Just got back from the States...

Last night, after traveling or waiting around to travel from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.  I'm still in a semi-coma but wanted to share some exciting news that I haven't even had time to consider very deeply, so more will follow.

As you know, we are looking ahead, planning for Fran's next steps after graduation in June 2018. I met with several people in California and have received correspondence with suggestions and offers of help, all of which are exciting. I also have news about the length of my projected stay in here Oaxaca, which is now longer than expected. I thought I was going to qualify for housing in California in about 2 years, but was informed that it will now be between 3 and 4 years.  I am 700th on the list! 

That means I can be here to support Fran in various small ways a bit longer. In the following weeks, she and I will be looking at the possibilities and organizing priorities.

The basics:

Fran will study English for 1 solid year, possibly 18 months, in order to pass the TOEFL test at the level expected by colleges in the U.S. and abroad. That means weekly classes (at least) at Berlitz, and 3 times per week with me, plus an English-only environment here at the house.

Fran will then attend graduate school near Mexico City to get her Masters in Agronomy. That should take 2 years.

But other opportunities have been offered and are possible:
1. An offer to go to school and work in New England.
2. Possibly attending Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz for a year.
3. Possibly working on an organic/sustainable farm near Barcelona and studying there, possibly a doctorate.

For now:

One step at a time. Investigating the details. Applying for a passport and visas, etc.  It's a little overwhelming, but we have time to do it all at a measured pace.  Thank you so much to you all, and especially those who are now becoming involved in helping with the next stages. 

Our goals:

That Fran receive a deeper and broader education than that available to her here in Mexico. That at the end of the process she will be able to support herself and love what she is doing, including contributing positively to her community and beyond. We are determined that she at least receive her Master's degree, become fluent and qualified in English, and have the benefit of at least one year abroad in Canada, the U.S., or Europe.

Onward!

Amazing Fran!

Dear Friends,

There is so much to report, but I will begin with a recent challenge Fran faced, and her subsequent trials in overcoming it.

Last semester, in her microbiology class, her instructor announced an exam date. Fran studied nonstop for it, as she always does. She took the exam, and was informed a few days later that the teacher had LOST two exams. Hers was one of them. Let me just stop here and say that in my entire career as a student, up until my Master's Degree, and then in my long career as a teacher, I never heard of a teacher or professor LOSING an exam paper. This man has done it many times, apparently.

The exam was rescheduled for the following week for the two students whose papers were lost.  Fran took the exam, and a few days later, the final grades for all of her classes were posted on the class website. She got a "0" for the class in question.

Christmas vacation started immediately.

Fran didn't have one. She went to her school every weekday for 10 days, spending between 4 and 8 hours trying to track down the teacher, an administrator who would listen to her, even the director of the school. She would wait outside rooms where he was supposedly in conference or a meeting, but he never came out. She called him repeatedly. She was told his mother had died, and he had to leave town. He was running away from her.

Eventually she found out there was an on-campus organization to help students, but it wasn't up and running.

Meanwhile she heard from other students, and even another teacher, that this man was known for doing things like this, but he was untouchable, because he belonged to the political clique that runs the school Two years ago students if they did not attend a PRI rally (the most corrupt party in Mexico) they would be graded down one level. None of this discouraged Fran from continuing to insist on her rights. She knows she is one of the best students in the school. How could she have gotten a 0 for that class?

Finally she wrote a letter about what had happened, and all the measures she had taken to try and get the teacher and the administration to listen to her, and solve her problem. She threatened to take it to an outside civil rights agency. She gave a copy to the director of the school, to the teacher, and kept a copy for herself.

Finally, with only two days of her vacation left, the teacher started making conciliatory noises. He apologized to her and said he would rectify the situation. At this writing, we don't know if he will, but it looks promising. It only took Fran about 650 hours to get him to move.

But she did it. And I can't tell you how rare this is, for any Mexican, especially any student, and more especially a young indigenous woman, to stand up for their life. 

There is one fly in the ointment. It turns out that this teacher is in charge of the specialty Fran chose, and will be her instructor for 3 more classes before she graduates. (This instructor, by the way, does not even have his master's degree; he bribed his way into this position). Fran has been warned by another teacher to keep her eyes open. He may try to undermine her in the future.

I am not the only one that warned her to reevaluate, perhaps consider changing her specialty (from plants to animals) but she doesn't want to do that. She feels confident. She has already signed up for next semester's classes, including a class with this instructor. She also knows that at this point, if she wants to change her specialty, it would take weeks and weeks of bureaucratic grind, in which she would miss classes, and possibly be forced to skip the entire semester. You can't imagine the chaos of the educational system here. So, fingers crossed.

But our Fran is mastering the art of fighting back.