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@School: Nyesher Serrant





Nyesher Serrant

Nyesher Serrant had a summer-school experience she will never forget: She spent four weeks in classes at Princeton University in New Jersey in the 2009 Junior Sate of America (JSA) summer program.

"Going to Princeton and attending classes has been a very positive thing for me," Serrant says. "The educational experience will help me in my future."

The petite, talkative 14 year-old freshman at Good Hope School says her goal going into the program was to expand her knowledge about government and politics.

"My goal was accomplished," Serrant says. "The classes were really difficult, but I just kept my head up and stayed focused to learn as much as I could."

The mission of the program, which began in 1933, is to strengthen American democracy by educating and preparing students for lifelong involvement and responsible leadership in a democratic society.

Serrant, the daughter of Nicole and Henry Serrant, was chosen for Junior Statesman Summer School after she submitted an essay about herself, her leadership roles, community involvement and political goals. She says she does not want to be a career politician, but will definitely be politically active in the future. Her career goal is to become a pediatrician.

The program began for Serrant when she joined other local students for an orientation on St. Thomas at the University of the Virgin Islands. Then it was off to New Jersey, where the students were put up in dormitories, which she really enjoyed, living like a college student.

She attended two classes — speech communication and U.S. government — that met from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For the speech class, which was her favorite, she had to read speeches from the "Great American Speakers" book and present two three-minute speeches.

"I really enjoyed the communications class, because I like to talk and use PowerPoint," Serrant says. "My impromptu speech was a lot of fun to do."

The students participated in a debate on having references to God removed from all government documents and emblems. Serrant says she was on the negative side, and the resolution was a tie.

"This experience helped get rid of my fear of public speaking," Serrant says.

The students made a trip to New York City and visited the United Nations and the University of New York, where they heard speakers on justice and government topics. They also toured the NBC studio and Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza.

Serrant says she has been thinking about starting a local chapter of JSA at Good Hope School.

"I want to tell other kids that the summer program is a very good experience — challenging, but fun," Serrant says.

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