One year after she had to postpone the trip, a St David’s student is off to the US — thanks to generous sponsors in Bermuda.“It’s a ten-day conference, meeting new people, exploring politics and debate,” said Staesha Pitcher of the upcoming Global Young Leaders Conference, which she missed last year because of the expense.The annual event is offered to talented students across the world by the US Congressional Youth Council.But the chance to represent Bermuda in Washington DC and New York, and to meet students aged 15 to 18 from around the world, comes courtesy of sponsors Deloitte and Touche Limited.The Berkeley Institute high honours student was nominated last year by her teachers to join the leadership conferences, but couldn’t foot the bill.“At first I thought, ‘why would they want to do that for me?’” said Staesha of learning, earlier this year, that Deloitte had chosen to support her.“I was really, really excited and happy — I really wanted to go on this trip, so I’ve made sure to thank them a million times. I like being able to meet people from all over, and people from around the world are going to be there.”Representatives from more than 100 countries will attend the July sessions on diplomatic, social and economic history, exploring and debating political policy — all aimed at preparing them for national and global leadership.A science lover, Staesha will be encountering new territory with this introduction to political science.Her maths teacher originally nominated her last year, as one of her year’s top students.Staesha, 17, admitted she suspected it was spam when she first received the acceptance e-mail.“I’ve never looked into politics before, so maybe this will spark my interest in it,” the S3 student said.She also plans to keep a journal so that Deloitte can hear about what they sponsored.Rachelle Frisby, a member of the Deloitte’s Philanthropic Committee said the company’s plan for this year includes support for the education of young Bermudians.“Education has the power to unlock potential, transform economies and societies and change lives. We support opportunities that develop our young people into the confident, responsible leaders of tomorrow,” Ms Frisby said, adding: “Staesha’s application and rationale for attending this event were impressive.“The conference will develop her leadership abilities and provide her with a perspective of important global concepts, including economic relations. By bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, it will also increase her understanding of cross-cultural differences. Furthermore, Staesha’s experience will empower her to make a further impact on the community, where she has demonstrated her exemplary character through her many achievements to date.”Useful websites: www.cylc.org, www.deloitte.com/bm