Trinity Carey loves social science and mythology, so when he got a letter in the mail suggesting that he might have a chance to visit Greece, he jumped on it.
A student at Nicholas Oresko School in the gifted and talented program, Carey will be attending St. Peter’s Prep next fall, and can’t think of a better way to make the transition than by taking a three-week trip of Europe during the summer.
Carey was selected to participate in the international “People to People” program, which was initiated by former President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 as a way to prevent further wars from occurring.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Europe.” – Trinity Carey
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“Our program encourages meaningful exchanges between young people of different cultures through official meetings, educational site visits, and home stays,” said Mary J. Eisenhower, president and CEO of People to People International, and granddaughter of President Eisenhower.
The Kansas City based People to People program provides opportunities for grade school, junior high, and senior high school students to explore domestic and foreign destinations, learning about the history, government, economy, and culture of these areas.
As a student ambassador, Carey will be among a group of 20 youngsters – ages 13 through 15 – from Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Passaic and Union counties who will travel to Italy, France, and Greece in July.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Europe,” he said, saying it is a chance to explore other cultures by sampling food in Italy, arts in France, and, of course, mythology at the heart of Western civilization in Greece.
The program, which partners with the Washington School of World Studies, provides classroom studies that have the potential to be used as class credits. The opportunity can also become a significant item on a student’s resume when seeking out colleges later on. The trip focuses on a number of areas, including geography, knowledge of American and international government, cultural relationships, time management, record keeping, and lessons on how to represent their country while abroad as student ambassadors.
Carey and his fellow students will be required to keep a journal and submit a report when they come back. But he also has to raise nearly $7,000 by himself in order to be selected to go on the trip.
Carey and his parents plan to have a couple of fundraisers over the next few months in order to raise the necessary money. Donations are done through the People to People organization and not given to Carey or his family.
Donations are made through http://www.peopletopeople.com. Carey’s ID number is 10098364.
Carey was selected from a large group of about 300 students after a session in Maplewood, where they were tested for a variety of skills.
A typical interview lasts about 30 minutes and usually takes place in group setting, during which time committee people get to know what the student is like and why he or she wants to travel.
Students are nominated for the program by teachers, coaches, former ambassadors, or their parents.
Saying he’s a little scared at the prospect of traveling to those places, Carey has an agenda – he sees himself as not only an ambassador from Bayonne and his country, but for his generation.
“I hope to help solve some of the problems of world turmoil,” he said. “In Egypt and Libya, it is young people who are changing the world.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.