Ray Santos comes from Paraty, Brazil. I have had the honor to sponsor her as she embarks on a year abroad in the US. As I want to provide her with the most opportunities possible, and I can not do that alone. I invite you to support her and become a part of her journey.
About Ray: Ray just turned 16 and will be entering as a Freshman this year at Handley High School in Winchester, Virginia. She was born and raised in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her grandparents, who she was raised by, work as a traditional fisherman and market restaurant owner respectively. Her entire family comes from the Juatinga Peninsula, a place I have been documenting as part of a feature length film project. The Juatinga Peninsula has no roads or electricity and is home to the caiçara culture, subsistence fishing and hunting communities. Since, they lived mostly off the grid and away from the demands of the city, Ray's grandfather is illiterate and most of her family has just barely a fourth grade education. Ray grew up between the peninsula and the town of Paraty. She loves art, the theater, literature, and snap chatting with her friends.
Going to the US is not only an opportunity for Ray to learn English, but also an opportunity to be around people who know how to read and write and use the tools of "modern" life. She is being hosted by a family in Winchester, VA, who are old friends of mine from my elementary school. Some of you may know Emily Caldwell and Powhatan School. Since March, she has been homeschooling with Emily and her children, which has given her a chance to slowly become accustomed to the English language. Emily is a marvelous teacher and Rayane has already read entire books, including The Diary of Anne Frank and become aware of history and phenomena in the world that were not accessible to her before. In June, they took a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg to learn about early European life in North America.
Ray has a big presence amongst her friends, and her trip to the US has been a big inspiration for the whole community.
The initial plan was for her to stay 6 months, but her host family offered to become her legal guardians and for her to stay longer so that she can go to the local high school there through December. Everyone is thrilled about the new plan, which will allow her to solidify her English and develop her reading and writing.
From June 28th to July 23rd, she attended Windsor Mountain International Camp, which has an English language program for international students. There she created a solid basic fluency in English, met students from NY, France, Palestine, and China among other places and had a wonderful time participating in the theater and arts programs at the camp. She won the camp’s very own Academy Award for best performance in a theater production.
On August 8th, she will start her school year at Handley High School in Winchester, Virginia.
I am inviting you to become part of her adventure of knowledge and discovery.
We are raising money to cover remaining camp fees (USD$1500), legal fees (USD$497), and visa application fees (USD$290). Anything over USD$2300 will be applied towards her school supplies and expenses and a trip to NY in the fall, so she can go to Broadway and see the museums.
Thank you so much for your love and support!
It really means the world to me, Ray, and her entire family!
