Can you imagine how competitive it is to apply to college these days? My friends and I joke about how we would not get in to our alma mater if we had to apply now. It's no joke though. Demographics are making colleges more difficult to get into. More kids are applying as a percentage and there was spike in applicants as mini-baby boom of college applicants applied in the last few years.

Top colleges want fluency in two foreign languages these days! If you come from a town that is racing to nowhere like mine, you will find scores of parents dedicated to their children's well being and education including those like me who are driving their kids to 13 soccer events a week in addition to other activities like foreign languages, music and art.

It's not just a huge financial commitment, it requires a degree in logistics. So it goes without saying that these kids get opportunities to travel abroad, widening their horizens, giving them a chance to speak the foreign language they study, and giving them life changing experiences from being self-reliant, to learning about other cultures and social issues. I imagine that they would have interesting points of views when it comes time to write their college application essays.

BUT what if your parents can't afford to send you abroad?

This bothered my neighbor, Jennifer Price, who is also the principal at Newton North High School so much so that she created and funded the Global Education Leadership Fund (GELF). It benefits lower income high school students who wish to participate in international study trips. Over 60 students from Newton North High School have had the opportunity to study in France, Spain, Italy, China, Peru, Mexico, Russia, India, Prague, Panama and Nicaragua thanks to scholarships from GELF.

Jennifer and her partner Katya spearhead the fundraising themselves. Katya, a talented home cook, cooks a gourmet feast for 300 every year. It takes her a week of cooking and prepping to make gorgeous small plate appetizers at an annual cocktail fundraiser. It's worth it to them. Together with other fundraisers that include concerts and auctions, they've raised a whopping $140,000.

If you vote for Jennifer and she wins, the $10,000 prize will be directly deposited into this fund, enabling 15 more students to study abroad.

Why do they do it? Jennifer Price says, "There is nothing like creating a chance for a student to broaden their dreams. Some of my GELF scholars have never flown on a plane, left the country or visited a place where a different language is spoken. For many students, the experience is life changing!"

Vote for Jennifer Price by going here.