Murllin Bender has always had a strong sense of ambition.
Since he started attending Gateway Science Academy, the 11th grader has flourished in leadership roles such as captaining the eSports and robotics teams and serving as a historian for the TRI-M Music Honor Society. Bender is now preparing to take the skills he’s learned at GSA to Brazil after being accepted into the prestigious Youth Ambassadors Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.
“I think the biggest thing I’m excited for is the leadership skills I’ll learn in Brazil and working with a group of people who are also there to learn about the cultural experiences (in Brazil) and (the process) of bringing people together,” Bender said. “Especially with how diverse of a community that GSA is, being able to have a big cultural understanding of different communities is definitely going to be helpful.”
Since his freshman year, Bender has had his eye on the Youth Ambassadors Program––which sends students to various places around the world to grow their leadership abilities and get a taste of different cultures. He was eager to apply to the program in Brazil because he was interested in exploring a part of the world he wasn’t accustomed to.
“Going to someplace I'm more unfamiliar with is definitely a great learning experience that I would like to target,” he said.
Bender also saw this opportunity as a way to connect with people on a deeper level. He stressed the importance of communication as a skill set––which he greatly values as the person who reads GSA High School’s announcements and active member of the Concept Young Scholars Program.
“Being academically smart is one thing but it’s another to be socially smart and communicate with people,” Bender said. “I think that’s important to work on and it’s a skill I’m working towards as well.”
Concept Schools and GSA wish Murllin all the best as he prepares for his three-week voyage with the Youth Ambassadors Program.
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Concept Schools and the Youth Ambassadors Program share the vision that it’s imperative for young people to be civically engaged. That’s why we offer the Concept Young Scholars Program which pairs students, like Murllin, with mentors who help them grow into the best version of themselves.
You can find out more information about CYSP here.