September 2006

Back to School

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1 - 2.

NOROC’S Big Hearted Teacher’s Program is all about transforming the lives of young people by helping them transform their minds. Our program is headed up by Professor Marilena Solca. Marilena and her 24 tutors help all children in Tulcea who are under the Department of Protection reach their highest level of success in school.

As a result of our team effort to emphasize education, we now have ten students whom NOROC is helping attend university. This spring we will celebrate our first two University graduates. Importantly, we now have five young women attending university.

In Romania, nothing happens regarding university applications until after high school graduation in May. After graduation, the students who are university bound cram in June for their baccalaureate exams, which are in July. They receive their results within a few days. If they do not pass or wish to improve their grades they get a second chance at the exam in August. It is amazing to me how all this happens without computer grading or recording.

After receiving their grades from the baccalaureate, the next step for the student is to put their file into competition at the university they wish to attend. They can apply to as many universities as they wish. The catch is that they must apply in person during the same frenzied three-day period all over the country for all universities. A file consists of the student’s diploma, transcript from high school, results from the baccalaureate, pictures and at some universities, the results from special entrance exams or essays in their chosen major or “profile.”

At each university the top students in each profile or major attend university without tuition, including free room and board. The number of free spots varies, but is usually about half the available places. If you do not get a free spot you can then be considered for a place with tuition. The tuition is relatively inexpensive compared to our system in America. It costs between 600 and 750 dollars per year for students in most universities.

Very few students from the orphanage system ever make it to a free spot. Even the very capable youth must compete against youth from homes with every educational advantage. Without NOROC, Tulcea County would have very few, if any, students in University from the orphanage system. The law says that if a student from the orphanage system gains admission to university, with or without taxes, they have the chance to stay in the system with free room and board provided by the department of protection for as long as they are in school, or until they are 26. Our providing for ten university students means that the Department of Protection must accept their end of the responsibility for these students.

When the results from the first round are announced, if a student is accepted at more than one university, the student has to make a choice. This leaves empty places. The vacant seats are put up for a second competition again in September. All this makes for a nerve-racking summer for these students and for those of us trying to coach and monitor these students.

I decided to witness first hand this competition so I accompanied two students who were putting their files in competition for the second round at the University of Galati.

We started at the central administration building. We were then sent all the way across the city to another building. Each area of study has their own building and these buildings are scattered all over the city. The good news is that every profile has all their classes together in the same building all four years. The bad news is for the professors who teach general subjects and have to travel from campus to campus—psychology for teachers will be taught in one building, psychology for journalists will be taught on another campus. This makes for many cancelled classes and perpetually late professors.

When we found the correct building, the students made a new file for this second round of competition. After the short application from was filled out, we made our way to another classroom to submit the file. When a student enters this room they are assigned a file checker who makes certain they filled out everything correctly. This angel answers all questions, runs to make copies of things the students needed but had forgotten, escorts them to the next line where they actually submit their folder. There are no computers in sight. Everything is done by hand and consequently everything goes much more quickly.

I have a greater appreciation of how stressful this time is for these young people and how important it is that we accompany them. The students we were with went on their own for the first round, and both had disappointing results. They did not know their options.

For NOROC, all scholarship help comes with strings attached. They must work for NOROC during the summer. Some volunteer with the young babies, some with the handicapped children, some do work around our properties, some help new students get adjusted in their new environments. We now have NOROC student teams in Bucaresti, Galati and Constanta.

We have a few days to breathe and then school begins for the rest of the children.

In Christ’s name who transforms us all,

Mary Ferris

P.S. If you would like to help sponsor one of these university students, your help is greatly appreciated. Contact NOROC, c/o Carolyn White, 200 Hedges, Abilene, Texas 79605.

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 182