Mission trip to Ukraine-Second Part

Here is a video about the mission trip that a group of Harding University's students and teachers did to Ukraine last May. It is the second part of a first video I posted some weeks ago. This one is more like an overview of Ukraine's environment and people. I hope you enjoy it.

Walton Scholarship's 25 Anniversary

This year the Walton Scholars from three different universities in Arkansas celebrated the 25 anniversary of the program.
A special event at the Walmart Headquarters in Bentonville, AR., gave students from Harding University, John Brown University and the University of the Ozarks the chance to met with representatives of the Walton Foundation. They also had the opportunity to meet with Jim Walton, son of Wal-Mart's founder Sam Walton.
However, more than talking about this event, some Walton Scholars shared with me what they think is the importance of the scholarship they have been granted with.

Video

The Walton Scholarship was founded in 1985. Its objective is to bring students from Central America and Mexico to the United States, in order to provide them with a college education while teaching them the advantages of the free enterprise and the democratic society.

1920's theme dinner honors senior Walton Scholars

Each year, Walton Scholars at Harding University honor their senior year students with several events, including a formal dinner at the end of the year. This formal is prepared and organized by the junior year Walton Scholars, as part of an on-going tradition that has been done for several years.
This year's Walton Scholar Senior Formal took place at Gillam Farms in Judsonia, AR, a week ago, as a theme dinner inspired in the 1920's mob in Chicago. Let's take a look at what some of the attendants think about this formal.

Video

SIFE faces regional competition

Regional competition of the business club Students in Free Enterprise, Harding University's chapter, April 2010.

Spring Sing, truly International

Participation of the Walton and Chinese Scholars during Spring Sing International at Harding University.

Name: Isai Pinzon

Age: 20

Originally from: Tabasco, Mexico

Isai's heart is one of the biggest I have known about. She is the kind of person who will always give words of encouragement to those having a hard time. She likes to smile and make people's life fun and colorful. I really wanted to include her in this blog because I think that people deserve to know about someone so happy and so in love with life as her.

I noticed how big is her love for others when she told me what she think her biggest goal in life is: "I really want to provide shelter to the kids who live in the streets, providing them with education in order to give them the chance of a better future. I would also like to help a nonprofit organization in order to collect money for children with burned skin and women with breast cancer."

She got to know about the Walton Scholarship by an ex-Walton, who went to her high school to provide some information about the scholarship, including application requirements.

"Before coming to Harding University, I was finishing my high school and was doing also a minor in Tourism. I was also trying to get a job back home, in any labor I could get it."

"Now, I think that after graduation I am going to try to get a job in one of the main companies in Mexico, in order to provide guidance for future managers back in my country."

"But even if I try hard to help economically and in many other material ways to people, I still think that there is something else you can do. Sharing a smile with those who are sad and giving support to those in spiritual need is an extra-great-thing you can do for others.

Name: Carlos Morales

Age: 19

Originally from: San Jose, Costa Rica

A fun, charismatic and very sociable person. That is the way I can describe Carlos. This Costarrican guy was very homesick the first months he lived in the United States. He is now an internationa student at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas because he was awarded with the Walton Scholarship.

"I found out about the Walton Scholarship when I was in high school. The principal used to announce each year the requirements to apply for the scholarship."


"Before getting it, I was finishing my high school while attempting to get a job in a coffee shop."


"To major in Management Information Systems at Harding University has been a great blessing. After graduation, I plan to work in a place where I can start shaping the future of my own business company."


"I think my purpose in life is to help other people, including my family. I want to help people in their material needs, while I give them my heart and my soul."


"The Walton Scholarship is indeed a huge blessing. I plan to pay back such gift to the society by working hard to provide my services and knowledge gained at Harding to an organization. I also want to economically help people in need as much as I can."

Name: Diana Rojas

Age: 18

Originally from: Heredia, Costa Rica

Diana is a very special person, smart and unique. I know, that is usually what you tell about someone if you do not want to be very specific. However, I truly think that this girl has something very special inside her. Our conversation was very impromptu; I just saw her walking the hall and stopped her to ask some questions about life. She helped me right away, making me confirm that I really love diligent and collaborative people.

"I found out about the Walton Scholarship because of a girl who graduated from my high school. She was going to the University of the Ozarks thanks to that scholarship, and went to my high shcool to present it."

"Before coming to Harding University, I started taking English classes back home. I really wanted to be prepared to my new life here."

"I want to become part of a company related to tourism, biotechnology or international business as soon as I graduate from Harding."

