Peace Corps volunteer Stephanie Kanan, who told of a girl in Kenya who was on the verge of being forced out of high school because her family couldn't afford the tuition
STUDENTS BAKE UP HOPE FOR GIRL IN KENYA
Sep 21, 2004
Rocky Mountain News
by Gary Massaro, Rocky Mountain News
Averi Schaubman learned a lesson from her students, when all she was trying to do was impress on them that they have it a lot better than kids elsewhere in the world.
She read an e-mail to students at Cherry Creek's Joliet Complex, an alternative school, from Peace Corps volunteer Stephanie Kanan, who told of a girl in Kenya who was on the verge of being forced out of high school because her family couldn't afford the tuition.
Schaubman said she was hoping her students would realize they had it pretty good.
Duh. They caught that at first read.
The students cared so much that they decided to organize a bake sale all by themselves for Merceline Aballa, the student in Kenya.
"I had no idea they'd take this on as a community service project," Schaubman said.
It's part of the High 5's mission statement that they keyed into. The High 5's are also rules of behavior - respect, responsibility, success, positive expression and caring community. The last one extends beyond their school and into their neighborhoods.
"Living in America, we have such great advantages, like going to school for free," said Brooke Ramirez, who helped coordinate the bake sale with classmate Brittany Hooper.
They said they hoped to raise $100.
Both are 14 and freshmen at Joliet Complex.
"I've been a straight-A student since I came here," Brooke said. "This shows people we're not bad."
Bad? Better to say unselfish and compassionate.
One student woke before sunrise and walked in the dark to King Soopers to buy doughnuts for the sale.
"We do want to help people," Brooke said. "We love all people."
She baked chocolate chip cookies, a few as big as dinner plates.
Brittney recruited her aunt to show her how to make killer cinnamon streusel cookies.
In addition to the bake sale, the high school students started a spare-change drive.
"It started as a penny drive," Brittany said. "Now it's a coin drive, any kind of change."
Brooke's father, Robert, said he's proud of his daughter.
"She's getting involved," he said. "I'd rather have her doing this than not doing anything at all."
Brooke said she wanted to help because she thought of Merceline's hopes.
"How sad it is that they don't have the advantages we do," Brooke said. "How sad it is that dreams don't come true for some people."
Maybe that's why she and Brittney jumped up and down and screamed and high-fived each other when they found out the sale brought in $142 from their room.
And they did the same when they found out the sale in another room upped the total to $214.
