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Thursday 31st July
GYLC

Dani Jones Returns from USA

When asked to do a brief report on the GYLC, I honestly didn’t know where to start. How do I fit 12 packed life-changing days into just a few paragraphs?

 

So, I thought I’d start with the obvious - what is GYLC?  GYLC, for anyone who doesn’t know, is an organisation based in America and is one of the many courses run by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.  GYLC gives students aged 16 – 18 a chance to get a better understanding of roles of global leaders such as ambassadors and diplomats.

 

GYLC is held in two destinations, Europe and the USA.  Having travelled through Europe when I was younger, I decided to throw myself in at the deep end and sign up to the USA group. Whilst in America I would stay in Washington and New York.

 

I first landed in America asking myself ‘what on earth am I doing half way around the world on my own’.  For the first time in my life, I felt really in the blue, but, as instructed, I attached my GYLC name badge, and met my first GYLC scholar; Ginny, a Korean student from Edgbaston in Birmingham, was feeling almost as lost as I was.  Phew!  I wasn’t alone and lo and behold the more I looked for name badges, the more I found amongst the crowded airport.

 

I arrived at the Sheraton Hotel and was given another name badge, the one thing that would come with me everywhere for the next 12 days and would be my pass into places such as the UN in New York and The World Bank in Washington. I was then given my handbook and list of events for the weeks proceeding.  I knew this course would be intense, as my brother suggested, but as I looked down the days’ activities it suddenly hit me where I was and what I was going to be doing. With many days starting between 6 and 7 am and security check not until half 10, I knew the days would be long, and with average temperature of around 96F, very hot.

 

One of the first things we learnt as GYLC scholars was the new time arrangement, 5 minutes early was now the new ‘on time’, on time was now late, and if you were late, then you were left behind. This was rather daunting to the 380 jetlagged scholars that had travelled world-wide. We were also put into our country groups and into bus groups. For the duration of the course, I would be supporting South Africa, and travelling in Bus 8.

 

The week in Washington started with a trip to a Union Station, then a speech by a professor in The American University and sight-seeing around America’s capital, Washington D.C.  With high temperatures, it was easy to spot the Brits from the rest, sunglasses on, clutching water bottles and cameras, and not to mention sweating by the bucket load.  Other activities for the week in Washington included going to The World Bank, the U.S. Department of State, Lincoln’s memorial and, for my group, the Slovenian Embassy.

 

The most breath-taking moment for me in Washington was standing on the spot where Martin Luther King made his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech and looking out over land that would have been masked with people. To imagine one man standing where I was, helping to change black rights, felt overwhelming.

 

On the Saturday, we travelled to New York, stopping off in Philadelphia where I was able to see the Liberty Bell and the historic district.  Later that day, we arrived in our new home for the week, Manhattan College, not in Manhattan might I add, but in the Bronx.

 

On the Sunday we made group visits to New York; I went to the Guggenheim Art Museum, famous for its huge spiral where the artwork was displayed.  Later on, the scholars where unleashed in Times Square and went to see a Broadway show.

 

This week we would be working towards our Global Summit, which would take place on the last day in the UN.  Country groups were split into topics such as Human Rights, the Environment, and Space and Technology.  Over the week, the groups would come up with a policy that they would put forward in the UN and each country group would vote if they wanted to sign the treaty. This was a lengthy process, which took the best part of 3 hours. The final event of the day was the Farewell Cruise, which was amazing. We travelled around the island of New York and were able to see sights such as the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.

 

I can honestly say that out of all of the opportunities I have been given in life, this has to be one of the most amazing experiences.  Not only have I learnt so much more than any textbook could have taught me, I have been to the places where world leaders meet and have decided things that change the world, and most of all I have had the chance to experience what it would feel like to be in their position.  The people I have met along the way helped me to broaden my mind and I have made so many new friends that I will keep in touch with many years to come.  I would strongly recommend to my fellow pupils to take this brilliant opportunity that the GYLC offers. Not only will you learn new things, but also you will meet a wide range of people from all around the world who share the same interests with you that I can guarantee will stay friends for life.

 

Dani Jones Year 12

GYLC July 20th - 31st 2008

To view photo slideshows of Dani and the other scholars at GYLC this summer, please click here
GYLC U.S. Sample Schedule