Woman's memory lives on in scholarship for RI teachers
By Bruce Emond
JAKARTA (JP): The grief remains, but the parents of Kelly Stephens are dedicated to keeping her memory alive.
A scholarship in her name is their way of ensuring their daughter's love of teaching and of her adopted Indonesian homeland will live on.
Robert and Dorothy Stephens said the inspiration for the Kelly E. Stephens Memorial Scholarship Fund came from the outpouring of support after Kelly was killed in 1993 in a freak accident on Anak Krakatau volcano.
"When Kelly died it was such an unusual story that it was written about in publications like The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe," Dorothy Stephens said during a visit to Jakarta last week. "We began hearing from people, including total strangers, who wanted to contribute to setting up a scholarship."
The family established the fund in 1995 in cooperation with the School of Education at Boston University. The scholarship covers tuition and living expenses for Indonesian students taking a two-year master's program in education at the university; currently there are six students, with a seventh scheduled to move to Boston in January 2001.
One student, Evi Herawati from Pelita Harapan University in Jakarta, has completed her degree.
Robert Stephens said the scholarship -- awarded on the basis of financial need, merit and a commitment to teaching in Indonesia -- would help the country find the teachers it needs for the future.
"We just feel this is so necessary, the necessity of improving teacher education. It's so important to support this because it's one of the ways to build up this country."
The criteria of financial need, he added, was intended to aid prospective teachers who might feel daunted by the costs of an overseas education. "We are looking for people who can make a difference, including those who might not have the funding."
The Stephens' mission, what Robert called his "reason for being", is to secure more funding for the scholarship program. They have filled their schedule with appointments with organizations and corporations during their trip to spread the word about the scholarship, the students involved and how they believe it will lead to a brighter future for the country.
"We have received messages of support, some verbal promises," Robert said. "We realize that any help, however small, is great. We hope that even though Indonesians are in great difficulty that they will be able to help."
Legacy
The Stephens, both of whom are 76, said the trip has made them aware of Kelly's enduring legacy and the impact she had on others.
They have had dinner with Indonesian teachers who trained under her in a language-teaching program at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and met with a high-ranking official whose brother coincidentally studied with her.
It was not an easy decision for them to make the visit, including a side trip to the West Java coast where Kelly died.
"I think both of us were dreading it before we came, but we thought we could do some good in securing contributions for the scholarship," Dorothy said. "But people have been so warm and welcoming here, it's been very heart-warming."
The Stephens remembered their daughter as a shy child who blossomed into an adult who loved travel, adventure sports and her chosen profession of teaching. She was part of a long family tradition in teaching; Dorothy Stephens' parents were teachers, she herself taught elementary school and one of Kelly's two siblings is also an educator.
She also had a wanderlust to travel, which her father attributed to time spent in Africa when he was a vice consul in Kenya.
After graduating from Tufts University in Massachusetts, Kelly taught in the United States before taking up a position at Galang island teaching English to Vietnamese refugees scheduled to be sent to new homes abroad.
The experience kindled a love affair with Indonesia and she stayed in the country for nine years, working most of the time with the British Council.
On her weekends off, Kelly enjoyed climbing, boating and other outdoor activities.
"She made herself learn to do everything," Dorothy Stephens said. "She climbed Mount Merapi, she went trekking in Nepal, she made herself do everything."
She wrote to her parents in August 1992 to tell them about her experience climbing Krakatoa (her birthday of Aug. 27 was the same date of its momentous explosion in 1883). In June 1993 she was again part of a party of six who set off to hike up Anak Krakatoa.
The volcano had been active for several months but the party was told by local residents that it was safe to travel to its eastern flank. When the volcano suddenly erupted, all six came under a rain of lava and rocks, but Kelly suffered the most severe injuries.
She died later in the dinghy taking her back to shore. She was 37.
Dorothy Stephens said the trip was both painful and cathartic for her and her husband.
"After we got here I kept on having this feeling as though I was walking in her footsteps. I've thought to myself did she walk along this path, did she eat in this restaurant? It hurts a bit, but it also gives me solace. In some ways it has been almost a spiritual experience."