How's Your Fundraising Going?

How's Your Fundraising Going?

It's coming along great! I've got a Dine-to-Donate on April 2nd, 2013 at Apple-bee's! And hopefully, that will help a lot in raising my tuition. El Salto is also doing a Dine-to-Donate the week after on April 9th, and the week after that Culver's is doing on as well.  My parents and I are also having another raffle from March 14th through March 31st! We're raffling off three Cubs tickets as a first price and a $20 Walmart gift card as a runner-up price! I really hope all of this will help to push me over the edge to my goal of $12,500!

How far away are you from your goal?

I am a little under $5000 away from my entire tuition! It's so wonderful. I'm super thankful to everyone who donated and to everyone who's been so helpful with fundraising! 

How'd Your in-Home Interview Go?

How'd Your In-Home Interview Go?

I think the interview went very well! An AFS staff member came to my house around eleven in the morning and interview both of my parents and myself. It lasted about an hour and a half, or so. She asked a lot of questions; mostly about my schooling, my activities, and things along that matter. All of her questions, of course, were geared towards helping find me the perfect host-family while I'm studying in Japan!

Are you nervous to be studying abroad?

Oh goodness, I am! But at the same time, I'm very excited to be studying abroad. I know it will be an experience I'll never forget! There's also so much to look forward while I'm in Japan: the sights, the activities, and so much more! 

So what else have you been up to?

Well, I've been contacted by the local newspaper recently, so that's new! I got an email with a whole bunch of questions for me to answer, so that a person can type up a wonderful article all about my traveling abroad dream and print it in the newspaper! I've been really excited about this, and I'm even more excited to read the finished article! I'm not sure about when it will be in the paper, but as soon as I know, I will let you know!

Raffle!

Raffle!

Today's the day of the iPad 2 raffle! I'm really excited, not only to see how much money I raised by doing the raffle but also to see who the lucky winner is! I know I've raised a lot of money through this raffle, which is fabulous! Thank you so much for everyone who participated in the raffle!

How much did you make?

I made just under $1200 in total. I'm so thankful for everyone who helped me out with this! I'm inching my way towards Japan! Just a lot more fundraising to do! 

~Mou Arigatou Gozaimasu~

How's Your Application Going?

How's Your Application Going?

The application is going super well! I got an email back saying to revise my application and resubmit it, and that's all done now! I resubmitted my application on Thursday the 31st, and now I just have to wait to hear back again. I've also scheduled my in-home interview for the 24th of February! And the greatest news of all is that I've received my passport in the mail! It arrived yesterday, and I've already sent a copy of it to AFS for my application!

An In-home Interview?

Yep! An in-home interview. The interview is basically to get to know me and my family better in our normal environment. It's also to help place me in a host family that will be suitable for me. I'm kind of excited about the interview because it gives me a chance to ask any questions that I have or that my parents have. 

~Sayounara!~

How's Fundraising Going?

How's Fundraising Going?

It's going great! My mom and I finally decided to do an raffle. The auction is going to be for a Black, 16GB, iPad 2 (new of course). We're going to sell raffle tickets the 1st of February through the 15th. The tickets will be $20 for 1 ticket, $30 for 2 tickets, and $100 for 7 tickets. I'm hoping this generates a lot of revenue for my trip! I'm hoping to raise at least $300 (after the cost of the iPad has been subtracted out). That would be a great thing! 

How's your auction going?

It's also going great! So far, I've raised $116 with it! But the auction isn't quite over yet; it ends tomorrow at 5pm (CPT)! I'm really glad my first auction is going really well, in my opinion. I was kind of afraid it wasn't going to do very well, but so far so good! 

~Ganbarimasu!~

Progress!

Progress!

Things are going along nicely! Got a report back from AFS about my widget with a list of the people who donated, (Thanks you guys!) and now I'm filling out Thank-You cards like crazy! It's great though; I'm happy to thank each and everyone who donates (and even any one who thought to donate) individually! And I finally got an online auction up to help raise money that way. That's going nicely as well. It started Wednesday, and already I've raised $91! Wow! I've got a few more ideas for fundraising that I'm excited for as well.

What are these ideas?

Goodness! Where to start? My (fabulous) mother came up with an idea for a raffle. We're not sure what to raffle off yet, but we picked up the tickets for it!  Unsure of when it will be, but it shall be soon! (Probably in February) And I've got an idea for having a Japanese-style dinner. I could sell tickets for it and serve traditional Japanese dishes (that'd I cook, of course!). I even have chopsticks I could use for the dinner as well! I could explain the dishes and (or) the culture and why I want to study in Japan. Details need to be worked out, of course, but an idea is a great start! 

Application Status: Submitted!

Application Status: Submitted!

My application for my study abroad program is finally submitted and on its way to being accepted! I probably won't know for a while, but that feeling of accomplishment is just too overwhelming. I feel like a wave of anxiety has just flown out of me, and it feels so wonderful. The priority application deadline was January 31st, 2013, and I felt like I was in a rush to get it submitted on time. And the $900 deposit was crazy. But now I can relax a little bit. Of course, there are still a few things I need to complete (Get my passport, raise enough money to cover the rest of my tuition, etc.) but that's not a problem.

Does the deposit count towards your tuition?

Yes! (Thank goodness, right?) The $900 deposit absolutely counts towards my tuition! Now I only have $11,600 to go! It's a lot, I know, but I'm positive I'll get it by the due date!

When is the due date for your tuition?

The final date that my tuition has to be paid in full is May 2nd, 2013! It feels like such a long time away, but I'm sure time will evaporate quickly. I just need to work my tailbone off to reach my goal! But, I know I can do it with the help of my supporters. 

Thank you all so much for your support!