Maddie Stumbo, a 16-year-old sophomore at Boone High School, and Brian Williams, a 15-year-old sophomore at Boone High School, will be going to Europe this summer as student ambassadors with People to People.
The two will be leaving from Boone for a 20-day trek June 29 and arriving home July 18. During their trip, they will visit various sites, spanning three countries, and stay with a host family, in addition to completing a service project.
Also going on the trip will be Dalton Opedahl, a BHS freshman. Karen Hesser, an English teacher at BHS, is the delegate leader and will be accompanying local students on the trip. Rita Witaker, of Nevada, will be acting as a chaperone on the trip, as well.
People to People was founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he wanted to develop a program that would establish firsthand experiences and personal exchanges for young people with other cultures. He believed that citizens of different countries, if they are able to communicate directly, would solve their differences and find a way to live in peace.
"It's not through the school though. President Eisenhower started this, I wouldn't call it a government group, but it's run by groups that President Eisenhower started," Williams said. "Eisenhower started it to gain world peace through understanding and getting to know other people's sides."
The process for being selected to be a student ambassador through People to People is rigorous, beginning with a pool of 400 area applicants, which is then narrowed down to 20.
"You get nominated by your teacher or other people and you go through a two-month application process," Stumbo said. "You had to go in and interview for it. It was nerve wracking."
Williams agreed with Stumbo on the interview process being intimidating.
"When you get picked, you have to have three letters of recommendation - two from your teachers at school and one from an adult," Williams said. "I joined because I wanted to go on the trip to Europe and learn about other cultures. I thought it would be a good experience."
While in Europe, the People to People student ambassadors will visit three different countries, staying with a host family and taking in sites along the way.
"We go over there and when we go to France, we're going to stay with a host family," Stumbo said. "The trip offers credit for school, so it's a study abroad program. You also get a chance to be in a hotel and you don't have to be with the family the whole time. We're going to three different countries instead of just one."
The trip includes visits to Greece, Italy and France, with various stops in between. The major places they will be stopping include the Vatican, where they will meet with government officials.
"We will get to see things that are not really open to the public," Stumbo said.
Other stops along the way include The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles.
Stumbo said they will be visiting the various sites with a group of 40 students. The group is made up of students from the Ames/Fort Dodge area and students from Wisconsin. The two groups will meet in Georgia and continue on their trek.
BHS students that will be going on the trip have been meeting monthly since January and completing assignments in preparation for their trip. They have also had to write journals and complete tests online about the culture, including the food, customs, daily life and religion. The students were also given tips on what to pack and how to avoid being pick-pocketed.
"We've been doing that so that when we get over there, we know what we're talking about," Stumbo said. "It teaches you how to live on your own for 20 days before you actually have to live on your own."
"I was kind of nervous about going at first, but after all of these meetings - they have showed us what to do to deal with homesickness, how to keep healthy when you're in a foreign country and how to get your nutrients and to stay away from junk food and to drink water," Williams said. "They've given us a lot of tips. I'm ready for it."
Both Stumbo and Williams are looking forward to different aspects of the People to People trip.
"I'm really excited for the learning experience, but also, it's helpful that we get to help different countries. We have service projects here in Boone before we are going and we donated food for the food pantry, but it's different - it's getting out there," Stumbo said. "I'm really looking forward to going international and seeing a bunch of things you would never see here in Iowa and getting a feel for the culture."
"I look forward to getting to Italy because they have a lot of variety and they have a lot of history there, like Rome used to be a big empire and it has the Coliseum and Vatican City," Williams said.
The two are also looking forward to Bastille Day in France, which will take place while they are there. Williams will also turn 16 while he is gone, celebrating his birthday in another country, away from home.
"I'm looking forward to staying with the host families because it's something more about living with someone and fully understanding their culture, because you're going to be with it 24 hours a day for four days," Stumbo said.
Each attending student has to raise $7,000 for tuition for the trip to help pay for meals, flights, hotel rooms, bussing, train rides and a boat ride.
Currently, Stumbo and Williams are selling Kum N' Go coupon booklets. Williams also had a garage sale last weekend with his family at his home, 403 S. Greene St. The garage sale is continuing this weekend and will be held Saturday morning. Stumbo also is planning to send out letters to local businesses, seeking their assistance.
Individuals that would like to purchase Kum N' Go coupon booklets from Stumbo or Williams are encouraged to contact them. Stumbo can be reached at 432-3201 and Williams can be reached at 432-4100.
For more information on People to People, visit its Web site www.peopletopeople.com.
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