In world torn by global conflict and uncertainty, there are still those who wish to travel and learn about different cultures as a way of understanding others.
Fifteen-year-old Lindsay Anderson is just such a person.
Anderson, a sophomore at Oxford High School, has been selected as an ambassador for People To People International, a non-profit organization that promotes international understanding through direct person-to-person contact. She will leave July 2 for a three-week tour around Europe including England, Normandy, Paris, Bruges, Rotterdam, Rhine Valley, Black Forest Freiburg, Interlaken and Zurich.
‘I want to do this because it’s a way to reach out,? explained Anderson. ‘You can experience different cultures and see things you wouldn’t otherwise see.?
There are several activities beyond sight-seeing included in the trip such as sitting in on a session of British Parliament, speaking with a Parliament member and staying with a local family in Bath, England. In addition, the ambassadors participating in the program have been working on individual projects in order to learn more about the regions they will be visiting.
‘I have been working on a project about the Netherlands and Germany,? said Anderson. ‘I’ve focused on their landmarks and history.?
The OHS sophomore was nominated for the tour by her sister Allison, who went on a similar trip to Australia last year. Allison, 16, visited the country for three weeks, and enjoyed the experience so much she knew upon her return at the end of the summer that Lindsay needed the same opportunity.
‘You could tell she had so much fun that she couldn’t explain it all,? Anderson said in description of her sister.
However, travel is nothing new for Anderson or her family. From age six to nine, the 15-year-old lived in England with mom Susan, dad David, and siblings Maria, 25, and Allison. Dad David Anderson was an engineer for Ford at the time and was given the opportunity to take the family abroad.
Anderson said she has found herself forgetting many things about her time abroad, which is one of the reasons she would like to return, but that same experience caused her to hesitate in accepting an ambassador position.
‘My only concern was that I wanted to pick where I went,? said Anderson. ‘Since I had already been to most of the places on the tour, I wondered if it would be worth it, but I couldn’t choose and I decided it would definitely be fulfilling. There are places on the tour I haven’t been.?
Seeing familiar places and bringing back forgotten memories are two ‘unscheduled? activities Anderson is looking forward to. In fact, the Oxford youth will be breaking away from the tour for a day in England to visit with family friends and ‘to see my old school.?
Anderson has been preparing for this journey since this past fall, attending meetings at Oakland Community College and meeting other ambassadors, but she is still a bit anxious about getting to know her peers.
‘I know them all and their names,? she said, ‘but I’m kind of nervous about not knowing anybody. I’m a little nervous about the home stay as well.?
Mom Susan said the family was not at all concerned about sending their youngest abroad during a time of conflict.
‘We’ve been very open about the war,? said Susan. ‘We talked to both of the girls at length about what’s happening in the world.
‘We’re familiar with the program. I know the organization that leads this and we’re comfortable with her going.?
An active student at Oxford High School ? she participates in band, track, SADD and is a student council representative ? Anderson’s goals for life include attending college and possibly studying abroad for a year or two. She would especially like to travel somewhere and learn a new language.
In the more immediate future, the OHS sophomore would just like to enjoy her trip.
‘I hope to have some really good experiences and come back with some really great memories,? she said, ‘and a lot of great pictures of course. I want to see things that might change my perspective, which is the whole point.?
People To People International was established in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower. The program was placed in the private sector in 1961, and today is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the state of Missouri.
People To People is a volunteer effort to promote international understanding through direct people-to-people contacts. The organization’s stated purpose is to ‘enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities involving the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among people of different countries an diverse cultures.?