皇家华人

A year ago, was graduating with an MBA, having built upon his two degrees from the University of South 皇家华人 with an array of community service experiences that included serving as campus governor in St. Petersburg. Now, he鈥檚 nearly 7,500 miles and more than a dozen time zones away in Osaka, Japan, representing the United States on a global scale at the .鈥�

World Expo, which is expected to draw more than 28 million visitors, is a platform for countries to showcase their culture and innovative spirit while fostering international dialogue, cooperation and progress to address shared challenges. For Schrader, the opportunity to serve as a youth ambassador is an unparalleled opportunity to expand his personal and professional horizons and explore the many ways young people can become global leaders.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淎 lot of people say you have an MBA, choosing to be a youth ambassador seems very unconventional,鈥� Schrader said in a recent conversation from Osaka. 鈥淭he opportunity to work with global partners, to work in diverse settings, to work on empowering your colleagues to make a difference 鈥� was all in the capstone class I took last April.鈥� There isn鈥檛 a better real-world experience than this.鈥濃€�&苍产蝉辫;

World expos 鈥� also known as world fairs 鈥� are held every five years and for nearly 100 years have served as significant moments of global exchange, learning and goodwill. The 2025 World Expo opened on April 13 and will run through October, although Schrader鈥檚 tenure as a youth ambassador will conclude at the end of July. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淭hese young leaders will represent the diverse, innovative, and ambitious spirit that America鈥檚鈥痽outh embody,鈥� said Ricki Garrett, Sister Cities International President and CEO.

The highly-competitive youth ambassador program is organized through a collaboration between the and with the purpose of representing the USA and building peace through public diplomacy. With more than 1,500 applicants for the role, just 88 U.S. youth ambassadors between the ages of 19 and 27 were selected to serve at World Expo 2025.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淭hese young leaders will represent the diverse, innovative, and ambitious spirit that America鈥檚鈥痽outh embody,鈥� said Ricki Garrett, Sister Cities International President and CEO. 鈥淭hey are our next generation of leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors.鈥濃€�

This past fall, Schrader spent several months in Munakata City, Japan, teaching English to elementary and middle school students while also conducting research on how government, nonprofit, and business sectors integrate the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals into practice.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Schrader is also serving as a for 2024-25 and was a U.S. delegate to the 2023 U.N. Economic and Social Council Youth Forum, representing 皇家华人 in New York. 鈥淭hat was the first global exposure I had,鈥� Schrader said. 鈥淚 thought: 鈥楾his is a really big world. There鈥檚 a lot more to experience out there.鈥欌€濃€�&苍产蝉辫;
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
At the World Expo, Schrader鈥檚 role is to welcome guests to the 鈥檚 immersive experience of American landscapes, innovation and achievements in space exploration and the rapidly expanding space economy. Collectively, the American youth ambassadors represent 45 states and speak more than 20 languages.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The Expo鈥檚 theme of 鈥淒esigning Future Society for Our Lives鈥� was reflected in each of the 160 countries and territories participating in the expo. In just the first week, the youth ambassadors at the USA Pavillion greeted and assisted more than 61,000 visitors, including international dignitaries, officials, and representatives. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淚 was a 皇家华人 ambassador for a few years,鈥� said Schrader, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration from 皇家华人 in 2022, was one of the that year and served as a , a youth empowerment program. 鈥淚鈥檓 capitalizing off that experience and taking it to the next level.鈥濃€�&苍产蝉辫;

Schrader鈥檚 post MBA graduation experiences 鈥痟ave included a fellowship with the ; serving as a country coordinator for the , supporting students in an international competition to build high-impact startups; and serving as president of the .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Having already lived in Japan, Schrader was accustomed to the cultural contrasts he鈥檚 experiencing as a youth ambassador. Not surprisingly coming from the traffic-clogged Tampa Bay Region, the nation鈥檚 bullet trains are his favorite feature of modern life in Japan. But there are other surprising differences, he notes.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淥ne of the biggest culture shocks is whether someone works in a family mart, or is train conductor or a custodian, everyone has the same level of pride in their job, and they are committed to it,鈥� he said.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

A delegation from the City of Tampa and 皇家华人鈥攊ncluding President Rhea Law and 皇家华人 World Vice President Kiki Caruson鈥攚as coincidentally visiting Japan to explore the expansion of study abroad and student exchange programs. Schrader had the opportunity to join the group of Bulls from back home for dinner, adding a meaningful connection to his experience in Japan.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

When he returns to 皇家华人 this summer, law school applications and 鈥渕aybe a little more travel鈥� await, he said.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;