I'm finally on my way to Japan...

I want to thank all the people who have helped get me this far. Your prayers, thoughts, encouragement, and...money have all been the wind under my wings. Thank you so much. I am so grateful to be able to have this opportunity.
Right now I'm gearing up to watch 黄色い涙(kiiroi namida/Yellow Tears), aka my favorite movie. Every time I watch it I feel like I learn something new about life. It taught me that freedom is something you have to work hard for, and you can find it in something you never thought possible. Looking back at these past seven weeks since second semester of school started, I realize just how hard it's been. With the help of my excellent teachers, I completed school three months early, and managed to take the ACT's too. I hope to continue giving it my all in Japan as well. Whether working hard for the sake of something I love, or working hard at doing what I love, I gain a sense of freedom that I can't find anywhere else. Once again, thank you for helping give me wings with which to fly.

            Hello, my name is Grace. I am a junior attending high school in Minnesota. I have been fascinated with the Japanese language and culture for as long as I can remember. Eager to learn, I have attended a Japanese language immersion camp, provided by Concordia College for the past four summers. In total, I have earned 6 high school language credits through this program. In my opinion, Japanese is the most beautiful language I have ever heard, and as my knowledge grows, so does my love for it.  At camp, I have opened up, become more of a leader, and learned that to make my dreams come true I have to jump in with both feet.  Now I am ready to take the next leap: studying abroad. After an extensive application process and much waiting, I have been accepted into the American Field Service (AFS) intercultural student exchange program. I will be leaving in March to attend high school for a year in Kyushu, Japan!

There are so many things I am looking forward to. Living in Japan will give me the opportunity to further my goal of becoming fluent in Japanese. Also, I am particularly interested in the teaching methods, curriculum and the role teachers play in students’ lives. I believe looking through the eyes of a normal Japanese high school student is the best way to observe this. Through hands-on experience, so much culture can be learned: from the simple things, such as daily routines, to the more complicated social and economic aspects of living in Japan. My dream is to move to Japan when I am out of college, so this knowledge would be very useful. I am so excited to experience life in Japan and eager to share what I learn. I will be using this blog to document my experience and share it with my friends, family, Concordia language campers, and anyone else who is interested. I hope to make unforgettable memories while I am there and bonds that last a lifetime.

All of this seems like a dream come true, but with a big opportunity such as this comes a big price of $13,000. I have paid for approximately half of this, but still more than $5,000 dollars of the tuition remains. This does not include any additional expenses such as transportation, and school uniform fees. I would greatly appreciate any help you can give. Through this blog, my goal is to raise $5000 in donations. Whatever you can give would go towards making my dreams come true. Please click the ChipIn! button to make a secure non tax-deductable donation. I would also be thankful if you could pass on my blog to others who would be interested in donating by forwarding the link: http://minnesotaninjapan.blogspot.com/  Thank you so much!

~Grace