Smith '78 Fullfill the Potential Project

From Naomi Sinnathamby (Sri Lanka) Class of 2015

2011-12-31T22:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. De Groot,

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the Fulfill the Potential project. I am truly glad that I can contribute to the Class of 78’s aspirations for future students. Such a project is one of the main reasons I chose to attend Smith; it manifests the nurturing environment I hoped to find in a women’s college. From the semester I have spent at Smith thus far, I have been pleased to discover a wonderful, compassionate group of peers, with whom I can share my ambition to effect change in a unique way.

Born in Sri Lanka, I attended school in the capital, Colombo, until the age of seven when my family relocated to Lesotho. The decision to move was primarily influenced by the escalating civil conflict, which was beginning to disrupt the daily lives of civilians throughout the country. My father was the country director of a Non-Governmental Organization in Lesotho for four years, after which he was transferred to India. I attended an American School in New Delhi until I was

sixteen.

As Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009, I was able to complete my final two years of secondary school in Colombo. After graduating, I volunteered as a relief worker in a not-for-profit organization, contributing to the effort to rehabilitate the refugee population. Sri Lanka is currently attempting to rise out of its prolonged period of conflict; this includes a need to shed any vestiges of ethnic divides that may have previously existed. Whether or not it succeeds in achieving this, it is evident that transparency between the government and the populace is imperative for progress. As a result of my gap year, I realized that I wanted to become an archivist, in order to make history more accessible to the public.

I chose to attend a foreign university because the system of higher education in Sri Lanka is primarily focused on the sciences and engineering, with little attention given to the humanities. There were many factors that influenced my decision to apply to Smith. I learned of the school through a gradual process; I realized that many of the women whom I admired, including a series of authors and political figures, were Smith alumnae. This revealed to me Smith’s determination to facilitate the confidence of idealistic students, as well as to provide them with a support system to remain empowered following their higher education.

I was also attracted to the Archives Concentration at Smith, which takes advantage of the school’s Sylvia Plath archives, and the popular Junior Year Abroad program in Paris, for which I am preparing. Finally, Smith’s financial aid package was incredibly generous, greatly relieving my parents who are also currently paying for my sister’s college education. While studying in Sri Lanka, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to major in History and Classics in such an intellectually-charged, promising environment.

I hope that by sharing my story, I can continue Smith’s tradition of empathy, and help other women from post-conflict countries to achieve their goals.

Do please let me know if I can contribute to the Fulfill the Potential in any additional way.

Best Regards,

Naomi Sinnathamby, 2015

Senior Ngozi Onuzo (Nigeria) Class of 2012

2011-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

I came to Smith College from Lagos, Nigeria, following my two older sisters to Smith. Although I attended the best public high school for girls in the country, there were many challenges that impeded my education. One of the most critical was periodic strikes by teachers, due to delayed or withheld salary payments by the government. As a result, I had to take classes at a private institution during the strikes, and return when teachers agreed to come back temporarily, often at the end of the term. However, the opportunity to take classes elsewhere was not available to most students, which had a negative academic and social impact on students, some of whom indulged in social misconduct or dropped out of school consequently.

Although this issue has been somewhat addressed, exorbitant secondary school fees have become the biggest challenge at hand because the government does not fund or subsidize education beyond the primary level. This has made it even more difficult for girls to attend secondary school, or even think about attending higher education institutions. As Nigeria still suffers from political, economic, and environmental stresses, women are put aside in most aspects in society, especially education, and the results of this are obvious in the corrupt governance and instability of the country.

What has kept me encouraged at Smith is the knowledge of how privileged and blessed I am to have access to a world-class education, and I have persevered for the sake of my family and country that look up to educated women such as myself. I am hoping to work within the Geosciences or Environmental Science field after graduation, and then move on to graduate school, after which I will return to Nigeria to practice environmental consulting, and get involved in environmental policy after several years.

Without the funding I received to continue my education at Smith College, I know I would not have the opportunities I have today, and cannot express my gratitude enough for the impact Smith has had on my life. I know that the Fulfill the Potential fund will bring to Smith, women who are ready to use their education to make changes in their societies, and extend help to many other women. My Smith education has helped me establish and achieve goals I once thought were unattainable, and this is just one example of what the fund will do for many others.

Again, thank you for reaching out to me on behalf of the project. Please let me know if you need any more information or help.

Sincerely,

Ngozika Onuzo

Smith College ‘12

Some of the AMAZING class of '78 women who have contributed are listed here . . .

2011-12-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Diana, Stephanie, Valerie, Patricia, Paula, Anne, Celestia, Diane, Kathy, Marguerite, Celia, Donna, Jamie, Julie, Kerry, Leslie, Sarah, Barbara, Therese, Deborah, Elizabeth, Joan, Laurie, Lynda , Nancy, Susan, Susan, Barbara, Kathryn, Robin, Dorothy, Maggie, Mary Louise, Wendy, Chandler, Emily, Madeline, Marcia,Robin, Caroline, Debra, Mary, Lynn, Carolyn Sandra, Beth, Pamela, Priscilla, Terri, Jean, Mary Linda, Nina, Ruth, Karen, Elizabeth, Caroline, Tanya, Joy, Carolyn, Barbara, Jennifer, Annie, Kathryn, Jenny, Claire, Liz and Susan . . .

Want to add your name to the list? Please join your classmates in contributing to fulfilling the potential of women to change the world! Join the 70 classmates who have donated (by first name only) who have contributed to The Smith College Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential” Endowed Scholarship: Here's the link: https://www.smith.edu/future/giving/

Don't see your name, or don't see a classmate's name and want to ask her to contribute with you? Contact me, and I will send you her email. Here's the link to email me: dr.annie.degroot@gmail.com.

