2011 Recipients
Nathan Grills was a grade eleven student at Neelin High School in Brandon, Manitoba when he was chosen as the 2011 recipient of the scholarship. In addition to being an excellent student, Nathan exceled in a number of extracurricular pursuits – choir singing, school government as well as writing articles for The Brandon Sun. Nathan studied Russian in St. Petersburg during the summer of 2011. This is how he described his experience:
“Здравствуйте! My name is Nathan Grills and because of the generosity of Deborah and Srdjan I was given the opportunity to spend three weeks during the summer in St. Petersburg, Russia! I attended a language school called Liden and Denz which was a wonderful institution. I had a small class of only ten students and a very helpful teacher. I learned a great deal during my time there and my Russian skills improved significantly. There is nothing like learning a language in a place where you are actually using it every day, both in and outside of class.
Many of the experiences that I will cherish the most are from exploring the city. I visited all of the most famous landmarks and many hidden gems as well. St. Petersburg is home to a number of beautiful houses of worship. One of my favourites was the Church of Spilled Blood. The Hermitage was absolutely amazing! It was full of magnificent art and architecture and I went there on multiple occasions (and still didn’t see everything it was so colossal). In addition, I went on a number of excursions to areas near the metropolis. I saw beautiful palaces and gardens at both Pushkin and Peterhof.
My experience was invaluable! I learned so much about language, culture, history and myself. Traveling to a different country is an invaluable experience and I will cherish my time in Russia for the rest of my life. If anyone is contemplating whether or not to apply for the Deborah and Srdjan Adventure Scholarship, I would strongly encourage you to apply!”
Milica Petrovic was a 3rd year student at the Math and Science High School in Belgrade, Serbia when she was chosen as the 2011 recipient of the scholarship. Milica was a straight-A student with a particular passion for physics; she participated in research projects and had competed successfully in national physics competitions. Milica’s other passion was Irish dancing, and she performed regularly in an ensemble. Milica studied English at Tufts University in Boston during the summer of 2011. This is how she described her experience:
“My name is Milica Petrovic, and I was the lucky student who got the DS Adventure Scholarship for the summer 2011. I heard stories from the previous recipients, and I knew a wonderful month was ahead, but I was still afraid I would be too shy. However, there is no 'too shy' with people in America. Once I realized my English is just as good as anyone's, I couldn't stop talking. Classes were inspiring, we were made to talk and give presentations, which was both challenging and rewarding. But what kept me active and open to the new things were the wonderful people I met there. I am still in touch with most of them, even by letters, which is very nice. The best people I met were from Asia, and I learned about eastern cultures more than I ever thought I would. I tried Chinese and Japanese food, used chopsticks for the first time, listened about their ways and traditions, had several misunderstandings because of cultural differences, and had a great fun. I also met some nice Americans, from whom I learned very much. My biggest impression is the fact that no matter where people live, in Taiwan or in America or in Serbia, we can still find a common language, and we can understand eachother so well - it was just unbeliveable. When I realized that, I had no trouble expressing my thoughts in English, knowing that people would understand me. I even woke up thinking in English. This really was the best and most productive summer so far.”
2010 Recipients
Minette Esguerra was a grade eleven student at Vincent Massey High School in Brandon, Manitoba when she was chosen as the 2010 recipient of the scholarship. Minette is an excellent student, and her course load included three A.P. courses even though she was only in 11th grade. Somehow she also found time for a part-time job and to serve as a youth leader in her church community. Minette was fascinated by Japanese language and culture and she traveled to Japan during the summer of 2010. This is how she described her experience:
“こんにちわみんあさん！私は峰戸です。(Konnichiwa, minna-san!) Watashi wa Minette desu, the second recipient of the DS adventure scholarship program. This summer, I learned Japanese in Japan. However, I did not just study, I was able to explore many different places in 東京 (Tokyo) such as Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Odaiba, and more! It took time to get used to new environment, people, and especially the language but, in the end, it was all worth it. We, my American classmates and I, would study Japanese in the morning for three hours. Then, in the afternoon, we would explore Tokyo. We saw different technologies unknown to Canada, learned more about Japan’s history, ate delicious Japanese foods, listened to Japanese music, and spoke the Japanese language. We also met amazing people, whom I still keep in touch with such as our teachers and our home stay family. Although Japan is a small country, it will never fail to amaze you with their various types of entertainments such as malls, science centers, amusement parks, shrines, and more. I know for sure that nothing can ever describe or replace my experience in Japan. It was too amazing that the only way people would know is if they go there themselves. I left confident of my Japanese base and knowing that I made many unforgettable memories with my friends while experiencing the culture and life in Japan. These are memories that I definitely would never forget for the rest of my life.”
