Guest Column: Proud to represent La Cañada to the world

This trip to Washington, D.C. for the Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit was by far one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I applied to represent the city of La Cañada because it is such a great city that I have been fortunate enough to grow up in for the past seven years, and I feel that it is my duty to give back to the city whenever possible.

On the trip, I experienced so many amazing encounters. We were able to sit in on Senate meetings, and visited the Capitol building, the Washington National Monument and the White House. The most memorable events from this trip for me were the simulation game we took part in, where we all were mock diplomats and got to represent our respective countries. We attempted to solve the tension and problems that were ailing the world, and we were able to resolve it.

Along with that, another great experience was being at the Japanese embassy and getting to meet the Japanese ambassador. We were able to experience a little bit of Japanese culture while we were there, and it was truly amazing to be able to shake hands and get a photo with the man who represents the whole country of Japan.

Another memorable event was when we sat in on a Senate meeting. We were able to see how the government actually functions, and I found that to be very mind blowing. We were also lucky, as we got to see former presidential candidate Marco Rubio walk in on the Senate meeting while we were there. It was very interesting to experience that.

In addition to the places we visited, the people I was able to meet there were amazing. I became very close to these people in a mere five days, having not known anything about them prior to this. One of my close friends from the trip, Matt Rodriguez, is visiting Los Angeles from Florida this coming week, and it will be great to see him again. Other close friends were Cameron Gallagher from Utah and Davis Holcombe from South Carolina, both of whom invited me to stay with them if I ever visit their states.

They all have left a positive impact on my life and I am truly grateful for La Cañada Flintridge and Sister Cities in giving me this chance to experience this. I plan to stay involved in any possible events to represent La Cañada, and to be able to hopefully articulate in this trip in the future.

AMR EISSA attends St. Francis High School.