Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / May 6, 1993, edition 1 / Page 17
Part of The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
wm under the sun B INSIDE THIS SECTION: ?Sports, Pages 8-11 Stranger In A Strange Land Sports, Interest In Others Ease Colombian Student's Exchanqe BY SUSAN USHER different culture, to live in a home with stepparents, to where conversations between a father and a son may be Alvaro attended a middle-class public sch3W? his has all the moves on the soccer Held or the share with them new ideas; to attend school and to come just a 'Bye, I'm going ouL'" younger sister is enrolled in a private girls' school and 1 Bdance floor, converses with adults with ease, back home more mature, more responsible and with a Other differences were also surprises. In Bogota, his litde brother in a private boys'school. ? likes cars and people, and finds his classes a clear criteria to face the university years expecting me." mass transportation means residents can go anywhere While in the United States, Alvaro is experiencing as Ww/.ffHe's an all-around guy?with a difference. He also came with the idea of being a good ambas- and don't need a car. "Not like here; they have this big much of the country as he can. "He's been everywhere," Alvaro German Villa, or Al, as fellow students call sador for Colombian youth, "to let the new people parking lot," he says, gesturing toward the outside of the said Tubb, his host parent "We try to go someplace him, comes from Bogota, a city of 6.5 million people, around me learn who the Colombian youth is, its aim for school. Alvaro relies on his host "Mom" and classmates every weekend." He's also been to New York to visit the capital of Columbia, to rural Brunswick County, progress, happy, healthy in all its ways, its love for for transportation. cousins he'd never met before, to Cocoa Beach and population 55,000 perhaps; from a closc-knit family of sports and free of vice," he wrote. "I would like to show School has been a new experience as well. He was ac- Melbourne, Fla., with Tubb's fiance. Bill, and on shorter six with a live-in house keeper, to quiet host IB 1 ?? trips. nuuscnoia 01 one, west Brunswick High School math teacher Susan Tubb of Varnamtown. He's one of two American Field Service ex change students at West this year. For Alvaro, joining the West Brunswick High School soccer team and now the tennis team, has helped smooth the way, making acceptance easier by both fellow students and the community at large. "People know me because I played soccer," he says. Alvaro's father, German, is a civil engineer who manages a proprietary con struction company. His mother. Carmen, is a homemaker. A1 has two sisters. Pilar, 18, who was an exchange student last year in the United States, and Liliana, 15, who hopes to come to America as an exchange student later. There's also a younger brother, Carlos, 8. If he seems older and more mature than many students at West Brunswick, it may because he is. Alvaro graduated from high school (11 grades) in Bogota in 1991 and went to college a se mester before being placed by AFS. When he returns to Colombia in July he will begin the second semester of what will be five years of college studies for a de gree in civil engineering? like his dad and his older sister. As an cxchanpc student staff photo by susan usher Villa gets to see the United COLOMBIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT Alvaro "Al" Villa and his host "mom," Susan Tubb, at the home overlooking iMckwood Folly River at States, Brunswick County Varnamtown they've shared this school year. Alvaro will remain here until July, when he will return to Boeota. Alvaro s aiso tried "local" activities, such as hunting and crabbing. He likes hav ing the bcach closer by; in Bogota it was 16 hours to the coast. He's managed the many adjustments of being a stranger in a strange land quite well, building his English language skills in the process and carving friendships and memories that will last his lifetime. However, Alvaro isn't the only person who had adjust ments to make this year. Having an exchange student in the house has meant a few changes for Tubb, who had become accustomed to her privacy as a single woman. "But the biggest adjust ment is now having to cook every meal or make sure he gets a meal," said Tubb. "I wanted him to experience as much American food as pos sible." Eating more, and more regularly, has made a few other differences, she claims. "We've joined the gym to gether." She's getting a crash course in parenting, which for most people begins with an infant, but for her with an adolescent. Alvaro had only been in the house a few days before he called down the stairway, "Good night. Mom." Tubb claims, "I don't know how to be a mom yet," but the two have developed a comfortable relationship. They're mostly good friends who enjoy each other's com pany. They've traveled to gether, laughed and worried and worshiped together, and from their windows over looking Lockwood Follv and West Brunswick through different, though friendly eyes. One of the things that has surprised Alvaro most is lo cal students' lack of interest in being an exchange stu dent themselves. "Most people here aren't too interested in going any where else," he said. 