Help 14 Graduating Seniors Say Yes to College

Dear Soroptimist family and friends,

The following is a “feel good” Borrego story that we are sharing with you because it explains so much about the long and winding road that our local Borrego Springs students must take to become inspired, get motivated, gain skills, and make their plans for graduating and leaving Borrego Springs for further education.

But first, our “problem” (opportunity). Yesterday we found out that a record 14 graduating Interact students have applied for member Sylvia Maas’ Bike 4 Borrego Kids $1000 grants. To meet all 14 requests she needs to raise $500 a day for the next 10 days.

You can donate online here or send a check to:
  Soroptimists Bike for Borrego Kids
P.O. Box 504, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Please share this email with your family and friends.

Our club met yesterday with four young women who are mentored by Sylvia through the Interact Service Club that meets regularly at the High School. This club has grown each year as kids see the benefit of working and planning together to help their community.

On May 1, these graduates must know if they have the personal resources to accept or pass on the college offers they have in hand. Over the years, we have encouraged these students to develop their skills, follow their dreams, and make financial plans to continue their education beyond high school. Soon they will know if they have enough local scholarship money, along with family savings, to even accept a generous offer from the California colleges that have made them offers and want them as students.

When Sylvia Maas retired from teaching Biology and moved to Borrego Springs, she expected to concentrate on her long-distance competitive bike racing “retirement” career. Three years ago she joined Borrego Soroptimists and offered to mentor at the High School weekly, because there was no counselor.

She met students during breaks, promoted the Interact service club, and helped seniors learn about the forms they would need to apply for college tuition waivers. She could not imagine how this concerted effort would turn out… the club grew each year and cultural trips into San Diego opened kids’ eyes to the world beyond. Also, the kids started to share their personal struggles and their dreams of education after graduation. Their problems went beyond getting good grades. They wanted local jobs, and some idea of how they could live away from home and afford to take classes leading to a degree and a better job. Borrego kids are practical kids. They know the challenges they face.

The first year Sylvia gave out 7 Bike 4 Borrego Kids grants, and this year 14 have applied. This is the real “good news.” The result of many years of building the club, mentoring the club members weekly, helping them apply for FAFSA grants, and making plans for their futures. The club itself has held successful bake sale fundraisers, and this year they donated water purification devices to the Warner Springs schools to provide safe drinking water in the school rooms.

This year, Interact service club members, along with Soroptimists, presented a very successful program at the Borrego Grade School where they spoke to the little kids about the cruelty of bullying and encouraged the children to be kind and be brave when defending others from bullying. The passionate testimony of the high school students was exactly what the little kids wanted to hear. It was emotional and wonderful to see.

Sylvia Maas’ successful completion of Race Across America (RAAM) last year was a 3,000-mile tour de force that we all followed daily. Her many other long-distance riding successes have attracted donors to her Bike 4 Borrego Kids charity from her friends, fans, and biking enthusiasts. Borrego Soroptimists set up the online donation site and we fully support Sylvia’s very successful, and growing, fundraising effort.