•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Monique Coleman, best known for playing Taylor McKessie in “High School Musical,” recently visited Jakarta to spread her message as the United Nations Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth. The title, which she received in November, means Coleman now uses her popularity to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young people.

At the moment, the 30-year-old actress is traveling around the world to present interactive, motivational talks to youth about life issues and the positive contribution they can make to their communities.

When the press met with the actress last week at UN headquarters in Jakarta, Coleman had just arrived in the city after attending the opening of the International Conference of Youth in Yogyakarta, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

During her two-day visit to Jakarta, Coleman held discussions with students and visited young people at an orphanage. At a table discussion with the staff from UN Information Center and the UN Volunteers, Coleman said she was excited to hear what young Indonesians want to share with her regarding their contribution to the society.

Born in 1980 in South Carolina in America, Coleman describes herself as an energetic woman. In fact, she was so hyperactive at school as a teenager that her teacher summoned her parents to discuss the problem. As a solution, they enrolled her in acting classes, and that’s when she began constructively channeling her energy. It’s also what set her on the path to her future career as an actress.

“This is why I think it’s critical to give young people attention because what they want is to be able to do something,” Coleman said.

On Feb. 28, she gave a talk in front of 220 students at the cultural center of the United States, @america, located in Pacific Place Mall. Some of the young people in the audience said Coleman inspired them and that during the show they learned about the importance of education and how to deal with difficult issues such as bullying.

Nadia, 11, a sixth-grade student at Al-Azhar Kemang, signed up for the event at the cultural center immediately after she found out the “High School Musical” star would be visiting Jakarta.

“Monique talked about bullying and that if we are gay or lesbian, we should not feel down,” Nadia said. She added that she has been bullied by her classmates since the third grade. Through Coleman, she said, she learned it was best to counteract the hostility with a positive attitude.

Adam, 14, said he loved how interactive Coleman made the talk.

“I also like how she addressed the differences between Indonesia and the United States,” said Adam, who attended the event alongside a group of friends from the ACG International School in South Jakarta.

Meiske, 16, a high school student at State High School (SMUN) 6 in Jakarta, said she felt very touched when Coleman comforted a member of the audience who came out of the closet in front of the rest of the attendees.

“That is so unlikely to happen in my school. Gay people get bullied because of their sexual preference,” Meiske said. “I see that Monique is very concerned with us young people and she does not discriminate.”

Besides raising youth issues, Coleman also emphasizes the importance of youth volunteering in the community during 2011, which has been designated the International Year of Volunteers.

During her visit to Jakarta, Coleman also visited the Pondok Taruna orphanage in Cipayung, East Jakarta. Founded in 1993, the orphanage is home to children and adults under 22 years of age who are either orphans, come from disadvantaged families or have suffered abuse.

During the visit, Coleman gave the children a drama class to help them prepare for a play they are currently working on.

The language barrier did not stop Coleman from winning over the children’s hearts with her jokes.

She showed them tricks to make their performance more interesting through the use of props, exaggerated facial expressions and body gestures. One minute, Coleman fell on her knees to express sadness, the next she stood up and showed the children how to pull on their hair without hurting themselves.

Gracia, 15, one of the children who lives at the orphanage, said she was very happy to have met Coleman. Unlike the more privileged children at @america, Gracia initially had no idea who Coleman was.

“I had never seen Monique before, but they said she is an actress. I just think she is a very nice person because she would hug me,” she said. Gracia called Coleman’s visit a “special experience.” After Coleman’s lesson she said she was confident that her and her friends could put on a more professional play.

Coleman also has an online talk show called “Gimme Mo’ ” that she uses to connect with young people worldwide. During her visit to Indonesia, Coleman recorded some of the events and the results will be shown on the Web site.

“I just want to give them a piece of as much courage as they have given me,” Coleman said.