Hello, my name is Erika Petersen and I am a sophomore at De Pere High School in De Pere, Wisconsin. I have just sent in my preliminary application to study abroad from 2011-2012 in Spain. The company I applied through was the American Field Service (AFS) intercultural exchange program. I chose to go through AFS because they are a company that has been around for over 60 years. They have sent thousands of kids abroad and are a well known exchange program.
I will be in Spain for 10 months and taking classes at a local high school. I am currently studying Spainish and it has become a goal of mine to become a fluent speaker. Immersion is the best way to learn any language. I know some basic vocabulary and can have a very simple conversation. Taking what I know from from previous Spanish classes and then being put into an environment where I will hear Spainish every day for 10 months, I believe I can achieve my goal. Upon my return, I will compile picture from my trip and give a presentation about my experiences for those who have so genrously contributed towards helping me pay for my tuition.
I hope it will possible for me to raise enough money to study abroad for 10 months. My goal is to raise $12,000, which will cover my tuition. Tuition includes placement with a local high school in Spain, orientations before and after I arrive in Spain and various other things as well. Along with writing this blog, I am in the process of setting up other fundraisers to finance my tuition. I have applied for several part time jobs, hung up flyers for babysitting and yardwork, and I'm also getting recipies from friends and family to make a cookbook and selling it.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. I realize the economy isn't at its best right now, but any donation you can make will get me closer to paying for my tuition and anything you give is greatly appreciated. If you are interested in helping my dream come true, please click the ChipIn button. It would be very much appreciated if you could forward this link on to other friends or family that may be interested in sponsoring my AFS adventure. Thank you so much!
Erika
