Thomas Mongelli has never traveled abroad before, so the idea that he’s headed to Europe for three weeks has him a little nervous and excited at the same time.
“I’m really nervous and I’m afraid that I’ll lose something while I’m over there,” the 13-year-old Mongelli said. “I have a habit of losing things. But I’m also pretty excited. I don’t think I’ll ever get a chance to do something like this again.”
Mongelli, who was the valedictorian of his graduating class at Horace Mann School, was selected to participate in the “People to People” program.
Former President Dwight Eisenhower initiated the “People to People” program in the 1950s, as a way to prevent further wars from occurring.
As a student ambassador, Mongelli will be among a group of 30 youngsters, ages 13 through 15, from Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Passaic and Union counties that will travel to Spain, Italy, France and Monaco from July 9 through July 31.
As part of the program, Mongelli is asked to keep a daily journal of his activities, then will be required to submit a report upon returning home. He is also expected to bring some of his American culture with him to share with his new friends in the foreign countries.
It’s not just your average vacation. Mongelli has had to work very hard to become a participant in the program. After his name was submitted, he was interviewed several times by the organizers, then had to do reports and research on the participating countries. Mongelli also had to raise nearly $4,000 by himself in order to be selected to go on the trip.
“After I had the first interview, I really didn’t think I was going to get picked,” Mongelli said. “But they were interested in me and then I had to get together with a group of other kids to do the research. We also had to make a poster board with all the information we gathered.”
Then he had to make an oral presentation about the participating countries, talking about the respective governments of the countries, the famous people, recipes of the certain countries.
Mongelli had a little help with the recipes, getting some from his Italian grandmother.
Then, he had to raise the money. It’s not easy for a teenager to come up with $4,000.
“I had to look for sponsors,” Mongelli said. “The North Bergen Public Library and the North Bergen Board of Education both helped me. I had people from my neighborhood donate money to help me. Friends of my parents also chipped in. I owe a lot of people a debt of gratitude for coming to help me.”
Mongelli is the lone participant from North Bergen. Mark Cavanaugh of Jersey City is the only other Hudson County participant going on the trip.
Friends surprised
Mongelli was asked how his friends reacted when he told them that he was going to Europe for the rest of the month.
“They didn’t believe me,” Mongelli said. “I had to get a letter from the organization to show them before they believed me. I don’t want to leave my friends behind for that long of a time, but this is a chance of a lifetime. It really is exciting. I’m going to meet all new people and make new friends.”
Mongelli, who will attend North Bergen High School in the fall, will certainly have something to tell his new classmates as well, about how he spent his summer vacation.