By Laura Paine

For The Item

September 30, 2009

English junior participates in Junior Statesman Program

By Laura Paine

For The Item

Most students anxiously await the adjournment of the school year, ready to leave their studies
behind to enjoy the freedoms of summer. For Lynn English junior Stephanie Hardy Tondreau, 16,
summer held an opportunity to visit the university of her dreams while learning more about what
sent our nation into the largest economic downfall since the Great Depression.

Hardy Tondreau received funding from the O'Brien Foundation to spend three weeks at Stanford
University to take an advanced placement course in Macroeconomics as part of theJunior
Statesmen Program. The JSA struck her interest when she read about students who had
participated in the program
and had the chance to meet politicians such as President Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hilary Clinton.

“It just looked like an amazing opportunity and Stanford I have been looking at as my dream
school,” said Hardy Tondreau. “I was fascinated by how we got into (the current economic
situation) and what could we do to get out of it. I began having an interest in politics with the
election of Obama. It really interested me.”

The JSA was created to supplement the education of students who take special interest in what is
going on in the world around them, with special focus on politics and government, foreign affairs,
the law and education. Students have the opportunity to take part in conventions, conferences
and political awareness events held by the JSA and are given the chance to exchange their own
ideas with fellow
enthusiasts in the form of debates, thoughtful talks and problem solving.

The summer programs are geared toward preparing students to face the challenges not only of
their communities, but of the nation and the world. The program holds classes at top universities
including Georgetown, Yale, Stanford and Princeton. Each curriculum provides an advanced
college curriculum,
skills-based leadership activities and the chance to interact with politicians, journalists and
academicians.

Students attended classes for four hours each morning, Monday through Saturday. English junior
participates in Junior Statesman Program lunch they attended the Leadership and Public Service
class,
which encouraged students to think like the Congress and to find ways to better their
communities.
“We did a lot of speech writing. We had a model congress where we wrote bills and resolutions
and we had to write subsequent speeches as a debate, take your side research, find evidence and
we actually
have to come up with a community service project to bring back home,” said Hardy Tondreau.
“Because I'm involved with Girls Inc. they actually took my project and we just did it recently, the
'Go Green, Save Trees.' It was my idea, but the group took advantage of it and they did it all.”

Although the program was a lot of work, concluding in the research and completion of a 15-page
analytical paper, Hardy Tondreau says it was definitely worth the effort, especially because of the
friendships she forged throughout the program.

“I think creating a bond with those people and the friendships I made are everlasting, I miss them
all so much,” said Hardy Tondreau. “It's really cool to be able to say that I have friends in
Malaysia, or that one of my friends, who was born in Boston, lives in China right now.”

Social connections play a big part in the program's curriculum. Students spend three weeks living
with a roommate in the university dorms under the supervision of resident advisors, who are
current college
students who also participated in the JSA program.

“My roommate, I love her! We got along so well. Her name is Uzoamaka Aniezue, she is Nigerian
and her name means 'my way is beautiful.' We clicked and hit it right off,” said Hardy Tondreau.

Students also took part in a trip to San Francisco and were given the option to take part in one of
four activities including riding a cable car "halfway to the stars," visiting Golden Gate Park,
shopping in Union Square, exploring the neighborhoods of Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf or a
tour of Alcatraz.

“I picked to go to Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park. I didn't actually go to Golden Gate Park
because I was too busy shopping,” said Hardy Tondreau with a laugh. “I bought something in
almost
every store; I'm a big shopaholic. I did that with some of my friends and there were a lot of
vintage stores, it was like the hippy area of San Francisco.”

For Hardy Tondreau, the experience was an invaluable part of her education. She had the
opportunity to meet Chris Kelley, co-founder of Facebook, and Larry Diamond, a political science
professor at Stanford who was on the Coalition for Provisional Authority in Baghdad.

The member of the Board of Directors for Girls Inc. and ROTC squad leader would like to
participate in the program again and has taken an interest in the course which would take her to
China to study their language, history and economics.

Her future plans include studying political science at Stanford University, joining the Marines to
serve her country and pursuing a career in politics. She may even run for president some day.
Hardy Tondreau sites her mother's encouragement as one of the reasons she is so driven to
succeed.

“Ever since I started school, she always awarded me when I brought home good grades,” said
Hardy Tondreau. “I got a prize a quarter up until eighth grade and it made me maintain good
habits, even after.

“I also get my drive because my family is not so successful. I watched my cousins make mistakes,
like with substance abuse and stuff like that. I just want to be different and be the first person in
my family to graduate from college, to exceed their expectations. To be different from my cousins
before me and just do better,” said Hardy Tondreau.

She finished the program with a B+, countless friends from all over the world and the chance to
stay at her dream school while learning more about the country and its politics, giving her a taste
of what a
career in political science could be like. Hardy Tondreau also has a piece of advice for anyone
looking to succeed.

“Work hard. That's what I tell everybody. Just work hard and it will pay off. You don't have to be
the best but as long as you put forth the effort and you have goals in whatever you want to do,
whatever it may be. As long as you're goal oriented, that's the best you can do.”