How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

It takes more than baby steps to better the world but that is how it has to start. When I found AFS on line I saw a chance to take a wide leap for something better. A chance to experience the world somewhere else than "here" where I can reach out and do some good for someone who needs it.

I 'm Janeen Mickayla Edwards. My little part of  the world is Somerset County New Jersey (in the U.S) and I am currently a sophomore and Manville High School. I am Jamaican and have a very colorful culture in my own family as well as a desire to learn a lot about others.


When I was young I was the type of child that would always bombard their parents with loads of questions and was always getting into things i shouldn't, wondering how the world works and whether or not an egg would bounce if dropped off the stairs. (My lovely mother is a very pacient woman) Thanks to her, i have grown and matured from the young child that i was and am shaping into a young adult.

Still, however, at 15 my wonder of the world has not changed, nor - i think -will it ever. This mindset instilled in me from a young age gives me my wanderlust for life. For these reasons i presume you all have realize why Going abroad with AFS sounded like a dream finally made possible for me. I would gain so much from this experience. Being able to see a different part of the world would give me a strong sense of whats out there and, in turn, what there is to change. This experience will give me the chance to see what imprint I can make on the world for the better. I would be gaining social skills and communication skills and (of course) language skills. In return,  can promise that i will be bringing the world another strong and dedicated mind that is going to do everything in her power to spread culture and knew things to people that would not have gotten the chance to experience them before. My dream, and my passion, to travel the world and leave my mark on all different kinds of people will not be possible if I do not have the finances to do this. If 1,000 people donated  $10 each this yearning of mine would be fulfilled. At this point, really, any donation will help me to reach my goal. I really wish that working as much as legally possible until the day i would go abroad with AFS would fund everything for this program. Sadly, even doing this (holiday hours included) I would still be over $8,000 short. I will, no matter what, figure out a way to make the money to go with AFS. I babysit every time that i can (my main babysitting kid is now 11, so i'm going to loose him soon), I also mow lawns and shovel snow. The help that I would get from donations would help me so much. $1 is still $1 closer.

World changer;
- janeen mickayla