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Campion’s international students had a winter retreat at the YMCA of the Rockies in Granby to experience snow sports and some of the activities that they are not used to in their countries.
As soon as they arrived, the students went to the snow tubing area and enjoyed sliding down the hill. Eriane Saraiva, senior, shared, “It was an amazing and new experience for me. It was very hard going up and down holding my tube, but I think my favorite part was snow tubing with all the Brazilians. I felt really happy at that moment.” For Sabbath, they started with a worship time with Jill Harlow, international club sponsor, sharing a message about how snow represents purity and the brightness of God in the Bible. After worship, they went snowshoeing in the mountains, where they took a lot of pictures and got to enjoy the cold but sunny weather. Yngrid Silva, junior, commented, “I loved the view of the park when we went snowshoeing. I was very cold and tired of using the snowshoes, but it was good to experience the hike and take a lot of pictures with my friends.” In the afternoon, the students practiced ice skating and had the chance to go snow tubing again. In the evening, they enjoyed playing sports and roller skating in the YMCA gym. To finish the weekend on Sunday, the students went skiing and snowboarding at Winter Park, getting to experience the adrenaline of a new sport for most of them. Nicolas Rodrigues, freshman, added, “I really loved the trip and I really had fun. I think it was a little hard to snowboard, but in the end it was kind of easy. I wasn’t used to being that cold and I’ve never worn so many jackets in my life, but I really enjoyed the international retreat.” Campion Academy currently has 20 international students from Brazil, as well as students from Democratic Republic of Congo, China, and recent immigrants from Tanzania and Mexico. Luca Lu, sophomore from China, shared, “It was my first time going to a mountain resort. It was so fun to try some snow sports and the icy world truly gave me an unforgettable memory.” Pedro Vieira, Student News Team
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This past Sabbath Campion Academy, HMS Richards, and the Campion Church came together to celebrate the diversity in our community with our International Sabbath. Students from both schools started off the program by dressing up in clothes from the countries they were representing, and carrying flags from all over the world. The students greeted the church in different languages.
Afterwards the praise team presented songs that had different translations. They sang songs in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Indonesian. Natan Fogaca shared “It was a good experience, I got to sing and praise God.” Students shared several special performances, scriptures and prayers in various different languages. Julia Santiago and Beatriz Moraes sang a special music called Alem in Portuguese. Moraes shared, “This song is important to me because it shows me that I always have someone I can trust and always do what's best for me. God showed me in this song that he is always with us, even in the storms. Believe and trust in Him that he will do what is best.” “It was beautiful to see so many countries represented throughout the church,” Euan O’Keeffe expresed, “It really painted the church as what it should be - a great unifier, unrelated to language and culture.” Vashty Segovia Santos, Student News Team The international students from Brazil, Congo, and Mexico planned the last Saturday night activities with soccer and volleyball tournaments, and Mexican loteria. They also provided a variety of desserts that came from their countries.
The students made teams to represent a country or a region of the world to compete. The soccer tournament was a very competitive event; it ended with teams Africa and Brazil in the finals. While Brazil is famous for soccer, the Africans showed that soccer is also popular where they come from and beat Brazil 4-1. “I really enjoyed the international night especially because I love to play soccer and beating the Brazilians was the best part of it. They played well and it looked like they knew what they were doing,” shared Obed Simba, international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The volleyball tournament was the most exciting event which brought everyone’s attention. The Indonesians first played against the Brazilians but they ended up losing. For their second game they won against the Latinos and got their spot in the final against the Brazilians again. In the end, the championship went to the Brazilians. “I loved the volleyball tournament, especially the final game, it was insane. The international night went very well because of the fun and desserts that we had. I'm glad that we made it to the final and I hope that they enjoyed playing volleyball with us,” Gustavo Silveira, international student from Brazil, expressed. In the student center, Daneil Camas, international student from Mexico, hosted a game of loteria, which is a typical bingo game played in many Spanish-speaking countries. “It was really interesting the way we got excited about the game. It was good being able to play and have fun with them,” mentioned Camas. Campion currently has about 13 international students this semester. The evening was a fun way for them to share some of their favorite foods and activities with the rest of the students. Pedro Vieira, Student News Team This past Sabbath, Campion’s church service was filled with colorful flags, greetings, and songs in different languages. Students and church members paraded in a variety