The RSC Foundation

Coming full circle

jkidenda — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:05:33 +0000

Three years ago I became the first recipient of the first scholarship to be offered by the RSC Foundation, the foundation itself was barely a few months old and still in the early stages of formation. Throughout the next two years of college, the foundation became a constant reassuring companion and the leadership team and I became close friends, the transition from student / scholarship recipient to RSC board member was therefore about as effortless as it could be. Picking up Yves Mafolo, our second scholarship recipient at the airport however finally brought into focus the dramatic shift in roles that I had gone through over the last year. I was filled with a multitude of emotions, excitement, nervousness, gratitude for all those that had walked with me to this point and anticipation for all those that I was sure to meet in the future, starting with Yves.

Executing an effective student selection is tricky business and doing it remotely across continents and oceans is an even more formidable challenge. As soon I shook Yves hand at the base of the escalators at Austin Bergstrom airport however, I was confident we had made the right decision. The journey from Kinshasa, Congo to Austin, Texas had been long and fraught with numerous setbacks but through it Yves had kept the faith and consistently delivered on all our requests as we worked to coordinate travel plans, with admissions decisions and visa appointments. Now the fact that we were less than a week away from Yves first class day seemed almost unreal. The week passed in a flash, lost in a whirlwind of last minute preparations. One minute we were having dinner with partners and giving circle members at our board chairman’s house, the next we were driving to Stillwater, Oklahoma.

We arrived in Stillwater on Sunday evening, Yves was due to start class the very next day, we took a brief driving tour of the OSU campus admiring is majestic buildings and well manicured grounds then headed to settle Yves into Wentz Hall which would be his home away from home at OSU and called it a night. We woke up to another whirlwind of activity on Monday as we struggled to get all the registration processes completed. By 11am Yves was in his first college class and despite a brief lost passport scare, we were able to get everything sorted out in time to have a lovely diner with some the professors and administrators that had been so incredibly helpful in welcoming Yves to the home of the Cowboys.

As I think back on that eventful week, I can confidently say that I have truly come full circle and that closing the loop on the RSC Foundation’s pay it forward model is one of the most rewarding things I have done to date. I am surer now than ever before that we are pursuing the right model for improving access to education for Africa’s best and brightest, a model that is not only sustainable but also inherently rewarding for both the scholarship giver and the recipient. Thank you for your support in keeping out movement alive and growing!

July Update

rreeder — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:59:12 +0000

Well, summer is definitely in full effect here in Texas… and Yves tells me it is the same in Oklahoma. I’m praying for rain (speaking of which – if anyone needs a rainwater harvesting system, let me know)… and ready for the fall to come. Speaking of Fall, by the time Yves begins his Fall semester, he will officially be categorized as a Sophomore! He brought enough credits from his A-Level courses (think “AP” in US terms) that he’s off to a big head-start! He even qualified for 8 hours of Calculus! Amazing…

Yves 1st day at OSU saw him starting his first class – Statistics. Hard to believe, but that class is done now (Yves got an “A”!), and he has started Philosophy. Our friend Seth Paskin has offered up tutoring if needed. This is all, obviously, wonderful news!

On a more practical note, we’ve paid over $5,000 to OSU in scholarships as well as additional funds for Yves’ books, etc. We are working with the wonderful staff and faculty there on ways to reduce our costs, and Yves is working on getting a part time job – all of this with the goal in mind to help another student as soon as we can. The Giving Circle is growing and I can’t thank our members enough… it helps me sleep at night knowing we have friends we can count on month after month to make a real difference.

Watch this space – we’re working on VLOG postings with Yves and we’ll try to get updates posted more often. In the meantime, stay cool, thank you and God bless!

Gracias!

Yves Mafolo — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:07:14 +0000

I want my first post to go the extra mile to prove my gratitude to the RSC Scholarship Foundation staffs and all the members of the “The Giving Circle” because “There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude”.

Biologists believe that the tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. This is even true for human beings, we succeed not just because we were the smartest but because we were given the opportunity to grow in a very supportive environment and be surrounded by people who love us. There is no such thing as a personal explanation of success; people don’t rise from nothing.

The RSC Scholarship Foundation is giving me an extraordinary opportunity of attending one of the finest higher learning institutions like Oklahoma State University and being surrounded by very supportive people; that’s the most important thing because life is all about opportunities. What will distinguish my story in the years to come will not be my extraordinary talents but rather the stream of opportunity that came across my way.

Again, I want to thank you for choosing me as the recipient of the scholarship. It is truly an honor! I am so appreciative to all the donors and supporters as well as the RSC committee for acknowledging my hard work and perseverance thus far in my educational career. I will use this scholarship to further my education and continue to produce academic results that exceed expectations.

Yves Mafolo

A busy and successful week!

rreeder — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:51:24 +0000

Well, after a number of challenges including a delayed Visa, missing baggage, a dead car battery, and about 50 hours of travel in 4 days for Yves – we did it! Yves arrived on Thursday in Austin and got some rest, Friday evening was a fun reception for Giving Circle members, Saturday Yves’ baggage caught up with him, and Sunday we hit the road to Stillwater!

