"I am 17 years old from the United Kingdom. After much anticipation and excitement the Global Young Leaders Conference Summer 2012 in USA finally arrived. This is a once in a life time experience which changed me as a person: the way I think about political issues and my awareness all around. I cannot thank the Congressional Youth Leadership Council enough for giving gifted youths from all over the world such a worthwhile opportunity. From assisting the development of our leadership skills to giving us the experience of a diverse range of cultures. I arrived not knowing anyone but 10 days later Id made many fantastic new friends whom Ill never forget. Throughout my time at GYLC I was part of the United States Leadership group and developed my leadership skills to another level. I was inspired by the visits to memorials, leadership group meetings and the various speakers. The most memorable would be Dr Gary Weaver, a Professor at The American University. He gave me an excellent insight on cross-cultural communication and leadership which helped me to see culture in a different light and how valuable it really is.

I was elected to be a member of my Colleges Student Association Executive Committee. Attending one of the largest Sixth Form Colleges in the country, this is a major role and I use the information I learnt from GYLC continuously throughout my role. For example, the presentations and cultural experience to implement new events and activities. I am proud to be a GYLC alumnus for my country and the quote Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened by Dr Seuss could never be more true. I hope to use and develop these skills learnt through future life. I would encourage any future scholars to make most of this opportunity. You must never under estimate yourself, work hard and enjoy GYLC to the fullest. "

"In June 2009, I participated in the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) when I was 16 years old. Taking part in GYLC was an eye opening experience that broadened my horizons. The conference gave me the opportunity to directly engage with people who had pursued a diverse number of careers in international relations, public service, and politics. This furthered my passion in these fields. Also, the speakers dedication and passion about their work, be it in the government or an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), was inspiring and left a lasting impact. For example, during the visit to the State Department we had an opportunity to hear an official speak about his experiences working in the US government. His commitment to service has shaped my own desire to work in the public service. His and other speakers' vision for positive change is something I aspire to emulate. This has in part led me to accept a Singapore Government Scholarship to study at Harvard University, and serve in the civil service upon graduation.

One of the most memorable parts of the conference was visiting the UN Headquarters in New York. It was humbling to visit the UN Headquarters which was a powerful representation of both the hope for collective peace in a conflict driven world, as well as as the challenges to achieving this goal. For example, seeing the General Assembly in real life and the various countries seats, even the Palestinian Authoritys seat reminded me of the difficulties of reaching peaceful resolutions, but also symbolized a sign of collective effort among nations. This enriched my own extra-curricular activities in school such as participating in Model United Nations. It has also furthered my interest in international affairs, and my desire to major in political science and international relations in university.

The GYLC conference was truly an amazing opportunity to meet inspiring speakers and peers who shared my interests and passion for positively impacting our communities. I sincerely hope others will have a chance to participate in the conference in the future."

"What began as a dream became a reality as I arrived in the multi-cultural country of the United States of America. This was not just one of those visits. This was for an experience that would change my life forever. As a mere Zimbabwean boy, I had to quickly adapt to the change in environment and thanks to GYLC staff, I felt at home. My dream of participating at the Global Young Leaders Conference had finally come true. This gave me the opportunity to interact and learn from various people of different nationalities ranging from Canadians to Nigerians to Indians.

The visits to places such as Times Square, Ellis Island and the White House, were an eye-opener and made me appreciate America’s rich heritage. As each day progressed, my confidence grew in leaps and bounds. The keynote speeches from speakers such as Dr. Cassidy and Ms. Sabina Dewan, were a catalyst for my improvement in my speaking ability. Such was the impact on me, that I was chosen as the Best Public Speaker at my school in 2011. Under the guidance of Faculty Advisors, my leadership abilities grew sharper due to the simulations which required a lot of teamwork and co-operation.

On my return to my school, these sharpened leadership qualities were recognized and I am now in charge of my boarding house and I was elected as the President of the Toastmasters Society amongst various other positions. The frequent phrase, "Welcome Scholars" still rings in my head and it is small things like these, which make this experience second to none! I can safely say that being a GYLC scholar is a privilege one should grasp with both hands and use as a platform to becoming a better leader. The highlight of the Conference was the Farewell Dinner Cruise, which I really enjoyed. As I boarded off the Cruise, it struck me that this was my last night with all the amazing friends I had made. The various activities we had, created bonds that will last forever. I am grateful to GYLC for giving me this opportunity to express myself and meet so many people. If I could re-live all the moments I would, but I would urge all future scholars to live in the moment, work hard amongst each other, play hard and most of all, enjoy it to the fullest. . . because GYLC is a once in a lifetime opportunity! "

"My name is Rasheed Drakes and I am 19 years of age from the island of Barbados. I attended the Global Young Leaders Conference from the 18-29 July Summer 2010 and represented Saudi Arabia as my country group. Firstly, I would like to commend the Congressional Youth [Leadership] Council for having such a program that allows youth from all over the world to discuss global issues that affect us as youth and to assist in development of our leadership skills. Throughout the twelve days at GYLC 2010, I was able to interact with other youth from all over the world, learn their cultures and languages and had the opportunity to meet leaders within the United States and visit many different places of interest. GYLC has developed my leadership skills to another level.

I am part of a local youth group called the Emerging Global Leaders of Barbados which work[s] with different agencies in Barbados and International such as UNICEF of the Eastern Caribbean, York University Toronto Canada, the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), the Child Care Board and the Ministries of Youth and Education among others. In November of 2010 after the conference, I was nominated and voted as President of the organisation.

