This year's final essay for People to People!
So which ones of you would absolutly love to read my final essay for this year's People to People trip. A lot of it is very heartfelt, but as I thought more and more about the past three years... that's really what I went into the program looking for (plus the AMAZING friends)... so here it is...
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.” By creating good impressions on the people we meet, we, as student ambassadors, are creating a base which to build that foundation of love. On these journeys, we not only learn about other nations and about ourselves, but we also assist in keeping President Eisenhower’s legacy of “Peace between Nations” alive. Furthermore, People to People is an excellent approach for today’s young people to learn priceless lessons about the world around them.
While in France this past summer, my delegation had a guided tour of the World renowned art museum, Le Louvre. As we wound through the pyramid shaped gallery we saw many works of art that left us in awe, but the part that influenced me the most, were the words our guide left us with. He said, “I have met with many People to People groups over the past many years. I admire President Eisenhower, and you, the student ambassadors that work to make his dream come true. I, as many other French, believe, we as nations, need to come together to make this world a better place. So I challenge all of you to continue doing the things you are doing to bring this world together. Eventually, it will happen!” I am so thankful I had my journal on hand and was able to record what he said. These are words I choose to live by.
From this experience, I learned that the stereotypes we often assign to people are not always correct. Going into France, I had the impression that all French were stuck up, rude, and hated Americans. I also thought they wanted nothing to do with the peace we desire. The guide showed me that I was completely wrong. Many French want “Peace between Nations” just as much as we do. We, as humans, often make judgments. Sometimes, these judgments can cause us to be skeptical to step outside of our comfort zone and try to make peace with others. We assign stereotypes to others, like they do to us. One way to break these stereotypes, is to carry out the ambassadorial type of duties we are given- being aware that we are being watched, using good manners, and realizing that that being a student ambassador is an honor no one should take lightly. Thus, through our words and actions, we can frequently aid in breaking the stereotypes of Americans- being loud, rude, and lazy.
President Eisenhower stated the words “Peace through Understanding”, that is exactly what our world needs, “PEACE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING”. The global peace we desire for the future depends on today’s young people. By stepping outside of our borders and hearing that others have the same aspirations as we do, we will be able to understand each other more clearly. That is exactly what People to People is doing. It is giving students the chance to make a difference. The future depends on the world’s young people and by meeting face to face, we are able to eliminate several misunderstandings. We can also discover our many similarities and celebrate the differences that make us unique. It is those once-in-a lifetime experiences that spark my interest to stay active in the program by not only being an ambassador myself, but also getting others involved in the program.
Over the past three years, People to People has taught me lessons that I could not have read in a textbook. Of all of my experiences- staying with families, seeing well known landmarks, and having a blast, hearing those words from my tour guy is one memory that I especially cherish.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.” By creating good impressions on the people we meet, we, as student ambassadors, are creating a base which to build that foundation of love. On these journeys, we not only learn about other nations and about ourselves, but we also assist in keeping President Eisenhower’s legacy of “Peace between Nations” alive. Furthermore, People to People is an excellent approach for today’s young people to learn priceless lessons about the world around them.
While in France this past summer, my delegation had a guided tour of the World renowned art museum, Le Louvre. As we wound through the pyramid shaped gallery we saw many works of art that left us in awe, but the part that influenced me the most, were the words our guide left us with. He said, “I have met with many People to People groups over the past many years. I admire President Eisenhower, and you, the student ambassadors that work to make his dream come true. I, as many other French, believe, we as nations, need to come together to make this world a better place. So I challenge all of you to continue doing the things you are doing to bring this world together. Eventually, it will happen!” I am so thankful I had my journal on hand and was able to record what he said. These are words I choose to live by.
From this experience, I learned that the stereotypes we often assign to people are not always correct. Going into France, I had the impression that all French were stuck up, rude, and hated Americans. I also thought they wanted nothing to do with the peace we desire. The guide showed me that I was completely wrong. Many French want “Peace between Nations” just as much as we do. We, as humans, often make judgments. Sometimes, these judgments can cause us to be skeptical to step outside of our comfort zone and try to make peace with others. We assign stereotypes to others, like they do to us. One way to break these stereotypes, is to carry out the ambassadorial type of duties we are given- being aware that we are being watched, using good manners, and realizing that that being a student ambassador is an honor no one should take lightly. Thus, through our words and actions, we can frequently aid in breaking the stereotypes of Americans- being loud, rude, and lazy.
President Eisenhower stated the words “Peace through Understanding”, that is exactly what our world needs, “PEACE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING”. The global peace we desire for the future depends on today’s young people. By stepping outside of our borders and hearing that others have the same aspirations as we do, we will be able to understand each other more clearly. That is exactly what People to People is doing. It is giving students the chance to make a difference. The future depends on the world’s young people and by meeting face to face, we are able to eliminate several misunderstandings. We can also discover our many similarities and celebrate the differences that make us unique. It is those once-in-a lifetime experiences that spark my interest to stay active in the program by not only being an ambassador myself, but also getting others involved in the program.
Over the past three years, People to People has taught me lessons that I could not have read in a textbook. Of all of my experiences- staying with families, seeing well known landmarks, and having a blast, hearing those words from my tour guy is one memory that I especially cherish.