Living…the Challenges!

“Trusting your individual uniqueness challenges you to lay yourself open.”                         by James Broughton

I am mid-way through the Spring season bouncing between four different projects. Each project is very important to me but none is more important than the upcoming “Pathway Project for 2018”.

In about six weeks, I will return to Emory & Henry College (E&H) to help welcome the “Pathway Project” students arriving from Copey. We will celebrate our third year anniversary of the “Pathway Project” and I am certain the project will provide another year of wonderful results.

The March issue of the E&H College Alumni Magazine covered the “Pathway Project” in wonderful detail. It has a full-page photo of the 2017 “Pathway Project” students from the Copey Learning Center, Fatima and Ariana as it provides a full account of the origin and successes experienced to date.

Upon the Copey students’ arrival at E&H last year, George Whitley, E&H Board Trustee and devoted “Friend of Copey”, provided his lovely home as the location for the E&H reception. It was a wonderful evening and gathering which led Fatima to proclaim “this was when I felt part of a new family, the E&H family.”

Emory & Henry College student Melody Lipford had spent the previous five weeks volunteering at the Learning Center. She returned home when the Copey Learning Center students traveled to America. She and her mother were also in attendance at last year’s reception when Melody’s mother commented that “a different person [Melody] stepped off that plane from Costa Rica”. There is much evidence regarding people traveling to Copey and returning home “different”.

Next week, the campaign will start to help raise the funds to support the Copey group’s air travel and other activities associated with their visit. I am making my special annual appeal to my E&H affiliated “Friends” because we consider E&H College as the destination point for the students to attend the Summer Scholars program. And, all “Friends” are invited to help support this effort. 

The budget planned for “Pathway Project 2018” is now being finalized and is expected to require close to $6,000.00 to bring our two Copey students and two adult chaperones to our campus. Over two-thirds of the cost is needed to cover air and ground travel.

During the short four and half-year history, “Friends of Copey” has an unbelievable track record for achieving goals in support of the mission of the Copey Learning Center. And, the “Pathway Project” has become the signature project for us because its impact is far-reaching and has many enduring qualities. There are E&H students and Copey Learning Center students traveling to and from Copey and from E&H. In addition, the Copey community has fully embraced us as loyal and committed “Friends”.

So, join in and be actively involved in the next couple months. If possible, be part of the “Welcome Reception” at George’s home the week our guests arrive at E&H.