"I think I already found out what is my goal in life. I think my goal is to challenge myself to accomplish all that I propose to myself to do. Also, I think I have to appreciate every little moment and learn from all of those experiences that make life interesting. It is the only way you can say that you really lived your life."

"I plan to use my International Business major to try to improve the relationships between Costa Rica and the rest of the world. I want the world to have a better understanding of the culture of my country. That way, I am going to be able to give something back to both my country and the rest of the world."

Name: Allans Coello

Age: 20

Originally from: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

It was kind of hard to get Allan’s testimony because he does not enjoy being the center of a conversation. However, he agreed to talk to me about his life before Harding and how coming to study on a different country has changed his life perspective. This is what I recorded from his testimony:

“I was studying at the Universidad Nacional de Honduras before I knew about the scholarship. I was majoring in Industrial Engineering. At that moment of my life, I never thought about coming to the States with a college scholarship. Actually, I was very disappointed by the word scholarship. One of those was promised to me my whole high school life and in 2006 I realized I was not going to get it. So, I decided to go to college in Honduras and choose the most interesting major for me at that time.”

“Then, one day my mom showed me a newspaper ad about a scholarship. I was one of those ads that make you laugh because it sounds so marvelous that you know it would be impossible for you to get it. I was like if the ad said ‘we will pay you for studying.’”

“ I applied just because my mom insisted, but I was not excited at all. I did my best to get it, though. Actually, I got more excited about it towards the final part of the process because I could not believe that I was getting closer to win the scholarship.”

“When they called me to tell me that I had won it, I was so shocked that I could not believe it myself. I thanked God though at that moment for such a blessing, and I thank Him every day for all of the blessing that I have gotten while being in here.”

“I am majoring in management and international business now. Although I was studying industrial engineering in Honduras, I do not see this as if I had changed my mind. My goal in life is to be a business man but I also want to learn about the productive part of business. I see this part of my life as the chance to learn everything I can about business, especially about management, and then I plan to finish the major in industrial engineering when I get back to Honduras.”

“I want to have a big company and donate part of the profits to the causes I decide to help. I do not think that I have found my purpose in life, but I feel closer to find it. I really want to help my family, that is my big objective right now.”

“Sometimes the phrase ‘dreams come true’ sounds very cliché. But I have found that if you work hard enough, dreams do come true. The ugly part is not to do anything and let those chances to pass you by.”

Talent show raises money for Honduran youth

Also from TheLink, Harding University's online newspaper. The photo slide show is my contribution to the story.

http://thelink.harding.edu/index.php/news/1-harding/441-talent-show-raises-money-for-honduran-youth

Laura Ingraham's Speech at Harding

Also from TheLink, Harding University's online newspaper. The last video on this article is my broadcast report on the event.

http://thelink.harding.edu/index.php/news/1-harding/418-ingraham-tells-harding-audience-to-stand-up-against-obama

Harding students share their experiences in Ukraine

Also from TheLink, Harding University's online newspaper

http://thelink.harding.edu/index.php/news/1-harding/581-harding-students-share-their-experiences-in-ukraine

Video: The Burksy award winners

Also from TheLink, Harding University's online newspaper

http://thelink.harding.edu/index.php/news/1-harding/481-the-burksys-in-short

Business and faith to support churches in Honduras

This story came out at TheLink, Harding University's online newspaper. I was the writer.

http://thelink.harding.edu/index.php/news/1-harding/400-business-and-faith-to-support-churches-in-honduras

Name: Francis Morales

Age: 20

Originally from: Managua, Nicaragua

Yesterday, I went to look for some international students who I could interview at the Harding University's library. I found Francis on the second floor. She was studying really hard for a test, but agreed to give me a few minutes of candid conversation.

I had the chance to find out very interesting things about Francis that I did not know. Although she is a Walton Scholar, she does not see her opportunity of being a Harding student as a surprise that came out of a sudden, but as a goal she had pursued with an objective in mind.

This is what she told me about herself, when we started to talk about her personal mission statement:

“I have two reasons for being at Harding. First, I had always had the dream to do my college studies in a foreign country. Second, I had always wanted to help my mom. She has raised me and my sister by herself, and I wanted to lift a little bit of weight from her shoulders.”

“I found out about the Walton Scholarship when I was 16 years old. I really wanted to get this scholarship. I applied for the program while I was still at high school and I was called for the interview in November of 2006. After that, I had a second interview. Finally, I got news from the Walton organization until January of the next year.”

