Kingwood resident Nick Moilanen serves a customer some lemonade in efforts to raise money for his trip to study in China.
By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 02.24.09
Waving to cars, Kingwood resident Nick Moilanen serves lemonade, coffee and doughnuts to passing motorists and residents
running past to raise money for a trip to China.
For two weekends in February, Moilanen greeted residents and served refreshments to help raise money for the trip where he plans to study Chinese in Beijing this summer.
“My brothers and I had a lemonade stand after 9/11 to raise money for the Red Cross and it was very successful,” Moilanen said.
“I have studied Mandarin Chinese for the equivalent of three years - two in Singapore and one at Concordia Language Villages Immersion Summer Program - so traveling to China to study would be amazing and beneficial.”
Moilanen’s first choice of programs is through Stanford University and he is still waiting on word of whether he has been accepted yet.
If he is not accepted to the Stanford program, Moilanen will travel to China to study with China Quest.
“My brother studied Chinese and loved it, so that inspired me to study Mandarin and it is an intricate and fun language. It is much different than the basic languages people study,” Moilanen said.
Additionally, the Kingwood High School junior has a passion for the language and traveling as he has lived in Dubai, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, though he has always considered Kingwood home.
Besides the lemonade stand, Moilanen is also completing odd jobs around houses in the community like mowing yards, walking dogs and doing chores to help raise the $10,000 he needs to make the trip.
One of the weekends Moilanen had set up his lemonade stand, several other kids set up an orange juice stand across the street from him.
“I was not sure what to think at first but when I was about to close up my stand, I walked over and bought some orange juice to help their cause also,” Moilanen said.
“When I got my juice, they gave me $20 to help me go to China and they even had a sign that said, ‘Raising money for that kid to go to China.’ They were raising money for me. I was very honored and surprised.”
Moilanen is very active at Kingwood High School including involvement in National Honor Society, junior varsity football, orchestra, UIL math team, Model United Nations and he is an Eagle Scout. He will be attending the United States Air Force Academy Summer Seminar this summer as well.
Moilanen and his family should find out in the next couple of weeks if he was accepted for the Stanford program but until then Moilanen will be working hard to raise money.
“I have received a lot of support from the community thus far and I am very excited,” Moilanen said. “It will be fun to use everything I have learned on my trip to China; I cannot wait to go.”
For those interested in donating
E-mail nickslemonadestand@yahoo.com.
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