By Barb Bergman
Erica went to BYU in Provo Fall 2017. After freshman year of college she went on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to the Philippines. The idea/vision of participating in the BYU Jerusalem semester abroad program started forming freshman year and as she went on her mission and came back it became more than an idea/desire but something firmly planted in her heart as she would do whatever it took to earn the money and go. It would be a cost of close to $10,000. She applied for the program in 2020 and they accepted her for Jan 2021. As 2020 and all the craziness of what Covid was causing around the world they canceled both an in-process semester and the next few semesters that were coming up. Initially it was an application process with an essay etc. It went to a lottery system as it got backed up in 2022. Erica at that point did a summer where she was an appointment setter for a solar company for 4 months. She made well over $10,000 but did not get in any of the 3 semesters in 2022. Discouraged and almost ready to give up I had some ideas I offered. Through the company Amare I am in I had become friends with one of the professor’s wives and I asked her how Erica should proceed. She advised her to apply for winter 2023 and if she still didn’t get in take winter semester 2023 off and work (saving any last credits and postponing graduation). Erica did not get in Jan 2023 and left one credit still to fulfill and took winter 2023 off. Erica not only applied one last time for May 2023 but per the professor (my friend’s husband), sent this gal’s husband an email explaining she had gotten in once and it was canceled, she had the money saved and would take a semester off with one last attempt to get in. He shared it with the other professors in charge but said he did not know if it would help in any way but he was willing to try. One other point to bring up is you apply months in advance so much of this was hard to plot out the other things in life while waiting for a decision. Erica got on the waitlist – #8 for May 2023. Happy but not happy was how she felt. I talked with my friend and she said that was great! People get engaged, plans change, when the money is due often people drop out etc so very hopeful. It was Jan 2023 and Erica got notice she was bumped up to #1 on the waitlist. And still the deadline for paying was a week or two away. We both knew it was happening!! We could feel it!! Sure enough a day or so after the deadline to pay Erica was notified she was off the waitlist and in if she wanted to go. There was much rejoicing!! It was an incredible semester and the “extra” trip they took the kids on was to Greece for a few weeks as part of the experience.
I met Erica when the semester was over in Jerusalem and we spent 2 days in Jordan with a full day at Petra, a week in Israel and 12 days traveling through Egypt. (Erica had wanted to go on the semester abroad when the “extra” trip was in Egypt so that dream was created and brought to fruition too).
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