Published: February 12, 2008 02:14 pm         

Local student selected for People to People Program

The editor:

Hello, my name is Jason Ogden Jr.; I am a freshman at Rowan County High School in Morehead. I was recently accepted to participate as a member of the People to People Student Ambassador Program, which will be traveling to Washington D.C., Spain, France, and Italy this summer. The objective of the program is to promote international understanding while building leadership skills among America’s youth. The 20-day experience includes meetings with government officials, interaction with students my age, educational activities, and a home stay with a host family.

In case you haven’t heard of People to People, please allow me to share some history with you. President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded the organization in 1956. He believed that if ordinary citizens from different cultures could come together in peace and friendship, so eventually would countries. Since its founding, People to People has launched many international programs, including Sister Cities and Project Hope.

Acceptance into the Student Ambassador Program is an honor. After being invited to enroll, I submitted letters of recommendation from my teachers and successfully completed an interview process. Before departing I will attend several orientation meetings with program leaders and fellow delegates to learn about the destination and prepare for the journey. Personally, I am looking forward to broadening my perspectives of the world and gaining a better understanding of the different Mediterranean Heritages. As a Student Ambassador, I can also earn high school and college credit because of the many educational elements in this program.

I am currently seeking financial sponsors to help with my tuition and hope I can count on the community’s support. I am asking contributors to donate whatever they can to help me afford this exciting journey. Would it be possible for you to assist me by making a contribution? Any amount of contribution would be appreciated. I will also be conducting several fundraisers to raise money for this exciting journey over the next 4 months. Upon my return, I plan to share my experience with my family, friends, school and community. I hope to plan a presentation of my pictures and discuss aspects of my trip upon my return. If unable to provide this, I will update the newspaper with (myspace) information so that my experience and pictures may be shared.

If you are able to contribute, I have an account set up at US Bank, 120 Pinecrest Rd. in Morehead, KY 40351 (in care of Jason Ogden Jr. Student Ambassador Journey). Your generous contribution would enable me to share in this wonderful opportunity. Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.



Jason Ogden Jr.

Student Ambassador