National Cherry Blossom Festival® Goodwill Ambassador Program
The National Cherry Blossom Festival Goodwill Ambassador Program began in 1994. Since then, over 50 young men and women have served the National Cherry Blossom Festival as a national representative of the event.
Purpose
The NCBF’s official Goodwill Ambassadors serve as cultural liaisons, representing the festival at various events while promoting the goodwill and friendship between the United States and Japan. These individuals may be engaged in the study of Japanese language and culture and should be concerned with the cultural exchange between the United States and Japan.
History
Each year since its inception, the Goodwill Ambassador Committee has selected two or more ambassadors depending on the applicants' qualifications. In 1998, the first male Goodwill Ambassador was chosen - Stewart Ueno, a student at Yale University. In 1999, NCBF was able to provide one Goodwill Ambassador a one-year scholarship for study in Japan, valued at $10,000. The 2007 Festival saw by far the greatest diversity to date, with 3 men and 4 women from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Previous Ambassadors
2009 - Naomi Basik, Gregory Bennett, Stefan Koza, Xin-Yi Grace Lee, Natalie Linton, Nao Okayama, Andrew Robinson
2008 - Thomas Lotito, Diana Prilepsky, Erika Spencer-Iwai, Susan Taylor & Sarah Walczewski
2007 - Tyrone Clemons, Darla Cornett, Alyssa Farrelly, Kathleen Kuever, Gordon Schoenfeld, Yuuki Shinomiya, Remi Tsukamoto
2006 - Yuri Ann Arthur, Lauren Bennett, Maxim Brown, Elizabeth Deal, Sarah LeBaron von Baeyer, London McCloud, Rita Sinha
2005 - Michelina Cox, Mario Depeine, Colleen Kohashi, Jennifer Larson, Corinne St. Angelo, Erin Smith
2004 - Mellissa Blackmon, Danielle Brown, Jocelyn Campanaro, Candice Kenney, Jessica Scott, Robert Tadano
2003 - Mya Fisher, Terisa Kretzmann, Nikki Lindsay, Kristy Melia, Scott Wilbur, Ian Wright
2002 - Karli Kreindler, Adria Lazur, Margaret MacLeod, Hannah Peterson-McCoy
2001 - Mika Morse, Tracy Weber
2000 - Jennifer Swanson, Trisha Aquintey, Tiara Christen Dews
1999 - Elizabeth S. Webster, Launa Melissa Sims
1998 - Christine Ensley, Stewart Ueno
1997 - Sabrina Lowe, Michelle Manke, Lisa Hall
1996 - Jessica Stoner, Calantha Ceasar, Angela Marie Ray
1995 - Kimberly Van Ee, Rebecca Bloch, Melinda Golas, Sivilay Sychitkokhong, Maiko Nanao, Betty Zimmerman
1994 - Amy Margolius, Richelle Lynn Grabowshi, Carey Ann Eberle, Rollie Lal, Kwanza M. Jones
Becoming a Goodwill Ambassador
Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival encourages interested individuals to apply for consideration into the Goodwill Ambassador Program. Interviews are conducted in December before the selections are finalized. The committee assigned to choose the Goodwill Ambassadors will select between 4-8 individuals.
Click here for the 2010 Goodwill Ambassador application (PDF)
Applications must be received by Monday, November 30, 2009.
Inquiries may be submitted to: (202) 638-8364 or soyini@downtowndc.org
|
