Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Valley seniors graduate Pages 5-7
June 19, 2014
Youth ambassador will spend his summer in South Korea By Sam Kenyon Cal Gillard arrived this week in South Korea, where he serves as an ambassador for the United States. The U.S. State Department sent him to South Korea to learn the country’s language and culture. He is seventeen years old. The Mount Si junior was accepted into the prestigious National Security Language Initiative for Youth and will be spending his summer in the city of Jeonju, nearly 5,300 miles from his Snoqualmie home. “I’ve always been interested in other cultures and I’ve always wanted to do an exchange program or something of that sort,” Gillard said. After researching the elite program, which two of his high school friends participated in last year, Gillard went through the multitiered application process. That process included personal interviews in Seattle that lasted more than an hour. Only about 15 percent of the roughly 3,500 applicants are granted the scholarship, and Gillard was one
of them. “I was really excited,” he said. “I was jumping up and down and yelling.” The National Security Language Initiative for Youth began in 2006 as a national program offered by the State Department for young citizens to earn a scholarship to travel abroad. The goal is to promote language and cultural learning in countries whose languages most Americans don’t learn. Through sending young citizens abroad to be immersed in languages like Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi, Persian, Russian and Korean, the U.S. hopes to promote the American image abroad as well as facilitate cultural exchange. “One of their big things is they want strong ambassadors for the United States,” Gillard said. He is a technology lover and has been drawn to Asian cultures for a long time. As he learned more about the NSLI-Y program, he eventually chose to travel to South Korea, where he will stay from June 14 to Aug. 1.
SnoValley Chamber sets member record
“Mainly, I just didn’t want to sit at home all summer,” he said. “I also wanted to kind of see a world that wasn’t what I was used to.” After the long application and selection process, the trip is now under way and his family is thrilled for him. “I’m one of the biggest worrywarts that anyone has ever met, and I’m not at all worried,” said his mother, Lanice Gillard. “It’s the strangest thing.” “This is an excellent Cal Gillard program,” she said. “I just think it’s a wonderful than I had thought.” opportunity.” The Gillard family had always Before Cal brought the idea known that Cal was a capable to his parents, they had never and responsible kid, but now the heard of NSLI-Y or the city of State Department was confirmJeonju. Like their son, they now ing it. know what a special opportunity “The fact that they’re choosthis scholarship offers. ing kids to be ambassadors from “When he was chosen, all the United States to Korea, it of us were just so excited and says a lot about my kid,” she jumping up and down,” Lanice See KOREA, Page 3 said. “It’s a much bigger deal
Hospital construction continues inside and outside Contributed
Brickwork has begun on the new Snoqualmie Valley Hospital. This is a view of the southwest corner of the building. Inside, contractors have been installing the fire sprinkler main lines and fireproofing the walls. Window installation is well underway. Curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be the next big exterior project. Hospital district officials expect the $38 million project to be complete by early 2015.
The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce recently set a membership record when Impact Studio Pro of Issaquah joined the business group on May 22. The video production company brought the total membership to 330, the highest in the group’s 20 year history. “We are so excited that Impact Studio Pro gets to be the official 330th member in the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber,” Impact Studio CEO Nathan Bosseler said. “We look forward to meeting all the other members, learning about their services and sharing our expertise on effective visual media.” Membership reached 329 in June 2009, but then dropped off. A year ago the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber had 265 members. Chamber CEO Nate Perea said the reason for the growth is twofold. “First, we have worked really hard at creating a great culture within the chamber, where everyone’s goal is to help everyone else succeed,” he said. “Second, we have assembled an awesome team of chamber staff. Kaylee Hardman keeps us completely organized and Lizzy Billington is out networking and bringing the community together. “There’s great value to being a part of our network and people are enjoying the experience.” Another five businesses have been added since the record was broken, bringing the current membership count to 335. The chamber’s new tourism-based website, exciting new events and robust business-education opportunities have also helped add value to the membership experience, Perea said. For more information about the chamber of commerce, visit www.snovalley.org. Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER