Student is son of an Ashland School District special education teacher
By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
Samarpan Parcha is only 17, but life circumstances have already taken him around the world, from the slums of India to Ashland, placing him in a unique situation as he approaches graduation from Ashland High School in June.
The senior, who goes by Sam among friends, transferred to Ashland High School from a school in New Delhi, India, in October 2022. On March 10, Sam was accepted into Southern Oregon University as an Oregon resident as far as tuition is concerned, meaning he can attend for approximately $12,000 a year. While he’s not eligible to apply for federal or state aid, he tentatively plans to enroll for fall term, pending coming up with the funds to do so.
That’s where Walker Elementary teacher Beth VanZee Sanders, a friend of his mother, Urvashi Parcha, comes in. Urvashi works as a special education teacher for the Ashland School District. She and her son Sam lost their prior housing situation through no fault of their own. Now, she lives with friends in the Rogue Valley, while her son Sam lives with VanZee Sanders and her husband, Joe, in Ashland.
VanZee Sanders has started a GoFundMe page to help raise, hopefully, $48,000 for his college education. As of Thursday evening, the online fundraiser has so far raised more than $3,400.
“It would be such a blessing for Sam to receive some financial support and be able to attend college, so he can pursue his dreams to learn and work in the United States, helping the community, spreading joy, and goodwill,” VanZee Sanders said in the GoFundMe appeal. “His mother sends all her earnings back to support family in India and they both are experiencing houselessness.”
How the Parcha’s journey began
Sam’s mom, Urvashi Parcha, had already left New Delhi, India, for Ashland a year before he arrived in 2022. She arrived on a J-1 visa, which is a cultural exchange visa for a job, on Sept. 3, 2021.
“I learned of her story, her struggle, her resilience, and my heart opened to support her anyway I could,” VanZee Sanders said in the GoFundMe she organized for Sam.
Urvashi had tried to apply for a visa for her son to join her in the U.S. but to no avail.
In the meantime, Sam had been living in India with his father and extended family waiting for approval to join his mother in the U.S., where she was working on a teaching exchange visa.
Their goal had been to get them both to the U.S. so Sam could continue his education and his mom, Urvashi, could pursue her career in education away from “the limitations of the caste system and gender inequality in India,” according to VanZee Sanders.
After a “huge struggle” with the embassy in India, Sam was finally allowed to join his mother in Ashland via a J-2 visa, which is for dependents of those with a J-1 visa, on Oct. 28, 2023. He had never traveled out of India before, according to VanZee Sanders.
“Everyone in our school was so happy when we got the news that Sam had finally arrived,” VanZee Sanders said in the GoFundMe. “Within a few days of his arrival we got to meet him. I was so impressed with his composure and adaptability, being in such a foreign place with little transition time. After meeting him, I knew he would become good friends with my son. We quickly introduced Sam to my son and his friends at the high school and Sam was adopted into their pack.”
“Within a month of Sam’s arrival, Sam and his mother lost their housing, as the owner of the room they were living in passed away,” VanZee Sanders said in the GoFundMe. “She (the owner) was like a mother figure to his mom, so it was very challenging in multiple ways. (Urvashi) was able to stay with friends, but she needed a more stable living situation for Sam.”
With one of her children attending college overseas, VanZee Sanders had an extra room, so Sam moved in.
“Again, I was amazed with his positivity and resilience,” VanZee Sanders writes. “I worried that Sam would struggle, not living with his mom, being away from his extended family and culture, but he has more than overcome these obstacles. He shines! He spread joy! He laughs!”
“Almost a year later, Sam continues to live with us,” VanZee Sanders added. “He has become a part of our family. Sam, a senior now, continues to pursue his educational goals and is very excited to be able to follow in the path of his American friends and go to college this fall.”
Sam has ambitions and goals to be a soccer player, coach, and get an education where he can pursue his goals in life.
Currently, he plays club soccer for the Rogue Valley Timbers.
“Living in the United States has changed me,” Sam wrote in his college essay. “I no longer live in the slums, but here in (the) United States my mom and I don’t have a home and are dependent on friends to house us.
“My dream continues to be a professional soccer player or coach, but that’s not the only thing I want to do,” he added. “I want to get an education, go to college, and explore other career options. I love to help other people when they’re in need and I’m sure I will be able to find a field in which I can share my compassion and joy. With all that I have been through, I truly believe that I can overcome any obstacle.”
To read Sam’s full college essay, and to learn more about his story, go online to Sam’s GoFundMe page by clicking here.
Reach Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].
