Student and teacher going to Russia
By Nicole M. Wells, Special Writer
CRANBURY — The dictionary defines surprise as an unexpected event or piece of information, an unexpected gift.
For 14-year-old Sam Harshbarger, an eighth grader at the Cranbury School, the minutes immediately following Monday morning’s spelling bee proved to be exactly that, when he received a standing ovation from his classmates and the long-hoped for news that he had won a national essay contest.
As Student Council President, Sam had just finished congratulating the first, second and third place spelling bee winners when he was joined onstage by an unexpected guest.
Dr. Jorge Castro, president of the international student exchange organization AFS-USA, told the assembly that, as a youth of 17, he participated in a year-long AFS exchange experience by coming to live in the United States from his home in Argentina.
The experience broadened his horizons and made a lasting impression on his life, he said.
“I am proof, I believe, that AFS changes lives and that is why I am here today,” Mr. Castro said. “To change someone’s life here at the Cranbury School.”
Mr. Castro then invited the audience to join him in congratulating Sam as the Grand Prizewinner of AFS-USA’s annual essay contest.
Thunderous applause and cheers broke out across the auditorium, as Sam shook hands with Mr. Castro and was presented with a plaque for his achievement.
As the Grand Prizewinner, Sam will travel to Russia this summer, on a full AFS scholarship, to document and preserve dying indigenous cultures for posterity, through the development of a website.
“I was very surprised (and) I was really happy that I won,” Sam said. “I’m so grateful to all the people who supported me along the way, the school, my parents, the community. Everyone’s just been so supportive.”
If that weren’t surprise enough, he will be accompanied by his social studies teacher, Sara Fernandez, who Sam identified as his inspiration.
While she knew for several weeks that Sam had won, Ms. Fernandez was kept in the dark about AFS’ decision to give her the opportunity to go with him.
The announcement came as a complete surprise to her.
“I was really shocked,” she said. “It’s crazy! This is nothing that I expected but I am so, so touched.”
According to Mr. Castro, Sam competed against 500 students across the country, ranging in age from 13 to 18.
Entries were judged by AFS, with the public voting for their favorite finalists online.
In addition to his teachers and classmates, Sam was recognized in front of his parents, as well as Deputy Mayor Dan Mulligan, who made a special appearance for the occasion.
Mr. Mulligan said that Sam’s achievement should be a source of pride for Cranburians as well as an example of how to help out and drive a cause or issue forward.
“What Sam has done is an inspiration,” he said. “A lot of us talk about doing something but (we don’t) follow through. Sam recognized a cause or an issue that was important and he took the time, he dedicated himself, he sacrificed a little bit and he made it happen. That’s something that should inspire all of us, especially everybody here in Cranbury.”
Calling her son a “very self-motivated kid,” Sharon Harshbarger said that Sam applied for the contest all on his own and that the first time she saw his essay was on AFS’ website.
“When they called me to tell me he made the top 20, I had to tell them I hadn’t read the essay,” she said. “I said, ’You’ve got to tell me what he proposed ’cause I’ve got to find out.’”
Sam’s father Dan Harshbarger said that his family has traveled abroad extensively and that the opportunity to go to Russia is perfect for Sam because he loves to travel.
“It brought a tear to my eye,” he said. “I was so proud and so excited for him. He’s been talking about Russia for at least a year.”
According to the organization, the annual essay contest, known as AFS Project: Change, is designed to encourage eighth through 12th grade students to learn about global issues and develop innovative volunteer project ideas that address one or several of those issues.
A leader in international student exchange for more than 65 years, AFS-USA is a non-profit organization that aims to enhance the global competency of U.S. citizens by providing intercultural learning experiences for individuals, families, communities and schools, according to a press release from the organization.
AFS-USA maintains a network of nearly 5,000 U.S. volunteers and provides more than $3 million in scholarships and financial aid to U.S. students annual, according to the release.