During the early pandemic months, two ARC graduates and their mothers came together to document their ARC stories. We now have the result to share with you: a four-minute, bilingual film (subtitles appear in opposite language of that being spoken – Spanish and English). We would like to give a sincere thank you to Tim Webb and Michele Simenson for filming the interviews and to Michaela Webb, a two-time ARC summer instructor, for editing.
In the film Salvador Meza Lemus shares how he struggled to learn English after immigrating to the US from Mexico. “I didn’t feel like I could build a connection to anything I was doing, just because I didn’t have the language.” The language barrier made him feel isolated from his classmates, and it was challenging for him to find his place in school. He saw a poster for ARC in the hallway of his high school and realized that it could help him both find community and boost his English skills. Meanwhile, his mom, Braulia, with a look of disbelief, describes how she felt when she first heard about ARC: “How is my son going to go away for 40 days, and I’m not going to see him?” To hear how Braulia was convinced to allow Salvador to go away for over a month and to learn more about Salvador’s ARC experience, watch the film now!
Ace Mejia-Sanchez, a 2017 graduate of the Sequoia summer course, is interviewed in the film and says,”[Before ARC] I didn’t realize how kind people could really be. [With ARC] I was able to see what [my teammates] saw in me and want better for myself.” Ace’s mother, Irene, describes how Ace’s experience with ARC helped with the college application process. Ace wrote college essays about the month-long summer course and was accepted at multiple Ivy League universities. Irene says, “One time I said to a family member, I’m going to give Ace very big wings, so that when the day comes for Ace to fly, she flies as high as she can.” Ace was able to do just that! Watch the film now to learn more.
Help spread the word about ARC to others who will believe in our mission! If you have a friend or family member whom you think would enjoy learning more about ARC, please share with them by forwarding this email. The film captures the impact of ARC’s month-long summer courses and highlights the long-term, supportive relationships that ARC sustains with its participants.
We hope you will have a meaningful holiday season, showing love and compassion to others and reflecting on the value you bring within your family, among your friends, and in your community.