When asked what they did this summer, approximately 150 University of Oregon students can say they were part of an international event held in the U.S. for the first time.

The students will serve as ambassadors for the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, from July 22 to July 27 at the UO's historic Hayward Field.

The student ambassadors were selected through a competitive process to ensure things run smoothly for the 2,000 athletes from nearly 200 countries. Many ambassadors are multilingual and can assist the visiting athletes in native languages, a key consideration for assignments to delegations.

“It is a responsibility for me as an international student to present my country and my language on behalf of the University of Oregon,” said Abdulrahman Aljaafari, who will serve as ambassador to athletes from Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Iraq.

Before, during and after competition, the student ambassadors will provide information about campus and the local community, answer questions and be available to ensure the experience in TrackTown USA is great.

“I hope that they [athletes] can have a memorable time, not only through the competition, but also as an international trip to the United States, and to Eugene, Oregon,” said Nobu Tomiuga, who wanted to give back to his native country, Japan, as the host for the country’s athletes.

For more information, see a recent story about the academic coursework preparations.