My name is Zoe Stiles. I’m the daughter of Terry and Kim Stiles Jr. My Grandparents are Terry and Josephine Stiles Sr., Sandra Eminhizer, Hilda Raymond, and Patty and Duane Stiner. I am currently a straight A,  9th grade student at Moshannon Valley High School in Houtzdale. (In this picture I'm the one in the orange-red)

    I was recently accepted into the People to People Student Ambassador program. The trip I will be going on is called Mediterranean Traditions and will be to the countries of Italy, France, and Spain. The trip lasting from June 20 to July 8 will include a trip to the Vatican in Rome to see the Pope and hear insight from a priest or official, a chance to make friends with European students during a home stay with a French or Spanish Family, and a first hand lesson on archaeology at the site where a 450,000-year-old skeleton has been discovered in Tautavel, France. In addition, I will also get to see famous landmarks such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece, the colosseum, and many more. This trip will enhance my education, giving me special insight into Renaissance art and architecture,  World War II History, History and architecture of the Roman Empire , Archaeology and anthropology, Medieval history, and to experience Intercultural studies first hand. When you put it all together it is nothing short of a once in a lifetime experience.

People to People Ambassadors are carefully interviewed and evaluated before their acceptance into the program, and I am honored to have been selected. I am already excited to share my experience with my family and friends when I return. As an ambassador, I can earn high school and college credits, because of the many educational elements of my program. This educational experience will increase my understanding of the world and give me the chance to learn firsthand about new places, new cultures, and myself in the process. Such knowledge will help me to become the best citizen I can be. I look forward to expanding my horizons throughout the experience and changing the way I view the world around me. This trip is a chance for me to step out of the comfort zone of Houtzdale and into a world of new experiences. It’s going to leave me with a total confidence boost and change who I am as a person in a positive way.
    I am currently asking my family and friends for financial sponsorship to help me with tuition, and I hope I can count on your support. In case you have not heard of People to People before let me fill you in on some of the details. President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded People to People in 1956. He believed that if people from different cultures could come together in peace and friendship, than eventually so would nations. Programs like Sister Cities, Project HOPE, and the Student Ambassador Program were created by people to people, and have become independent programs since then.