of flags from countries all around the world, with many wearing traditional cultural clothing. The congregation sang in six different languages and students read Bible verses in other languages, too. Airi Nomura, an international student from Japan, said, “It was very hard but fun to sing in many different languages. I really liked when everyone was trying to say “Jesus loves you” in Japanese.” A group of Indonesian students performed for special music. “I loved how I could speak to God in another language and sing for Him. I was able to express my culture in a way people could remember,” commented Blessing Simamora. “This International Sabbath was definitely worth performing for and it’s something I will cherish for a long time.” Continuing on the global theme, the academy’s international club created a special evening activity for the dorm students. Students rotated to four stations representing the home countries of the international students. In the gym, the Brazilian students organized a game of taco, which is a Brazilian form of cricket, and Carnival mask painting. Also, the students from the Democratic Republic of Congo held soccer games and hosted a drum circle. In the Student Center, the Chinese students offered games of ping pong as well as learning to write the Chinese character ‘love’ for Valentine’s Day. In the chapel, Airi hosted Japanese karaoke and origami. Throughout the stations, students could win traditional Chinese red packets with a raffle number for their participation. Five winners received a free take-out meal. The night ended with sparklers and fireworks in celebration of Chinese New Year. Sophie Baez said, “I really enjoyed how we could all come together and share our cultures even though we are from different countries. I liked the evening games because we learned new things and games from other countries.” Tiffany Dien, Student News Team  This past month, a few staff and student volunteers have been assisting the English Language Learning (ELL) students by taking time out of their week to have a Zoom meeting with the students so they can continue to grow their English skills. Sami Hodges, one of the student volunteers, described her meetings with Airi, who is currently in Japan, “Every Monday and Wednesday evening, I set up a Zoom meeting and we just talk for about 20-30 minutes. Sometimes we use sample conversation prompts, but other times we have just spent time visiting and getting to know each other more.” Despite not being paid anything for helping, the volunteers plan to continue to spend time faithfully with the ELL students over the rest of this school year.
Principal Don Reeder has been a part of this as well. “They (Victor and Yan) are improving their English language skills. It has been fun to talk with them even while they’ve been in Brazil. I am so glad technology can keep us connected.” Despite being thousands of miles apart, students can learn English with others as if they are in the same room together. This helps students retain their knowledge of English so that they don’t lose what they have gained over the time that they have spent in the United States. Some of our ELL students only spent a few months in the U.S. before having to return to their home countries. Victor, from Brazil, is one of these students; “In the beginning I only understood what the teachers said, and I knew how to answer only the basics. With the conversation classes I learned to improve my English, and today I talk to students and teachers in a much more relaxed way.” The Zoom meetings with volunteers have been essential in helping the students continue to make progress in English and will help them be ready for classes when they return to Campion in the fall. If you would like to volunteer in this program through the summer, contact Jill Harlow. Theron Treat, guest contributor  The new Brazilians students here are pictured with some of the student mentors who welcomed them to Campion.  The international student program at Campion continues to grow with the arrival of new Brazilian students. Four students started this week and three more are expected to come by the end of the month. The students all come here from Seventh-day Adventist families and schools in Brazil for the purpose of learning English this semester before continuing on to earn their high school diploma at Campion. Zeca Santana, who is a native speaker of Portuguese, was instrumental in recruiting these students and making arrangements for them. “I have felt an affinity towards Brazil for many years,” Santana commented, “and I thought culturally that it would be good for Campion because Brazilians have a vibrancy of life and I wanted to bring some of that here.” The new students were greeted warmly by mentor students at Campion. The mentor students help new international students make friends and integrate into our campus culture by walking with them to classes, eating meals with them, and participating in activities with them during the first few weeks after arrival. In addition to the new students, a college-age volunteer from Brazil has also joined the staff at Campion for this semester. Erika Faria is a senior college student at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro where she studies Music Education. Here at Campion she will be assisting in the Music Department, the ELL classes, and in the Girl’s Dorm. “I needed an experience to improve my English and I chose Campion Academy because I saw an opportunity to improve my English and work with music in a Christian environment,” she explained.  We are thankful that God has blessed Campion with these new students and volunteer. Welcome to the Campion Family!
