Two Eighth Graders Chosen to Represent Their School as Project 351 Ambassadors

MANCHESTER-ESSEX– Eighth graders Mikayla Miller and Zoe Coshow embody what it means to be a leader at Manchester Essex Regional School District, which is why they have been chosen as this year’s ambassadors for Project 351.

Each year, Project 351 invites one eighth grader from every city and town in Massachusetts to participate in a yearlong leadership development program. The program is centered on service, civic engagement, and social change.

This year, Mikayla and Zoe were chosen by their teachers for consistently demonstrating the values their school works to instill. 

Interim Middle School Principal, Elizabeth Taylor, said the pair stood out not just for their accomplishments, but for how they carry themselves. “They demonstrate the characteristics of our school,” Principal Elizabeth Taylor said. “They reflect kindness and service and hold themselves to high standards in their learning.”

Their Project 351 journey will officially begin on Jan. 17 in Boston, where they joined hundreds of fellow student ambassadors from across the state for Launch Day. 

Honoring the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Launch Day marks the start of a 2-month-long commitment to leadership development and community service.

Throughout the year, Mikayla and Zoe will collaborate with peers from different communities, building skills and perspective while learning how they can enact meaningful change. 

The Grade 8 students will bring the lessons they learn back home, individually designing and leading a service project aimed at addressing a local need in their town.

Upon completing the 12-month program, both students will join Project 351’s alumni community, gaining access to mentorship and support throughout high school and beyond.

Since its founding in 2011, Project 351 has engaged over 5,588 students across Massachusetts, rooted in the belief that when young people are trusted with responsibility, they rise to meet the challenge. 

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