by Sybil Argintar, PAX/FLEX Cluster Director
Hello Montford families, and especially those of you who have a student enrolled at Asheville High or School of Inquiry and Life Sciences (SILSA). I am a Montford resident working as a Cluster Director with the Program of Academic Exchange (PAX, and Latin for “peace” by the way!) for the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) scholarship program. PAX is also certified by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.
The FLEX program brings high school students, ages 15 to 18, from the former Soviet republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine to the U.S. for a full academic year exchange. Students are chosen to participate in the program based on their academic ability, maturity level, personality, leadership potential, and English skills. They have to pass rigorous exams to win the scholarship award and come with monthly stipends, all necessary visas, and full health insurance.
I currently have three students to place at Asheville High and SILSA for the upcoming academic year from August 2010 through May 2011. Both schools require that the student live with a family who has a child enrolled there.
Oleksandra (nickname Sasha), a fifteen-year-old girl from Ukraine, will be in the 10th grade. Her main interests are reading, writing, painting, drawing, sculpture, and drama, so obviously very involved in the arts. Sasha wants very much to meet American teenagers to learn about their lives and share her culture with them.
Artem, a 16-year-old boy from Ukraine, will be in the 11th grade. His interests include soccer, basketball, and volunteer work. He loves animals and is eager to share his culture with his new American family, including cooking up some delicious Ukranian meals! He hopes his exchange opportunity will enable him to develop more independence and help to improve the world.
Salome, a 16-year old girl from Georgia, will likely be in the 11th grade. Her interests are basketball, photography, mediation, and jewelry making. She considers herself to be “a sunny soul by nature” and takes great pride in her ability to handle difficult situations with a positive attitude. She knows how important cultural exchange is for helping to unite the world.
My responsibility as a Cluster Director will be to provide enhancement activities and act as an advocate for these students through the year. Background checks, home visits, family member interviews, and high school enrollment are required before a student can be placed in a home. Host families are required to provide three meals per day, a private or semi-private bedroom, and a place for study. I will also be on hand for any problems that might arise and will be doing a monthly check-in with you and your student.
I hope you will consider hosting one of these great teenagers. Youth have so much to offer to the world, and in my opinion, there is no better way to bring about peace than person-to-person contact. You will be giving your own child or children a gift they will always remember. Please feel free to contact me at 230-3733 or merlasybpenny@yahoo.com if you are interested, and I will be glad to stop by to give you more information.
