Foothill student to fly to Botswana, Africa as part of summer-abroad opportunity
Anaius Sanchez has never had it easy.
In fact, the 17-year-old Foothill High School junior is categorized as an "underserved student," yet one whose determination and hard work is about to take him places he might only have dreamed of going otherwise.
On Thursday morning at the Foothill campus in east Bakersfield, the smiling young student was flanked by Simon Ratliff, president and CEO of Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield and Ken Keller, president and CEO of Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.
The two Dignity Health executives presented an oversized $2,500 check to Sanchez, even as the student is preparing to embark in early July on a life-changing journey to the nation of Botswana in southern Africa.
"Anaius perfectly exemplifies the type of student we aim to attract and support within our residency program partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine," Keller said in a statement. "His commitment to providing culturally relevant care within local communities is truly commendable, and we are honored to support his dedication and future career in health care."
This spring, Sanchez was awarded the prestigious Global Navigator Sponsorship, which supports underserved students interested in health care and public health.
That's right. The young scholar hopes to one day become a physician assistant here in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Sanchez's sponsorship will cover a significant portion of the program tuition, but he still faced the challenge of raising remaining funds for tuition, expenses and airfare, Dignity Health said in a news release.
"Demonstrating remarkable initiative, Anaius launched a GoFundMe page and even sold his grandmother's candied apples at school to help meet his goal," Dignity said in its release.
The Foothill Alumni Association, known on campus as Trojan Nation, pitched in with a donation of $1,000 Sanchez needed for the rest of his program tuition, said association Vice President Mike Hernandez.
To secure funding for his airfare, the determined Trojan reached out to Dignity Health with a compelling proposal, showcasing his dedication by sharing his story, his efforts and detailing his rigorous daily schedule and commute.
Robin Mangarin-Scott, market director - Central Valley for Dignity Health, said the 17-year-old starts traveling at 6:30 a.m. each morning, taking the bus across town, 40 minutes each way, to attend the health care academy at CTEC at Ridgeview High School before coming back to Foothill to complete his regular course load.
"He did everything he could with the GoFundMe page," said Mangarin-Scott. "His grandmother made candied apples three different times, but he couldn't make that $2,500 mountain he needed to climb to get the airfare.
"When Anaius came to speak to the president at Memorial, he brought his transcripts. He put up a full-out push for why we should support him. And when he left, it was a no brainer."
According to the website for the Council on International Educational Exchange, the U.S.-based nonprofit that organizes myriad High School Summer Abroad programs and the Global Navigator Sponsorships, a critical part of its overall mission is to "encourage and prepare students to connect and communicate across cultures and make a positive impact on society, both globally and locally."
Sydney Peterson, Foothill's principal, said there are three other Foothill students who have been chosen to participate in similar Summer Abroad programs.
"I grew up on the east side of town," she said. "I'm an East High School graduate, and coming back to Foothill as the principal, it reminds me of what the east side is all about.
"It's good people, it's hard workers, and it's people who are truly invested in their future," Peterson said.
"And that's what Anaius and our other students who applied for this program really represent. It's the dedication and desire to be invested in something beyond just their junior year, or beyond just their senior year. They are looking to the future. They really are. And it's amazing."
As he prepares for the trip to Botswana, a place he's never been to on a continent he's never visited, Sanchez is excited and hopeful.
"Honestly, it's a personal kind of hope," he said.
"Botswana is known as the Land of Freedom. So I'm hoping that it can just really touch my heart a little, and make me aware of other people's stories, as well as, like, the hardships they go through."
On July 8, he will fly from Los Angeles to London to Botswana. He expects to return July 31 a changed person.
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