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Contact: Estella Zavala or Susan Cergol, 225-6437
Posted on: March 18, 2002

Andrea Olguin, a seventh-grader at Wakefield Middle School, 101 W. 44^th St., will attend the National Junior Leaders Conference to be held July 19 through July 28 in Boston.

Andrea, a Building the Future student, was selected to participate in this program based on her outstanding academic achievements and her leadership skills. The conference will focus on law and justice and will offer workshops on leadership, problem solving and communication. Students will also have an opportunity to participate in field trips to Harvard University and Law School, several area law firms and Boston Harbor. Speakers will include lawyers, judges, forensic experts and others who will provide insights on current legal issues.

Jessica Gonzalez, another Wakefield student was also nominated to participate but will not be able to attend the conference due to other commitments.

The Building the Future Program began in February 1998 when the University of Arizona and Tucson Rotary Clubs teamed up to create the program to make a commitment to pay for the UA education of 101 third graders at C.E. Rose Elementary School. These students are currently seventh-graders at Wakefield. The Building the Future program will provide them with tuition waivers if they meet the university's criteria for admission.

The National Junior Leaders Conference is a non-partisan educational organization founded to support the efforts of outstanding middle school students in achieving their leadership potential. The NJLC offers leadership development, complemented by a selection of core curriculum, for students who have completed grades 6, 7 or 8, who have a record of academic excellence and who have demonstrated leadership potential through extracurricular or community involvement.