Planning For the Trip

So far, things are looking good. I've filled out my entire application and got it in by the deadline. My grades are looking more than good enough to attend. I've even bought my passport (Why are they so expensive??) and it looks great! Now I just have to wait for my personal interview in March (which is going to be flawless!), and I'll be ready to go this summer!! Time to raise some money!!! Woo!!

Why Studying Abroad?

Studying abroad just might be the greatest opportunity that I've received in my entire high school career. Every aspect of the process is positive. The thought of doing a thing such as living in a different country with a different family for almost two months is extremely exciting. It will allow me to understand the world and different people's lives much better. Also, while studying abroad, I will be learning something new about the culture of the country I live in every day. I believe that being well-rounded and understanding diversity is extremely important in being successful, gaining wisdom, and living a smoother, happier life. The trip will be more educational than I can even describe, and I'll be so thankful for it in the end. In addition to the huge amount of knowledge I'll gain and the culture I'll become immersed in, the trip will just be extremely fun. Trying new things, being with teenagers from all over the world, and possibly making lifetime friends will make the trip a great opportunity for opening up and networking also. If given sufficient funds to take part in this opportunity, I will come back and educate everyone around me on the different things that I learn about the culture and the different experiences that I gained. I will also share with peers the importance of doing things of this sort, and explain to them that no matter what your financial situation at home is, it's possible to take part in these programs, learn, and gain a lot from them. This will be the experience of a lifetime, and I will share it with everyone!!

About Me

My name is Martese Johnson, and I am an African American male at Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, Illinois. I am a very outgoing, fun-loving teenager who loves going out, educating myself, and trying new things.  I am an honors student who began taking Freshman honors courses in the 8th grade at Kenwood. Today, I am a Junior at Kenwood who takes Senior honors and AP courses. I am in the top 20% of my class, and I recently received a semester report card that contained straight As. I have a 3.5 GPA, and it continues to increase every semester. My goal is to receive a full scholarship to the University of Texas, Austin, where I want to study Business Administration or Marketing Management. Aside from my various academic achievements, I am also very active in my community and in my school. I am a member of 3 groups that take part in community service (F.O.C.U.S. 'Fundamentally Organizing and Cultivating Urban Society', Men of Distinction, and the Kappa Leadership Institute-Chicago). In these groups I have done a huge amount of community service, which consisted of a myriad of things such as helping with Jazz Festivals for the community, book fairs for the children, tutoring elementary school students, feeding the homeless, having anti-violence conferences, and more. While maintaining outstanding grades and participating in community service, I have also taken part in leadership positions and sports at my school. I am the Junior Class Vice-President, I am the Vice-President of "Men of Distinction", and I even play varsity football and volleyball. My family is not very well off, so my aim is to work hard enough so that my mother does not have to take a dime out of her pocket for my college funds. I believe that I am doing plenty of things that will lead me to achieving this goal, but there's always room for improvement. This is partially why I am taking the opportunity to study abroad this summer. Not very many poor, African American males get a chance like this, so I'm taking full advantage of it. It will look great on my college applications, and it will definitely be the experience of a lifetime. I plan to do big things in the future, and this is just one more step that I'd be taking on a path to greatness. So once again, donate whatever you can, please.

Thank you very much.

Goal of This Blog

Hi, my name is Martese Johnson and I am a junior at Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, Illinois. I am taking part in a study abroad program this summer with AFS, and I'm attempting to raise money for the trip through my blog. The trip costs about $10,000 per student, but luckily I have become a part of other organizations that have provided me with some of the money. Some things that I still do have to pay for though, are my round trip plane ticket, luggage, money for food and other necessities, and just everyday spending money for the 6 to 8 weeks that I will be abroad. I will be studying abroad in either Costa Rica, Panama, or Hungary for this 6-8 weeks, and any help at all will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!