BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Scholarhip kids annual Christmas party 2018
What a wonderful day!
Leading up to the big day, I had moms and dads wrapping for me and I even got some 8th graders to help me out:
On the 16th, we put all the boxes outside, they were filled to the brim with gifts. Each scholarship or future scholarship student gets a huge
toothpaste, a toothbrush, clothes, shoes, makeup, nail polish and earrings etc. for the girls and shavers (thanks Ralph from Abreojos) and shaving
cream, clothes, shoes and socks for the guys. They all get shampoo, soap and laundry detergent. All the mom and dad helpers get to choose 3 gifts
each from the household goodies room and then the kids go in until all the items are gone. That's the deal - everything must go!
There were two tables outside with binders that Mom bought and notebooks and loose leaf binder paper that many donated, especially MMc! Each kid
can take whatever they need from these tables.
Local chefs (whose granddaughter is in the scholarship program) made the most delicious breakfast for everyone-Mexican scrambled eggs, chilaquiles,
homemade beans and much, much more. La Bocana local cooperative provided half the ingredients and when I get back home from xmas vacay in San Diego,
I plan to ask the Punta Abreojos coop if they will pay for the other half.
I made the white cakes and brownies that Lori (thanks so much) sent and husband Tommy dropped off. I made a key lime pie and 2 huge flans. My
friends Cindy and Mary made homemade cookies. It was a major food fest!
So, when students super shine, I talk to their sponsors and get them something really special. Here is a photo of Martha and I. She is studying
engineering in Santa Rosalia and got a number of awards for one of her projects.
My gut was quite right to go that extra step for her! Her sponsor bought a barely used cell phone that took me a couple weeks to convince Les to
sell at a deal. Here is a photo of me and her mom and sis - her dad is a policeman in Punta Abreojos.
Right after we took this photo, she showed me her grades and this kid got straight A's!!!!!! I almost started to cry, I was so moved and so very
happy that I had gone that extra mile for her.
Another proud moment was when Clarissa (who graduated this year) told the students that she got a great job in her field of marine biology!! She will
be teaching and participating in a turtle project. Whooohooooooooooo
Here she is at a table she organized to get all the students to sign the xmas cards for their sponsors:
Dayr considered dropping out when his Mom didn't have enough money to put food on the table. Since we have been helping him out since high school, I
was saddened by this and simply told him that by working for a little hourly wage, he was never going to have a great future. A couple days later, he
told me his Mom had gotten a loan from a friend to cover the money crunch and that he had figured out that his future was bleak without an education.
So, he shows me his grades and they are straight A's too! Holy smokes am I ever proud of him. I am not sure how he pulled it off but I'll take it!
The whole event was incredible. So much work to put it all together but I love seeing each teen grow and flourish. I spent over 3 hours mentoring
them on drinking (over drinking), how to prepare for graduation (some of the next graduates are already panicking), and the biggie this year was how
to deal with stress since one student went into a deep depression when he was overwhelmed with projects (he did great in the end). Of course,
most importantly, I tell them all how very proud I am of them.
Thanks to every single one of you who helped with kind words. who helped bringing goodies down. who helped financially with odds and ends that come
up during the year. who helped with donations galore - the paper and notebooks and pens and pencils MAKE MY DAY every time you give me some for my
kids.
Happy New Year. Let's make it a great 2019!!
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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The group !!
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MMc
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How cool is this! You change these guys world for ever. You might want to spend a little time on how to look and get a job. I never knew a college
that helped a student getting a job.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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paranewbi
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Registered: 4-15-2011
Location: San diego
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Quote: Originally posted by MMc  | | How cool is this! You change these guys world for ever. You might want to spend a little time on how to look and get a job. I never knew a college
that helped a student getting a job. |
And! By changing the world for those guys (gals) you have changed the world for us too!
God Bless you Blanca (and Les too).
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Purdyd
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Registered: 10-21-2018
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Thanks for sharing the pictures and stories. So great to see the impact you are having on these young people.
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advrider
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Registered: 10-2-2015
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Everyone benefits from these kids doing good and they will have a huge impact on the community... Keep up the good work.
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Thanks for the kind words and thanks all for helping me keep the momentum up going on 6 years now. Through the ups and downs, it has been this group
that emotionally helped with sweet words and those of you who help with the $$ for entrance exams and dentists and toothbrushes and toothpaste and
more that make this possible.
Gratitude and wishes for a spectacular 2019.
Blanca
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