Chile here I come!

Dear Family, Friends, and Neighbors,

I hope you are in good health and high spirits. I am Sarah Hamburg, daughter of Jay and Jennifer Lane and Steve and Teresa Hamburg. I am excited to announce that I have received the AFS Global Leaders Scholarship Award to study abroad and will be spending this spring semester in Chile as an exchange student. From a very young age I developed an interest in world cultures and a desire to explore them. The idea of foreign exchange was brought to my attention when my grandpa, Doug Bostrom, became the local exchange student coordinator. I decided to apply for a scholarship to do an exchange this coming spring and after an extensive application process I was thrilled to hear that I had received this merit scholarship. I am one of fifteen Montana high school students studying with the AFS program across the globe this coming semester.

For those of you who don't know, I am a Sophomore at Broadwater High School in Townsend Montana. I am one of the top students in my class and I am very active in extra curricular activities and in my community. I participate in cross-country, tennis, drama, green club, Aim Higher, Building Higher Standards, and I am Student Council treasurer. I have volunteered at the Broadwater Food Pantry and with the Townsend Tree Board. I am also a second year Spanish student and I'm looking forward to gaining more fluency in a second language. I recently learned that I will be the first exchange student representing Broadwater High School in a foreign country in more than two decades. I am excited to share this experience with my classmates here at home during the program and when I return.

AFS, or American Field Service, is the oldest Student Exchange program in the United Stated, and has been in operation since the end of World War II. They send students to nearly forty different countries all over the world. When I decided to apply for AFS in Chile people asked me, “Why Chile?” Well, Chile is the southernmost country of the world (which means I will enjoy nine months of continuous winter) and is home to Pablo Neruda (Chilean Nobel Prize Winner), who once described Chile as a “country made for poets.” From flamingos in the northern Atacama desert to penguin colonies in the southern Patagonia region, the variety of Chile’s natural wonders is simply enchanting. But possible more inspiring than all of it's picturesque beauty is the Chilean people and the resilience they have shown the world in their courageous rescue of the 33 trapped miners. I look forward to learning from these inspiring people and experiencing their culture and customs by living with a host family for 5 months.

Although I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship, I am afraid I will not be able to pay for the full cost of tuition without additional fund-raising efforts. The total cost of the five month program is $11,000. My scholarship covers the first $2,500 and my parents, Jay and Jennifer Lane, and grandparents, Doug and Sally Bostrom, have also generously contributed another $2,000, bringing me to a total of $4,500. This leaves me with $6,500 to raise in the next 3 months. That's where you, my family, friends and neighbors, come in. I understand that times are tough for many families right now, so this is difficult for me to ask. I need your help, even a small contribution could make a world of difference for me. Please use the Chip In feature at the side of my blog page if you can help. With this feature you can easily contribute with a credit card or pay pal. account.  Even if you can't afford to make a monetary contribution, I would still love to hear from you, so please feel free to comment or leave me a message.  I will be keeping you posted every two weeks on my progress in fund-raising and my preparation for this life changing event. 

Thank You for Your Support,

Sarah Hamburg