Anyone who thinks our youth today lack ambition or international perspective should meet Ciera Young, an amazing young woman who has raised her own funds for six People to People programs, traveled to four continents, and started a local People to People International chapter to help other students realize their dreams.
Ciera is a high school senior from Columbus, Ohio, and an advocate for global learning. “If you are positive and open-minded,” she says, “People to People will be one of the greatest experiences that you will have.”
When Ciera “sets a goal, there is nothing that will stop her,” says Carley Fontana, delegation leader for two of Ciera’s programs. Ciera confirms, “When I was first introduced to People to People, I couldn’t afford a program.” Instead of being discouraged, she went on to raise more than $30,000 over the years. Ciera’s fundraising efforts and world journeys have helped her mature. She sees People to People as “a gateway to the rest of the world, an opportunity to explore beyond your home and to do things you never thought you would do.”
When Ciera graduates next spring, she hopes to receive diplomas from three independent sources, something she says she wouldn’t have felt capable of achieving before her People to People experiences. She is taking part in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, a challenging course of study that encourages students to think globally.
While she prepares for her own future success, Ciera also wants to help other students benefit from People to People. She started a People to People International chapter because “she cares about others and the community,” Fontana says. “She believes in the People to People mission and strives to make it part of her life on a daily basis. She is the perfect example of what the term
Student Ambassador means.”
