Catholic elementary student sees Europe as a People to People ambassador
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 25, 2006
Seeing the world is something everyone should do before, oh, say, the seventh grade.
That's the impression you might get from talking with Our Lady of Loretto seventh grader Darwin Tobacco. Darwin, 12, was chosen in the People to People Student Ambassador program to travel across Europe this summer and soak in knowledge while visiting some of the world's most famous historical sites. Those sites included Stonehenge, the castle of Heidelberg, Germany, the Eiffel Tower, Anne Frank's home and the beaches of Normandy.
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Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
Darwin Tobacco, a seventh grader at Our Lady of Loretto School in Redford Township, spent July traveling Europe with the People to People Student Ambassador Program. Behind him are his mother, Lisa Tobacco (left), and principal Carolyn Weidenbach. | A History Channel fan with high grades in school, Darwin said learning about the places on television or in the classroom could never take the place of being there.
"On the History Channel you can see it, but you couldn't really see it," he said after his 20-day trip in July. "It might look different. And when you learn about it in school you just see these little pictures. And when we read it, they don't talk about all of it."
The People to People Student Ambassador Program is an invitation-only program for students to travel abroad as part of a memorable, hands-on educational program. Founded by U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower when he was in office in 1956, it has been supported by every U.S. president since.
Because of its exclusive nature, not many students receive the opportunity to travel with the People to People program. Students are invited to apply only after showing exemplary grades, or having been referred by a former ambassador or a teacher.
Darwin and his mother, Lisa, still don't know how he initially received the invitation to apply for the program, though they guess Darwin's high marks in social studies classes had something to do with it.
They do know that principal Carolyn Weidenbach and Sr. Margaretta Wojcik, OSF, of Our Lady of Loretto helped him tremendously in the application process. Each had to write a letter of recommendation to accompany Darwin's application. Eventually, Darwin was one of 40 students chosen from 100 who applied in Wayne County.
And as the program is for high school- and junior high school-aged students, Darwin – just having finished the sixth grade – was among the youngest to apply, as well.
"It's a real honor," said Weidenbach. "It's obviously an honor to the school. It certainly is publicity that we really love that a student of ours first of all was nominated and we don't know why or how, and then the fact that he pursued it and impressed them at the interview."
His tour of Europe spanned England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Switzerland. As a student ambassador, he didn't have to wait in many lines to see sights such as the Mona Lisa in Paris's Louvre museum, or an official briefing at the British Parliament.
"They got treated with the respect that any ambassador would," said Lisa Tobacco.
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Photo by Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic
Darwin Tobacco (middle) shows his brothers Merlin (right) and Griffin his People to People guidebook as he shares his foreign travel experiences with them. All three are students at Our Lady of Loretto School in Redford Township. | They also met a chocolate maker in Belgium and visited the windmill-filled city of Edam in the Netherlands, where they tasted world-famous cheeses. Those parts Darwin said he especially enjoyed.
"I really liked some of the food there – the cheese and some of the chocolates," he said.
Normandy was another amazing destination for him, Darwin mentioned, because he's fascinated with World War II.
Leading up to the summer trip were a number of gatherings with his fellow student ambassadors throughout last school year. Both in preparation and on the trip itself, they did a lot of learning – from historical matters about the trip to practical ones, like how to use an ATM card – and team-building exercises.
In Europe, Darwin's group stayed with host families for three days in England, walked several miles per day and even helped clean out a river as a service project.
Lisa Tobacco said she was proud of her oldest son for doing so well being away from home for an extended period.
"What I really wanted was for him to get a sense of independence and realize how much he was capable of," she said. "And he certainly did that."
In fact, Darwin enjoyed the experience so much that, as a former ambassador himself now, he's itching to refer others, especially his two younger brothers.
Weidenbach said Darwin's desire to refer others was one sign that the young man did some impressive growing up on his 20-day trip.
"I'm happy for him from the standpoint that I've seen some growth in him," Weidenbach said. "The fact that he's willing to recommend other kids from our school, including his brothers, just shows me that the maturity is there because he wants to share this with other people."
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