After driving all day, Yves got checked into his dorm room in Wentz Hall around 9pm. John Kidenda and I hit a convenient Residence Inn, and we tried to get some rest for the next day. Monday was a whirlwind of getting registered for classes, getting a Student ID, setting up a bank account, getting a phone, some stuff for the dorm room, and picking up the textbook for Yves’ first class: Statistics! Seems cruel, but Yves has quite a talent for math (he tested out of 8 hours of Calculus!); so I think he’ll be just fine. He even got to attend class that first day!

Monday evening we met with some of the great folks from OSU for some BBQ and good conversation about how to grow our relationship. I am *very* excited to add OSU to the family – the campus is beautiful and the people have been absolutely wonderful. From Yves’ R.A. in Wentz to the head of the International Students’ Office, they couldn’t be nicer or more interested in helping Yves be successful.

So, I’m very pleased to announce that our second RSC Scholar has moved into his dorm, started classes, and will probably start a part-time job on campus soon. Whew! I’m confident that Yves will make us proud. He amazed me with his English skills, considering he spoke almost no English when he started ALA. Great things are in store for him, and as a result, Africa (and Stillwater!).

Thanks to everyone who made this possible. More to come!
-Rick Reeder

The time is finally here…

rreeder — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:32:09 +0000

Dear Supporters,

Right now, Yves Mafolo is somewhere over the Atlantic on a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg to New York. I’m sure you can imagine his excitement – this is the farthest he’s ever been from home, plus he is starting a new adventure in a country he’s never visited before. I imagine that in addition to his excitement, he’s a bit nervous, too. “Will I be successful? What if everyone is totally different from me? What if they hate me for some reason? Can I handle the schoolwork? What is Oklahoma really like??”

Such a great a great adventure and an exciting time – all made possible by the hard work of our Board and Volunteers – and of course our donors like you! If you are a Giving Circle member, you know about the reception on Friday to meet Yves face to face, and maybe talk about some of his dreams and concerns. If you are interested in learning more about the Giving Circle, you can contact me at rreeder [at] rscfoundation [dot] org

For me, it is also exciting and somewhat daunting. Unfortunately, we’re not sitting on 4 years worth of tuition and living expenses with nothing to worry about except Yves’ well-being! We have to keep our focus on fundraising as well. I hope you’ll help by joining our Giving Circle or by making a one-time donation (just click “Donate” to the right of this post).

I know Yves will adjust quickly to his new environment and that great success awaits him as he ‘pays it forward’ and makes his impact on Africa. For the next four years or so, Congo’s loss is Stillwater’s gain.
Go Pokes!

Thank you all for the ongoing support,
Rick Reeder

WOW!!! Thanks, Austin!

rreeder — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:50:30 +0000

I have been remiss not to post sooner, but I want to at least post a quick note to say thank you to everyone who helped make our event a success! Kalu James, The Naked Accountant (Jean Backus), all of our Sponsors, Donors, Guests, and the staff at the Long Center. We couldn’t have done it without you!

We raised over $5,000, and we have signed up 8 new members of the Giving Circle. Watch for a note soon on a way to meet Yves when he arrives in a few weeks! One of the many benefits of being “In the Circle”. Contact me if you’d like more information on that.

Keep an eye on us here, and on Facebook as we’ll be posting pictures from the event, more videos from Yves and updates on our progress across the board. Thanks again to everyone!

-RR

Pre-Bidding is Closed!

rreeder — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:13:01 +0000

Thanks everyone who put in an internet bid! I have received some that I think have a great chance of winning… for the rest of you we’ll see you tomorrow evening! Last-minute preparations are going on now, and I think we’re in for a GREAT evening! More next week after we wrap up.

With deepest gratitude,
RR

RSC 2011 Fundraiser: Silent Auction List – updated

achowdhry — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 07:30:45 +0000

These items will be available during the silent auction at our screening of “A Small Act”. Check back often because there will be frequent updates.

We proudly thank the following from our Austin community:

Jonathan LaChance

Woow!!! Check this out!!

A Limited Edition Guitar from Budweiser, featuring the Austin City Limits Music Festival – fewer than 50 were made

Bid Now!

www.jonconnorlaw.com

An estate and tax planning package for a married couple or individual. It includes:

A one-hour estate planning consultation and one hour follow up review
A comprehensive Living Trust with flexible estate tax planning and trusts for children or beneficiaries of your estate
A Pour Over Will for asset transfers to the Living Trust
Financial Powers of Attorney for managing your finances during incapacity
Medical Powers of Attorney for making medical decisions when you cannot yourself
HIPAA Releases and Authorizations and Living Wills
A signing ceremony to execute the documents and implement your planning

	www.homefieldgrill.com $50 gift card Bid Now!
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	Jonathan LaChance Beautiful framed photographs Bid Now!
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Jenni Lloyd	60 mins Massage certificate by Jenni Lloyd Bid Now!
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