By Nicolette DiMura
Contributing Writer
Alex Gu, a senior biology major and chief of the campus Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), spent four days in Washington D.C. where he learned about education and how it is a given right.
Gu was accepted into the Global Campaign for Education—U.S. Chapter (GCE-US) among 23 other students between the ages of 18 and 25. The non-profit organization is internationally based and allows the members to help improve the quality of education.
“I submitted an application and letter of recommendation discussing my involvement in various organizations on campus and in the community,” Gu said. “The application consisted of various essay questions discussing my interest in education.”
Gu applied for a position in the Youth Advocacy Training, a section of the GCE-US where he helped raise awareness and support for educational opportunities. Gu qualified for the position because of his leadership abilities in MERT.
“This training equipped me with information about education and trained me in ways to communicate that knowledge to others,” Gu said.
The purpose of the GCE—U.S. is to promote education as a basic human right and ensure that every child has access to it. Nearly 127 million children are out of school due to a number of reasons such as poverty and the lack of trained teachers.
“I want to continue making a difference, and the combination of my drive and commitment describe my role as a leader,” Gu said. “Anyone with an interest in education initiatives on campus or in the community would benefit from this opportunity.”
Gu said that many people were involved in this program, including outstanding speakers who spoke to the 23 students about numerous activities. Speakers included Christie Vilsack, the Senior Advisor for International Education at the USAID and her husband, Tom, who is the United States Secretary of Agriculture, as well as Jamira Burley; the Philadelphia youth commission executive director.
“I plan to share the information with students at St. Bonaventure University to strengthen our development of the MERT program and the prevention safety education initiatives that I am implementing in rural communities,” Gu said. “I would definitely recommend this opportunity to other student leaders on campus. This opportunity gave me an opportunity to learn from an amazing people from various areas of the United States.”
Gu added that he plans on working with several different organizations on campus where he can encourage others to help advocate for and create awareness about the importance of global education. During his training, he learned new ways on how to communicate within his local community and internationally.
“I plan to present and share my experiences in both my hometown and college community.,” Gu said.
From Oct. 28 to 30, Alex will be at a conference convened by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture and the Council of Europe. It will be the First Global Forum on Youth Policies in Baku, Azerbaijan.
