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| Fran and her friend Jazu in the Agronomy Lab |
Fran changed majors! Did I tell you? Yes, of course I did!
She made a wise decision, and is much happier this semester than I have ever seen her. Part of it is being in a field that she can relate to, and part of it is gaining mastery over her life as a student.
There are three agronomy specialties that she must chose between at some point, animal nutrition, animal care, and crop engineering. She hasn't taken any animal courses yet, but that will come soon. She said she was amazed to look through the microscope for the first time, where she could see the amazing details of seeds and plants!
Naturally she feels more connected to this field because she was born and spent most of her life in a very remote and tiny settlement where the raising of food and a few animals is crucial to survival. When I say remote, Cuicatlan is the nearest town, and her village is an 8-hour walk from her village, and a 2.5 to 3 hour drive over rough and dirt roads that can be inaccessible during the rainy season. She believes she will be able to contribute something to help her village and her parents succeed better at raising nutritious and healthy crops.
Interesting to note that in the not too distant past, her village was even more remote, by another 2 or 3 hours, so it gradually relocated to the new site. Only a father and daughter team still remain in the original village site, cultivating their little plot of land. The father is in his 90s, and the daughter in her 70s. On a fairly regular basis, people from the new site visit the old site because the land is actually more fertile there, and they are still raising crops such as coffee, that they can haul in to sell.
But back to Fran's world in Oaxaca City. Last year she studied so hard, and got through almost all of the required math classes. She is taking the last one, Linear Algebra, and then she will only have a few statistics classes to deal with. The rest will be more hands-on in her field. Last year she was determined and serious. This year she is determined and happy.
And funny! It turns out she's quite a clown (like I am) so we keep each other laughing.
Our gratitude continues to grow and deepen towards those of you who are included in her circle of support. It really has begun to feel like a little community. We have four more years to go to graduation!
As I'm sure you realize by now our budget is to the penny, so if you are ever thinking that you need to withdraw your support, we would so appreciate your letting us know so that we can plug up the dike as quickly as possible! :) I worry. I am a worry wart. Ask my children!
One more detail. Fran is teaching three young women once a week for three hours, and that is going well too. I see her concentrating in her room, planning her time with them. She really cares about their future. It's a beautiful thing to see.
More soon! Smiles and hugs.
