September 23rd - "Passport to the World" 

With much anticipation and on the heels of such an incredible inaugural fundraiser, we’re proud to announce a date for our next!

 

After such a successful and enjoyable  first event, it was obvious that the bar had already been set rather high...  However, this year’s event is shaping up to be just as great if not even better, from the venue to auction items, to entertainment and food.

 

This year’s silent auction will have even more diversity of international items to bid on, and will be held at the John Palmer House in North Portland.  The John Palmer House is on the National Register of Historic Buildings, and is located in the eclectic Mississippi District.  

 

This year’s theme will be “Passport to the World” and participants will each receive a “passport” that will be stamped after visiting each country/region-themed room.  Fill up your passport and you will be eligible for a grand prize drawing at the end of the evening--one that will have you shouting “Carpe Diem!”

 

Come meet and support our 2010 students, Tiana and Flor, in this evening of fun, fellowship, and community.

Visit the foundation website to purchase your tickets today.  Tickets are limited to the first 120 people: www.carpefoundation.org/auction.html

 

---

Your Support at Work
 

Many Happy Returns

by Isabel Burri, scholarship student, Fall, 2009

My third day in India I believe set the tone for the rest of my time abroad. 

 

Before leaving home for the semester, I had played with the idea of shaving my head. I had talked to people that had been to India before, and few of them had chosen to rid of their locks during their trip. They suggested to me that because it is a custom in India to shave your head as a symbol of mourning; if a foreigner were to do it they might be received in a different way. 

 

I liked the idea of entering a foreign country and culture with humility, honesty and compassion. So on the third day of the trip, halfway through the semester orientation in Delhi, I decided to do it. I had told the rest of my group on the plane, that I was considering it. But it wasn't until that afternoon, in the crowded streets of Delhi that I took the leap and found a barber. 

 

My trip leader, Suzanne, had offered to accompany me and so we set out in search together. We found a barbershop, that was clearly for men, but we slipped inside anyway. As the door closed behind us, the noise of India stopped. The world was silent, and I was ready. A man who was short and chubby, with the signature Indian mustache and henna in his hair, pulled out a razor and asked me how short. There were a few other men in the shop, to be witnesses to the haircut. Suzanne was busy in the back, filming and interviewing the men about what they were seeing. They admitted that women didn't usually have short hair, and it was uncommon to see something like this take place. 

 

My hair started falling to the floor, and I knew there was no turning back. I was apprehensive while it was being cut, but as soon as he had finished and I was able to look in the mirror, the anxiety vanished. I simply saw my own face staring back at me. The very same Isabel. But somehow, I felt changed; bare and exposed. But that nakedness, that vulnerability, challenged me to face every day of my life that way. 

 

The man nicknamed me “soldier woman”, and I decided to be exactly that. I still watch the video sometimes, to remind myself that I am everything, me.

 

I always had an idea that travel would be part of my life. I've been interested in the rest of the world for as long as I can remember. Something about the variety of cultures, languages, food, and climates continues to intrigue me. But I think what changed about my sense of adventure is that now I see it as a possibility. 

 

I come from a large, divorced, adopted, low-income family; the barriers are real ones that I will face for the rest of my life. However, having been given this amazing opportunity (completely free), has reminded me of the opportunities life gives us if we are open to them. 

 

Before I travelled to India I wanted to do a lot of things, and that hasn't changed. But what has is my confidence in my ability to do all that I want to with my life. I've seen, with my own eyes, people that get to do amazing things on a daily basis; things that they are passionate about, things that make them happy. That is possible, and it will happen for me. 

 

In conclusion? I don't have a “direction”, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you Carpe Diem!
 

 

 

 

Contact Us: