Local student to attend ‘People to People’ leadership summit

By Ben Austin
Staff Writer
    HOULTON – Zachariah Harvey, 14 of Houlton, will be flying across the country on July 14 on a nine day journey to the opposite end of the continental U.S. to attend the People to People Leadership Summit in California.
    Harvey, a soon-to-be freshman at Houlton High School, will travel to the UCLA campus in Los Angeles for just over a week to take advantage of classes and presentations which encourage teen leadership and citizenship skills.
    “I thought it would be a better experience to go further, and see what college is like out further, rather than close to home,” explained Harvey.
    Harvey, a basketball fanatic, also stated that the fact that UCLA has such a rich history in basketball may have played a small factor in his decision to go out west.
    The People to People program was founded by Dwight Eisenhower in order to improve world citizenship, and since its beginning has been overseen by the president of the United States.
     All students accepted into the program were nominated by a teacher, and are selected only if they meet meticulous academic, civic, and leadership standards.
    Students chosen for the summit, along with learning about leadership, gain insights that will guide their educational and professional lives. Presentations and workshops are provided to help students gain knowledge dealing with the college application process, as well as show them ways to make a difference for their entire community.
 “I want to see what that place is like, and have a good experience to be around other people and learn new things that I might not already know,” Harvey stated.
     Although Harvey does expect his trip to be primarily focused on leadership and academics, he has plans to make some time to enjoy his first trip to the west coast.
    “There is the leadership part, and then there is fun stuff to do, like I’m going to Disney Land,” said Harvey excitedly.