Alissa Jackson, an eighth-grader at Olympic Middle School, has been accepted into the 2011 People to People European Heritage Student Ambassador Program, which provides international educational opportunities and cultural experiences for students.

Jackson was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to embark on a European adventure of a lifetime during the summer 2011. Student ambassadors will have the opportunity to:

• Go behind-the-scenes with a member of Parliament.

• Meet with a Swiss official.

• Visit and get to know the Beefeaters (the official guards of the Tower of London).

• Perform a service project to help the citizens of Germany protect the natural beauty of the famous Black Forest.

Jackson is raising funds to cover the travel expenses for the trip. The trip not only provides educational and cultural experiences, but three out of four students who travel with People to People as a Student Ambassador get into their first choice college.

Jackson holds a 3.6 GPA and hopes to attend Yale University. She is an active community citizen, participating in Olympic’s community service club. She has lobbied Washington State Legislators and Senators for Basic Education Funding (2008) and Defining Basic Education (2009); she has earned the “President’s Award for Outstanding Educational Achievement” from former President George W. Bush; and she boasts Academic Achievement Awards for the past three school years.

The People European Heritage Student Ambassador Program embodies the mission set forth by its founder, Dwight D. Eisenhower — to “promote peace through understanding” between individual citizens of the world.

For more information about how to donate to Jackson’s cause, contact Olympic Middle School at 253-931-4966; or contact Amy Spence, Auburn School District public information officer, at 253-931-4713.