Please remember to pull down the "Reason" and mark "Class of 1978 Fulfill the Potential".
And Thank You!

Fatima's story (Fatima Bassir, Smith 2015)

2011-12-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. De Groot,

I deeply appreciate the effort your graduation class is making with the *Fulfill the Potential* project. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to this project and I am more than happy to share my story if it will potentially help others begin their journey. My Smith education is most valuable to me and I would love to see other women from developing and/or post conflict countries receive this incomparable academic experience.

During Sierra Leone's civil war, my family and I resided in Nigeria. We only returned to the country in 2004 after the fighting had sufficiently died down, even though many still feared there would be another sudden outbreak of war. Luckily for us there was none. Thus I continued my secondary education in Freetown until 6th form, after which I applied for the United World College scholarship. On acceptance I left my family to complete my high school/college education in Norway.

Studying at the United World Colleges made Universities in the US much more accessible to me. We often had representatives from various US universities come to the college and give presentations about their schools.Like most people, I first heard about Smith from a friend who was applying here. Even though I was unable to visit the college before applying, I read a lot of positive things about Smith from college reviews written by students.This coupled with the fact that Smith is one of the only Liberal Arts colleges that offer a Bachelor of Science in Engineering made it the ideal college choice for me.

Fortunately, I was accepted to Smith college and offered a generous Financial Aid package. This made my college enrollment decision fairly simple and greatly eased my mother*s financial burden of having to concurrently pay university fees for three children. Most importantly it meant I could bypass my country's tertiary education system that has been continuously deteriorating since the civil war.

At Smith I have been welcomed into a society of ambitious and caring young women who have inspired and encouraged me through my first semester. Its amazing how despite everyone*s busy schedule people still takeout time to stop and chat with other students and learn more about what is happening in the lives of others. I am convinced that I made the right decision by coming here; at Smith I am not only receiving an exceptional education, but also making life long friendships.

Thank you for inviting me to be part of this project. Please let me know if there is anything else about me you would like me to share.

Regards,
Fatima Bassir
Smith College 2015

Dreaming Big in Northampton

2011-11-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Do you remember dreaming big in Northampton? When the world was a door and you were well-prepared to walk through it? If you can remember that, then read on…

Our 35^th reunion will be here before we know it!

And when we gather again back in Northampton for lots of fun, catching up and sharing of the dreams we’re dreaming now, we’ll also want be proud of the collective contributions we’ve made and what we’ve given back to Smith College.

We were dreaming big when we last met in 2008. At our 30^th Reunion, we voted to create a class project -- establishing a scholarship fund to support young women from developing and post-conflict countries who would like to attend Smith, but otherwise would not have the opportunity due to financial – or even cultural – roadblocks.

Our proposal to the Board of Trustees was quickly approved, and we got approval to move forward with the Smith College Class of ’78 “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Fund. You may have heard about it already – or you may be hearing about it for the first time thanks to our new, more complete e-mail list. Either way, please click here to read more about it, and please share the link with other classmates and potential supporters.

We can be proud of our class and our mission because we have succeeded in raising $50,000 to date!

Our challenge? A long way still to go. To establish the fund, we must continue to gather another $100,000 in contributions prior to our 35^th Reunion, or before June 30, 2013. If we don't make our goal by 2013, establishing a class fund will be much more difficult, requiring we raise an additional $100,000 in contributions for a total of $250,000..

Right now, there are already 50 young women on campus participating in our Scholarship Program. And they are dreaming big -- even though they come from cultures where women are not allowed to dream big. As a class, we contributed – and continue to contribute – to making their dreams come true, and changing the world forever.

Please read the spotlight article from Aigerem – a current program participant. Think about how a Smith education contributed to the size of your dreams, how much your contribution means to each of these young women –- to all Smith women everywhere -- and to the future of our global society.

If each one of us donates $250 before our next reunion, we'll make our goal. Will you join us today?

I tell you what: For each of the first 100 donations of $200 or more, I’ll add on another $50. And if all 400 of you donate even $50 or more, I promise to do my best to continue adding to donations right up until we meet our goal in June, 2013! Drop me a note at the email address below, to let me know you contributed and what amount.

And, if you’re making your donation online, don’t forget to select Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential Scholarship” on the tab labeled, "GIFT PURPOSE”. If you’re sending a check, please write the Scholarship name on the memo line.

If we reach our goal, our class will have a legacy, to which we can contribute as much as we want every year – and that will continue to help young women for decades to come

But … there is no time to waste. Let's keep dreaming big for the young women who will continue to follow us through Northampton. If we make our goal, we'll be feeling great and standing proud in 2013.

Thank you for your quick response to this appeal, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Annie De Groot '78
Class of 1978 Fundraising Officer

E-mail: dr.annie.degroot@gmail.com

Donate to Fulfill the Potential N

A Donor to FTP speaks!

2010-01-31T19:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Annie

I'm giving to the "Fulfill the Potential" fund because it allows me to honor Smith and its mission while simultaneously addressing global concerns. We are actively extending our mission -- educating "women of promise for lives of distinction" -- to areas of the world that need it most.

Best,

Priscilla

Priscilla Bremser
Professor, Department of Mathematics
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753

Thanks Giving Letter to Class of 1978

2009-12-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

November 11, 2009

Dear member of the Smith Class of '78

A short message and update on our Class of '78 Fulfill the Potential project.

