January 6, 2008 / 28 Tevet 5768

Merging his Ethiopian heritage with his Israeli childhood, Shaun Wovnach excelled in science and, with the help of the Jewish Agency Sparks of Science program, is among Israel's next generation of promising students in engineering and the exact sciences.

At the age of three when Shaun Wovnach made aliyah from Ethiopia, he could have never imagined the bright future that awaited him in Israel. The youngest of six brothers and sisters, Shaun and his family were welcomed at the Jewish Agency’s Beit Canada Absorption Center in Ashkelon, where they lived for five years before settling in Rehovot. “It was easy for me to adjust because I was so young,” says Shaun, 19. “I always felt like an Israeli even though we spoke Amharic at home.”

One of Shaun’s most influential experiences was his participation in the Jewish Agency’s Sparks of Science program during high school. As part of the program, Shaun attended special classes at the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science, receiving enrichment in math, science, technology and English. “I was immediately attracted to the program because of its connection with science and the opportunity to learn at the Weizmann Institute,” he says.

As one of the program’s outstanding students, Shaun was selected to attend a special summer camp in Turkey run by NASA. “We learned about the international space station, participated in simulations and talked with astronauts. Everything was based in science and philosophy,” he remembers. Sparks of Science is made possible through the generosity of the UJA Federation of NY and the UJC, the communities of Keren Hayesod and donors in Israel. “The Jewish Agency’s Sparks of Science program really influenced me in a positive way. Not only did I meet a lot of friends there, but it pushed me to learn in a different way and to think outside the box,” Shaun recalls fondly. The program is working to significantly increase the number of Ethiopian immigrants who go on to study technology and science at the university level.

After graduating from high school, Shaun deferred his army service to study economics and logistics at Bar Ilan University. He joined Atidim, a program supported by the Jewish Agency, and entered their special Academic Reserves track which enables bright young people, mainly from Israel’s geographic and socioeconomic peripheral regions, to pursue academic degrees in engineering and applied sciences before entering the army. As part of the program, Shaun receives a tuition scholarship, living stipend, academic and social support, a mentor and a laptop computer.

When he finishes his studies in June 2008, Shaun will begin five years of service with the Israel Defense Forces. “My dream is to be in business and to be an entrepreneur,” he says.

Please join the Jewish Agency in ensuring that greater numbers of Ethiopian youth have the scholastic ability and the self-esteem necessary to advance in today's science and technology fields. Donate here.

To learn more about the Sparks of Science program, the innovative four-year technology enrichment program for Ethiopian students in 9th through 12th grades, click here.