Bethany Rogers, a 2001 Delphi graduate and recent graduate of Pepperdine University, was awarded a grant to apply toward a holistic service project, which she will carry out in Kenya. There she will mentor teenagers who have been taken off the streets of Nairobi and educate them in English, math, Bible studies, farming and a variety of trade skills on a farm outside the city.

She was also selected, along with five other Pepperdine students, to travel to Sri Lanka in July to help build an orphanage for children who lost their parents in the recent tsunami disaster.

While a student at Delphi, Bethany traveled to Guatemala, helping the economic development of the area by making chicken and pig feed and passing it on to farmers.

"Delphi instilled in me a drive to conduct myself as a professional in every task," said Rogers. "While at Pepperdine, I strove to reach and then exceed the standards of my role as a student and friend to others at Pepperdine and the surrounding communities. With this mentality along with the foundation I built through the Delphi Program, it wasn't difficult succeeding in the classroom.

"Being a Religion major, my classes consisted mostly of reading, discussions and intense papers. Due to the amazing English program and tough writing standards at Delphi, my papers were well received and cherished by many of my professors. Because of the current events seminars, I was comfortable and competent in discussion settings, always presenting myself as a well-learned and intuitive student.

"Reading was always a favorite of mine as I was already so accustomed to reading large numbers of books through Delphi's reading program and curriculum. "Delphi provides the foundation needed to excel in any college setting. It levels to the ground any and all barriers and provides a staircase to go higher than the expected standard."