Sammamish teen acts as ambassador
August 6, 2008
By Kendra Abernathy
Eastlake senior Lauren Rice spent two weeks in Europe as an ambassador abroad, sponsored by LeadAmerica, with 70 other young leaders from all over the nation.
Rice and her fellow ambassadors started their two weeks in London, England, then moved to Paris, France, Lucerne, Switzerland, and ended in Munich, Germany. The group also made short stops in Austria and Liechtenstein.
The application process for LeadAmerica is selective and seeks students who have demonstrated leadership potential, academic promise and will contribute to the quality and diversity of the program, according to the LeadAmerica web site.
Rice was chosen for the program through the merit application, which evaluates students based on their grades, community involvement, extra-curricular activities and leadership potential. Students are also required to obtain a written recommendation from a teacher or counselor.
Although Rice said the application process was long, requiring several forms and different payments, the experiences of the trip trumped the application process.
Once in Europe, Rice and the other students were involved in a total immersion of the history, arts and customs of the countries they visited.
“This program really focused on teaching us how to act in other countries with lifestyles much different than our own,” Rice explained. “We learned how to act professionally during everyday activities and how to be ambassadors of America.”
LeadAmerica introduces their participants to the idea of being a global citizen, as explained on their web site, through guest lectures at various foreign universities and excursions and tours of historical and cultural landmarks.
The curriculum is designed and written by educators, therefore the LeadAmerica program is accredited and each participant receives two elective college credits.
“Lucerne was definitely my favorite,” Rice said. “It was so amazingly beautiful and was a welcome couple of days to relax from the rush of the previous week.”
Rice’s experiences in Europe have allowed her to grow academically and emotionally.
“Her goal was to become more outgoing and to meet new people and know that it was ok to be traveling abroad and to represent the young adults of the United States,” Judy Rice said of the impact the trip has had on her daughter.
Rice also learned how difficult it can be to travel with 70 other teenagers.
“Not only did we crowd the streets when we walked in a group but some people also got annoyed with each other and tensions rose at one point,” Rice explained.
LeadAmerica did, however, allow students to explore the different cities on their own, in smaller groups of five students.
“Being able to explore the city on your own really gives you a sense of the city, the way it works and the people in it,” Rice stated. “It was a great experience and I met so many incredible people that I’ll be able to keep in touch with for the rest of my life.”
“My favorite memory will always be standing on the top of Mt. Pilatus in the Swiss Alps, looking out across the land and feeling just so at peace with the world and my place in it,” Rice said.
LeadAmerica also hosts a variety of other leadership inspired conferences and trips abroad for students in middle, junior and high school. Washington Summer Scholars is also a college-level academic program for recent graduates.
For more information on LeadAmerica’s various programs visit www.lead-america.org or call 1-866-FYI-LEAD.
Intern Kendra Abernathy can be reached at samrev@isspress.com.
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