Hello! My name is Simone and I am 16 years old. I am a black belt in Tang Soo Do, and the leading member of multiple clubs at my school. I have been recently accepted as a North West Exchange Student, and with this program I hope to travel to Japan for four weeks on a homestay.

Being part Japanese, I have been drawn to learning about my heritage from a young age. In kindergarten I took a Japanese language class at school and absolutely loved it. I still remember the alphabet song we would sing as a class, and I continue to hum it in my head even today. From that moment on, I have been seeking more opportunities to learn about myself and where part of my family came from along with the dream to someday travel to Japan.

More recently, I’ve taken advanced Japanese classes at Japanese Language School every Saturday. There I learned not only how to speak, read, and write, but also about about the culture and traditional values of Japan such as Japanese holidays, making Japanese food, and participating in Japanese festivals. My teachers would often tell stories of their childhoods in Japan, each word making me more and more determined to achieve my goal of travelling to Japan.

Today I take a Japanese language class at my high school, where I constantly learn new things. My peers are always enthusiastic about each lesson, and I have had the most wonderful time learning beside them. I also have a wonderful teacher who is willing to help make my dreams come true. All of these people encourage me to reach my goals and achieve my dreams of going to Japan.

This opportunity would impact my future as well. When I get older, I would very much like to have a job teaching English in Japan. Recently at school, a  speaker came to my class and talked about opportunities for teaching English in foreign countries. He inspired me and gave me another big goal to accomplish. Experiencing life in Japan now, is crucial to my goals when I am older.

This trip would honestly be my biggest dream come true. The opportunity to learn about the world around me and to learn about myself as well would be absolutely amazing. Three weeks of this trip will be spent on a homestay in Tokyo, where I will learn about daily Japanese lifestyle and hopefully create a lasting relationship with my new host family. The other week will be spent in Nagano where I will have the chance to spend time with other exchange students and participate in a cultural summer camp. In this camp we will make food, explore nature, and bond with people from many different places around the world.

This trip would be the adventure of a lifetime, and with your support my dreams will finally come true. The whole trip including airfare is $3,700 and I have worked very hard to raise $600 on my own. I will continue to raise money on my own but your contribution (even the tiniest bit of money helps!) would mean the world to me. Thank you so much for your support! I truly appreciate it.