Sonoma Valley High student heads to Sister Cities Youth Summit

Ryan Pfleger, a rising senior at Sonoma Valley High School, will be attending the Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in early August, thanks to sponsorship from the Sonoma Sister Cities Association.

The Summit is designed to impart leadership skill and experience to the high school participants, most of whom have expressed an interest in pursuing further study in international relations or related social sciences. Summit organizers describe the goal of the program as fostering the next generation of diplomatic leaders.

Through a specialized diplomatic simulation, site visits, speaker sessions, and peer collaboration, participants will learn how different national interests drive international cooperation on critical issues.

Students also experience a taste of college life by lodging at the dorms at the University of Denver.

When reached by phone two week before his departure, Pfleger, 16, said that he was very excited for the opportunity.

“I am interested in global communications, and I like the idea of meeting other students from around the country and around the world,” he said. “I have also never stayed in a dorm before, and I am excited to do that because as a senior next year, I am thinking a lot about college.”

The Summit will be held in Aurora, Colorado from August 1 to 5. See sistercities.org/yls for detais.

The nonprofit Sonoma Sister Cities Committees operates under the auspices of the Sonoma Sister Cities Association.