Liz George and I went to Smith in October for the Ford Hall opening. We met with current Fullfill the Potential-type "developing world and post-conflict nation" students - a wonderful array of young women from Zimbabwe, Togo, Mauritius, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Afganistan - each and everyone an example of the amazing potential for a Smith education to change the world. We met Roya, who is the first person in her entire family to attend college (from Afganistan), we met Florentine, who is a masters in education student, we met Bhavna, Ilda, Sigma, and Yeliha and we met Aigerim, whose story is pasted below.

After meeting the students and listening to each one of their stories about how they reached Smith, and hearing from them about their aspirations (engineer, physician, scientist . . . ) we walked over to the Ford Hall opening together - an event that could not have been a better choice - because we hard from a panel of Smith alumnae about their achievements in Math and Science and Engineering - truly inspirational stories.

Liz and I were amazed by the grit and determination, the inner beauty and the aspirations of these young women. I hope that you too will have an opportunity to meet them. This Thanksgiving, we're organizing opportunities for the current FTP students to be hosted by class of 1978 families. Let me know if you would like to invite one of these young women into your homes.

In the meantime, I am asking you again for your contribution to the Smith College Fulfill the Potential Project. Last time I wrote you, we raised $1000. That's WONDERFUL. But we have about $90,000 to go to meet our first year objective. Thank you VERY MUCH to the 10 classmates who contributed for the first time between September and October. Thank you especially to Susan and Barbara who each gave $2000! Would you join them with a one time contribution now, before Thanksgiving? Would you join the group that is donating a small amount every month ($78, or $31 or other creative numbers . . . )?

I am putting my contribution out there to match yours. If you contribute now, I will match your gift up to my ability to match in this round - up to $3100, ($100 for every year that we have been away from Smith). So that's potentially $6100 that we can raise this month!

Please consider a gift now. Read the stories on our blog, including one from Aigerim, one of the students who is currently attending Smith. I've put our picture below the story, right next to the information about contributing.

I hope you'll take a minute more out of your life to read this, and to follow the links, and to give thanks for the wonderful opportunities that Smith education gave you and is giving to these young women, right now.

Thank you

Annie De Groot '78

From one of your classmates (Priscilla Bremser, '78)

2009-12-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

December 30th 2009:

I'm giving to the "Fulfill the Potential" fund because it allows me to honor Smith and its mission while simultaneously addressing global concerns. We are actively extending our mission -- educating "women of promise for lives of distinction" -- to areas of the world that need it most.

Best,

Priscilla

Priscilla Bremser
Professor, Department of Mathematics
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753

Carol Christ on Fulfilling the Potential

2009-11-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

From CC's bio on the Smith College website:

In various forums, including the American Chemical Society, the Chautauqua Institute and the Council for the Advancement of Education, Christ has addressed such issues as women’s careers, civil discourse and the expectations and demands of accountability in the academy. Her op-ed articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2004 Christ and Mount Holyoke College President Joanne Creighton co-hosted an international conference on issues and challenges in women’s education, which also examined women’s study of science.

The resulting organization, Women's Education Worldwide, comprises 50 colleges on five continents and is committed to developing collaborative strategies to increase access to high-quality education for girls and women. Under Christ's leadership, Smith has made significant commitments to international and intercultural studies and to global outreach and recruitment. Thirteen percent of the class entering in fall 2009 are citizens of countries other than the United States.

Wonderful article by Kristoff about Education for women in the developing world

2009-11-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

Read this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?pagewanted=all

An exerpt: Perhaps the lesson presented by both Abbas and Saima is the same: In many poor countries, the greatest unexploited resource isn’t oil fields or veins of gold; it is the women and girls who aren’t educated and never become a major presence in the formal economy. With education and with help starting businesses, impoverished women can earn money and support their countries as well as their families. They represent perhaps the best hope for fighting global poverty.

The global sisterhood

2009-05-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Testimony about the importance of our project from Shaharzad Akbar (’09) from Afghanistan.

This is amazing. Please read this post and see the speech on utube for yourself (link below).

She says, in part . . . With the help from you and other loyal alumnae, Smith College provided financial support to me and my dear friend and country-mate Roya Mohammadi 2010 as soon as we arrived.'

. . . and . . . As a young educated woman from Afghanistan, most of my interactions in public had been with men; I had many educated male friends and most of my role models were men. In Kabul, to be respected in the masculine domains of work and education, I had always felt pressure to behave in a certain way. I had to work harder than everybody and constantly feel that my concerns were not addressed; that in some ways, I had to forget about being a woman in order to be accepted and successful. At that first Rally Day, sitting in Sage Hall and listening to the experiences of the amazing medal winners, tears of joy found their way to my eyes. I learned that it was okay to be a woman, to feel and to act like a woman in public, and that this was a strength, not a weakness. Leading an active public life would be challenging, but ultimately more rewarding, and I could do it just as all these remarkable women had done before me. I felt overjoyed and empowered. . . .

and perhaps best of all . . . "Leaving Smith, I carry with me the gift of being part of an inter-dependent global sisterhood of Smith faculty and alumnae who will support me, stand by me, and cheer for me throughout my life. It is an honor, a pleasure, and a blessing to be a Smithie. For me, it is no less than a miracle to have had the opportunity to grow and flourish in this supportive community.

Thank you for your part in making all of this possible. Tasha kur."

The full text is here: http://www.smith.edu/commencement/2009/ivyday.php

Update from Florentine Bambara

2009-05-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Annie,

I graduated last Sunday and I got the Diploma in American Studies. You remember I told you that I was in this one year program for international students. Graduation and Ivy Day were very interesting. I didn't know it was very big event like that with alumna marching on Ivy Day...It was so beautiful. I met my friend who studied at Smith 10 years ago and is currently working in my country. She was here for her 10th reunion....

