Kevin Cheng

"Be the change that you want to see in the world," is a line that I, Kevin Cheng, a junior at Temple City High School, live by. I challenge myself in everything I encounter-varsity volleyball team, classes, the ASB, the newspaper, and even in my relationships with close friends.
        School, family, friends and my past experiences, combine to define who I am today. I have learned from Project Bridge, that, just because individuals come from different backgrounds, they are not necessarily exceptions. Visiting the Korean American Museum, the Japanese American Museum and the Museum of Tolerance has provided me with insight on how many in our country have suffered. As a result, my own views on history and racial diversity have changed dramatically. We should strive to build bridges within our community so that history will not repeat itself.
        In light of my experience with Project Bridge, I am confident that there is nothing we, Youth Ambassadors from diverse backgrounds, cannot achieve together as a team. When in Korea, I am certain that we will be able to build bridges as Americans and overcome any language and cultural barriers. Most importantly, I am fortunate to have connected with the people in Project Bridge that I would not have otherwise met. They have added to who I am.

Joe Fernicola

My name is Joe Fernicola III. I am a junior and attend Torrance High School in Torrance, California. At Torrance High I am active in the theater department, the school newspaper (The News Torch), and the ROCK Christian Club. I am also taking my third year of Korean. This is one of my favorite classes because I have the best Korean teacher, Ms. Lee. Outside of school, I am highly involved with the Technical Ministries at Rolling Hills Covenant Church. There I am a sound technician for the main Worship Center and am the technical director for High School Ministries.         I look forward to the 2005 Project Bridge trip to Korea and enjoy everything Project Bridge teaches about bridging gaps between cultures. The experiences I have had with Project Bridge have helped me to broaden my understanding of the world and its many different cultures. With this better understanding of the world I hope to become a better human being.

Richard Fishel

Hello, my name is Richard (Ricky) Fishel and I am from Yorba Linda, California. I am a 17-year-old junior at Lutheran High School. I enjoy watching and playing sports. My favorite sport is golf and my handicap is around fourteen or fifteen. Being on the school golf team has been one of the greatest joys of high school so far. I am also a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Anaheim Angels. Besides my sports interests, certain aspects of academics are also very enticing. As far as my future, I hope to get into a career involving either international relations or science. Stanford is my dream college, but I am trying very hard to keep my options open.
        So far, Project Bridge has provided me with many tools that I feel will be very important to me in the future. Living in Orange County, I have grown up in pretty much in a Republican-dominated school and neighborhood. Project Bridge has enabled me to meet and interact with people from diverse backgrounds throughout southern California and has opened my mind a little. I have learned important qualities that will help me in my professional life, such as personal introductions, listening skills, and other basic people skills. Project Bridge has opened up a different world to me that I would have never experienced.
        In short, Project Bridge will be valuable not only for the trip to Korea, but also for the rest of our lives. All of us will put these valuable tools to use in college, our professional lives-in a way that will increase our contributions to society. This wonderful opportunity has given us all the responsibility to share all of the experiences and lessons we have learned to enhance all the lives we come across during our journey through life. This sharing of experiences and lessons is what I hope to achieve most coming out of the Project Bridge program.

Tessa Mooney

An amalgamation of an ounce of infectious energy, a sprinkle of insight, a dash of open mindedness, a pound of leadership and a passion for the arts. That is me-Tessa Mooney, junior at Lutheran High School and aspiring architect of change in our global community. I am an acting student service coordinator and a member of the varsity tennis squad. I have come to realize that for the past 17 years I have been interacting primarily with a homogeneous student body. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Beyond the school bell, my life is engulfed by my passion for the visual arts, pursued through studio art courses and life drawing, not to mention a mentorship in the fashion industry. The ability to understand and interact with diverse cultures, both personally and professionally, is indispensable in the arts. Accordingly, Project Bridge has enabled me to foster the development of a global perspective in a hands-on environment. As I embark on my life aspirations, Project Bridge has started me on a journey from cultural ignorance to intercultural outreach and understanding.
        Leadership is a cornerstone in my life-I feel called to be an illustration to my community of the vitality of building bridges between differing cultures. As an apprentice of change, I have been exposed to global perspectives by interacting with ambassadors, touring of museums and landmarks, and relating with mentors who have stretched my cultural boundaries and beliefs. Through the expedition of Project Bridge, my mentors have instilled in me the importance of leaders using the power they have to mold the environment so that people engage in collaborative relationships, develop the ability to adapt and unite around shared visions. If that is the potential of one person, Project Bridge has shown me that when we work together in unison, we hold the power to shape the world. As an architect of change, I aspire to build a bridge of compassion and understanding that will cross all borders, enabling our world to meet on common ground.