Jill Harlow, Communication Director  Going to Peru was everything and more I wished to have on a mission trip. On my previous two mission trips I never felt like I really truly helped anyone, but going to Peru changed that. We did construction, deconstruction, Vacation Bible School (VBS), and dental work. On previous mission trips all we did was construction. The whole experience was amazing, but it was the dental and VBS that really opened my eyes to the compassion and kindness possible through the little things. When I signed up for VBS I thought I was just signing up for arts and crafts. When I got to Peru though I was told I was doing drama. I hate being up front, whether I have to speak or not. Thankfully in drama I was merely an actor portraying the narrator’s story. I was pretty nervous my first day but it got so easy once I saw the kids. They were so excited and attentive to watch us act. They didn't care whether I messed up or not; they were ready to be entertained. Watching the kids’ faces light up as we acted out Bible stories was a blessing all in itself. My favorite moment of VBS though was during arts and crafts, when we would all sit on the ground and help the kids color. I was helping a little girl and her brother Cade glue cotton balls onto a cut-out cloud. He didn't speak any English and I had already used up all the Spanish I knew. We stared at each other somewhat lost and I could tell he was becoming bored. I grabbed a fluffy cotton ball and tossed it at the little boy. We literally sat there the next 10-15 minutes just throwing cotton balls back and forth between each other. I was amazed we were able to laugh so much and connect over something so simple. We couldn't talk to each other but I was able to create a memory that will forever be in my heart. Cadence Wright is a senior at Campion Academy. 
   photo: Robert Francis, Inca masonry, Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru Campion's cafeteria is featuring international food this week, with a special meal on Wednesday prepared by our ELL students. They selected their favorite recipes from home and are excited to share them with the school. These students, along with their student ambassadors, are helping the kitchen staff make eggs, rice, 3 different kinds of salad, and over 440 vegetable dumplings!
  Kathrin Klemm and her parents are members of the Grand Junction SDA Church Kathrin Klemm, a Campion Academy graduate of the class of 2011, graduated from Walla Walla University’s School of Engineering in June as one of seven females in a class of 44. Not only is Klemm encouraging other girls to pursue engineering, she’s taking her passion for engineering and combining it with her desire to serve others. Klemm first decided to pursue civil engineering because she was interested in humanitarian work. “Campion’s emphasis on missions was a big thing for me. That helped me want to choose a career that I could use to make a tangible difference in the world,” she says. After her first mission trip to Belize with Joe Martin in 2009, Klemm has continued to prioritize service to others. For the last two years, Klemm has been involved with Walla Walla’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), taking the technical lead last year in the international project. Working with the mountain community in Pampachiri, Peru (elevation 14,500’), Klemm and the rest of her engineering team designed and implemented a gravity-fed water system that ensures a clean water source for the entire community. Because of her experience with EWB, Klemm has been invited to speak at Southern Adventist University’s TEAMS Forum (Transforming and Educating Ambassadors for Mission and Service). One of the goals of the forum is to encourage sustainability of the mission projects sponsored by the Adventist Church. “It’s something I’ve become really passionate about,” says Klemm. “I’m excited to start sharing this with the Adventist community. It’s such a conscious approach to mission work.” Klemm credits Campion Academy with not only inspiring her mission-mindedness, but also giving her confidence in her field. “I was in Joe Martin’s Literature Evangelism program, which taught me how to talk to strangers. And, I took calculus from Harold Williams (now retired from Campion), and he encouraged us—never made us feel like women shouldn’t be a part of that class,” she explains. As a student grader for calculus, pre-calculus, and chemistry, Klemm says she became comfortable in the world of science. Klemm also described Walla Walla as a haven and reported mostly supportive attitudes from her male cohorts, yet the greater engineering field can be much less supportive of women. Klemm remembers her first year in the engineering program was challenging, both because freshman year is a “weeding out” year and because students questioned her choice of field. “I met people who would say, ‘You don’t look like an engineer. You don’t act like an engineer.’ I think a lot of people, when confronted with that kind of attitude, would start second-guessing themselves.” In 2015, Isis Wenger, an engineer at OneLogin, started a hashtag campaign #ILookLikeAnEngineer to address how people stereotype men and women. In the United States, less than 20% of engineering bachelor’s degrees are earned by women. Before graduating, Klemm posted this appeal on her Facebook page: “Don't tell your friends, daughters, or sisters that they don't "seem" like engineers. Tell them that their perspective and skills are invaluable and that they can do amazing things for their world. We need them.” Klemm will begin work in August as a naval architect with the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she’ll be working on barges that carry retired nuclear reactors to their disposal site. Jennifer Sigler teaches English at Campion Academy
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