A local recent HS graduate, Sam E., is on a year of Rotary exchange in Japan. This kid is amazing - smart as a whip, funny, engaging, and really going places. The fact that he doesn't speak Japanese isn't stopping him one bit. I predict you'll be seeing this kid on a national political stage someday. You read it here first.
I didn't know until today that he's blogging while living with a host family. Check out his adventures in fishery school!
Doing a year abroad through Rotary is almost expected of high-achieving HS grads here. Is it my imagination or are current teens just a bit more focused than we were?
6 comments:
I went to Norway for a year after High School in 1985. I took classes at the local Gymnas and even took the Artium examinations.
I was never a fancy-pants exchange student, but I did have a killer science fair exhibit called "things I have found in my nose".
I did PSEO at the U full time my senior year and all those AP classes before that. What a square!
PSEO was the best choice of my life, but my ingrained driven attitude had me done with college at age 20 with no where to go but real life.
If I could do it again I would have gone more slowly through college.
Definitely more driven, but I also see more of a burnout effect in lots of the teens I know. They can kill on a test, but hold an intelligent conversation? Not so much.
Well after "Kirby's" last comment there I've really got the heat on to leave a decent comment. Margaret, I can't thank you enough for devoting a whole entry to me. It really means a lot. I've been having such an incredible (and certainly at times challenging, as I think Mommy Lisa will agree) year abroad so far. I am excited to see where it takes me. Thanks for the shout out, and I'll definitely be checking your page now too. I can tell it's got quite the audience.
Sam Estenson
At work we had to study the "Millenium Generation" for marketing purposes. In general, they have older, more invested parents who push them to be more driven. I think that's good in some ways. But I think with all these scheduled play dates and working toward college in kindergarten, kids miss the creativity that comes with going outside to play and less structure.
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