Bits and Pieces

Jan 22, 2018 | Students

Happy January, everyone! We have some great little tidbits of news for you from many of our girls.

  • Maria in Guatemala has entered school and is now attending Saturday classes from 7:15 AM to 4:00 PM at Colegio Preuniversitario El Prado.
  • We have updated the pages of all our girls from Nicaragua, and we have new photos from Rebecca in Uganda, Achecaina in Haiti, and Jennifer A. in Tanzania. Please check out their pages!
  • Karina, who graduated last year, is studying hard at the university. She’s had some challenges this year, and has to make up two classes, but she is working hard, and has every intention of continuing forward.
  • Alicia, who graduated in November, has found her first job! It’s a temporary job at a restaurant, but given the difficulty of finding work  in Guatemala, it is a wonderful thing! We are so very proud of her.
  • Alicia wrote us her final letter as a scholarship recipient, which we include here translated so you can read it and see what a lovely woman she is. We are so happy to have met her and to have been able to help her in school. We will keep you posted about her progress. For her final letter to the foundation, we asked her to describe her day of graduation and how she felt about it. Here’s her lovely letter:

 

Pascuala Alicia y Familia Och Ixmatá
Barrio chuijuyub, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Sololá
Guatemala

Guatemala, 20 de noviembre de 2017.

Señoras
Crista y Compañia
Fundación One New Education
Estados Unidos

Esteemed associates,

Thank you for the aid that all of you have bestowed upon me during these past three years. Today I and my family are very happy because I am graduating from my program as an expert in business administration. I have finished my studies regardless of what people said or thought about me. I fought with everything I have whether it was hard or easy. I made the effort in everything I did and at the end I accomplished this.

At 6 AM I left my house to attend a mass at 7 AM to bless the graduates from different levels and programs. After the mass ended, we moved to the theater where the graduation ceremony would take place. At 9 AM we began to get dressed to be prepared when the ceremony began. At 10 AM my family and my special guests Christa and Leslie from One New Education, Anna, Carlos and Romelia arrived, as well as Maria, my friend who also receives help from all of you. At 10:30 AM the ceremony began. Each student was accompanied by their parents, godmothers, or godfathers to the graduation. My parents accompanied me to the stage, I beg pardon of Christa and Leslie for not having them accompany me. Perhaps they felt uncomfortable, a thousand apologies.

Next, all the graduates sang the national anthem of Guatemala. When we finished that they started awarding diplomas to each student based on their program or level. This took a while, since there were a lot of students. Then they gave a chance to the godmothers and godfathers to place the graduation ring on each graduate’s hand. Christa and Leslie are my godmothers and the ones who gave me the graduation ring. They were very happy. Christa said a few words about how I was able to achieve success. Later we swore oaths about some questions and agreed to comply with what they asked us to swear to. The ceremony ended with each student leaving accompanied by their parents or godparents. Once all the students had finished each family left and we came to the house.

We arrived at the house to eat lunch with the family and my special guests who are very important to me since I have come to know each one of them during the three years of my studies. I was very happy that they could accompany me today for the celebration of my graduation. We came into the house and began to serve the food to everyone, and then we all ate lunch together. When we all finished lunch, Christa gave me a necklace. I thanked her for the gift she gave me. After that, all the guests began to congratulate me and give me gifts. After this Christa, on the part of the foundation, brought gifts for my whole family. Each one of my brothers and sisters received a gift. I was very grateful to everyone that is part of the foundation and those who donated money. May God enrich you for the economic aid that each one of you has given me. Thank you so much, thank you. My family is also very grateful to you for the help.

Finally, my family and I are very grateful and happy to know Leslie and Christa in person and for inviting my whole family on the trip to Solola. Thank you for the breakfast and the lunch that you bought for us, thank you very much and much gratitude to One New Education.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all the help, my best to each one of you sincerely.

Pascuala Alicia Och Ixmata
Scholarship recipient and graduate

Comments

1 Comment

  1. Wow! And congratulations, Alicia. I wish you well in all you do. Your intelligence, kindness, and perseverance will help you succeed in whatever path you choose.