Anthony Chapones, a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy and a freshman at Hoosick Falls Central School, has been chosen as a student ambassador with the People 2 People program. As a student ambassador, Anthony will travel to Italy, France and England in July where he will spend three weeks participating in leadership training, meet with Parliament members, attend a session of Parliament, stay in the home of an Italian family, rappel down a castle and spend one day participating in a community service project. Anthony doesn’t know yet what his delegations service project will be but last year’s group helped to build a park.
People 2 People is a program that was started more than 50 years ago by President Dwight Eisenhower in an attempt to bring and maintain peace through international contacts. Its mission is to “bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange, making the world a better place for future generations.”
Anthony was nominated anonymously for the program after being part of the St. Mary’s Odyssey of the Mind team that were the regional winners. He was contacted by P2P and invited to attend an informational meeting. After attending the meeting Anthony and his family were very interested in the program and the opportunities it presented him. Anthony continued the application process and submitted letters of recommendation from his teachers and then went through an interview process. Following a review of the letters and his interview, Anthony was chosen to become a Student Ambassador.
To prepare for the trip, Anthony now has to attend a monthly class in Binghamton where he meets with the other students participating in the trip. Together they are learning the history, culture and geography of the countries they will be visiting. The class also requires Anthony to write a research paper on an assigned topic and country. Completing the course will allow him to earn high school credits. Anthony’s final grade in the course will also be based on his demeanor and participation during the trip.
According to Anthony’s mother, Lori Chapones, it has been his dream to travel to Rome, and this trip is a dream come true for him. In addition to Rome, Anthony is excited to experience the culture of Italy as well as experiencing the beaches of Normandy and riding the London Eye.
The total cost of this project is approximately $7,000. So far, Anthony has raised approximately $1,500 by selling cookie dough around the holidays and from donations from local businesses (Trojan Energy Systems, Suttonscapes, Ann’s Salon, Staring’s Pest Control, Pizza Bella and Denim and Deeds Realty). Anthony and his family are currently holding a raffle where first prize is a pair of season passes to Great Escape with preferred parking, and second place is a pair of tickets to Adirondack Extreme (all 5 courses and ziplines) – raffle tickets are $10 each. Anthony is also holding a spaghetti dinner fundraiser where the dinners will be delivered directly to the recipients. Tickets are $15, and the meals consist of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread and a dessert item. Dinners are being held by area – April 9 for Hoosick Falls/Cambridge residents, April 16 for Bennington residents. To purchase raffle tickets or spaghetti dinners, email lorichapones@hotmail.com or call 518-659-4079.