|  It
was the best of times for Jordan Lauher, granddaughter
of Sun City Carolina Lakes residents Maurice and Anne
Lauher. During a two-week period in July, Jordan experienced
an opportunity of a lifetime as she toured England and
France as part of the People to People Student Ambassador
program. President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded the
Program in 1956 “… to promote cultural understanding
and world peace through direct interaction between ordinary
citizens around the world.”
As a result of her academic achievements, specifically
her involvement in Duke University's Talent Identification
Program, Jordan, who turns 11 on September 11, was nominated
to participate in the People to People program. After
completing the application process, which included letters
of reference and an in-depth interview, Jordan was honored
to be one of 40 Charlotte area fifth, sixth and seventh
graders selected from a pool of nearly 500 nominees.
"I was proud of myself after being selected because
it was something I'd accomplished all on my own,"
Jordan explained. "But I was kind of nervous in
the interview."
Jordan then embarked on a fund-raising effort that
included doing as many household chores as possible
and a hand-written "marketing campaign" targeting
family and friends across the country. While 40 students
were selected for the trip, only 15 actually traveled.
On the trip, the Charlotte contingent met up with other
Student Ambassadors from New York and Wisconsin to represent
their country abroad.
The two-week long excursion focused primarily on London
and Paris, with day-trips to outskirts to visit Oxford
University and Stonehenge. In England, one of their
first activities was a ride on the London Eye, the largest
Ferris wheel in the world. Later in the week, they received
VIP access at Buckingham Palace and an audience with
members of Parliament. They experienced London’s
well-known theater district when then attended a performance
of “Hairspray”, and they even sat in on
an actors’ workshop and participated in a few
scenes. There were also lots of physical team-building
activities such as an 80-foot high "zipline"
ride and a simulated war scene complete with flaming
catapult.
Arriving in Caen, France, after an overnight ferry
ride across the English Channel, they visited Normandy
and the D-Day site, including the memorial cemetery
where over 9,000 American soldiers are buried. In Paris,
the students toured the Louvre museum and Notre Dame
Cathedral, and of course, climbed the Eiffel Tower.
A fun day at Disneyland Paris brought the trip to a
close before coming back across the pond to waiting
family members, her parents, Tony and Paula and sister
Kendyl.
For Jordan, the memories are many. "I made some
really good friends and got to see things that many
Americans never get to see," Jordan offered. "It
was exhausting because we had a full day every day but
I wouldn't trade my trip for anything... it was awesome."
She’s looking forward to the Ambassadors’
reunion that’s planned for later in the year.
We are so proud of Jordan and happy that she has had
this wonderful opportunity.
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