Giving back...
After my trip to Vietnam I will dedicate my time to telling other young adults about the invaluable experiences that JTC holds for them. In sharing my experience through a grassroots' campaign, I strongly believe that I can show how the program has enriched my life and thus get more people involved in the program.
I think there are two main reasons why the number of participants isn't as high as it could be. The first is there isn't enough publicity or awareness about this program. Luckily I found out about the Global Vision Program through a former member who continues to share his former experiences about the program. As I explained to several people about the application I was working on and why I wanted to be a part of JTC, not a single other student knew what I was talking about. We cannot rely on the fact that students will somehow stumble upon this information. For the most part, only the students in my class rather than the majority of students in my program currently know about this program. With my marketing and networking skills I can help Global Vision to get the word out in schools in and around the Ottawa area to get involved. Using posters, flyers and media coverage word of mouth can spread telling what Global Vision is all about.
The second problem is that people don't really understand what an economic or development mission is, what it involves, or how it can benefit them. I believe that if students really knew what it means to be in this program, more students would put more effort into applying.
I can share my international mission with others through more youth oriented volumes of media such as a Facebook Club for GV members, online interviews where applicants can ask former members questions about the program and a test your knowledge of the global economy site. All of these methods get youth involved in learning more about the programs available.
As a JTC Ambassador, I plan to do my best to start the initiatives listed above as well as attend classrooms in high schools and universities to talk about my past experiences as a member. I will also do my best to succeed in developing a career based in the Ottawa area because I believe that one of the strongest messages that I can get across to other students is that the JTC program helped me to be successful in accomplishing my goals.