By Tom Momberg
City Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) last week introduced a new group of high school students who will work with his office for his Educational Ambassador Program over the course of the next year.
Vallone’s ambassador program was established in 2014 following a visit he had at the World Journalism Preparatory School, where there is an ambassador program.
He said he strove to model something along the lines of what he witnessed and has created roles in his City Council office which give students opportunities to experience various responsibilities of local government.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my student ambassadors and all the work they’ve accomplished in the first year,” Vallone said in a statement. “They played such an important role in supporting every aspect of the work our office does and I look forward to seeing our new group achieve their great potential. Providing this opportunity that gives each student every possibility of future success is the least we can do for our children.”
The new student ambassadors for the coming year are Hongju Choi, Kean Gibbons, Abbas Husain and Jennifer Kim from Bayside High School, as well as Erika Donis, Rawlanda Hinds and David Legunsa from World Journalism Preparatory and Daniel Bosko and Josh Santis from Holy Cross High School.
The ambassadors will help organize community events and work with community organizations to establish capital projects, as well as help administer polling sites for the annual Participatory Budget process, during which the community votes on those capital projects.
