As Volcano IPSE Explodes!

Friday, March 22nd, 2013. The date my life will change forever. I have so much excitement flowing through my veins. I am only slightly packed, but entirely anxious. I just cannot wait to meet the awesome people that I have been waiting months to meet. The BPFC will finally be together to be completely crazy for an entire weekend. So many emotions are rushing through my body. Excitement, Anxiousness, Nervousness. However, I know that this will be the time of my life regardless of the outcome later on. To have an opportunity such as this is mind-blowing, and I honestly do not know how I got here. It started as one of many endless dreams in my head. Now it's reality. Games, books, electronics, and tons of stickers and candy are sprawled upon my bed. It would be wise to pack them right about now... but sharing my experience with the world is much more important. I hope to look back one day and say: "Wow, what a great adventure the IPSE was..I wish I could go back". Until that time comes, I bid you adieu. Good luck to my fellow YES'ers! Let The Hunger Games Begin! May the odds be ever in your favor!

Yes Abroad Semi-Finalist!

Words cannot describe what the last few months of my life have entailed. I have discovered the new-found world of Foreign Exchange. I have been thrown by own free will into a world where one cannot escape. The past few months have been filled with many ups, and many downs as I applied for the NSLI-Y Scholarship, as well as the AFS YES Abroad Scholarship. I had known the chances of receiving a scholarship were slim going into this process, but I knew in my heart that this was an opportunity I couldn't forfeit. I first applied for the NSLI-Y Scholarship which was by far the most competitive contest I have ever entered. I felt intimidated by those who I thought were "better" and more qualified than myself. Consequently, my application was submitted in an unorganized, and non-directional manner. Needless to say, I was rejected. Although I was crushed, I knew it was with good reason. I truly believe I was rejected because I was destined for something bigger, something more beneficial. A Year Abroad. Not just any year abroad, but a year abroad that made a difference in my life and others. I discovered the YES Scholarship a month before it was due. This time around, I gave the application my all, and truly expressed who I was and what I stood for. After a long wait with some of the most awesome people I have ever met, I was notified that I AM A SEMI-FINALIST FOR THE 2013-2014 AFS YES ABROAD PROGRAM. My first happy tears streamed down my face that day, and my adventure began. I will be flying to Washington D.C on March 22nd for the IPSE (In-Person Selection Event) with 119 other hopeful Semi-Finalists. Sometimes this roller-coaster of emotions is too difficult to handle... but deep down, I know something great is coming.  I can't wait to meet all of you awesome YESers at the IPSE!

                                                                                             
 Until next time, Auf Wiedersehen!
 Brandon