Last updated at 11:43, Thursday, 12 July 2012

AN Arlecdon teenager has been picked to go to a global conference in North America for the future leaders of tomorrow.

international summit: Ben Graves, 17, from Arlecdon, is in America

Ben Graves, 17, of Big Croft, was nominated by Keswick School to attend the Global Young Leaders Conference in North America which started on Monday and runs until Wednesday, July 18.

The conference is a unique leadership development programme that brings together outstanding young people from around the world to build critical leadership skills in a global context.

About 100 teenagers from across the world, and only four from the UK, will visit various embassies in Washington DC and then travel to New York.

In New York, they will visit the United Nations and take part in a mock global summit where the young leaders will debate world issues.

Ben said: “I am hoping it will help me see the issues we talk about from different cultural perspectives.

“It’s an added bonus for my university application. I am a little bit nervous. I have never flown by myself before.”

He added that he has already met about 80 of the 100 going to the conference through a Facebook group that has been set up, with some of the young leaders coming from places including Kenya, Peru and New Zealand.

Only high academic achievers with an interest in politics had their applications accepted.

Ben had to pay about £2,000 in tuition fees and flights. The Egremont and Whitehaven Rotary Clubs, and the Communication Workers Union all helped sponsor him.

He will shortly be choosing what universities to apply to and he said his dream is to do philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University.

Benjamin is a member of the Labour Party and is working with Workington Mayor Andrew Lawson trying to set up a Young Labour branch in West Cumbria.

First published at 11:08, Thursday, 12 July 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk