Eighteen-year-old Taariq Tucker, is a singer and an actor. He's also soon to be a member of the globe-trotting cultural immersion programme, Up With People.

The recent Berkeley Institute graduate began entertaining at age four.

"Ever since then I have just wanted to be on stage, singing is what I am really passionate about.

"Before my first solo performance I was so nervous that I forgot all the lyrics to the song. I had to very quickly print them out and study them again to refresh my memory."

Mr. Tucker most recently performed in a recent production by theatre company Troika, 'Work in Progress No. 1: Ammunition'.

The play focused mainly on youth violence. Cast members added their input as the play developed.

Mr. Tucker met Candace Furbert as part of that experience.

"[She] was also accepted into Up With People," he said. "It was meeting Candace and my experience with Troika that inspired me to join Up With People."

Up With People is a cultural immersion programme that takes students from different countries on a singing and dancing, community service-based world tour, with the goal of spreading a message of unity.

He continued: "Being in Troika was a great experience and it really helped me solidify what I want to do."

To help foot the bill for their tour, Troika held special encore performances of 'Ammunition'.

Mr. Tucker leaves in January on a five-and-a-half month tour. He first heads to the mid-western United States, then to Los Angeles, Mexico and the Philippines.

"I have never been to any of these places," he said. "I know I will have a grin from ear to ear."

He's also a budding community activist. His father, Duval Spencer, is well known for his cedar sculptures of Gombeys.

He is also a member of the Emperial Group, the community activist organisation that recently brought Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to the Island.

Mr. Spencer has sculpted a character he calls 'Aj the little gombey'. His hope is that it will bridge the gaps in society and encourage adults to "talk to youth, rather than dictate".

"Aj the little gombey is a cultural icon that represents positivity in the community and speaks directly to the youth," he said.

Mr. Tucker will serve as an ambassador for the gombey initiative, acting as a positive role model as best he can as he travels with Up With People.

He intends to use Aj the little gombey as a communicating tool, and is "prepared to take leadership" and confront Bermuda's social ills head-on.