Now, I am waiting for the Master program in Teaching to start at the end of June. Right now, I am in the Smith College graduate house. Fortunately, I got a grant for my summer housing and the summer program. But by September, I have to pay for the graduate house which costs $6350. The stipend I got for the Teaching fellowship is $5955. I need around $400 to complete for the house. At the end, I got a loan for the financial office for the Insurance. I will have to provide for my own food and books...I am sure that God will solve everything for me as he has been doing for many years.

Best regards,

Florentine bambara
Diploma Student, 2009

Letter from Yelihan Fofanna, Smith junior, from Guinee Conakry

2009-05-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Annie,

I am so sorry for responding so late. Thank you again for this opportunity. I am so grateful to be part of your project, as I have long thought about the absence of opportunities available to young students back home, and the economic future of my country. I am glad that your project provides me guidance, and a place for women like myself to share thoughts and stories about where we come and what we can do collectively to move forward.

I first heard about Smith College through my father, and through the information the Smith Website and the Princeton review provided me. To be honest, I wasn’t one of those students who did extensive research before applying to college, because I was more concerned with keeping my high school grades up, getting a good score on the SATs and studying for finals! So I would truly have to say that Smith found me as opposed to the other way around. When my acceptance letter came in the mail, I still didn’t know as much about Smith as I should have. I was lucky enough to visit the campus, and it was then that I realized that Smith College may just be the place for me.

I am originally from Guinée, Conakry, situated on the west coast of the African continent. The country has witnessed its share of political upheavals in the past few years, notably in the past year, after the death of President Conté resulted in a military takeover of the government. Currently, the country is run by army chiefs, who have failed to commit to the constitution by dissolving the parliament and by neglecting the democratic values the country is founded upon. Guinée possesses one half of the world’s bauxite reserves; unfortunately, government corruption and political instability have prevented the country from exploiting its outstanding mineral resources, thus crippling the nation’s economy. Witnessing the challenges my country has faced over the years and still faces has made me think about my future aspirations and my contribution to the betterment of Guinée. I am especially grateful to my parents for having foresight, and for giving us, their children, the chances and opportunities that my friends back home may not have had. And what continues to sadden me is the lack of guidance and the misinformation of young and like-minded students, who if given the same opportunities, would flourish in their distinguished fields.

My family moved to England in 2001. I am confident that without my parents’ decisions, I would have never heard of or applied to Smith. And I have to admit that Smith College has proven to be an exceptional place of learning, personal growth and self-discovery. I have just completed my sophomore year and am now a rising junior. I can’t believe two years have already passed. I am an Economics and Spanish double major, and am particularly interested in Economic Development and would love to return home one day and use my education to make positive impacts in my community.

Thank you again for considering me to be a part of your project. Let me
know if you have more questions.

Sincerely,
Yelihan Y. Fofana

The Fulfill the Potential Match for May!

2009-05-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

Recognizing Smith's leadership in global education, Smith College Class of 1978 has challenged classmates to endow a scholarship fund for exceptional young women from developing countries.

It's the Merry Month of May, the flowers are blooming in Northampton, and I'll be posting an update about the wonderful international scholars who are at Smith soon. To get our fund off to a good start, I am asking everyone to contribute just $31, for the 3o years that have passed since we graduated. I will match every gift!

Will you join me by contributing to Smith to support our endowed scholarship fund? ----->don't forget to designate "Class of '78 Fulfill the Potential" in the "other" section of your donation and let me know! (Dr.Annie.DeGroot@Gmail.com). . . .

Here's the link: http://www.smith.edu/future/giving/online.php

2009-03-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone! From Maria Held:

http://www.smith.edu/world/

Maria has posted a short blurb about the Fulfill the Potential Fund on the "Smith in the world" website, with a link to our blog. It appears in the Alumnae Around the World section...

If you like our blog - then DONATE TO SMITH! go to http://www.smith.edu/future/giving/online.php.

From Florence, an American Studies Scholar from Burkina Faso

2009-01-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

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

From Sigma Sham, class of 2011, Bangladesh

2009-01-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have never had the opportunity to visit the US before coming to Smith. So all I knew about Smith was whatever I could learn from the website and from Princeton review. But Smith has proved to be more than it has promised! And only another 2 years seem too short a time left at Smith!

I first got to know about Smith from a teacher, who had eventually motivated me to apply to US colleges despite my concerns about financial limitations. What first caught my attention about Smith was its commitment towards the advancement and empowerment of women. Coming from Bangladesh where, even though the Prime minister and the opposition party leader are both females, women are still treated unequally and face social restrictions it was exactly I was looking for as part of my college experience. The level of opportunities available to a Smith student really attracted me. It all seemed too good to be true in the Smith website! And then when I was offered admission with full financial aid, it was pretty much blind faith in my correspondence with Smith, Smith’s promise and my own hopes that brought me halfway across the
world to Smith.

Talbot House is my home at Smith. I have been living there since my first year and hope to live in Talbot during the rest of my time at Smith. I am lucky that I have had a great roommate as well as a fabulous
house community to support my transition to college and make me feel welcome, loved and cared for. My housemates' tolerance and understanding of religious and cultural limitations and diversity is really praiseworthy.

