Diplomacy and International Relations in China Trip

Hello, my name is Dominique Blanchard. I am the proud daughter of Dawn and James Blanchard and granddaughter of William "Bill" Layton. I am currently a sophomore at the University of Minnesota.

I was nominated to take part in the 2013 International Scholar Laureate Program Student Delegation on Diplomacy and International Relations in China. I will travel to Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. In Beijing, I will go to one of the foreign government embassies and be introduced to life as an expatriate in another country. I'll attend many group meetings where I'll have the opportunity to discuss and share perspectives on issues like the global impact of diplomacy and international relations. When I'm in Xi'an, I'll meet with representatives from the World Wildlife Fund. After this, I will travel to Shanghai. At the the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, I'll discover the future of Shanghai and global urban planning. This program is perfect for my major of Political Science, and I hope that it will make me a more appealing candidate for future internships, as well as open up career opportunities. Through this program, I'll get to witness how international diplomats work.

This is an amazing opportunity, but the trip is very expensive. The cost of the trip is $3,300, which doesn't include airfare. Each flight is approximately $1,500, for a total of $6,300. Every donation helps, even if it's only $1.00. I'm currently paying for half of this trip (since monthly installments are due). I'm a full-time student, so working full-time in order to fund this trip has not been easy. While I have been paying for half of this trip, my parents have been funding the other half. I hope to lift some of the financial burden from them since they are putting me through college at a prestigious university. This trip is very beneficial and important to me. Not only will I gain experience, but this will help me in the future when I am looking for internships, applying for scholarships or jobs, and it will result in many valuable connections.

With the job market being the way it is now, many college graduates are having problems finding jobs out of college. This is even truer since the number of young adults attending college is consistantly increasing. An applicant used to stand out if they had a degree opposed to one who did not, but since more young adults are aquiring degrees, it is now important to find other ways to set yourself apart. Some of the most distinguishing aspects are leadership, experience, and exposure to different countries and cultures. I've worked very hard thus far in college, obtaining a cumulative GPA of 3.8 and being nominated into various honor societies. I hope that all my hard work pays off, and I know that this trip will only increase my chances of that happening.

Thank you so much for your help! It is greatly appreciated!

If you do not feel comfortable with an online payment, you can email me at [email protected] for information on where to send a check to.

Once again, thank you so much!