Paint Creek Elementary fifth grader Dylan Kotora’s summer will be filled with baseball, hockey, playing outside with friends and getting ready to start middle school at Scripps next fall.
And while it will be a summer mostly filled with typical summer fun, Dylan will also take a break from the usual stuff and travel halfway around the world as a member of People to People Student Ambassador Program.
For 20 days, he will visit Rome, Pompeii and the Greek Isles with a program that promotes international understanding while building leadership skills among America’s youth.
According to Dylan’s mom, Angela, he was nominated for this program and had to complete an interview process and submit recommendations from a teacher and an outside source.
Upon completing this process, 36 students were chosen from Oakland and Livingston Counties to travel as student ambassadors.
‘They look for students that are able to lead,? said Angela, who notes that Dylan is a dedicated student who loves school and does well in it.
For Dylan, who describes himself as fun, quiet and athletic, he said he was surprised that he was chosen and is excited to leave on his trip.
When Dylan was asked what he most looks forward to on the trip, he said having fun.
‘Swimming, visiting new places and seeing new people,? he added.
And while the trip will be jam-packed with fun and visits to historical places, such as the Vatican and the ruins in Pompeii, Angela said that it will also be a huge growing experience for Dylan.
‘It’s a great learning experience,? she said.
‘He will be responsible for doing his own laundry, packing his own bags and carrying them, and spending his own money while learning the currency,? Angela added, noting that Dylan will have to learn to use Euros and keep track of the currency rate.
And speaking of money, to offset the price of the trip, which falls around $5,980, Dylan is raffling off a brand new NINTENDO Wii.
According to Angela, tickets are available at Kroger’s, located on Lapeer Road. For $5/ticket or three tickets for $10, she said they are raffling off the very difficult-to-get-a-hold-of item.
They will be at Kroger’s on Friday (about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), Saturday (about 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and Sunday (about 2 p.m. ? 5 p.m.) selling raffle tickets. During off times, the tickets will be available at the customer service desk inside of Kroger’s.
‘We hope that the community stands behind him and supports him,? Angela said, adding that they are also accepting donations.
The raffle will be held on June 9.