MAXIMILLIAN VINCENT Preferred name/ Nickname (if any): Max Age/Date of birth: 22/January 6, 1991

Your home address and contact details, including e-mail address/es (for our own records): 3701 Woodburn Road, Annandale VA, 22003 703-888-7017 [email protected] [email protected]

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Parent/s’ e-mail address and contact/s (so that we can let them know you’ve arrived safely): Mom: [email protected], 703-795-3388 Dad: [email protected], 571-432-5820 (work), 703-280-5436 (home), 703-283-1095 (cell) Special dietary requirements (if any): none Favorite foods: I am currently going through my post-graduate phase where if food is placed in front of me, I will eat it, regardless of what it is. Pertinent health information/allergies: allergic trees, grass, mould, dust mites, ragweed (the usual seasonal allergies). I get treatment for these allergies in the form of shots every three weeks, but I am talking with my allergist to see if I can postpone the shots until after I return from Cape Town. This will most likely be the case. Religion/Denomination (Please indicate if you would like to attend services): Catholic. If services are available, I would like to attend mass on Sundays.

EDUCATION & CULTURAL INVOLVEMENT: Academic qualifications and/or current level of studies: Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Boston College Sporting, hobbies and/or cultural interests: Basketball, tennis, piano, drums. Previous teaching and/or tutoring experience: One summer of tutoring math and Spanish to elementary/middle school students Boston College Splash for a semester (college students teach secondary school students for 1 hour on a topic of their choice)

HOST PLACEMENT: Type of host family or accommodation arrangements preferred: Single/couple/family with kids/dorm/shared arrangement with other volunteer/s: Couple/Family with kids/Shared arrangement with other volunteer/s Please indicate if you have any other accommodation or home-stay preferences:

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SCHOOL PLACEMENT: Preferred school placement: Kindergarten/Elementary/Secondary/College/Special Needs: Elementary/Secondary Age group or grade/s preferred: Grades 5-12 Preferred teaching subjects / learning areas: Numeracy tutoring (arithmetic/ math) yes Life skills yes

BRIEF MOTIVATION OR RATIONALE FOR VOLUNTEERING: Ever since I started my college career at Boston College, the emphasis on volunteering while studying has been stressed. During my time of tutoring math and Spanish, I felt that I achieved the most personal as well as spiritual fulfilment, and I hope to repeat and perhaps even strengthen that fulfilment in South Africa this summer.

“TWENTY THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME”: 1. I am part-British, part-Indian, part-Iraqi, part-Spanish, part-Czech, and part-Polish. 2. I hope to get an MBA before I turn 30. 3. My favorite memory of college was holding the position of Director of Concert Organization for the University Chorale of Boston College. 4. My nickname is Spock (from Star Trek) because I approach all of my roommates’ dilemmas and girl problems with logic and rational thought processes. 5. If someone were to ask me, “Max, what do you picture heaven to be?” I would respond “Munich, Germany.” 6. My favorite movie series is the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, and my favorite musical artist is and always shall be the Swedish House Mafia. 7. Although I focused on mathematics and music at Boston College, my high school was a liberal arts great books school, so with the exception of math and science courses, I solely learned from primary sources and am therefore well-read in classical literature. 8. I am passionate about Audi vehicles. I don’t know why, but I just am. 9. I would definitely choose Macintosh over Windows any day of the week, although the new Nokia Lumia that runs on Windows Phone looks intriguing.

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10. I think that everyone should learn Calculus I and II before he or she dies. It truly is an integral (no pun intended) part of the meaning of life. 11. My favorite summer was two summers ago, when I individually tutored students in math and Spanish, because I felt that I made that summer my most productive one through making other students’ summers more productive and fun. 12. I am technically an only child, but I have two half-brothers and two half-sisters, all within the ages of 38-44, from my father’s first marriage. 13. I am still a practicing Catholic, and having just graduated from a Jesuit university, I feel the need to educate others at this point in my life. 14. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and was one course away from completing a minor in music. Ironically, the course I needed but was not able to take due to a class conflict was Introduction to African Music. 15. I am a lover of animals, especially dogs. My parents and I take care of dogs that retired after dedicating their lives to serving the blind. We usually take them in when they are 8-9 years old. 16. I interned for my father’s consulting company last summer and got a first-hand experience of observing my father’s dictator-like personality at work in contrast to his kind, warming personality at home. 17. My roommate once told me that when one has a problem or is suffering after a breakup, bad exam, etc., good friends will pat him or her on the back and give advice, but best friends will simply laugh. Since then, I firmly believe in this principle. 18. I have travelled to 14 countries (one in North America, two in the Caribbean, three in the Middle East, and eight in Europe), but I have never been to Africa (I consider Egypt to be part of the Middle East). 19. I am currently conversant in Spanish, and I hope to become fluent one day. My goal is to learn a new language every five years of my life. 20. I discovered WorldTeach last September through a fellow Boston College student who is currently in a graduate program after spending one hunan year in China volunteering with WorldTeach. He encouraged me to sign up and eight months later, I am ready for South Africa!

COMMENTS/SPECIAL REQUESTS/ADDITIONAL NOTES:

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CAREERS ‘INDABA’ OFFERING: During your first 2-3 weeks, you will be working with secondary or high school youth. To maximize your impact, we invite you to present a workshop of 1-2 hours, based upon your skills and interests. Please select from the attached list (and elaborate), or add your own offering: Drumming / Music – I have eight years of drumming experience and eight years of singing/chorale experience, so I can provide a tutorial on the basic fundamentals of drumming and improvisation and/or learning to read music. Other:

WISH LIST: In addition to your volunteering service, what are you hoping to see/do/achieve/accomplish during your two months in Cape Town? Well after reading Alison’s email, I hope to improve my cooking skills while in South Africa! But in all seriousness, I am hugely interested in the museums and national monuments that Cape Town has to offer, as well as any chance for free exploration about the city. If there is time, I would like to participate in any experience to get close to some great white sharks, as I am also a shark enthusiast. I am hugely excited for this trip as a whole and know in my heart this will all be an amazing experience!

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