Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Meet the YES scholars By Ma. Cristina Basa-Orbecido
ONLY a few high school students have the opportunity to study in the United States for free. Jean Marie D. Baldado and Nonito Cabrera Jr. are among them.
They are senior students of Negros Occidental High School who joined other 35 Filipino scholars of the Youth Exchange Study Program (YES) in 2006.
YES is an innovative high school exchange program funded by the US Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This initiative builds bridges of international understanding, especially between Americans and people in countries with significant Muslim population.
Under the scholarship grant, YES scholars live with their host families, engage in school activities and volunteer in the community. They learn about American society and values while helping to educate others about the customs and culture of their homelands.
Jean Marie, 17, and a consistent honor student of NOHS, studied in Griggs County Central High School in Cooperstown, North Dakota for a semester. She is the second daughter of the late Atty. Julius Baldado and Eva Baldado, who operates an eatery.
It was a dream come true for me, she says. I never thought of studying in the US. There are times that (I get so) overwhelmed because of the once in a lifetime opportunity, but sometimes its hard to admit the fact that your away from home.
The advanced and modern teaching methods in the US did not scare Jean Marie, who went on to become an A honor student. She studied foreign language, Spanish, sociology, psychology, American government, band, choir and many other subjects not integrated in the Philippine high school curriculum.
Compared to the classroom set-up here, she reveals that the learning environment in the US is more unconventional. Students are given more freedom to speak out and express their views and opinions on certain issues without being reprimanded by teachers.
Aside from learning American culture, Jean Marie also took time to visit other US states like, Minnesota, Montano, Chicago and Wisconsin. Being stingy and practical, she worked as tutor after class hours and saved her monthly allowance of $125 to buy stuff for her family.
Her exposure to American culture and learning environment did not influence her cultural foundation though. She still prefers to study in the Philippines because of the high level of respect between students and teachers. After high school, she plans to take up international studies and foreign affairs in Manila because she wants to be an ambassador of the Philippines to the US.
Nonito, 16, studied in Clover Park High School in Lakewood, Washington. He is the second son of Nonito Cabrera Sr. and Lourdes Cabrera, both in molasses trading.
It was a great experience. Aside from learning diverse American cultures, I met a lot of people from different races, he says. It was the best year of my life, although some would say that I lost a year in high school. For me, the experience was once in a lifetime.
Nonito even recalls: I don’t know why and how I qualified for the scholarship (not being an honor student).
What saddened him was the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the US due to broken families. He said that in their class, four girls were pregnant. It’s really unfortunate, he adds. But what was consoling is that these pregnant teenagers were never discriminated but were allowed to continue to attend school.
Nonito also set aside his monthly stipend to visit other places like Florida and Seattle, and discover Disneyland twice. When asked about the saddest moment he faced in the US, Cabrera grinned and said the saddest moment in his life was when his grandfather died two months before his US scholarship ended.
After graduation, he plans to study broadcasting or international studies or foreign affairs in Ateneo.
Both Jean Marie and Nonito call on the Filipino youth to be more open to student hosting experience. They said it is life changing and if they (the youth) have the chance they should grab it because it’s really great.
