Today starts a great summer journey for five Christel House students as they attend Culver Academies.

Culver is structured to help boys and girls receive the encouragement to try things about which they’ve only dreamed and develop and value self-discipline. They learn to overcome self-imposed limitations, to improve skills, and when it’s really important to them, how to push for their personal best. (from www.culver.org)

The summer camp is designed for college prep and leadership development. Christel House students have attended for the past four years. This year, the students attending are...

• Kyle Daniels (far right) and Chad Abrahams (second from right) from Christel House South Africa
• Zakir Hussain Kharali (second from left) and Angel Kumar (far left) from Christel House India
• Jesus Morales from Christel House Mexico (not pictured)

The students had a quick moment in Indianapolis before heading to camp. They visited the Colts Complex and are pictured here with the World Championship Trophy and Tom Zupancic, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Colts.

The following is from DNA India and shares more about Zakir and Angel.

Bangalore: It is "a gift from heavens" for 15-year-old Zakir Hussain Kharali who is flying to the US this week to attend a six-week leadership programm held in Culver Summer Schools & Camps at Indiana, US. Zakir and his classmate Angel Kumar are the only two Indian students selected for the camp. It is a 100-year-old leadership development programme where1,300 students from more than 30 countries participate every year.

What makes Zakir and Angel different from the other participants is that they come from very modest backgrounds where education is close to luxury. Both the children earned this opportunity, all thanks to the Bangalore based NGO Christel House which educates underprivileged children across the world. "The requirements for the selection to the programm of these students include overall excellence in extra curricular activities which need emotional maturity and high academic achievement," said Jaya George, principal of Christel House.

Zakir's father, who is a tailor by profession, considers this opportunity as an unexpected blessing from God. For a child from the narrow alleys of MS Nagar in Kamanahalli, this is indeed a million dollars dream. "It was difficult for my family to believe that I have got an opportunity to visit US. Talking in fluent English and learning computer along with taekwondo and guitar is close to a mirage for us," said Zakir. He has won a green belt in taekwondo, a Korean martial art. Apart from various extensive academic activities, Zakir is looking forward to learn swimming and wrestling in the summer camp. "I aspire to become a software engineer one day," he said with a smile that assures us of his confidence and determination.

Angel Kumar is a proud 14-year-old girl dreaming to make it big in her life. "My parents were very nervous to send me to US. I convinced them because I know what it means to me," she said. She wishes to become an IAS officer in future and work for providing better education for underprivileged kids in slums of India. Her father is a welder by profession and they live in Kavalbysandra near RT Nagar.

We wish all our Christel House students the best of luck this summer at Culver!

Read the full story here.

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Labels: college, scholarship