A former Rock Bridge High School student is organizing an international summit in Jordan this summer in hopes of resolving America’s conflict in Iraq.

Parker Eshelman photo

Mike Schoenleber, an ex-Rock Bridge High School student and a former page in the U.S. Senate, attends the Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong and is organizing an 11-day conference this summer in Jordan for U.S. and Iraqi teens, who will be asked to propose a solution for the United States in Iraq.

Mike Schoenleber, 18, founded the Youth Initiative for Progress in Iraq at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, where he’s been a student for the past year and a half.

The 11-day Youth Initiative or Progress conference will be held in July and gather 15 American students and 15 Iraqi teens between the ages of 16 and 19. After spending several days building trust with one another, discussing conflict resolution and learning negotiation skills, the 30 students will draft a policy to propose to leaders of both countries.

Schoenleber, who is in Columbia for the holidays, said he doesn’t have a preconceived notion of what that policy should say but wants to see what kind of solutions young people can come up with.

Teenagers are "more open-minded and don’t have such a set opinion," he said. "I don’t want any political agenda going in, and I’m removing my own political belief from this conference. The belief that I’m really pushing is that bringing people together to discuss issues is a good idea."

Schoenleber met with two members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and New York last week to discuss the conference, but he declined to identify them. He hopes to have lawmakers of both political parties publicly endorse the conference in the coming months.

Schoenleber attended Rock Bridge until the middle of his junior year, when he transferred to the United States Senate Page School, where he served as a Senate page. He then transferred to Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, where he will graduate this spring.

Acquaintances of Schoenleber said they’re not surprised he’s involved in international politics.

"He’s always been a global thinker, and he’s always been able to take information and have an understanding of the larger picture," said teacher David Graham, who had Schoenleber in his Advance Placement world studies class. "As a person, he’s very caring and insightful, and I think that’s taken him a long way. He really does want to make a difference and do something to make the world better."

Jefferson Junior High School social studies teacher Russ Sackreiter said he saw early signs of Schoenleber’s political interests when, as a freshman, Schoenleber participated in "We the People," an annual mock government competition sponsored by the Missouri Bar.

"I think he saw politics and the law as a way of addressing problems and helping people," Sackreiter said. "That’s really insightful for a freshman."

Schoenleber hopes to attend the University of Oxford in England this fall and pursue a career in politics. He hasn’t ruled out the idea of becoming president someday.

"I want to do all I can for the United States and the world," he said. "A position like that would be ideal for accomplishing drastic changes."

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