Jennifer Mae Robles

My name is Jennifer Mae Robles-you can call me J¡¯me for short. I am 17 years old, was born in Los Angeles and am a junior at Bravo Medical Magnet High. In school, I am a member of five different clubs: KIWINs, Kiros Christian Club, California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and Academic Decathlon. Outside of school, I am passionate about Church as an altar server, choir member, and a confirmation leader. I also enjoy doing volunteer work like feeding the homeless, and mentoring teenagers younger than myself. Most of all, I value spending time with my family and friends.
        Through workshops, meetings and the retreat, Project Bridge has provided me the opportunity to develop friendships with diverse people of whom I had never known. We, as a group, have read about Korean history, walked the halls of the Korean American Museum, watched videos about the DMZ, worked on leadership skills together and even hiked up a mountain. The next step will be to visit Korea. I am excited about experiencing first hand the people, culture, history, the DMZ and religion so that I can determine for myself the truth from the myth. I am blessed to have this opportunity to represent America as a Youth Ambassador and build bridges with Korea.

Mindy Tadai

Welcome to yet another Project Bridge biography. Population: Mindy Tadai. By my name alone you might have already guessed-yes, I am Japanese-but also a quarter Korean. I am currently a junior at West High School, which is located in lovely Torrance, California. At school, I absolutely love learning about English and history. I'm a student by day and a swimmer by night. After school, I quickly trade my books and pencils for a swimsuit and a pair of goggles. Throughout the year I swim for San Pedro Peninsula YMCA (SPPY), and I am a member of my school's varsity swim team as well. My versatile lifestyle also includes a few volunteer projects. On Sundays, I volunteer at the Little Company of Mary hospital from 9 AM to 1 PM. I also provide my companionship and services to a woman named Ann, who has a disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), through a program called Extra Hands.
        Project Bridge is not just an activity, a hobby or even a job. It has been my obsession for the past year. It's a surreal, once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm so in love with this program, I'm willing to commit myself to meetings, create friendships, and open my heart and mind to things beyond my knowledge. While reading the seven other finalist's names one by one, I kept thinking: if this isn't the finest representation of America's youth, I don't know what is. My personality allows me to turn strangers into life-long friends and ultimately form one big Project Bridge family. I feel it's essential to verbalize my ideas and opinions to the group, but my number one goal is to learn as much as I can from what others contribute. As a youth ambassador, I want to try to seek the similarities in our cultures, rather than focus on how different we are. A clever mnemonic Spencer Kim taught us seems to brilliantly summarize my goals as a Project Bridge member: (S) start now, (T) think tall, (R) reach over the wall, (I) invest everything, (V) visualize, (E) expect the unexpected. I live for the things I love, and I love Project Bridge.

Joanne Tran

My name is Joanne Tran, and I am currently a student at Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel. I am an active member of our school's speech and debate team. I also volunteer for a nonprofit organization called the Lotus Foundation. The Lotus Foundation mission is to reconnect folks of Asian decent with their roots by performances that enable them to experience traditional lifestyles.
        I enjoy learning new things (and am open to new concepts and ideas), even at the expense of bruises and hard work. For example, I have been learning to break dance. Yes, after 10 months of sweating profusely and bruising, "like a grape," I am on the verge of being a break dancer. I am excited about my trip to Korea because it will open my eyes to a new culture. My contributions likely will be lots of speaking (and listening), a little debating and perhaps a lesson or two in break dancing. Project Bridge has given me the knowledge that everyone is different, nevertheless the same. However, the differences that we find give us the chance to learn from each other, and the similarities provide a place to meet on common ground. At the end of the day, I am certain that we can work together as a team to successfully bridge American and Korean cultures.

Mike Wehbe

Hi my name is Mike Wehbe and I am a junior at Marshall Fundamental in Pasadena, California. I love basketball and currently play on the Junior Varsity basketball team for my high school. When I am not running around on the court, I can be spotted socializing with my friends and family. Every now and then when I need to relax and escape from all the activities -- Asian Club, Key Club, work and basketball, I slip on my headphones and lose myself in music.
         Although I have traveled with my family to Lebanon in the past to visit my grandmother and uncles, I was born in the United States and have lived in California for my entire life. Project Bridge is a great program. I recommend it to anyone who is really interested in traveling and learning about another country and culture -- Korea. The Youth Ambassadors and Group Leaders from Project Bridge are like another family to me. I really appreciate and enjoy interacting with students from diverse backgrounds and schools learning about 4/29, the Museum of Tolerance, the DMZ and Korean food. Project Bridge provided me with a new prespective on the world. I am actually considering a career in diplomacy as I would like to represent America as an Ambassador in build bridges with different countries. I am excited to visit Korea and to experience first hand the cultures, peoples and customs because people can tell you about a place but you won't really know until you actually experience it.