Evanna Chinnery Needs Your Help To Go To The Presidential Classroom

Evana Chinnery and her mother Evelyn Romulus

 

Gifft Hill School student Evanna Chinnery has a lot on her mind and she wants to share it with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, Democratic Presidential candidate frontrunners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain   — but she needs your help.

Chinnery, a junior at GHS, has the opportunity to attend a Presidential Classroom program in Washington, D.C. from February 17 through 24, where she will discuss pertinent issues with the country’s top officials.

Before she can make it to the White House, however, Chinnery needs financial help to secure her participation and is hoping the community comes through.

“People should support me because it will be a great opportunity and, to my knowledge, no one from St. John has gone to this before,” Chinnery said.

The potentially life-changing opportunity is not lost on the talented young Chinnery, who excels in academics and — as a student of piano and voice who regularly sits in with one of the island’s hottest acts, the Jazz Islanders — the arts.

“Not many kids get this opportunity and I want to take advantage of it,” said Chinnery. “I want to experience being in Washington, D.C. and all of the history of the city.”

In addition to meeting the country’s elite politicians, Chinnery will get the chance to experience all that the nation’s capital has to offer.

International Attendance
“We’ll get to share our views with these important leaders and hear them speak publicly and see the White House and go to some of the museums,” said Chinnery. “I’ll get to meet students from around the world. There will be students there from Japan, China and Mexico and all over the states.”

While she will undoubtedly make lasting friendships, Chinnery will also let the world know about the Virgin Islands, she explained.

“I definitely have something to say and I hope to let people know that the Virgin Islands is part of the United States and that we do matter,” Chinnery said. “I’ve never had problems speaking my mind. It would be nice to let them know that as the U.S.V.I., we  have a say in America.”

Chinnery was contacted by the Presidential Classroom group after she was included in the Who’s Who of American High School Students.
The busy GHS junior has big plans for the summer too, when she will attend a Junior Statesmen of America program and study at Berklee College of Music’s summer program

While dreaming big, Chinnery has not lost sight of her main goal.

“I would like to make a positive turn in my life,” she said.

To help Chinnery take advantage of the Presidential Classroom opportunity, contact the high school junior at 340-776-6392 and make a donation.