Global Ties Arizona launches Young Diplomats Program for Greater Phoenix Youth
22 students from across the Greater Phoenix region participate in a new initiative to build skills in diplomacy.
Phoenix, AZ – Since 1966, Global Ties Arizona has been working to advance Arizona’s global presence by connecting industry and government leaders from around the world with those in our own communities through premier professional exchange programs like the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Programs such as these create international connections and support Arizona’s positioning as a national leader at the forefront of U.S. public diplomacy and international exchange.
Recognizing the need to support the education of our Arizona youth in areas of global diplomacy to develop our state’s future leaders, Global Ties Arizona launched and implemented a new program for high school students, the Young Diplomats Program from June 12-16, which took place at SkySong, Arizona State University’s Innovation campus in Scottsdale.
Over the course of a five-day bootcamp, 22 high school students from across ten schools in the Greater Phoenix area learned about fundamental principles and skills of diplomacy and globally minded civic responsibility, participating in comprehensive sessions centered around cross-cultural understanding, conflict resolution, research skills and sources of information, advocacy, and international career paths. Program speakers and session leaders included members of the Diplomatic Corps of Arizona, former U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officers, faculty and international program administrators from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, and representatives of advocacy organizations such as the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Thanks to generous local sponsors and donors, Global Ties Arizona was able to offer this program to participating students completely free of charge.
On the final day of the program, students put the skills and knowledge they had been learning throughout the week into action by welcoming a delegation of human and civil rights leaders from the Middle East and North Africa traveling through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), hosted by Global Ties Arizona. IVLP participants are selected by U.S. embassies and missions abroad and take part in a national subject matter tour of the United States. Our Young Diplomats had the unique opportunity to meet these foreign leaders and be the first to welcome them to Arizona.
The Young Diplomats Program culminated in a closing luncheon and certificate ceremony to recognize the students’ achievements over the week, and was attended by parents, Global Ties Arizona board and advisory board members, and community leaders. The lunch program featured honored guest, Mayor David Ortega of the City of Scottsdale, and a virtual speaker from the U.S. Department of State: Mr. Benson Siwek, Desk Officer for North Macedonia, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
We congratulate the following students* on their successful participation and completion of the Young Diplomats Program:
Eleanor Ackley, Deer Valley High School
Christina Bowley, Mountain Ridge High School
Alexander Diegel, Barry Goldwater High School
Alexa Dowers, Babylon Jr./Sr. High School (New York)
Nicoló Charles Greco, Desert Mountain High School (IB Program)
Kaustub Ved Guntakatta, Mountain Ridge High School
Saanvi Guntuka, Arizona College Prep High School
Daniel Jeon, BASIS Chandler High School
Taejun Kim, BASIS Scottsdale High School
Sophia Le, Ironwood High School
Feven Mahrai, Mountain Ridge High School
Desanka Malinovic, Barry Goldwater High School
Natsuko Matsumoto, Mountain Ridge High School
Rushel Patankar, Pinnacle High School
Aryana Patel, BASIS Chandler
Roshan Sathish, Mountain Ridge High School
Taara Shastri, BASIS Phoenix High School
Juliet Takacs, Mountain Ridge High School
Jaelah Ware, Arizona Connections Academy
Elijah Wilson, Betty H. Fairfax High School
*some participants are not identified
With this success, Global Ties Arizona intends to offer the Young Diplomats Program bootcamp annually, growing the number of students who participate. For more information about the Young Diplomats Program, visit https://www.globaltiesarizona.org/young-diplomats.