Tom Sherlin/The Daily TimesCodi Lambert looks over a letter and photo from her Cambodian pen pal at William Blount High School.
By Mark Alewineof The Daily Times Staff
�I�m excited to say I have a new friend in America.�These words have found their way from the small, Asian country of Cambodia, to the hands of students on the other side of the world in Lisa Millsaps� English class at William Blount High School. Since last fall, her class has been corresponding with students in Cambodia by writing letters to pen pals through Millsaps� friend, Autumn West.
West, who was a Blount County resident, has spent the last year working with the Peace Corps as an English teacher in Cambodia (which is in Southeast Asia, bordering Thailand and Vietnam). She and Millsaps, who attend Sevier Heights Baptist Church together, decided to begin a pen pal program and have their classes write letters to each other. West said, in a letter to Millsaps, she wanted to begin a letter writing club for some of her best students in hopes it would help them improve their English. Millsaps said she wanted to try and expose her class to other cultures and people, so the two began making the idea happen.
�It's been a long time since I've been so excited about doing a project, Millsaps said, with tears in her eyes.
Letters from Cambodia
In October, the first set of letters came from the Cambodian students. West said in her own letter that her students were assigned to describe either themselves or the religious festival Pchum Ben, which some did in minute detail. Their English was difficult to understand and the letters were somewhat impersonal, but they had a significant effect on Millsaps� class. Many students said they read their letters out loud to their family members and friends, with one student saying she read the letter at least 10 times to her family.
Millsaps said her class jumped at the idea of replying to their letters, so they began writing and bringing in pictures of themselves to send. They wrote descriptions of themselves and their daily lives, as well as answering questions the Cambodian students asked about America.�We could not wait.
We were so excited,� Millsaps said.After weeks of waiting, the letters finally arrived in Cambodia and in the hands of the letter writing club. The students were ecstatic, West said in an e-mail, and could not believe American students had written them back.�I knew we could make this work, but her students could not believe we would actually write them back,� Millsaps said.
WB students reply
Almost immediately, West�s students wrote their replies and made gifts for the American students they now considered friends. Different from their first, the second set of letters were far more personal, and the class was amazed by their sincerity and compassion.
�There is a lot of care that went into their letters,� Millsaps said. Her students agreed.
�They�re so sincere,� one student said.
In the package, the students had sewn pieces of cloth with detailed pictures and their pen pal�s name on them. They also included pictures of themselves, which for some was no easy task. One of Millsaps� students said her pen pal wrote how difficult it was to find a picture of herself to send, realizing that simply having a photograph of herself was such a privilege.
For the majority of Millsaps� class, the realization that there were people around the world who lived very differently and with much less has played a significant role in shaping their feelings toward the project.
�It gives you a better perspective over your life,� one student said. She added many students were unaware of life outside of William Blount High School and this project was helping her grasp an understanding of the rest of the world.
�I think more people our age should do this,� she said.
Other students added their feelings as well, saying this has changed the way they see the world and themselves.
�It makes me realize there is more to life than what I wanted,� one said.
It is now time for Millsaps� class to send letters back to Cambodia, and the students are already discussing sending gifts like CDs, sports balls, necklaces, bracelets and pictures to help them understand their lives even more.
For all the students, the letters have become a part of their class and a part of their lives, and many of them said they wanted to continue this even after the class is over.
�I want to continue this through college,� said one student.
�This is probably the coolest thing I�ve done in high school,� added another.
Millsaps emphasized the impact this has had and will continue to have on her students, and said they will never forget what they have learned through this experience.
�They are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.�
�I�m excited to say I have a new friend in America.�These words have found their way from the small, Asian country of Cambodia, to the hands of students on the other side of the world in Lisa Millsaps� English class at William Blount High School. Since last fall, her class has been corresponding with students in Cambodia by writing letters to pen pals through Millsaps� friend, Autumn West.
West, who was a Blount County resident, has spent the last year working with the Peace Corps as an English teacher in Cambodia (which is in Southeast Asia, bordering Thailand and Vietnam). She and Millsaps, who attend Sevier Heights Baptist Church together, decided to begin a pen pal program and have their classes write letters to each other. West said, in a letter to Millsaps, she wanted to begin a letter writing club for some of her best students in hopes it would help them improve their English. Millsaps said she wanted to try and expose her class to other cultures and people, so the two began making the idea happen.
�It's been a long time since I've been so excited about doing a project, Millsaps said, with tears in her eyes.
Letters from Cambodia
In October, the first set of letters came from the Cambodian students. West said in her own letter that her students were assigned to describe either themselves or the religious festival Pchum Ben, which some did in minute detail. Their English was difficult to understand and the letters were somewhat impersonal, but they had a significant effect on Millsaps� class. Many students said they read their letters out loud to their family members and friends, with one student saying she read the letter at least 10 times to her family.
Millsaps said her class jumped at the idea of replying to their letters, so they began writing and bringing in pictures of themselves to send. They wrote descriptions of themselves and their daily lives, as well as answering questions the Cambodian students asked about America.�We could not wait.
We were so excited,� Millsaps said.After weeks of waiting, the letters finally arrived in Cambodia and in the hands of the letter writing club. The students were ecstatic, West said in an e-mail, and could not believe American students had written them back.�I knew we could make this work, but her students could not believe we would actually write them back,� Millsaps said.
WB students reply
Almost immediately, West�s students wrote their replies and made gifts for the American students they now considered friends. Different from their first, the second set of letters were far more personal, and the class was amazed by their sincerity and compassion.
�There is a lot of care that went into their letters,� Millsaps said. Her students agreed.
�They�re so sincere,� one student said.
In the package, the students had sewn pieces of cloth with detailed pictures and their pen pal�s name on them. They also included pictures of themselves, which for some was no easy task. One of Millsaps� students said her pen pal wrote how difficult it was to find a picture of herself to send, realizing that simply having a photograph of herself was such a privilege.
For the majority of Millsaps� class, the realization that there were people around the world who lived very differently and with much less has played a significant role in shaping their feelings toward the project.
�It gives you a better perspective over your life,� one student said. She added many students were unaware of life outside of William Blount High School and this project was helping her grasp an understanding of the rest of the world.
�I think more people our age should do this,� she said.
Other students added their feelings as well, saying this has changed the way they see the world and themselves.
�It makes me realize there is more to life than what I wanted,� one said.
It is now time for Millsaps� class to send letters back to Cambodia, and the students are already discussing sending gifts like CDs, sports balls, necklaces, bracelets and pictures to help them understand their lives even more.
For all the students, the letters have become a part of their class and a part of their lives, and many of them said they wanted to continue this even after the class is over.
�I want to continue this through college,� said one student.
�This is probably the coolest thing I�ve done in high school,� added another.
Millsaps emphasized the impact this has had and will continue to have on her students, and said they will never forget what they have learned through this experience.
�They are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.�
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