Delegate Welcomes Students Selected to Participate in National African American Youth Initiative and the Congressional “Artistic Discovery” Winner

Contact Aesha Duval @ 340-778-5900

Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen welcomed students participating in the National African American Youth Initiative (NAAYI) in Washington, DC today. 

The Delegate hosted the scholars on Capitol Hill, along with many of her Congressional Black Caucus colleagues at her side, as they offered support to high school aged students interested in health and science careers.

Organized by the National Medical Association’s Auxiliary, the students spend the week in Washington, DC visiting institutions such as Howard University Hospital, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, getting a first hand look at how and why health policy is shaped and where critical research is performed.

NAAYI was developed to expose high school students to careers in health care.  The program’s goal is to motivate and encourage the young African-American participants to remain in the academic pipeline and to pursue jobs in the scientific and health arenas.  Information about this program was sent to all high schools in the Virgin Islands to solicit participation of our students. The Delegate is proud to welcome two Virgin Islands students who are participating in this year’s program – Derron Callwood and Nicole Grant of St. Thomas.

The Delegate also welcomed African-American students from Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

This week,  Delegate Christensen, also was honored to have the Virgin Islands Congressional Art Student winner, Sharee Miller, in Washington DC for the 2008 Congressional Art Competition on Capitol Hill.

Sharee’s work will be on display in the Cannon Tunnel that leads directly to the Capitol Tunnel along with the winners from across the country for one year. Each year, high schools across the country compete in an “Artistic Discovery” for the chance to have their work on display in the tunnel. Each state’s district has the option to select one artist and have that piece placed on in the Cannon Tunnel.

For additional information please contact the Delegate’s Office in Washington, DC at 202-225-1790.