I am an Economics major and there are so many possibilities from a Smith degree that I am having trouble deciding what I would want to do in the future. Right now, I have a lot of interest in financial economics given the global recession and I am looking for internships over summer. I am also thinking of going abroad my junior year. I would have never even dreamed of doing any of the things I’m doing at Smith
if I was still back home. Smith is making a lot of dreams more feasible; dreams which weren’t within my reach before. One of my many goals in life is that I want other women to have what I have now: availability of choices, so that they have the opportunity to do what they want and so that they are not forced into a life due to lack of alternatives.

I am truly very grateful that I have been given such an opportunity that would impact the rest of my life as well as my family's. I am grateful towards my parents that they have overlooked all the social boundaries set on Bangladeshi women and has supported me financially and emotionally to come a long way from home for education.

From Aigerim Karabekova, Kyrgyzstan, Class of 2012

2009-01-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Annie,

I am sorry for the late response. Again, thank you for this opportunity to participate in the project. Feel free to post this in the blog, I'd love to share my experience with others.

I come from Kyrgyzstan, one of many "stan's" left from the former Soviet Union. Situated in the heart of the Asian continent, it is a magnificent land of sky-piercing mountains and ice-cold lakes. Nomadic life is the key to extraordinary 22-century-old Kyrgyz culture, although it had put the nation far behind economically. It has become customary for women with degrees to do nothing except housekeeping because it is believed by many that only man should be the bread-winner. It is also considered usual in Kyrgyz society for a girl to get married right after finishing high school and to not attend a post secondary institution. This is why I am infinitely grateful to my parents, who understood that nowadays it is crucial to step over outdated foundations and to allow their daughter go to another continent for better education, even if it would cost them
a lot both financially and emotionally.

I found Smith by accident. Before finding an old viewbook in a local resources center I did not know about Smith College. In fact, I had no idea that there are women's colleges in America. At first I was skeptical about applying to Smith, but after visiting college's website I submitted my application in Early Decision round - Smith seemed to be a place where I would feel happy even being away from home - and became the first student from Kyrgyzstan to have a chance to attend it. However, whether I would study in the States depended more heavily on my family's financial possibilities, than on the admission board's decision.

I would not be able to come here if I had not received Soros Foundation's Opportunity Grant, which paid for transportation and entry visa application expenses, because the sum my parents could pay for my education was not enough to send me to Smith. It was a risk to come here as I did not know how I would finance my upcoming years at college, but a semester of living at Smith proved that it was worth the risk. It helped me determine my goals and showed me how I can achieve them.

Our independent country is only 19 years old; it is suffering from political and economic instability, and unstoppable migration. This is one of the reasons which made me want to study development economics and international finance - I believe that thorough knowledge in these fields will enable me to contribute to building a prosperous country.

The first step to this, I think, is to tell the students, who are responsible for the future of Kyrgyzstan, about study opportunities abroad, and to encourage them to apply. It is also crucial to show that women of our society are capable to do much more than what they are allowed to do at this time. This is why I am truly grateful to Smith Class of 1978 for launching “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Project
- your contribution will definitely make a difference not only for the students themselves, but also for all the people who will benefit from those Smith students' knowledge and skills.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Aigerim Karabekova
Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Class of 2012

from Shaharzad, Afgani senior at Smith who was accepted to Oxford

2009-01-14T01:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Annie,
I am sorry for late response. I was working on a grad school application that I am planning to submit before 15th January. Otherwise, I would have replied to you earlier.
I am delighted to hear about the "Fulfill the Potential" scholarship and the efforts of Smith Alum like you to reach out to women from poor and most deserving countries that have suffered from conflict. This is a big and important step and I, as a member of Smith Community, appreciate it greatly. Coming from a country in conflict, Afghanistan, I can appreciate the difference that such programs create in lives of young women from poor families and developing countries. Every time I learn something new in college, and being in Smith that happens often, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for having this opportunity and I hope and pray hard for a day when more women can have a similar opportunity. I wish a day will come when I can too, contribute to efforts for women's education.
I come from a family of educators in Afghanistan. My mother is a teacher in elementary school and is in the same time pursuing a college degree in education. My father does not have a university degree and is self educated. He is a political activist, writer and journalist and holds classes in history, literature and politics voluntarily for young people who are interested to these issues. My parents were instrumental in my access to education and made many sacrifices to make a better education possible for me and my siblings.
I have four sisters and two brothers. My older sister, Rada, is an artist and works for a NGO in Kabul and is currently the main breadwinner for the family. My younger sister Zubaida got a full scholarship to go to high school in Switzerland and is currently a senior and applying to colleges (Smith is one of her top choices). Noorjahan, 16, came to USA this year and goes to George School in Newtown, PA. She is a junior in high school. A generous financial aid package, Anderson Scholarship and the generous help of our American friends and families made it possible for her to receive a good quality education. My youngest sister Fatima and my two younger brothers Ibrahim and Zabihullah, are all going to school in Kabul.
I am a senior and an Anthropology major, Third World Studies minor. I am interested in pursuing a MA degree in Development Studies and returning to Afghanistan to work for education and gender development in a community level. My first choice for grad school is Oxford University. I think that the program that they offer (Mphil in Development Studies) will prepare me best for my career plans. The program will prepare me through giving me an opportunity to critically and closely investigate different development theories, focusing on the developing world and issues like conflict, ethnicity, human rights and women's issues. Through this program, I would be able to critically observe not only the role of culture, economy and gender in development but also the theory and behavior of development organizations themselves. In long term I am hoping that the program will prepare me to be useful for my community and my country and to follow my passion, and hopefully have a part in realizing the Afghan dream for peace and stability, good local governance and economic sustainability.
I got a letter of acceptance from Oxford on Dec 16th and I am thrilled. But still there is a huge obstacle that I have to overcome before realizing my dream. Oxford doesn't offer financial aid to its students, thus, I have applied to two very competitive scholarships which I will know about in April. I am determined to try my best to find support for studying in Oxford, but to be on the safe side, I am also applying to four other schools that offer various forms of aid. I am very nervous about financial aid because without it, I would have to discontinue my higher education. I am taking out student loans from Smith currently and it would be very challenging to pay them working in Afghanistan. For that reason, I have decided to go to grad school only if they provide me with full financial aid or scholarship, I can't afford to take out any more loans and I may have to delay my higher education if I don't get any. Let's see what happens. If you know any foundations or organizations that provide help for grad school, that would be most helpful. My hope is that I will be able to continue to equip myself with the knowledge and skills necessary to realize my and my family's aspiration.
I also request/hope that "Fulfill the potential" initiative pays extra attention to women from our part of the world, specially women from Afghanistan. Most of the families in my country are unable to provide any kind of financial support for their children's education. A few, elite families that can support their kids' education to a certain extent are very reluctant when it comes to women's education. The educational system has been harshly damaged by years of civil war and Taliban's role. The current educational system is not only old, outdated and inefficient, but also male-dominated and very discriminatory against women. The hope for Afghanistan's future is in its people and their readiness to take over their destiny and lead country to a better situation, this hope wouldn't realize without full participation of women. Sometimes I lose hope and I think the world leaders would let us down once again, but initiatives like your effort gives me hope. Educating a woman is educating a family and eventually a community. Women are most likely to return back to their homeland and work for its prosperity. I hope that "Fulfill the potential" scholarship gives Afghan women and women from other parts of the world the wings that have been cut by their male dominated societies.
I pray for your success. If I can do anything in anyway, please let me know.
Regards,
Shaharzad Akbar

