US Embassy names delegates to youth leadership program

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  — Five students and a teacher from Dumaguete City were chosen this year's delegates to the Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program (SEAYLP) of the United States Embassy in Manila.

The six delegates are scheduled to leave for the US in April this year, and will undertake a program that includes engagements in activities of US high schools, community organizations and youth groups in different US locations.

For the student category, the five participants come from Silliman University (SU), St. Paul University of Dumaguete (SPUD), Foundation University (FU) and FU High School (FUHS). They are: Abigail Cabonita (SU), Iphraim Cabristante (SU), Kathleen Dawn Young Ricardo (SPUD), Jesmar Lawanan (FU) and Albertus Nikolae Cena (FUHS).

A teacher from SPUD, Ryan Jay Riconalla, was selected for the adult category.

This year's delegates were interviewed by US Embassy assistant cultural affairs officer Joseph Tordella and Thomas Jefferson Information Center deputy director Pong Aureus who visited Silliman on February 3 to 5. On the same visit, they donated books to the Dumaguete City public library and a local public high school. 

"They were all chosen among a competitive group of fellow adult and youth leaders in Dumaguete because of their excellent leadership initiative and potential," Aureus explained in an e-mail.

Dumaguete was selected as this year's recipient of the SEAYLP for the presence of the American Studies Resource Center (ASRC) at the Robert B. and Metta J. Silliman Library.

Described by Tordella as "the window to America," the ASRC, which is open to the public for free, holds a rich collection of printed and multimedia materials about the American way of life. (FREEMAN)