Go, go Ambassadors! Ancaster group off to UN youth assembly
The Ancaster Ambassadors might not be able to change the world immediately, but they are well on their way to making a difference in the future.
The ambassadors — a group of Grade 11 and 12 Ancaster High students — are among 800 young people worldwide who have been selected to attend the United Nations Winter Youth Assembly, which is happening Feb. 13-18 in New York City.
The assembly is billed as a platform to elevate the voices of young people in international dialogue, empower youth to advocate for future generations and mobilize teens as agents of impactful change.
Group spokesperson Ayeza Tahir said students are “super excited,” not only about the youth assembly, but also the opportunity to visit the Big Apple.
“We’re going to New York and we’re going to have a great time,” she said.
Along with Tahir, the ambassadors include Sarah Brown, Sophie Jensen, Alyssa Kaminski, Kamala Muthukumarasamy, Adrienne Jonathan, Cadence Harman, Jason Amri, Sarah Brown and Sarah Ford.
The passionate and dedicated students have long strived to create a welcoming and positive environment in their school and community.
Their collective community involvements range from Mission Services and the World Wildlife Fund to Amnesty International and the Sisters of St. Joseph Hospital.
“Each of the Ancaster ambassadors hails from incredibly diverse economic, racial and religious backgrounds,” Tahir said.
“As such, we all work toward different issues in our own unique ways. Our shared philosophy of ‘making the world a better place’ is one of few things that we all have in common.”
Through their attendance at the youth assembly, the group hopes to meet other like-minded young people and find creative, new ways to better the lives of others — one tiny good deed at a time.
Tahir estimates the total cost of the trip — living expenses, food and flights — for all 10 students and their two chaperones will be around $8,400. To help with some of the costs, a GoFundMe page has been set up. For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/whyjqunited-nations-youth-assembly.