For the past seven years, The British American Business Council - North Carolina chapter (BABC), has provided scholarships for CMS students to attend a two-week travel and study program in the United Kingdom. The program is conducted by the American Community Schools in London. Each year the students are chosen via an essay contest conducted by BABC in conjunction with CMS.

Ardrey Kell High student Connor Gilbride and Myers Park High students Hayden Hoffler and Clara Howell were selected as the winners of the 2010 British Studies Summer Program for their essays on the British person they would most like to meet. The students will travel to Great Britain to learn about its culture July 10 - 24.

Connor chose the late Capt. Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids, as the person he would most like to meet. Connor, who is a diver on the Ardrey Kell swim team, admires Capt. Webb for his perseverance and determination to overcome the challenges of swimming the English Channel. And much like Capt. Webb, Connor took on the challenge to volunteer as a diver for Ardrey Kell's swim team.

"I had no experience at diving," said Connor. "Diving requires you to be focused and brave, risking it all to achieve the perfect dive. Capt. Webb never did anything easy; he risked his life trying to achieve greatness."

Growing up in a family of nature enthusiasts influenced Hayden Hoffler to learn survival skills as a boy scout. Hayden chose Lord Robert Baden-Powell as the British figure he would like to meet because he helped create the Boy Scouts program. Baden-Powell's scouting handbook helped Hayden learn to correct his mistakes and become a positive role model as a scout.

"He was very adventurous, loved nature, loved the water and was a strong willed, very focused man," Hayden said. "He passed away in 1941, but if he was still alive today I wonder what direction scouting would be going."

Some of the most influential music in the world has come from The Beatles and that's who has inspired Clara Howell. She selected the famous rock band for influencing her with their hit song "I Want to Hold Your Hand." In the third grade, Clara and her classmates used songs from The Beatles for their Odyssey of the Mind skit. Even though they didn't win the competition, that particular song is her most favorite memory of the third grade.

"Even above the widespread popularity of The Beatles at the time of their existence, more respectable is their timelessness," Clara said. "The fact that decades after their albums were released, their songs are still being blasted through my speakers shows their resilience and style."

The $4500 scholarships are awarded to juniors interested in studying British history and culture. The selected students will join 14 other students, all sponsored by various BABC Chapters throughout the United States.

John E. Silvia, Ph. D. , Chief Economist - Wachovia Corporation

Dr. John Silvia joined Wachovia in February 2002 as chief economist for the Bank. Previously, John worked on Capitol Hill as senior economist for the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee and chief economist for the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Prior to that, he was chief economist of Kemper Funds and managing director of Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. John was recently named by Bloomberg News one of the top 10 forecasters for the last four years.

John holds a B.A. and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Northeastern University in Boston and has a Master's degree in economics from Brown University.

John serves as a member of the Blue Chip Panel of Economic Forecasters and also serves on an informal advisory group for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He serves on the Economic Advisory Committee of both the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Economic Advisory Roundtable member and at the American Bankers Association. John serves on the Economic Development Board for the State of North Carolina, a special appointment by Governor Mike Easley.

He was a director of the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) and was former President of the Charlotte Economics Club. In the past, John has served on economic advisory committees to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and the Public Securities Association.

In local affairs, John serves as a board member of the British American Business Council of North Carolina. He serves as a member of the Advisory Council to the Business School at Appalachian State University. He serves on the President's Council for Charlotte's Central Piedmont Community College. And he was a member of the Business Advisory Committee for the City of Charlotte.

Chris Williams, Sr. Executive Consultant (Wachovia Securities) and host of Carolina Business Review

As Senior Executive Consultant in the Private Client Group of Wachovia Securities, and host of the long running and widely viewed PBS television program Carolina Business Review, Chris William relates to individuals and is a peer of corporate leaders, encouraging smart financial management, best practice dialogue, and corporate consciousness.

Carolina Business Review, a thirty-minute weekly business analysis program created and moderated by William, is broadcast on all PBS stations throughout the Carolinas. The show invites top level executives to participate in panel discussions regarding the latest business and industry news in North and South Carolina.

As host and co-founder of The Forum for Corporate Conscience (2003), a national conference attended by more than 100 top executives from the U.S. and beyond, William succeeded in getting some of the world's leading strategists, thinkers and advocates to convene for a three day discussion on corporate ethics and responsibility. The forum resulted in unprecedented media coverage and a comprehensive white paper. This collective intentions document details the delegates' commitment to operate their companies in a socially responsible way and serves as a blueprint for future discussions on corporate responsibility and accountability.

William's business acumen, financial insight and solid relationship with many of Carolina's top visionaries make him a sought after public speaker and frequent commentator on radio, television and in print. He's an annual guest on numerous panels and conferences throughout the Carolinas.

For his Wachovia Securities clients, William's cumulative experience and integration into the financial and business industry make him a valuable resource. William's many obligations and commitments require him to maintain an aggressive competency level and forecast marketplace occurrences, all of which is parlayed into client recommendations and strategic financial planning.

Current civic responsibilities include: American Heart Association (Heart Walk Chair); Queens University of Charlotte (Board of Visitors) and the United Way Public Policy Committee. Among William's prior community leadership are: March of Dimes (Past Chair & Board Member); Success By 6 (Past Chair & Board Member) and Council for Children (Past Board Chair).

Every year, BABC NC provides scholarships for two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students to attend a two-week travel and study program in the United Kingdom. The program is conducted by the American Community Schools in London and is entitled The British Studies Summer Program (BSSP). Each year the students are chosen via an essay contest conducted by the British American Business Council of North Carolina in conjunction with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools System.

This is the sixth year the BABC, Charlotte has provided two scholarships worth $4500 each to Charlotte Mecklenburg School Juniors to attend a two week travel and study program in Britain, intended to give meaning to the enduring impact of British History and Culture. The selected students will join 14 other students, all sponsored by various BABC Chapters throughout the United States.

The program - entitled British Studies Summer Program (BSSP) - is conducted by the American Community Schools (ACS) in England, at the Cobham campus outside London. The two- week BSSP program is from June 26-July 11, 2009.

The recipients of this years BABCNC / ACS scholarship are now in the UK on their two week travel / study program.

Ms Morgan Winn and Ms Erika Lower have set up online journals, which document their impressions.

If you would like to read about their adventures, see photos or comment on itinerary, please find the appropriate links below.

http://morg-wynn.livejournal.com
http://el-in-england.livejournal.com