Student plans trip down under

A Piñon Hills Elementary School student said she's willing to interact with kangaroos, koalas and Australia's government to earn school credits.

Kassandra Tomasevic, 12, is one of 41 students from Northern Nevada who are going on a 19-day trip to Australia as a People to People student ambassador.

"We're going to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra," said Kassandra. "We're going to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and interact with the government. For fun we'll jump with kangaroos and hold a koala."

People to People provides an international educational experience to elementary, middle and high school students. As a student ambassador, Kassandra is automatically registered and is eligible to earn credit in a high school elective course with the Washington School of World Studies.

Student ambassadors are recommended for the program because of scholastic achievement. Kassandra is a straight-A student at Piñon Hills and said math is her favorite subject.

The students and their chaperones from Reno's Elmcrest Elementary depart June 15. About $6,000 per student is needed to pay for flights, rooms, meals, and spending money.

Kassandra is busy raising money for her trip by selling flower pens, doing chores and organizing a Parent's Night Out event May 20.

Kassandra and friends will baby-sit for a donations and provide food and a movie. She takes gymnastics classes at Positive Energy in Carson City.

"It's a great non-competitive place to show people what you've been learning," said Kassandra. "My gym said they'd loan out their studio so we could do the Parent's Night." For more information on the Parent's Night Out on May 20, call Veronica Tomasevic at 267-2622.