'They think this is the best place. In our country, everybody wants to go to another coun try (as an exchange student) for the experience." Why volunteer to spend a year in a strange country? On his AFS application, Alvaro wrote, "1 would like to experience a new way of living by myself away from my home, to make decisions in a different environment, to evaluate and 'valorate' my family. To leam about a our cullurc, way of living and our economical develop ment" Alvaro's done everything he set out to do and more. Here he's found some things the same, like the avail ability of fast food restaurants; others quite different, such as the parties young people auend and relationships with their families. In his past experience "people have a good time and dance at a party; here people have no fun." And while there are no alcoholic beverage control regulations in Colombia, "there are not alcoholics like here." "In my country the family is much closer. We spend a lot of time together," he says. "It's not like it is here customed to high school students remaining in the same classroom all day, a college-type class schedule, and teachers changing rooms. More grade levels are con tained in the same school and students are grouped as a class when they enter school and remain together in en suing years. "That's really close," he said of the bonds that develop as a result. He finds school here "much easier" than in heavily industrialized Bogota, where his six years of English, two years of physics, two years of chemistry and one year of geometry were part of the standard curriculum at his school. In Bogota, families have a choice of sending their children to slate or Catholic parochial schools. While River, watched the winds and the tides rise during the March 13 winter storm as they baked a ham and chili in the fireplace. The two have only come close once to having a real argument. That was when Tubb heard early morning noises and thought Alvaro had missed his curfew and stayed out all night. She didn't speak to him most of that day and wasn't sure what to say; meanwhile he had no idea what was wrong and was hesitant to ask. Any mother can imagine Tubb's relief when a neighbor men tioned seeing Alvaro come in the previous night! "He's different; he's a lot of fun," she says. "We've decided we're both going to cry in July. And when Bill and 1 get married, he's going to give me away." Community College Names Six Ambassadors For 1993-94 Six Ambassadors have been cho sen by Brunswick Community Col lege for the 1993-94 school year. They are Jan Irene Carlton, an administrative office technology student from Supply; Sue Madison, a general education student from Shalloue; Dwane R. "Rusty" Mit chiner Jr., an electronics engineer ing student from Bolivia; Kathcrine V. Graham, an administrative office technology student from Bolton; Angela L. Rattley, an administra tive office technology student from Leland; and Thelma Boyer, a cos metology student from Wilmington; With the support of the Bruns wick Community College Foun dation, the program was expanded this year to include six instead of five ambassadors. Ambassadors serve the college in a variety of public relations assign ments, as campus tour guides, ush ers for special events, speaking to civic groups and participating in pa rades. Candidates are nominated by faculty and staff, and screened for grades and other factors. Finalists are selected on the hasis of an essay in which nominees describe why they want to become a BCC Am bassador and interviewed by a se lection committee which maikes the final cut. Once chosen, ambassadors are expected to log three to five hours a week in service to either the college or the community while maintain BCC PHOTO BY ANNE MARIE BELLAMY BRUNSWICK COMMUNITY COLIJiGE Ambassadors for 1993 are (from left) Dwane R. "Rusty" Mitchiner Jr., Kaiherine V. Graham, Angela L. Rattley, Thelma Boyer, Jan I. Carlton and Sue Madison. ing a 3.0 gradepoint average, at tending at least 75 percent of all classes, and meeting weekly with their advisor. Resource Devel opment Officer Glenn Barefoot. They receive specialized training in public speaking, personal devel opment and leadership, a merit scholarship from the BCC Foun dation and a special wardrobe con sisting of a distinctive navy blazer. polo shirt, lie, and skirt or pants. A dean's list student, Carlton is active in the Student Government Association and National Voca tional-Technical Honor Society at BCC. After earning her administra tive office technology degree, she is considering continuing her eduction in medical records technology or pursuing a carccr working with children. Madison served on BCC's real estate program advisory board in 1991-92, and serves as Sunday School superintendent and on the administrative council of Seaside United Methodist Church. She plans to transfer to Cameron Bus iness School at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to major in accounting. Mitchiner has served on the BCC audiovisual projcct team as well as representing electronics engineer ing curriculum students as an SGA Senator. He is a member of the National Vocational-Technical Hon or Society, works full-time for Lowe's of Southport, and is an American Red Cross volunteer. He has worked with mentally and phy sically handicapped individuals as a rehabilitation facilitator and is a petty officer third class in the U.S. Naval Reserves, SeaBee Battalion. His goals include completing a real estate course at BCC and ob taining a North Carolina real estate sales license, and graduating from the electronics engineering technol ogy program. Graham is a dean's list student and a member of the National Vo cational-Technical Honor Society who enjoys getting involved with others. She wants to pursue a career in the medical field after earning her associate degree. Rattley plays softball and likes to spend time with children. Boyer was coordinator for a fashion show and hair competition staged by the cosmetology depart ment serves as South Atlantic re gional vice president, Oakwood College National Alumni Associa tion; member, board of directors for My Brother's Keeper; and is active in the Seventh Day Adventist Church as a hospitality chairperson, personal ministries assistant leader, deaconess and Sunday School tea cher. She wants to open a five-chair salon, then return to BCC's cosme tology instructor training program, and later open a larger salon and boutique. Brunswick Community College is one of 20 of the state's communi ty colleges with an ambassador pro gram.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 6, 1993, edition 1
17
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75