20 Monroe Students Returning from International Experiment

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Exotic landscape and climate are part of what drew Marathon High School student Binky Clark to studying in Australia. But it’s the cultural experience that motivated him to interview for – and eventually become part of – the Experiment in International Living.

“I’m really looking forward to the cultural experience,” said Clark before leaving for Australia. One of the highlights of his trip will likely be a visit to the opera house in Melbourne.  “It’s interesting, because ever since I saw the Melbourne Opera House on the cover of a 1989 Elton John album, I wanted to actually see it,” said Clark.

The Take Stock student intends to attend Duke University and study music. Clark is one of 20 Monroe County students living and learning abroad this summer, with 16 getting grants because they are in the Take Stock in Children program. The students departed at the end of June and will remain living with host families for three to five weeks.  Traveling individually, all the "Experimenters" will be returning to the Keys during the next few days. 

“This is a real chance to broaden my horizons,” said Key West High School student Madeline Alexander on the eve of her departure. “I’ve been to Italy. I think Costa Rica will be really different. My life has been kind of quiet. I really need kind of a shock.”

She says she hopes that seeing the way others live will jolt her out of any complacency she has as an American citizen.

Sixteen of the 20 students selected this year to participate in Experiment in International Living are Take Stock in Children students.   Take Stock in Children is Florida's premiere mentoring and scholarship program for low-income students. These kids, along with nearly 300 others in Monroe's middle and high schools, will receive fully paid 4-year college scholarships by maintaining their grades and meeting regularly with an adult mentor.

This is the third year that the Monroe County Education Foundation has partnered with the Experiment in International Living to offer Monroe County students this immeasurable opportunity. Many students who have participated in past years say the experience motivated them in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

And the effects of EIL is showing up in other achievements, says Take Stock Program Coordinator Jim Hall.

“EIL students are more likely to secure Bright Futures scholarships,” said Hall.  "Our Foundation has developed a special relationship with EIL; we raise local funding for Take Stock students, and that's matched by EIL.  And, we're encouraging many more curious sophomores and juniors to apply for this exciting cross-cultural experience next summer.      

Grants help the students make this program a reality, but it’s their own intelligence and ambition that earns them a place in the program. Each student was interviewed individually in April and earned one of some 1,000 slots available nationally.

The Experiment in International Living has a 75 year history of providing cross-cultural experiences to U.S. students each summer.  In 2007, nine Keys students traveled individually to China, Costa Rica, Australia, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Spain, and Mexico.  Last year 12 Keys students had the opportunity to travel to Brail, New Zealand, South Africa, France,  Australia, Thailand, Navajo Nation, Japan, Italy, China, and France.

Every EIL program has a thematic approach which may include arts, culture, history or community service projects.

The following Take Stock in Children students are currently studying abroad as part of the EIL program:

• Madeline Alexander, Key West High School, Costa Rica

• Tiffany Ban, Marathon High School, Italy

• George Carter, Key West High School, China

• William Clarke, Marathon High School, Australia

• Michael Deitrich, Key West High School, Botswana

• Brendan Ellis, Coral Shores High School, Poland

• Angelika Duszka, Key West High School, Chile

• Jewel Gonzalez, Key West High School, Australia

• Alicia Jensen, Coral Shores High School, New Zealand

• Scott McKenzie, Key West High School, Ecuador

• Devante Mills, Coral Shores high School, Italy

• Bianca Padro, Marathon High School, Spain

• Jesse Pearson, Key West High School, France

• Luanda Peixoto, Coral Shores High School, Italy

• Zephaniah Podlewski, Key West High School, Turkey

• Sonal Soni, Key West High School, Spain

In addition, the following students are also studying with EIL. However, these students financed their own trips and did not require grant funding from the Monroe County Education Foundation: 

• Richard Hatch, Key West High School, China

• Emily Hiller, Coral Shores High School, Belize

• Jamel McNeill, Key West High School, Japan

• Leah Ruszala, Coral Shores High School, Japan