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Emmy Award-winning actress Doris Roberts traveled as a Cultural Ambassador to
San Jose, Costa Rica, April 12-15, 2004, under the auspices of ECA's CultureConnect program (http://cultureconnect.state.gov). Assistant Secretary of State Patricia Harrison accompanied Roberts and together they connected with youth of all ages. Roberts, who has a lifetime of experience in the dramatic arts, found the students were eager to learn about her craft and professional experiences through Master Classes and discussions. On April 13, she and Harrison met with more than 1300 students, including high schoolers from three bilingual schools who gathered at the private Country Day school, and with younger children at the public Escuela de los Estados Unidos America. One young man, who will be personally mentored by Roberts through the CultureConnect website, said, "Thank you for coming. We see so many bad things happening in the world. I did not think there was a place for me-you have made me believe I can have a dream."

Roberts, who is an Executive Advisory Board member of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, learned much about the treatment of AIDS patients in Costa Rica, a nation which by law protects its victims of AIDS. In San Jose, Roberts, Harrison and other Bureau officials met with the Rainbow Association, an organization that works with children affected by AIDS. They also toured a state-of-the-art children's Intensive Care Unit in a HIV/AIDs hospital, and were impressed with the socialized medicine services available to all, including foreign citizens.

Additional information about Cultural Ambassador Doris Roberts is available at http://cultureconnect.state.gov/?p=DorisRoberts.

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