Summer?

Briana Chang

It’s not too early to start thinking about summer, especially when A Better Chance is offering some amazing opportunities to scholars with deadlines quickly approaching.

• Last year I was honored with one of the A Better Chance Awards for being a well rounded student.  This year let it be you! Awards will be given to 30 Scholars with amounts ranging from $250 - $1500.  All A Better Chance Scholars, regardless of grade level, are eligible to apply upon completing the application- Due March 31, 2012 (postmarked date)

• 2 Scholarships to attend the Cambridge College Programme at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England for will be awarded to sophomores or juniors who return the application to a Better Chance. Scholarships cover program costs and airfare. If you do not need a scholarship, you should apply directly to www.cambridgecollegeprogramme.org/PDFs/application.pdf. If you notify the Programme that you are an A Better Chance Scholar, you will receive a $500 discount.- Due April 6, 2012 (postmarked date)

•  A minimum of 20 partial to full scholarships for current sophomores and juniors will be awarded to those who submit the Experiment in International Living application, EIL (study abroad trips for 3-5 weeks this summer). – Due March 1, 2012 (postmarked date)

• One scholarship to participate in the Longacre Leadership Camp. Though open to boys and girls, to qualify for this scholarship, prospective campers must be a boy between 12 and 18 years old. Interested Scholars should contact their Regional Program Manager by March 15, 2012.

• 40 Group Leaders (juniors and seniors are eligible) to serve as workshop facilitators at the A Better Chance New Scholar orientation programs in CA or PA during the summer. (Applications will be available in March.)

Don’t let the opportunities pass you by- the deadlines come faster than you think.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

 Celina Fernandez-Ayala

Most people don't believe me when I say that Christians were a minority at my high school. I would not believe it either, had I not experienced it. In fact, there were very few practitioners of any faith at school, including faculty. This made my high school years especially painful, being both a racial minority and a religious minority. Attending school was not difficult because there were few Christians, but because people were unaware of the hurtful comments they made in refernce to the religion.

I founded the Christian Alliance as a safe, supportive space for Christian students and faculty. I continued the group because no one deserves to have their humanity challenged, to be humiliated, to be made lesser than anyone else. With all of the negative experiences I had, it is difficult to make peace with my high school years. I may never truly be able to do so, even though I've come out a more compassionate, intelligent and resilient young woman. All I can say is "When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty." (Unknown.)  I encorage you all to aknowledge problems and create solutions.

Keep on keeping on, ABC scholars!

All Girl's School?!?!?!

Evelysse Vargas

My name is Evelysse Vargas and I am currently a junior at the Chapin School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Chapin is an all-girls school, as were 4 out of the 5 schools that I applied to. People normally have an immediate reaction when I tell them that I go to an all-girl school. Most boys say, “Oh, I want to go there”, while most girls cringe at the idea of being surrounded by only girls on a daily basis. Some protective fathers want their daughters to strictly apply to all-girl schools and some mothers are also protective of their daughters and thus, concur. I will tell you right now that the reasons listed above, should not factor in to your decision-making. I was a tomboy growing up and I never imagined that I could get along with solely girls, much less attend an all-girl school. Now I am a junior in high school, and I consider my 36 classmates sisters. Going to an all-girl school has provided me with the tools I need to be a successful woman in this world. No one is concerned with boys while answering a question in math class, or if the cute boy that you have a crush on might ridicule your response to that tough question. Although these may seem exaggerated to some, these hypotheses that I had were confirmed this fall when I attended the co-ed Chewonki Semester School. Of the girls there, I was one of the few who consistently shared how I was feeling and I was never afraid to disagree with the males in the room. Additionally, I, along with some of my friends who also attend all-girls schools in New York City, noticed the overly deferential nature of some of our girl friends who attend co-ed schools. This is not to say that males are evil or negative influences on females. However, it is much easier to be focused, and grow as a student when males are not present and are therefore, not an impediment. I could not imagine myself at any other school. Chapin has made me who I am today, and a co-ed Chapin would not have yielded the same results. So don’t cross that all-girl school off your list yet! Take a second look and if you have any questions feel free to email me at 13EVV@chapin.edu.