Bothell High School student Monika Katarzyna Helak has been awarded a Vaya a América Latina Scholarship from AFS Intercultural Programs/USA. Helak, daughter of Zbigniew and Agnieszka Helak, will study in an Argentine high school for a semester and live with a host family.

The Vaya a América Scholarship, covers half the tuition of an AFS program to Costa Rica or Argentina. Recipients were competitively selected based on academic achievement, and a demonstrated interest in Latin American culture and intercultural learning.

“I hope to go to Argentina to become an Argentine Amigo, allow Spanish to become my own language and connect with the country with my heart,” Helak said.

Helak is an “A student” who plays the flute and piano and is on the school swim team. Already a lover of languages, she is fluent in Spanish, proficient in French and studied Mandarin Chinese for two years.
She wants to study linguistics, history and anthropology in college, and then become an English language teacher, traveling the world to teach. One day, Helak would like to operate her own English language study school.  
AFS participants learn how to speak another language, navigate in a different cultural context, and marshal a global perspective on issues. These skills are becoming essential in today’s global economy. 
To make this transformative experience accessible to as many as possible, AFS-USA awards more than $3 million in scholarships and financial aid to outstanding students across the country each year. For most, the exchange experience is a milestone in their personal and academic lives.