International Scholars

Each International Scholar in our program is expected to choose a destination abroad that fuels a passion or stretches them out of their comfort zone, ensuring their travels will be a pathway to having a global edge.

Our students participate in several programs, including our International Scholars Program, our 8-Week Learning Journeys, our Young Ambassador Program, and other local, regional, international and virtual opportunities.

Some of our international scholars complete multiple-week virtual internships where they discuss topics like the Northern Triangle, climate change, Black Lives Matter, diplomacy and ambassadorship, natural disasters and preparedness, and human rights with teens their age from around the U.S. and from several countries, including Kosovo, Mexico and El Salvador. They also work on special teams focusing on Social Media & Marketing, Research, Fundraising & Sponsorship, and organizational operations.

Meet some of our scholars below.

Jordyn

“I think this program had a large impact on how I view social justice issues and it helped me understand it from other people’s perspectives from around the world. But the most exciting thing I learned was about virtual Learning Journeys. It taught me how to do research about countries to learn about culture, architecture, food, and tourism.”

Taylor

“YPT Global Edge will allow kids to have a new perspective on how others live in other countries and that everyone deserves to live the life that they choose. Something Young People Travel Global Edge taught me this summer is communication skills, teamwork, and learning about new experiences.”

Max

“Because of Young People Travel Global Edge, I am now more comfortable applying for colleges further from home than I was before I started this program.”

Lindsay

“Young People Travel Global Edge will impact the world by giving black youth who may be unfamiliar with the world outside of theirs a platform to learn and discover new outlooks of life in other places”

Board Members

Sanya Weston

Founder

Sanya Tyson Weston is CEO of Your Premier Travel Service, the oldest African-American owned travel agency in Detroit, and founder of Young People Travel Global Edge, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving inner-city youth in Detroit. Weston has more than 30 years of experience planning and organizing travel excursions. A third-generation business owner, Sanya has been an entrepreneur and community leader in her beloved Detroit community for over half of her life.

Tanya Duncan

Trustee

Tanya is a Financial Services Senior Officer with 17+ years of experience at the Massachusetts Bankers Association (one of the largest state banking trade associations nationwide) and in-depth banking industry knowledge and expertise. She is also skilled at advancing legislative and regulatory policies that stimulate economic growth.

Crystal Sanford-Brown

Trustee

Crystal Sanford-Brown, recently retired, is a seasoned early childhood advocate within the early childhood field. Having served in direct care as a licensed facilitator of family and group childcare homes, a child care center owner, and an early childhood resource and referral specialist, she also celebrated more than 10 years as a coordinator of on-campus children’s centers. Crystal continues to highlight the importance of quality early childhood education and environments for young children.

Melissa Halpin

Trustee

As CEO & Principal of Memora, Melissa is an executive with a deep background in the creation and management of compelling experiences for museums, foundations, and Fortune 1000 brands. Collaborative leader of multi-disciplinary teams able to deliver across exhibit, event, print, and digital interactives. Co-Founder of several digital product start-ups including ScreenFuture, Tonechaser and The Kindling Project.

Janel Johnson

Trustee

Janel F. Johnson is a young adult with a passion for travel and a wanderlust spirit. She believes that travel should expose a visitor to the true nature of a foreign locale. When in a new country, Janel can be found traversing local public transportation or becoming a regular at a local bakery. She loves to travel to experience how others live and to expand her view of the world. She is the definition of actively working to “expand your horizons.”

Stephen Ball

Trustee

Stephen Ball is Founder and CEO of Wisdem, a company providing college admissions counseling, career advising, homeschool consulting, and entrepreneurship guidance. As an online business, Wisdem works with clients in Metro Detroit, nationally, and across the globe. Ball earned a B.A. in Political Science and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, as well as a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Sandy Anderson

Trustee

Sandy is an established Entrepreneur who has operated and mentored businesses successfully for over 35 years. Her latest project, The Sulit Experience, mentors and provides services for ten individual small companies. She has sat on various Travel Industry Advisory Boards—a University of Minnesota Alumni and a former Exchange Student- inspiring her curiosity about travel.

Shannon Steel

Trustee

Shannon Steel is the co-owner of the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Hotel in Southfield, becoming the youngest Black woman in the country to own a hotel, when the property was purchased in 2019. Steel and her partners put more than $3 million into renovating the 9-story, 239-room hotel, formerly branded as the Embassy Suites by Hilton Hotel.

Shannon was raised in Detroit, where she played basketball at Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School for the legendary William Winfield. Steel earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Houston where she hooped and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. She is also a graduate of Harvard Business School Online, earning a certificate of finance.

Advisors

Tongie Leonce

Advisor

Tongie is Founder and CEO of Pivot Solutions Group, LLC in Dallas, Texas where she helps small businesses and individuals “shift” for success.

Tongie has a proven track record of developing leaders and responsible servants in the workforce. She also volunteers her time to mentor young people and provide guidance on pursuing their career goals.

Her unique skillset as an Engineer and HR Leader brings a level of strategic focus to attract, develop, engage and connect all Stakeholders for positive outcomes.

Destiney Finch

Advisor

Destiney is a former collegiate scholar-athlete, a Kentucky State University alum. Destiney has 15+ years in athletics as a player, coach and mentor. She is the Founder of “The Pink Laces Foundation” a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization geared toward bringing awareness to female high-school athletes of color and urban areas to earn athletic scholarships. Destiney enjoys working with youth, developing their confidence and communication skills, and traveling around the world.

Harold Hogue

Advisor

Harold Hogue is a Detroit native and has traveled the world as a collegiate and professional athlete. He is best known for his tenure as a former professional wrestler with World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under the ring names Ice Train and M.I. Smooth. Harold is a passionate, enthusiastic individual who is very dedicated to giving 110% when mentoring youth in sports and in life.

Margaret Mutumba

Advisor

Margaret Mutumba is a passionate public health researcher with over 10 years of experience in maternal and reproductive health, particularly focused on affordable infertility care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Margaret is the founder of Infertility Voices, an advocacy platform that seeks to increase awareness, broaden access, and improve the affordability of fertility care in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our Partners

We would like to personally thank all of our YPT Global Edge Sponsors and Partners. We appreciate your generosity and are very grateful for your support. Commitments like yours give us hope that lives will be changed, one student at a time! If you’re interested in becoming a Sponsor, complete our sponsorship interest form. You can also make a donation.