By Michael Clemons | Founder
Dear Friend,
When is the last time you did something for the first time?
In this report, we have letters from the scholars who have started their studies as of April 2023 and updates from other scholars.
Shizuma in Nagoya, oldest of five boys. Was in care for economic reasons but does not qualify for government support as he went home to help with his brothers from the orphanage:
Hello. Thank you for your support for school fees. Thanks to your help, I am enjoying school. School is hard work, but I also go to a part-time job and lead a fulfilling life. The hardest part of school is piano class. In piano class, I am given new assignments every week, and the system is designed to help us improve. I was not very good at it at first, but recently I have been enjoying the classes. I also work as a staff member for the open campus. I will continue to do my best.
Sachiko in Nagoya, working hard and did not receive the same amount of help as others so we helped with sundries for her living on her own:
Thank you for your support after graduation and even for your donations of electronics and bicycles. I was very anxious about living alone for the first time, but thanks to your warm support, I am doing better than I thought. In the future, I would like to be the one who helps others as you helped me. Michael and his staff have provided me with a lot of support since I was at the Wakamatsu Ryo, such as invitations to events. Not only me but also my family is very grateful. I feel very blessed to have received not only financial support but also valuable experiences. I will continue to do my best without forgetting to be grateful to those around me.
Tsuyoshi in Brazil started YouMeWe in Brazil as he studies online:
Although it was a bit challenging balancing work, study, and moving back to Brazil to sort out my visa situation, this second semester was really fun. The classes were very well designed, and I especially enjoyed learning about social problems related to the field that I am going into, and I feel like going more in this direction in the future.
"SBE 195-B" was designed to help me understand my career goals and improve my skills when I start job hunting. Since I am an older student, and I have had several different jobs and experiences seeking employment, I wasn’t expecting to have so much to learn on the topic.
Practicing my speaking was fundamental to me. Since I am not a native English speaker,
I tend to always express myself the way I speak my native language (Portuguese), and learning how to balance being direct, formal, and still charismatic really made me confident to start job hunting. Running over questions for a hiring manager was another assignment that surprised me, and it made me think like a hiring professional would, opening my eyes to details of an interview that I never thought of.
“PLG 211 Equitable Cities: Gender, Sexuality & Race” was probably the most fun class of the semester. This class connected several social problems to the construction industry and made us think about how the city and the space directly affect minorities and even cause some of these issues. I remember feeling shocked learning how much urban planners and architects have been part of the problem since the beginning of civilization, and I really felt that this class was very important since one day we will be part of this industry, and this class prepared us to be part of the solution and not the problem.
"ENVS 210" was a short course (7 weeks instead of 14 weeks) but it was also very interesting. This class was more focused on climate change and environmental issues related to construction. It was probably the most challenging because there was a lot of science content to understand basic principles. We studied all the causes of climate change, green energy, the problems of recycling, and most importantly better approaches and solutions for most environmental problems caused by cities.
Overall, I am really enjoying the course and I am very grateful for this scholarship!
One pep talk to a high school scholar who did not attend all classes:
Noel scholar in Philippines, You are a Mark Bell Scholar. This means that out of all the students in the Philippines who would like this scholarship you were chosen. Not because you are in need but because we know what your capabilities are. We have and continue to have high expectations of you not because we are setting the bar high, we know you can reach the high bar based on your scholastic performance in the past and what you are capable of. You and only you are in charge of your professionalism around how you conduct yourself now as a student and in life in the future. Being responsible means being "able to respond". If you are not able to respond, you are not able to be responsible. There is no need to mention all the people around you who have come together whether it be your mother or uncle or me and the donors. That part of my weekly schedule is to make sure you have the transportation allowance to get you to school so you can be successful. So you have a choice to make. You can choose to do nothing or you can choose to wake up every day and make sure that nothing gets in the way of you and your potential. The rest of us will survive. But it is you that you have to be proud of at the end of the day. And I believe you want this too.
Lady in Philippines, her report card will be available June 6.
Thank you very much for your generous support. WIthout your support these scholars would not be able to attend school. We endeavor to continue raising funds for them to get them through school so they can then enter the workforce and help the next generation.
Regards,
Michael Clemons
By Michael Clemons | Founder
By MICHAEL CLEMONS | Founder
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