Class project creates funds for abroaders

By Laura Hayes

Five seniors raised money at Stuft Pizza on Feb. 16 to send underprivileged high school students abroad. Organizers promoted the event as a reunion for juniors and seniors who have already studied out of the country.

The students formed their not-for-profit group, called A Broad Look, Inc., for their business writing class, taught by Professor Dolores LaGuardia.

They were given an assignment to create a philanthropic or fund-raising program that required they use their writing skills to benefit the community in some way. Each group in the class aims to complete the assignment by raising money or providing resources to a given charity or cause.

Seniors Bridget Starkey, Alexis Held, Jessica Johnson, Warren Jackson, and Aaron Uchikura created A Broad Look, Inc., saying they aim to "make the world a smaller place," by providing the opportunity to study abroad to those who can't afford the trip.

They coordinated their fund-raising efforts with People to People, a non-profit organization that places students around the world through its ambassador program.

People to People was started in 1957 by President Eisenhower and aimed to create greater communication between different countries.

The students used their Stuft Pizza fund-raiser to gain publicity on campus while raising nearly $75 that night. They have also collected $150 from donation bins around campus.

Because all five of the seniors in A Broad Look have either studied or traveled abroad, the students wanted to share the benefits of experiencing different cultures.

Starkey, who traveled to Rome her junior year and was part of the Santa Clara Assisi program the previous summer said the group's "goal is to culture young adults and get youth to have a broader perspective of the world." She also said that the trip is not just a travel vacation, but one for learning and studying as well.

In contacting the national People to People office, the girls were referred to Dr. Richard Irizary, the Area Program Director and Primary Leader for the San Francisco Exploring Europe Delegation.

Irizary called the idea for the project "absolutely commendable." After working with Dr. Irizary, the group decided to distribute $5,000 worth of funds to four individuals based on an essay contest, asking questions about what they would bring to the program as well as where they'd want to go and why.

"We had originally planned to do one $5000 scholarship, but we decided it would be more beneficial to have smaller scholarships for more students because each student varied on the amount they needed to make the trip," Held said.

The students will have until March 1 to submit answers to the essay questions, and based on a combination of their answers and financial needs, scholarship packages will be put together and awarded over Spring Break.

Winners will be chosen from Bay Area high school students who applied for the program and need financial assistance to make the trip.

The group members want to choose a candidate who is attempting to fund his or her own trip.

"We want someone who is dedicated, someone that understands the importance of travel, someone that really wants to go," Held said. "We are looking for someone that is trying to make the trip happen, but is limited by financial concerns."

Stuft Pizza donated 10 percent of all cash or credit to the cause, and five percent of all sales made with Flex. Donation buckets were also placed at the entrance of the restaurant for patrons to donate spare bills or change.

"At Stuft, we just wanted to come together and raise money for a common purpose," Starkey said. "The five of us know of the value, personal and educational experience of travel. Those that are less fortunate just don't have the means, so we want to open up the world for them."

The group is in the process of planning other fund-raising events to raise enough money to meet the $5,000 quota. Some ideas include appealing to area corporations and holding a fund-raiser at an area bar.

Cash or check contributions can be made in central campus locations such as Benson, Adobe Lodge, and various residence halls.