Filipina-American student group wins prestigious global citizenship grant

Laughs and fun lay the foundation for cultural exchanges

Like teenagers tend to do when they video chat, the girls laughed a lot, showed off some hip-hop dance moves and talked about their favorite foods.

On one screen, members of Mayfield’s Filipina Affinity Group were gathered in their Strub Hall classroom. On another, students assembled in the auditorium of their own school, the Maria Droste Training Center in Banawa Hills, Cebu City in the Philippines, a residential center for the children of former sex workers and victims of human trafficking.

The relationship was made possible after the Mayfield Filipina Affinity Group won a prestigious grant, awarded by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS). Their standout project, Filipinas In Leadership And Mutuality (FIL-AM), gave them the resources to reach out to students in the Philippines and begin an enriching cultural and educational exchange.

Members of Mayfield’s Filipina Affinity Group are the proud winners of a grant that enables them to connect with students in the Philippines.

Mayfield students drew on our school’s curriculum to prepare and export a series of teen-centric health and wellness classes to the Filipina students. In return, students at Maria Droste provided Tagalog lessons to our students, who want to learn more about the native language of their parents.

“We really began to make connections and build friendships,” said Kristina Vu ’21. “We all share a common ethnic background and it was all so special because these are girls our age and we both brought different gifts and skills to share with each other.”

Mayfield’s selection as winner of the Moulton Student Global Citizen Grant is a credit to our students’ creativity, determination, curiosity and sense of empathy. Megan Murphy, NCGS Executive Director, lauded Mayfield students’ vision to “raise issues of diversity and build relationships through listening and shared experiences.”

The award was announced last fall. After weeks of planning and jittery anticipation, our girls made their first personal contact in January with the Filipina students.

Mayfield students carefully scripted the first meeting via Skype at 5 p.m., Pacific Time, 9 a.m. the next day in the Philippines. There would be introductions and plans for future sessions. The Mayfield girls also prepared questions to help them connect. One insightful query was, “What aspect of Filipino culture do you find that Filipino Americans are proud of that native Filipinos may regard as insignificant?”

They had used the $1,000 Moulton grant for equipment and educational software platforms that allowed them to share video lessons and discussions.

When the camera turned on and our students saw a room full of girls and faces just like theirs, both sides broke out in cheers.

Students reach across the Pacific to chat with students in the Philippines via video conference.

The younger Filipina girls showed off their hip-hop routine. The high school and college-age girls performed a cherished traditional dance to the Santo Niño de Cebú, the Holy Child, a revered image of the Child Jesus in the Philippines.

The exchange quickly turned into a virtual trans-Pacific party. “What kind of food do you like?” one of our students asked. “Lechon!” a Filipina student shouted and both schools erupted in cheers over their shared love for this Filipino pork roast favorite. “What do you think of the new Miss Universe?” All gave a thumbs-up cheer for Catriona Gray, the reigning Miss Philippines who had just brought home the international title.

Audio difficulties cut short the back-and-forth, but more serious talks unfolded later in the school year. Drawing on Mayfield’s highly regarded Formation of Self curriculum, our students prepared five video lessons and assignments on Flipgrid, an education platform for video creation and discussion.

Some of the topics included the importance of teen confidence, the meaning of growth mindset, the difference between stress and anxiety, how to identify toxic relationships, and time management tips.

“These are issues they might not be exposed to and our knowledge might help them through rough patches in their lives,” Kristina explained.

By spring our students had settled into a comfort zone with their counterparts and were eager to try out their newly learned Tagalog vocabulary. They had been taught basic terms to greet people and introduce themselves. Cheers broke out when the Mayfield girls used the Flipgrid video discussion platform to put their basic skills to the test.

“Is my accent good? Can you tell that I’m American?” asked Julia Domingo ’21 after she tried to introduce herself in a new language.

Rebecca Lara ’21 said the experience gave her a stronger sense of connection to her family roots. Her parents, aunts and uncles are all Filipino immigrants.

“I really only learned English,” she said in a video chat, thanking the Filipino students. “But I have a familiarity with Tagalog. Now I am beginning to recognize more and more words. I can’t yet hold a conversation, but I’m so excited for more lessons.”

Director of Campus Ministry Teri Gonzales, who also serves as the advisor for the Filipina Affinity Group, said the students’ work earned an additional honor—an invitation to present their project at the NCGS national conference this summer at Westridge School in Pasadena.

It was Mrs. Gonzales who first spotted the announcement soliciting grant applications. She was aware of the Maria Droste school from her past ministry experiences in the Philippines, and helped Mayfield students make connections with the Sisters who run the school, which serves children, teenagers and college-age girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking rings or who are children of former sex workers.

“The girls who came from unfortunate circumstances find so much affirmation from their Mayfield partners,” Mrs. Gonzales said. “The fact that our students made the initiative to start a conversation with them, I believe, affirmed, inspired and gave them confidence about their own abilities.

“The impact of this connection cannot be underestimated… somehow a bridge was built,” she said. For her, the experience called to mind a quote from Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, writer and theologian: “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone—we find it with another.”

Julia, who spearheaded the grant application, expects the project to grow beyond the original group. Mrs. Gonzales and co-advisor Kimberly Gomez, Conservatory for the Arts Director, hope to continue working with the students.

“I feel that because we are all Filipinas we can relate to each other already,” Julia said. “And because we are all teenagers, we face the same struggles. We are going to evolve and continue this and include more people. This is just the start-up for us!”

The impact of this connection cannot be underestimated… somehow a bridge was built.

— TERI GONZALES, DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS MINISTRY AND FILIPINA AFFINITY GROUP ADVISOR