Letter from Roya, current Smith College Junior, from Afganistan

2009-01-14T01:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Annie

It is my pleasure to write you. Thank you very much for the email and
writing me about your project. Your project seems to be wonderful; it is
like one of my best wishes to accomplish in future. Coming from the
poorest and war torn country, Afghanistan, I understand the fundamental
value of education. When I think of war, inequality, poverty and
corruption in underdeveloped countries, I can only think of a core
solution such as education, specifically for women in underdeveloped
countries. I believe that through education, the most disadvantaged
women in the world will be able to challenge the global problems.

In 2004, I came to United World College (UWC-USA) in New Mexico for a
two year, international baccalaureate diploma, program from Kabul
Afghanistan. I was in grade 10th when I heard about UWC scholarship in
my high school from a friend. I applied to this scholarship during my
grade 11th. I became interested in studying at Women College when I was
still at UWC. So I applied to Smith College as early decision in the
fall of 2006. Now, I am a junior. My major is economics and my minor is
international relations. I am interested in international development,
which I would love to study for my master degree in future.

As a result of all the gaps in my education, I have faced a lot of
challenges, specifically at UWC. Before coming to UWC, my education
background was not even comparable to a grade sixth student in the US. I
completed my grade three when the civil war made us to move from one
place to another in Kabul. When I started school for the second time, I
began to study my grade six. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish my
sixth grade when the Taliban closed schools for girls for five years.
After the fall of the Taliban, I attended grade nine, in 2003.

During the first two years of the Taliban, I took the risk of following
the underground education which was taught by a female teacher. But
after a month, I was almost rejected from the class because I could not
afford it. I did not ask my father for money, I knew he had to support
my family of eight. Among my talents were sewing and knitting, I sewed
all day in order to make money. This however, was not enough. I was
still not able to pay my fees or help my family. I also helped my mother
knit at night. We stayed awake most of the nights knitting dozens of
jackets, gloves and socks for sale. I was working so hard and getting
little money. I was not happy also because of the lack of education.

Then, I took a decision to teach children inside my house to raise money
for my education and my family’s welfare. The best experience I had then
was the joy of teaching. After the fall of Taliban regime I was the
first female who dared to teach outside of the house in my area. I was
also able to get a part time job in an organization after Taliban regime
due to knowing some English.

I know today, Afghanistan is totally different place for women compare
to the end of 2002, which schools and jobs are opened to women. However,
the financial problem and family restriction on women are still big
obstacles for the development of women in Afghanistan specifically and
other underdeveloped and developing countries generally. I still believe
that working together we can reach to our common goals for developing
better lives for women around the world.

I would love to answer any specific question and concern. Please let me
know if I can help with anything.
Thanks again for writing me and being interested in my background.
Best luck
Roya

From Raquel, Smith Class of '12, St. Vincents and the Grenadines

2009-01-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. DeGroot,

Certainly you can send this to the other women. Thank you very much. I
had applied to the London School of Economics and had received an offer
for my bachelor's degree, but finance limited my ability to attend
there. I am very interested in attending that institution for graduate
studies to pursue studies in actuarial science. If any of the women can
help in connecting me to anyone here, that would be great. However, I
only finished my first semester in my freshman year, so I want to keep
my options and mind a bit open. If any of the alumnae are involved in
professions in the areas of economics, actuarial science, even
accounting, I would love to hear from them and get any advice they can
offer.