Jovana Daljevic was a student in her 3rd year of high school at Thirteenth Belgrade Grammar School in Belgrade, Serbia when she was chosen as the 2010 recipient of the scholarship. Jovana is a straight-A student with a particular interest in molecular biology; she had worked on two research projects in one of Serbia’s most prestigious science institutes. Her passion outside of the lab is modern dance. Jovana attended an English language program at Tufts University in Boston during the summer of 2010. This is how she described her experience:
“My name is Jovana Daljevic and this year I won a scholarship which gave me a great opportunity to go to places I have never been, to improve my English and to meet people from different countries. At first, I was afraid of so many things – traveling alone, new environment… I thought that my knowledge of English language wasn’t good enough and that it would be really hard for me to fit in. Fortunately, I was wrong. Everything went well, and very soon I realized that people at Tufts are very friendly and ready to help us whenever we need it. Teachers were great, too. We could ask them not just questions about the English grammar and American idioms, but also about American culture, places to visit in Boston and food we should try. By doing my homework, I learned how to speak in front of the audience without stage-fright. All assignments we had were very useful and we could practice both our speaking and writing skills. Outside the classroom, we also had many things to do. At Tufts I made new friendships with people from all over the world. I had a chance to learn something about Chinese, Japanese, Spanish culture and even something about customs in Afghanistan. Because of my friend from Syria, I tried Syrian sweets for the first time.
These 4 weeks I spent in the USA made this summer the best summer in my life. It is a great opportunity not just to learn English, but also to become more self-confident and to learn more about ourselves. It was wonderful experience and I’ll remember it all my life.”
2009 Recipients
Allison Large was an 11th grade student at Vincent Massey High School in Brandon, Manitoba when she was chosen as the 2009 recipient of the scholarship. In addition to being an excellent student, Allison was involved in many extracurricular activities – choir and voice lessons, Sunday school teacher, volunteer work and French lessons. Allison studied Mandarin at the Mandarin Rocks school in Shanghai, China during the summer of 2009, and this is how she described her experience:
"Ni Hao, my name is Allison Large and I recently won the first ever DS adventure scholarship. I left for Shanghai China on July 11 to study Mandarin and returned on August 8th, 2009. I have to say my experience in China was absolutely AMAZING, there is no other word to describe it. I attended a program called Mandarin Rocks, it was a small private school that offered morning classes to people who wanted to learn Mandarin. The teachers were great, they all spoke fluent English, and the lessons they offered were very relevant to everyday life. I walked away feeling very confident about my Mandarin base, and would really like to continue my Mandarin studies.
Another huge benefit of my trip was the friends I walked away with. The other students that attended the school were from all over the world, USA, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Germany, and the Netherlands to name just a few. Together we spent many afternoons and evenings together experiencing the Chinese culture. These are friendships that have the potential to last a lifetime, and we all had so much fun during our month together; we ate authentic Chinese food (which by the way is NOTHING like its American Counterpart) toured museums, shopped, did some sight seeing and in general just had a really great time. Some of the things we did included touring the zoo, seeing local art galleries, going up to the top of Gin Mao tower (the second tallest building in Shanghai at 88 stories) as well as seeing the local aquarium, and going to see the latest Harry Potter movie.
Personally I would not trade this experience for the world. I learned more then just a language in Shanghai, I experienced a culture. It is one thing to learn a language but it is something totally amazing to be immersed into that countries culture while learning it; I walk away knowing not just the countries language but with an understanding of why that language is the way it is, and who the people are that use it. This past month I spent in China was something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I loved every minute of it, and really hope that some day I can return and see more of the country as one month just was not enough to see and experience everything."
Nevena Popovic was a student in her 3rd year at Third Belgrade Grammar School in Belgrade, Serbia when she was chosen as the 2009 recipient of the scholarship. Nevena is a straight-A student with a particular interest in biology and chemistry. Outside of the classroom, Nevena played basketball, studied German and volunteered at the UNESCO club. She studied English at Tufts University in Boston during the summer of 2009, and this is how she described her experience:
"When I first came in Boston, I was afraid that it would be really hard for me to fit in - I thought that classes would be too hard and that people wouldn't be so open for new friendships. Only few days were needed for me to realize that there was nothing to worry about. Although they were sometimes hard, classes were interesting and extremely useful, so I enjoyed every minute of those classes. Also, I made friendships with people from every part of the world. I’m still in contact with most of the people I have meet in Tufts and I am thankful that, with them, I had a chance to have a great time and to meet not only American, but also lots of others cultures in the world. This summer I had the best time in my life and I suggest to everyone to try to have the same experience as I had. Trust me, it is priceless.”