National Youth Commission of Taiwan Names Terry Vo First American Youth Trekker Ambassador

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Alumna Terry Vo

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The National Youth Commission of Taiwan, through its “Youth Trekker’s Wanted” campaign, has named Terry Vo to the position of 2012 Youth Trekker Ambassador. Vo is the first American to receive this honor in the campaign’s four-year history.

Campaign applicants must submit an itinerary proposal for a trip to Taiwan lasting ten days or longer that is centered on a theme chosen by the applicant and reflects youthful energy and enthusiasm. Once completed, the applications are uploaded online, where a panel of seasoned backpackers, academics, and travel experts chooses the twenty ambassadors.

The 20 ambassadors for 2012 represent 13 countries and were chosen from a pool of more than 653 applicants from 55 countries. The theme of Vo’s trip will be, “Tying the Knot in Taiwan-The meanings behind Taiwanese weddings.” Vo says she got the idea for her theme upon being invited to a friend’s wedding in Taiwan and realizing she knew little about what would occur. She will stay in Taiwan Aug 7-17 to fulfill her itinerary and will share her experiences through social media via her Youth Trekker blog and her Twitter feed @TerryBlossom11.

“I am truly honored to be chosen as the first American,” Vo said. “Many people I have spoken with couldn’t pinpoint Taiwan on a map, and it made me so happy that I can share a new culture with my friends and for anyone interested…I want more Americans to go to Taiwan after me in the years to come, which is why I want to share my experience.”

The “Youth Trekker’s Wanted” campaign encourages tourism to Taiwan by inviting youth ages 18-30 to learn more about the island via proposal research and positive interactions with Taiwanese culture. The 20 appointed ambassadors receive $2,000 or $3,000 toward their trips, which are sponsored by the National Youth Commission of Taiwan. The commission was established in 1966 for the purpose of coordinating economic development and developing youth professional skills.

A native of Fort Smith, Vo graduated cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and a minor in Asian studies and Japanese. After working in Japan for two years in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, she relocated to Nashville to serve as the JET Program and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Scholarship coordinator at the consulate-general of Japan. She was named one of Nashville’s 2011 Top 30 Under 30 honorees by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was a finalist for the 2011 Government and Public Affairs Industry Nashville Emerging Leader Award. Vo also serves as Wish Granter and Secretary for the Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee Young Leaders Board. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, attending live performances and is an avid traveler, climbing the Great Wall of China and Mount Fuji.

For more information, contact Hot Taiwan International Integrated Marketing Co. at hottaiwan801@gmail.com or by telephone (886-2) 2735-877 ext 18, or Vo at tvo320@gmail.com.