“Now, I am double-majoring in management and international business. But my plan before coming to Harding was to study medicine, because I wanted to be a pediatrician. However, I have family members who are doctors and I realized that they do not spend much time with their families. The time-consuming consequence of studying medicine made me change my mind. I decided to study business because I am good at it.”

“The truth is that when you are successful, you have a better chance to help others. Even if you have no specific objective, you will react to other person’s need. But I do want to help children. I know that if I push myself enough, I think I might get a nice job, with better chances of helping them.”

“My mission statement would be: to help others to understand God better and to help people in material need as well. If I pictured myself in five years, I want to be working and beginning a family. Also, I want to travel, to know other cultures and places.”

Name: Kirvyn Kenneth Vargas Quiel
Age: 22
Originally from: City of David, located in Chiriqui, Panama. He was raised in a community called Volcan.

Kirvyn shared his story with me with his usual politeness. With a charmin panama accent, Kirvyn told me that although he chose to double major in management and international business, what he really wants to be is a lawyer. Actually, he was studying law while in college back home, before the Walton Program chose him for a full scholarship.
“I don’t like injustice, and I feel that I have to defend people when they cannot do it by themselves,” said Kirvyn.
"I feel the responsibility of helping other people, and I like to do it.”
When Kirvyn came to Harding he realized he was not allowed to study law. The Walton Program requires the students who enjoy the scholarship to get a bachelors degree in no more than four years.
However, Kirvyn knows that a double major in Management and International Business is going to be very appreciated in the Panama job market, because it is a very multicultural country.

Kirvyn says that, after graduating from Harding, he wants to start working at a big company. Then, after a while, to go back to school in order to continue his major in law. He says that he wants a job on a big company so that he learns what the business world is.

“I love law-related stuff. I have dreamed to be in a court defending someone since I was a kid . I want to fight for people's rights."

"I like to talk a lot, to express myself in words. I think God gave me a good gift, in order to use it as a lawyer and also as a Christian.”

“There is a quote by Venus Williams which I think defines me: You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That’s what makes you a winner. That’s my motto.”

Name: Mariana Citlali Lopez Perez
Age: 20
Place of origin: Mexico City, Mexico

Not all people show such a warm and candid smile as Mariana does when she talks to you. This is my first interviewee for the blog and I am very excited because she agreed to be part of it. I was really curious about Mariana's story on how she figured out what her mission statement it.
Mariana is a freshman year student at Harding University. She is a Graphic Design major who goes to Harding because she got a full scholarship from the Walton International Program. This organization provides full education, housing, transportation, books and food each year to several students from Central America and Mexico.
"I knew about the program because my mom met a couple of girls who go to the University of the Ozarks thanks to it," says Mariana.
Mariana's mom told her to apply for a scholarship because they did not have enough money to pay for her full college education. Since she did not get the Walton Scholarship the first time she applied, she decided to apply for one at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) and studied there for one year.
Mariana says she noticed a lack of moral values at this university, values that are very important for her. That is why she decided to apply again for the Walton Scholarship.
"I put all my heart on the application process this time," says Mariana. "After waiting for 3 months for an answer, I got a phone call telling me the day of my interview, which was on a Wednesday, I still remember..."
"As soon as I got out of the interview and got back to my house again, I got another phone call but this time was from one of the people who interviewed me. He was saying that I won the scholarship."
"I wanted this so much that second time that I applied, that it was really exciting for me to know that I finally got it." "I was really been called to have higher aspirations for my life."
"Then I realized that what really moved me to apply was my desire of helping others, especially children." "I worked at an orphanage and I got in loved with the kids over there."
That is why I would like to work on a magazine or any other kind of media in which I can create advertisement for non-profit organizations that help children." "I think we are still able to change the lifes of those kids if we want to. I want to transmit my values to children in general."
"I would also like to illustrate books for children, I want to transmit values with my hart."

What exactly is a mission statement?

According to Wikipedia, a mission statement is "a formal short written statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. It provides the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated."

What does this has to do with a person's personal experiences?

Whenever a person realizes that God's actions to aid him have a specific purpose, the person gets a feeling on what is that "mission" God has assigned to him. It is usually when a big blessing touches the individual, like escaping from death or getting a huge opportunity.
I will post the story of people from different parts of the world, who believe they know what is that mission assigned to them. I hope these posts serve as an inspiration to many, to find out what their purpose in life is and what is that conviction that will guide their actions.