A letter from Florence B., who is studying at Smith. She's from Burkina Faso. She gave me permission to post this letter. Please see the other letters on the Class o '78 fundraising page.
Dear Annie,
I hope you come back home safe and sound. It is very cold these days.
I have attached a personnal statement that I have written for the Master in teaching program, I would like to do this year at Smith College. If I am admitted, we are supposed to start at the end of June.
I am in the one year American Studies Diploma Program for advanced undergraduates or graduates international students. At the end of the academic year, we will receive a certificate,"The diploma in American Studies". For this year, we are 11 students (one man). I am the only one students from Africa. The others are from Germany(3), Spain(1), Swiss(1), Italy(1), France(2),Netherlands(1), Japan(1). I have a Bachelor of Arts in English. I graduated in 2006 at the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and I am 27 years old.
I heard about about Smith College and the program through an American professor. She was a Fulbright scholar in my university from September 2007 to June 2008. The Fulbright program allows American Professors to teach for one or two years in African universities. It also allows African students to come to the USA. In 2006, I applied for it. I went through the different steps but at the end I failed. I was discouraged but the woman who is in charge of organizing it, told to me to do it again. I restarted the process but before I hear from the final results (supposed to come on December 2007), the woman called me at the beginning of September and talked about the American Scholar who just arrived. She told me that the
woman wants to learn French and she thought I can do it if I am available. I started tutoring the woman in French and one day she asked if I don't want to go to the US and pursue my studies in the United States. I told her that I could not afford the educational expenses.
On November 2007, she told me that there is college call Smith College and they offer a full scholarship for a one year program for international students. She told me that it is a highly competitive scholarship with lot of application from all around the world but I can try. I applied as soon as possible but I forgot about it. I never dream that I can get it. I talked with the educational advisor at the embassy and he told that I better forget about Smith College. It will be a miracle if I get this scholarship. I was still waiting for the result of the Fulbright and as a Christian I keep praying that God will allow me to get the Fulbright. In addition to the fact that they want only one person, there is the problem of money for the flight in a case I get it.
My father died when I was 12 and my mother is no longer working. My sisters' job could not allow them to pay for the ticket. But if you got the Fulbright, they pay for everything. So, I kept waiting for the Fulbright results. On April 18, 2008, I received a letter from the Smith College graduate office. I cannot forget this day. he director was informing me that they are ready to give me a scholarhip of $47, 860. It was unbelievable to me. You cannot imagine how happy I was.
I started crying for joy but the end of the letter reduce my joy because I have to prove that I have $4000 before they will issue the I-20 which will allow me to applied for the student visa.
The 4000 dollars was for my insurance and living expenses. I didn't have this money and I don't know someone who can give it to me. I showed the letter to the US woman and she wrote back to Smith saying that I don't have the money. 5 days later, Smith replied and told me that I got 2,200dollars for a one year insurance and as for the remaining 1,800dollars for living expenses, they told me that once here, I can have an on-campus job that will allow me to have some cash. At the US embassy, they told me that Smith College is a very good college and I was very lucky to be admitted in this school. What is wonderful, is that the Fulbright scholar met a girl (an American) who studied at Smith 10 years ago and is working in an NGO in my country. It was amazing. This woman and the Fulbright Scholar paid for my ticket and arranged.
On August 21, I arrived in the United States and on the 22 I was at Smith for the orientation program for international students. I am in Cutter, 223. Two weeks later, I got a job from the French department. My job was to teach French conversation to the students for the Fall semester. This allows me to have some cash.
I like Smith College and I very happy to be here. I am applying for the Master of Arts in Teaching that they offer. I hope I will get assistanship or fellowship or both. It is necessary for me to get.
I have been very long and for my career goals, I have attached my personal statement. I will be happy to have your comments. I can reduce it.
Thanks,
Florentine