Throughout my Presidency, I have been using the information given to me from the different presentations and site visits to implement new projects and activities. One activity that was done was to have our first fundraiser in the form of a Youth Concert entitled "Ritmo Premiere: Exposing the Talents within the Youth." The aim of the concert was to expose the talents of our youth here in Barbados and to raise funds for other youth development projects. In planning the youth concert we had some difficulties securing financial sponsorship. Coming to crunch time I as the organizer was about to call it quits, then I remembered the presentation by Ms. Mai Iskander, producer and director of Garbage Dreams. I remembered her stating she also had some financial difficulties trying to make the film but as soon as she was going to give up, her dream became a reality. I am proud to say that the youth concert came off as a big success.

I have also been in a number of local newspapers and television doing positive things in my community. I have inserted some of those articles for your perusal.

http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/positive-youth-drakes-a-leader-in-the-making/ (This is an online article from one of my local newspapers)

I would encourage youth here in Barbados and over the world to attend this life changing experience. As a GYLC alumni in my country, I will nominate any interested youth to be a part of the program and continue to share my experiences and skills for the development of my country and the world."

"I attended the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington and New York in 2011. My main goal for the conference was not to hear guest-speakers or go sightseeing, but it was to meet people. That was proved very successful. Today, I can simply call a friend in Hong Kong or Switzerland and tell them I will be arriving that day and if they want to go and grab a cup of coffee.

I have two stories of what changed for me after GYLC and why it was the reason that made it all a possibility.

I attend Niels Brock, Copenhagen Business College in Denmark. My study-line is called IBB (International Business Baccalaureate) and it is very unique. It involves a lot of traveling including Ireland for a week, 10-weeks in Australia and a 2-3 week internship in a company abroad. Students have to find their own internship and I quickly got one in London. It is extremely difficult to find one if you do not have any connections, so three people in my class were not able to find one. They asked me for help. I called a GYLC friend in Hong Kong, [whose] mother [knew] the managing director of a SME, and got him an internship there. I wrote on Facebook if anyone could help with the other two, someone had a connection and they went to Cyprus. It was extremely easy and effective and proves how effective GYLC connections are. I thought about running for student council president after GYLC. The speech I held was inspired by someone at GYLC who held a similar speech in one of the simulations. I won the election and thereby the position. I was responsible to bring 700+ students wishes and suggestions to the management. I drafted a plan and presented a list of 25+ suggestions and they loved them. My school is rather large so we have 4 principals followed by the management (CEO, CFO etc.) and then the board, much like a company.

The CEO was so impressed that I was offered to take her job for 7 hours a week (after school) and basically have a secretary, a 27-inch costumed apple iMac and a million-dollar financial budget to work with. I was to control 20,000 students and 800 faculty members situated around the world. . .China, California, Vietnam and Denmark. Among many projects, I organized and marketed an expansion situated outside of Copenhagen (opening Summer 2012) and I’m organizing a 1-day conference for all students, under the title business and life featuring Danish economists, comedians and politicians. It takes a lot of leadership to hold this position and no doubt some of that is from GYLC.

I still have connections all over the world that I frequently talk to. I can only recommend the Global Young Leaders Conference."

"In January 2009, I got selected for [GYLC] that was supposed to be held in America from 14th June’09 to 25th June’09. GYLC gave me leadership opportunities, which I had only thought of. Representing my School as a part of the Russian Federation [during the simulation], I learnt almost everything about Russia. . .its economy, political scenario and the ways and means to tackle any socio-economic-politico upheaval.

GYLC opened the gateway to leadership with its extensive and outbrewing Simulations, which gave all the scholars [the chance] to enhance their communication skills and confidence. Great speakers like Dr. Gary Weaver, Professor of International Communication at the School of International Service, American University; along with Gilian Sorensen, Senior Advocate, United Nations Foundation along with several other speakers from diverse fields of knowledge gave us a complete outlook of the world eco-socio scenario and how leadership skills [along] with patience and knowledge can bridge all gaps between nations and help build World Peace. We also had General Body Meetings on a regular basis, which made sure we interacted globally with all scholars who were present from every corner of the globe.

On a fun level, we discovered the streets of Washington D.C, Philadelphia and New York through outdoor trips and visits to landmarks. Cultural exchange was one such night when we mingled along and got to know so much about cross country and cross culture relationships. It gave us much better understanding of the world formation. At GYLC, we not only learnt how to become great leaders but also made so many lifelong friends. I hope GYLC becomes the best memory of your high school life, just as it has become for me. All the best, and make the most of it. Because when GYLC ends, you look out for a new beginning. It inspires you to be the change you want to see in the world."

"The application process for the International Leader of Tomorrow Award at UBC was rather challenging: it required me to write several essays and give details of my extra-curriculars in order to prove that I had leadership potential. One of the main focuses of my application was my participation at GYLC, because it gave me direct training and experience that helped me show off my leadership skills. Not only did I use GLYCs prestigious name as a means to improve my chances, but I also mentioned many of the activities I was part of in the Conference to describe specific events in my life that helped me become a better leader. For instance, I wrote a short essay about what I had learned from listening to a senior member from OPEC talk about the organizations role in the world. This helped me to showcase my ability to merge knowledge gained from other leaders with my opinions to form my own unique perspective, which I believe was essential in convincing admissions officers I was able to lead. Overall, GYLC offered a multitude of experiences that were vital to enrich my curriculum and help me get accepted to UBCs ILOT program. "