I mostly enjoy taking pictures in the South side of town. I want to make photography into a career.
Noemi
I am excited to do the Japanese cooking class activity. In these classes, we will learn how to make sushi, soba noodles, and mochi. For the majority of my life, I have been exposed to Mexican food at home. I have not been able to try Japanese food other than sushi. I want to use the cooking classes as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of Japanese culture.
Rebeca
I am open to all sorts of new experiences and hope to meet new people that have a desire to learn just as I do. I hope to form new bonds with people and have a good and realistic college experience that will emphasize and strengthen my motivation to reach my goals to go to college. I hope to become more independent during the trip because that is an essential characteristic that I will need to thrive in college and as an individual.
Samuel
I am involved in many extracurricular activities and have many responsibilities. I am working two jobs to help support my family both here in the US and in Mexico. I have soccer practice during the week and games on the weekends. I have many classes that require me to do a ton of work and I manage to balance all my time so everything fits my schedule. Most people would be stressed if they were put in my position, but I still manage to find time to do everything I need to be successful.
Stacy
Growing up, I never felt comfortable in my skin. Like every other girl, I would wear dresses and princess-style clothes. However, I didn't want to wear them. I always preferred shorts and t-shirts. This constant turmoil led to me closing off emotionally to others. I felt like I didn't fit in with either gender. Looking back on this, I can only think about how much easier it would have been if I had known what I was feeling. When I finally came out, a lot of people feared that I wouldn't be the same person. The truth is that I am the same – only now, I am more confident in who I truly am.
Wajeeha
My identity is something that is really meaningful in my life. As a Muslim Pakistani I am a first-generation student. My parents are of Pakistani culture and are still trying to adapt to the American culture today. It has impacted my identity since I dealt with the stress in school of being one of the only Pakistani Americans in my classes. I appreciate the mixture of cultures that I have developed being brought up in America.
Yahayra
The first quarter of my freshman year was very difficult for me, and my grades did not reflect my full potential. When I saw my first report card from Cristo Rey, I realized I was going to have to push myself even harder than I expected. I changed my approach and began to put in a lot more effort into what I did on a daily basis. I became organized and more efficient with my time, making sure I was on top of all the material in my classes and studying for every test. I feel more confident in approaching new educational challenges and think the new approach can be used in learning new and more challenging topics.
High School Graduation, College Choice and Covid-19
It is hard to imagine a good time to be struck by a global pandemic that threatens lives, closes schools and causes us to remain at home, but it is hard to imagine a worse time for a high school senior. We checked in with our alumni who are high school seniors this year to see how the disruption is affecting the end of their school year and their college selection process.
All of our students are disappointed that important, fun and eagerly anticipated events have been canceled or indefinitely postponed, including graduation ceremonies and prom. They have also missed out on participating in sports and club activities that often have a culminating moment for seniors as their high school years come to an end. Never-the-less, our seniors are moving forward with distance learning and college ambitions.
Here is some of what they shared with us:
Jackie traveled to France on a language immersion program in 2018
It is definitely more challenging to learn at home and I appreciate everything that my teachers have done to try to ease the transition.
The end of my senior year was cut short because of COVID-19 so I was not able to partake in some of the traditions that I was most looking forward to. I do not want to miss out on any more college traditions if schools continue to be online in the fall. It did not change my mind about my college choice, but it did make me consider taking a gap year.
I will be attending Harvard in the fall.
-- Jackie
Angel used his Farther Foundation scholarship to have a summer pre-college experience on campus at Notre Dame
As a student that learns best by engaging with others through team collaboration I am struggling with e-learning. I really do miss being in the classroom it was both a place I could learn and socialize with my friends. I do, however, feel like there is a lot of potential with E-learning, this is because my schedule has become more flexible and allows me to better manage my time.
Thankfully the Covid-19 did not change my college decision. My family, however, decided to move to Mexico for the time being.
I'm happy to announce I'll be attending St. Olaf College in Minnesota through a Posse Scholarship! -- Angel
Vianey immersed herself in the language and culture of France during the summer of 2019
I will be attending Northwestern University.
My decision wasn’t effected by the COVID-19 pandemic because I applied early decision.
E-learning hasn’t been that bad, but I do feel that AP tests have been made unfair. I don’t think they will represent students’ knowledge and learning capabilities as well as the original tests. This will no doubt cause some students to lose college credit opportunities.
-- Vianey
In 2019, Farther Foundation helped Atzihri to travel on a program to Jordan
I’ve lost educational opportunities in my math class because it is more of a face to face class and I feel like nothing is staying in my head.
I’ve lost my prom, graduation, etc. like most seniors, but the college choice decision has really affected me much more. I was planning to visit schools during the month of March and April but all of those were cancelled so I was left to only see virtual tours. I didn’t have a college originally in mind so I kept my options open. The counselors have been helpful during this time.
I’ve decided I am going to DePauw University.
-- Atzihri
Thank you for your continued support of our students and your belief in the work and mission of Farther Foundation.