MH teen selected as People to People Student Ambassador
By SCOTT JOHNSON — sjohnson@lockhaven.comArticle Photos
MILL HALL - A once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits a Mill Hall teen, but she needs the public's help to fulfill her dream.
Phyleshia Sipe, 17, daughter of John and Victoria Engle, has been selected as one of only 40 students nationwide to take part in the People to People Student Ambassador Program to China for a 17-day trip next June.
"I'll be learning different cultures, living with a different family and seeing how they live," said Sipe, an 11-grade honors student at Sugar Valley Rural Charter School. "I'm excited, but I'm also a little scared because I never flew before."
The trip will cost $6,500 and the family is relying on donations and possible grants to pay the bill.
To help raise funds, the family plans several fundraisers, including raffling off tickets on different baskets during the Fall Bazaar at SVRCS on Nov. 1 and a spaghetti dinner at the school on Nov. 8. In addtion, Phyleshia will be soliciting funds outside of Kmart on Hogan Boulevard in Mill Hall on Oct. 11 and 12.
The family has also set up an account at the Wal-Mart branch of Jersey Shore State Bank. Any donation, large or small, should be made out to the People to People Program, with Student Ambassador Program in the memo line.
The objective of the program is to promote international understanding while building leadership skills among America's youth. The 17-day experience includes meetings with government officials, interaction with other students, educational activities and home stays with host families.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower fouded the organization in 1956. He believed if people from different cultures could come together in peace and friendship, the countries as a whole would follow.
"I am looking forward to broadening my perspectives of the world and gaining a better understanding of the history of China," Phyleshia said. "Upon my return, I plan to share my experience with schools and civic clubs in our community."
She noted she can also earn college credits because of the program's educational elements.
