Local News Archive

Print Issue: May 2, 2002

Marist Grad Builds 'Roads' For Gifted Romanian Teens

By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - The idea for ROADS International began with a simple but direct question-a question that was able to quiet a room full of Romanian and American teenagers.

Marist alumna Katherine Van Loon (far left) and other Duke University Catholic Center students make a mission trip to Oituz, Romania. Touched by her experiences and the Romanian people, Van Loon and fellow student Nicholas Durham (far right) began ROADS International, which provides scholarships for academically gifted Oituz students to attend Romanian universities.

It was Katherine Van Loon's second mission trip to Romania. This time her travels with the Duke University Catholic Center brought her and her peers to a small town called Oituz, a small, Catholic farming village with a population of about 800 people. One night, the Duke students and the high school teens of Oituz crowded into a little schoolhouse and held an open forum.

"We were talking about things like music and 'what do you do for fun?' and then I asked the question, 'How many of you want to live here when you grow up?'" Van Loon said.

The room became deadly silent, until the Romanian teens erupted into laughter.

"They said, 'None of us wants to be here, but we can't get out and we will live here for the rest of our lives,'" she said.

The teens went on to explain that in order for them to attend a Romanian university, it would cost them $50 a month. Though that may seem inexpensive to an American, the average salary in Oituz is just $100 per month.

"Here are these kids who are just as talented and bright as all of us, but they just don't have the resources," Van Loon said. "That stuck with a lot of us. These kids have no future, but yet they're so happy."

Van Loon, a 1996 Marist School graduate, who received her undergraduate degree from Duke and will soon receive her master's degree in public health from Yale University, said she has been blessed with the gift of education.

"There is such a contrast between (the Romanian students) and somebody like me, who whatever educational aspirations I had, my parents were there for me," she said. "And to us, 50 bucks a month is so cheap."

From that realization, Van Loon and fellow Duke student Nicholas Durham founded Romanian Achievement and Development Scholarship-shortened as ROADS International, Inc.-with the intent to provide scholarships to students from Oituz who wish to attend university. ROADS International has already awarded three scholarships to Oituz students.

Scholarship winner Adela Consferent is 20 and the eldest of five children. Her family is supported by an income of $150 per month, earned jointly by Adela and her father. Consferent attended a five-year pedagogical high school, which qualified her to teach young children. She teaches at the nursery school in Oituz during the week to support her family and attends university classes on Saturdays and Sundays, studying under the Faculty of Natural Sciences with a concentration in geography.

Cornel Ghiuruton, 19, has three younger siblings who still live at home. The scholarship recipient's family is supported solely by his father's salary. Ghiuruton is attending the University Ovidius in the nearby city of Constanþa and is enrolled in a five-year program in mechanical engineering. He is specializing in the study of shipping and harbor-related mechanics.

Marian Matei, the third scholarship winner, is 19 and the youngest of three children. He attended a high school specializing in electromechanics and is now enrolled at the University of Andrei Saguna in Constanþa, studying public administration.

Though all three of the scholarship winners are from Oituz, 23-year-old Van Loon hopes to reach out to surrounding towns.

"As funds become available, we ultimately want to expand to other communities in Romania," she said.

The organization recently received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and has launched a fund-raising campaign.

"Until now we have basically relied upon donations (from individuals)," Van Loon said, adding that ROADS is now also seeking donations and grants from corporations.

Van Loon said that her goal is to make people in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, many of whom have "been blessed with so much," aware of ROADS and their mission. Her passion for the Romanian students stems from her own educational accomplishments.

"My personal sentiment is that having been blessed with so much education-my parents made sure I went to Marist and to Duke and now Yale-I would never be able to tell my parents thank you," she said. "But giving back in turn just seems like the natural thing to do."

ROADS is a nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. To make a donation, send a check payable to ROADS International, Inc. to 265 College Street #4M, New Haven, CT 06510.

For readers who do not wish to make a donation at this time but would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an e-mail to katherine.vanloon@roadsinternational.org. For more information, visit the organization's Web site at www.roadsinternational.com.