Barnsley Student to Travel with Ambassador Program

A Rockville boy is preparing for what he calls “an awesome, life-changing opportunity” this summer when he travels as a student ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Stefan Piedrasanta, a fifth-grader, will make the 20-day trip as part of the People to People program.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded People to People in 1956 as an instrument for fostering cultural understanding and world peace through “ordinary citizens,” according to the organization’s website.

Piedrasanta will be the only fifth-grader on the trip with 12 sixth-graders from across the Washington metropolitan area. As student ambassadors they will “represent their school, community, state, and country while traveling abroad,” according to the website.

They’ll also learn about different cultures through visits to schools and with government officials, Piedrasanta wrote in a fundraising letter sent to family and friends.

Part of the experience means paying your way. To that end, Piedrasanta said that he hopes to raise $3,500.

Jerry’s Subs and Pizza in Aspen Hill will donate a portion of all sales from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday toward Piedrasanta’s fundraising goal.

Stefan is doing well toward reaching his goal, his mother Martha said Tuesday. The Piedrasanta family is planning other fundraisers, including a large yard sale on May 19, she said.

Stefan is a straight-A student and safety patrol officer at Barnsley, his mother said. He also plays the clarinet in the school band.

Those credentials served him well in what Martha called “a tough selection process” that included interviews and letters of recommendation.

Stefan has been preparing for the trip by attending monthly three-hour conferences—with homework in between each conference, Martha said.

His commitment reflects the kind of young person People to People says it is looking for in the acceptance certificate the program sent to Stefan. The certificate says acceptance in the program is awarded “based on a demonstration of leadership and citizenship, a desire to learn about diverse cultures, and a willingness to venture into the world in the name of peace, friendship, and understanding.”

Click here for more information on People to People ambassador programs. Click the PDF above to view a flier with information on how to donate toward Stefan Piedrasanta's trip.