Fan favorite (even Red Sox fans would have to agree), Bernie Williams -- centerfielder for the New York Yankees -- recently returned from a transformative trip to South America as one of the State Department's Cultural Ambassadors, joining luminaries such as Yo-Yo Ma, Frank McCourt, Daniel Libeskind and Wynton Marsalis.

Bernie traveled to Venezuela and Colombia to lead several baseball clinics for children. He also met with the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and lunched with local Colombian leaders. He even played a couple of concerts (Bernie plays the guitar -- keep the day job).

The first of a reported four trips that Bernie will be making as a Cultural Ambassador, his willingness to extend himself beyond the safe confines of arguably the most enviable position to have in life (professional sports star is not too shabby) is admirable and inspiring.

see article in The New York Times