Raquel

R. A. Blossom Frederick
Smith College 2012
*********

“We have decided
Not to construct hope on continents
Or leave lost hearts to rove
In the quick air on oceans of dreams
We have decided to build here in the slender dust”
(Campbell, 1951)

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Raquel Frederick"
Date: January 12, 2009 2:52:29 PM EST
To:
Subject: Re: Smith Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Project. O

Dear Ms. DeGroot,

Firstly, I appreciate your contacting me regarding this project.
Assisting with the future development and sustainability of my country
and the West Indian region is something that is very close to my heart.
I make no bones about the fact that I wish to return home after my
schooling, and after I have amassed enough experience to be able to make
positive impacts on the economic future of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. If the “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Project of the
Class of ’78 will help to guide me, and other women from my country, I
will be excited to be a part of it.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines was known to it’s first inhabitants as
Hairoun, meaning “Land of the Blessed”- and blessed are we to live in
islands so rich in history, culture and nature, though not economically.
I am interested in pursuing a career in either developmental economics
or actuarial science. However, I am open to other areas that might
stimulate my interest more, since there are many ways that I can help my
country. The reason that I am considering a career in economics is not
so we play catch-up with other more developed nations; attempts to do so
in the past have proved unfruitful and unsustainable. Instead of joining
the ranks of those who simply criticize, I would like to educate myself
and be an active participant in preparing for the future.

“Brain drain” is a serious issue faced by many developing nations where
their professionals leave the countries that need them for better
opportunities overseas. Apart from an International grant from Smith, my
Smith schooling is possible due to assistance from sponsor families back
home. They were willing to assist me because I am desirous of returning
home to help with the development of the nation, and because I received
the top national results in the 2007 A’Level examinations.

If you or your group would like to know anything else about myself or
about St. Vincent, I will be happy to respond. Thank you so much for
even considering me to be a part of the project.

Respectfully,
Raquel Frederick

R. A. Blossom Frederick
Smith College 2012

...
To never forget your own insignificance....
To pursue beauty to its lair.
To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power...

Open Letter to Current Smith College Students from Developing World or Post Conflict Countries

2009-01-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

Sent from Bamako, to 20 current Smithies:

January 11, 2009

Dear Current Smith College student,

We are writing to you as Smith College graduates of the class of '78.

We are working with the development office on a special project that will begin this Spring and - if we succeed, culminate in the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund for the education of exceptional women from developing and post-conflict countries, so that they may “fulfill their potential” as leaders of the International Community.

The name of this project is the Smith Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Project. Our collective goal is to enable and encourage exceptional women from these countries to attend Smith College. We recognize that one of the greatest untapped resources in the world is the minds of women who live in countries that do not provide them with equal access to higher education. This fund would enable women of high ability and potential, who are living in countries the College has identified as developing/post-conflict nations, to contribute on a global and regional level as a result of their Smith education.

It is our hope that these Smith-educated women will shape the intellectual, social, scientific, economic, artistic and/or political environment of their homelands and nations throughout the world.

We are not sure whether you would consider yourself to be such a person, but if you do, please let us know.

We as a group would love to know more about you, where you came from, what you aspire to, and how we might be able to support your endeavors.

Best regards,

Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship Project

2008-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Smith College Class of 1978 fund committee proposes to establish an endowed scholarship fund for the education of exceptional women from developing and post-conflict countries, so that they may “fulfill their potential” as leaders of the International Community.

The goal of the Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship is to enable and encourage exceptional women from these countries to attend Smith College. We recognize that one of the greatest untapped resources in the world is the minds of women who live in countries that do not provide them with equal access to higher education. This fund would enable women of high ability and potential, who are living in countries the College has identified as developing/post-conflict nations, to contribute on a global and regional level as a result of their Smith education.

It is our hope that these Smith-educated women will shape the intellectual, social, scientific, economic, artistic and/or political environment of their homelands and nations throughout the world.

Class Goals
Short Term:

1. Establish a fundraising committee. This step is complete. The committee members are listed below. This initiative has the full support of the class fundraising agents and class officers.

2. Establish the path to endowment of the Fund with the College via this proposal.

3. Work with the Smith Fund to create an annual joint solicitation letter to be sent to our class members.

4. Contact our class members via mail, email, Website, phone, and Smith Club meetings to explain the project and raise funds.

5. Identify high profile Smith Alumnae and Faculty to act as advisors to and promoters of our fundraising project, e.g., Hoon Eng Khoo ’73, who is helping to create the Asian University for Women to educate women of developing countries. in Bangladesh

6. Allocate 2008-2009 Class of 1978 contributions to the Smith Fund, as designated or with no specific designation, to support scholarships for women from developing/post-conflict countries who are already at Smith.

Long Term:

1. 2009 –Initiate campaign for the Class of 1978 “Fulfill the Potential Endowed Scholarship” Fund.

2. 2013 – Raise $1.0M for the endowed fund by the time of our 35th reunion.

3. 2018 – Raise an additional $1.5M ($2.5M total) for the endowed fund by the time of our 40th reunion.

Detailed Description

The goal of the “Class of 1978 Fulfill the Potential Scholarship” campaign is to raise scholarship funds that will enable more women from developing/post-conflict countries to attend Smith College. Education expands the range of opportunities for women in these countries, allowing them to fulfill their potential as engaged, creative, productive contributors to the intellectual, economic, political, artistic and social advancement of their own countries and throughout the world. Having experienced the benefits of education in an all-women's school, the Class of 1978 recognizes the value of that experience and the empowering and enabling effect it has had on our lives and our ability to help others. Smith also taught us to give back, and we wish to support Smith by raising scholarship funds that will completely fund a Smith Education for women who would otherwise not have this opportunity. The funding would be available to women of high ability and potential, with demonstrated need as determined by the College, who are natives of developing/post-conflict countries.

We have titled our ambition "Fulfill the Potential" because of the great untapped resources in the minds of women who live in countries that do not provide them with equal access to higher education.

