International Education: On Location in Israel
Impressions of Denasia Gilley, Lehman HS Student Ambassador
Denasia Gilley from Lehman High School in the Bronx said that she will always carry the knowledge she has acquired from her journeys to Washington and to Israel, and she appreciates the cohesiveness in her traveling group, which included students from Israel, New York, Tucson, Virginia Beach, and Bartlesville, Okla. When Ms. Gilley found out that she was going to participate in the Young Ambassador Student Exchange program, she proudly told her friends. Some of them responded with “people ride on camels,” “isn’t it [Israel] in the desert,” or “be careful, Israel’s under siege, and there are missiles flying everywhere today.” Gilley was impressed with the amazingly diverse population of Israel: Jewish people, Arab people. And it is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Israeli and U.S. student ambassadors have many interests in common, for instance they listen to the same music and enjoy a similar sense of freedom that democracies promote. #
