By Gabriela Mondino | VISIONAR Scholarships
Probably one of the most rewarding aspects of a program like VISIONAR is when a student meets for the first time the sponsor that has been supporting him or her with a VISIONAR scholarship. It is a moment of gratitude, mutual admiration and overall joy. And if the meeting is a surprise for one of them, all the more exciting!
That is what happened earlier this year when VISIONAR scholar Maximiliano Senno agreed to surprise his sponsor, Flavia Lamberghini. Maxi lives in San Francisco, Argentina, and is in his third year of Chemical Engineering school at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Flavia, a San Francisco native as well, lives with her family in Chicago. The meeting was arranged in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with the excuse of taping an interview on VISIONAR for Argentinean television.
As Flavia went from her hotel room to the lobby for her “interview”, she did not suspect Maxi was waiting for her at the end of her elevator ride. When the door opened, the few seconds of confusion were followed by a combination of hugs, laughter and tears. It was a memorable instant that marked their hearts as well as the hearts of those around them.
Maxi and Flavia then had a long conversation, but the moment transcended words. It was the meeting of two kind souls, both enabling a dream: one by providing her generous support, the other one by making the best of the opportunity presented to him. The connection was palpable, even to those of us who had played accomplice and were fortunate to spend that weekend with them.
What about the interview for Argentinean television? We are told they are editing the story and fine-tuning the show's structure before the story can air. But that is accessory to what happened that weekend in Sao Paolo: a special bond was created between Maxi and Flavia that I venture to say will last a very long time.
By Gabriela Mondino | VISIONAR Scholarships
By Gabriela Mondino | VISIONAR scholarships
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