News
Duchesne Scholar accepted to international conference
Jennifer Foster
4.23.2007
When freshman Jennifer Foster went to the Duchesne Center last Fall to look for local community service or service learning opportunities, she could not have known that this decision would send her overseas for the first time in her life.
Originally from a small town near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jennifer decided to apply to Manhattanville because of the International Studies program. “Not many colleges have that.” She said. “So I decided to apply for the Duchesne Scholarship.” Jennifer’s application essay, good grades, and history of community service work earned her the scholarship, which requires that students perform at least 30 hours of community service a semester. It was for this reason that she went to the Duchesne Center and was introduced to Paolo Tagatac, Global Citizenship Coordinator. “When Paolo told me about the International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.” Jennifer said. “My application essay to the program discussed educational challenges facing the international community today.” She was accepted, and is currently fundraising for her trip. “I am so excited about it.” She said. “It will be my first trip out of the United States, and I am looking forward to bringing back new knowledge and skills.”
The theme of this year’s conference is “A Cross-Cultural Exchange of Ideas Concerning the Future of World Leadership.” From July 22nd to the 27th she will join 150 other students from 50 countries to participate in activities such as: model parliament, visits to embassies, workshops about international law and media, and an International Criminal Court simulation.
Part of the fundraising efforts for Jennifer’s trip to Prague includes planning workshops when she returns. “I am going to be doing two programs next semester. One program will be a discussion about my trip, featuring photos. The other program will be a workshop that concentrates on the potential of people to contribute to local and global affairs. I hope my programs will be instructive and inspire action.”
To learn more about the International Youth Leadership Conference, visit
http://www.czechleadership.com/who.php