BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
He graduated! TEC univ More photos 3/19
Last night Alexis graduated, he majored in business administration....Les and I drove over in the morning with plans to meet up with his Mom, his Dad
and he for lunch at the steak restaurant which was closed, so we went for Chinese.
I gave him his presents - a brand new watch my sister gave me which I had a battery put into last Dec. while in San Diego. The iphone that Pat just
donated. Shout out to Juan Arce for sending it and an ipad to La Bocana! He got a go pro camera I won a couple years ago as well as some other fun
stuff.
The ceremony was from 6 to 8 pm. It was fantastic! Afterwards, we took this shot of Alexis with his parents on each side, his uncle and aunt with
whom he lived from 1st to 12th grade. They were his "second parents" and we agreed that I was the 3rd Mom.
You probably remember the trip that Les and I took to their ranch? 45 miles that took 7 hours!
After the ceremony, we all met up at the Terco pollo chicken restaurant where we paid for them to have dinner. I convinced his parents to go to
the huge graduation party which is actually tonight.
They wanted to hurry back to their ranch as they have no feed for their animals (goats and sheep) due to lack of water.....but I told them - this is a
once in a lifetime event and Alexis should be at the prom. So,they are there now and cousins were going to join them.
Alexis and I at dinner.
After the ceremony, we are taking family and friend photos when Alexis gives me a personalized plaque thanking me for all my support over the past 5
years....and I started to blubber...and blubber. That's when Les showed up LOL but he is getting used to the tears now. Anyone who mentions
Clarissa (the first graduate) knows to expect Blanca tears.
I tried to be there for Alexis's every need: when he first got to school, he wanted a school shirt and I sent him money from my teaching here in
Bocana. I figured it would help him adapt.
Before he went off to college there was that scramble to make sure he got his dental needs handled. There are photos of him at the dentist in San
Ignacio...thank the Lord that his teeth were great, only need cleaning but he went two years in a row just to make sure everything was OK.
His sponsor for tuition AND monthly expenses is a Mexican plastic surgeon who last year operated on some growths that Alexis was born with - they were
near his ears and quite visible. It was so delicate a subject to approach but Alexis quickly told me it was his dream to remove them.
A guest who was at the B&B that week took Alexis to Tijuana where his sponsor took him into his home, fed him, operated the next day, had his
chauffer show him around TJ and then put him on a bus home. Miracles do happen! His sponsor was the plastic surgeon.
The other great thing that happened last night is that a bunch of kids from La Bocana and Punta Abreojos went to the ceremony with gifts for Alexis.
I was so proud of them! One was a scholarship student but the others happen to go to the same college.
It is truly amazing that the kids MY KIDS our kids are finishing college. You would not believe the kids who come from wealthy families here in town
and drop out. So, I am very proud that these kids are working so hard to deserve the help all of you give all year long!
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING. We are making the world a better place!
[Edited on 3-18-2018 by BajaBlanca]
[Edited on 3-19-2018 by BajaBlanca]
|
|
|
Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5847
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
STOKED for the whole community. Thanks Blanca!
|
|
|
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
Good job by all! Thanks Blanca.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1689
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
Member Is Offline
|
|
Warm congratulations from chilly New England!
|
|
|
BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
Here are some more photos....
This is Cheke with his Mom (Martina) Dad (Martin) and Sister (Karime). This is one of the most amazing families in town. They are so united and
all contribute to make Life happen.
It was Karime (the sister) quinziñera last December and everyone worked to save money for it. They own the Martina restaurant near the local gas
station, so they opened up an ice-cream stand and she worked it.
They all worked to help Cheke achieve his dream of going to college. He went to Guerrero Negro every weekend for 4 years and did the off-site classes
to get his degree.
He is not in my scholarship project but he is in my heart for being so nice.
Cheke is the one who takes in every stray in town - and I mean the human ones! He asked for help years ago in creating the soccer team for all those
kids who simply did not fit in elsewhere. It lasted for years and many of you gave me soccer balls and other stuff for them!
Here is a picture of two of OUR kids, who are both in the scholarship project:
On the left is Ramiro Andres who was working the ceremony to raise some extra cash and on the right is Alberto Pioquinto who organized his amigos to
get together and buy gifts for Alexis! How proud of them both, how very proud of the extraordinary humans they are.
and lastly for today, here is the plaque that Alexis gave me. Every single time I reread it, I burst into tears....he has the uncanny ability to put
his feelings into words.
He went to the mountains today with his parents, off to the rancho for a well deserved vacation. We have been hunting for a job since El Boleo is
downsizing and he wasn't hired by them. He was disappointed.
If any of you have a good reference of a company anywhere in Baja Norte or Baja Sur where he can put his biz admin. skills to work then please send
me the information. So far, we tried Caracol in La Paz, El Boleo in Santa Rosalia and Suzie's farm in Vizcaino.
rough translation of the plaque: A thousand words would not be enough to thank you for your support and understanding during my hard times.
Thanks for having fed the dream I had of getting ahead and the feeling of pride in life, for sharing my hard times and my joys, my small victories and
painful mistakes, for always giving me the strength to keep fighting for what I wanted. Today, I achieve one of my goals, and I am ready to conquer
new ones and reach my personal dream.
I owe this achievement to you and today I share it with you.
With all my cariño, Manuel Alexis Rojas Gomez
Business Administration Engineer
TEC
Santa Rosalia, BCS, March 2018
To be honest, my translation does not do this plaque justice! Alexis used poetry to express himself ... it is truly a beautiful homage.
I have always told him that he made the biggest stride in overcoming his shyness and in really understanding the power and beauty of words.
|
|
|
TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  |
You probably remember the trip that Les and I took to their ranch? 45 miles that took 7 hours!
[Edited on 3-19-2018 by BajaBlanca] |
I would love to do the trip to their ranch. 45 milkes in 7 hours sounds like a lot of fun.
Alexis is an excellent example of the fruits of your work, thanks.
|
|
|
BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
TMW it turns out we are sponsoring one of the cousins this year and his family invited us to go at the end of the week to their ranch which is the
one AFTER Alexis's!!
If you want to go, when can you come down? I will have them wait for you.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
