Councilmember Michael Johnson's
Arizona Informant Column
April 28, 2004

African-American Students Ready to Serve as Youth Ambassadors

Joe White, a junior at Brophy College Preparatory, and Tashina Lee, a junior at Metro Tech, will enjoy a summer experience this year they will never forget.

These two intelligent and ambitious African-American students are among nearly 40 high school juniors recently chosen to serve as youth ambassadors and travel to Phoenix’s sister cities through a summer student exchange program.

More specifically, Joe and Tashina will be participating in the Youth Ambassador Exchange Program, an effort sponsored by the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission that allows young people from around the world to learn about and experience each other’s cultures.

These two future leaders were selected on the basis of their communication skills, maturity, flexibility, leadership and self-confidence and will live three weeks with a host family.

They then will reciprocate the exchange for three weeks later in the summer.

Joe’s heading to Ennis, Ireland with four other ambassadors. He’s been out of the country only once – to Mexico four years ago – so this will certainly be an eye-opening experience for an individual who serves as the Junior Class President at Brophy.

He learned about the program through a newspaper article and decided to accept the challenge to apply. It paid off for Joe, who also participates at his school’s library teen council and volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul.

Tashina, on the other hand, is traveling to Hermosillo, Mexico with five other ambassadors. She’s never been out of the country, but is anxious and eager to learn a new culture.

She won’t have too much trouble communicating, since the Metro Tech student has taken two years of Spanish. Tashina participates in student government, is a member of the National Honors Society and is a member of the World Cultures Club.

She learned about the program from her English teacher and she too accepted the challenge.

Joe and Tashina will serve as distinguished ambassadors for the city of Phoenix and hopefully will inspire other African-American students to accept the challenge and apply for a very prestigious and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission.

Michael Johnson is a Phoenix City Councilmember who represents District 8. His office can be reached at 602-262-7493 or at michael.johnson@phoenix.gov via e-mail.