It is important to note that Smith College already devotes a portion of the funds raised through the Smith Fund to scholarships. Our goal is not to take away from those funds, but rather to expand the number of alumnae who are contributing to Smith for the specific purpose of raising the number of students attending the College from the developing world. Raising funds for an initiative that is already well-established by the Smith Fund allows us to harmonize our goals with theirs.

Our hope is that by increasing the overall amount of Class of 1978 contributions to the Smith Fund, we will also thereby enable the Fund tore-direct a significant percentage of overall contributions to support scholarships for women coming to Smith from within the U.S., as well. Thus we view our fundraising activities as having a beneficial impact on Smith's ability to recruit high quality candidates from all over the world, including the United States. It is critically important to leave the final selection of the “Fulfill the Potential” Scholarship candidates and distribution of scholarship funds according to the students’ needs to Smith.

The class of 1978 will also partner with other Alumnae and Faculty to identify and encourage young women from developing/post-conflict countries to apply for the scholarship.

We are engaged in this drive because we believe that a Smith College education for women of developing/post-conflict nations will significantly enhance their potential to contribute to the intellectual, social, scientific, economic, artistic, political, and physical well-being of the countries that they call home, and the rest of the world. Our goal is to give back – to these women and to the world – by helping provide the many benefits of a Smith education, which we are so grateful to have received ourselves.

Respectfully submitted by the Class of 1978 Fundraising Committee and Class Officers.

Carolyn Mohn McGee ‘78, Class President, carolyn.mcgee@att.net

Carrie Dohan Buchman ’78, Vice-president, cbuchman@att.net.

Sandi McRae Duchesne ’78, Vice-president, sandi.duchesne@jws.com

Stephanie Baldwin Urban '78, Secretary, sburban@hotmail.com

Anne Searls De Groot ’78; Fundraising Chair, Dr.Annie.DeGroot@gmail.com

Lynda Brown Herrig '78, herrigl@comcast.net

Elizabeth George ’78, egeorge115@comcast.net

Carolyn Hartwell O’Brien ’78, cobrien391@aol.com

Karen Stone ’78, klstone@snet.net

Background

In much of the developing world, girls represent an untapped resource and a hope for the future. Educating young women is a crucial component of building a foundation for democracy, and a is prerequisite for creating and sustaining free, open, prosperous societies. No country in which women's potential is left unrealized can thrive. That fact will grow ever more prominent as the world’s markets and societies continue to interconnect. Providing unhindered access to education for girls and women is fundamental to building stable, democratic, economically prosperous societies. Higher education for women is a crucial element in achieving political, economic and social progress in every region of the world. By some estimates, one-sixth of the world's population is illiterate. Two-thirds of those are women.

Gaps in educational opportunities between women and men are most profound in the Developing World, and increase significantly at higher levels of education, where women are particularly disadvantaged. Yet women have a powerful influence on the lives of their children and families, and help create a culture of justice, progress and achievement across societies. Governments with equal representation of women and men in decision making bodies have been shown to be less corrupt.

Enabling higher education for women will improve their representation in these decision-making bodies, which in turn will improve the probability that access to education will be distributed more fairly, and the gaps in realized potential for men and women will be diminished. Higher education is the catalyst for leadership. While advances have been made in primary and secondary education for women, it is higher education that can make the most profound difference to a nation.

Differences between access to education are especially evident at the university level. University education is expensive and generally remains elitist; most students are wealthy males. While family income is a primary enabler of education, depending on the country other factors, such as caste, ethnicity, language, regional origin, social custom and of course, gender, may contribute to unequal access and outcomes.

Gender differences in tertiary education are particularly marked in the Arab world, in some countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, and in South Asia. In the Republic of Yemen, for instance, the female enrollment in tertiary education is only 1 percent (of the total population), as opposed to 7 percent for men. In Bangladesh female students represent 24 percent of the student population in public universities; gender disparities are even stronger in the country’s private universities, where only 17 percent of all students (and less than 1 percent of all teachers) are female. There are gender disparities among countries within the same region.

Over the past two decades only a few countries (Argentina, Chile, Jordan, Kuwait, Panama, Uruguay, and Venezuela) have managed to move toward a higher female-to-male ratio while expanding overall tertiary enrollment. It is also common for female enrollment rates to conceal that many women in degree programs are preparing for low-income professions. In fact, “gender streaming” can be observed in all regions, including Latin America, where women are overrepresented in the humanities and in vocational and commercial/secretarial schools and underrepresented in science and engineering departments (Subbarao and others 1994). In Japan, women make up only 6.8% of the Ph.D. students in physics and 7.1% of those in engineering.

Sexual harassment is a common additional obstacle to the advancement of female education. In addition to economic barriers, schools are often located primarily in urban areas limiting or prohibiting access for rural students and even more so for female students; families can be less inclined to permit girls than boys to live outside the home in mixed-gender, urban environments. Many countries have addressed this constraint by providing boarding facilities segregated by gender, with adequate space to accommodate ever greater numbers of women. Single-sex higher education institutions for women are rare, and competition is intense for slots in those universities that do exist. Families with the means to send their daughters to institutions of higher education may hesitate if single-sex environments are not available - a factor in favor of families choosing institutions like Smith College over other scholarship opportunities in the United States.

Nations that marginalize half of their population cannot function and thrive as full democracies. Countries that ignore this vital source of human capital cannot be competitive in today's global economy. The education gap for girls in developing/post-conflict countries remains a collective global task.

By establishing the Class of 1978 "Fulfill the Potential" Endowment Scholarship funding drive, we are helping lay the foundation for a more sustainable, secure world.