Homecoming parades and prom pale in comparison to Nathan Guerin's plans for senior year: in mid-August, the Apex High School senior heads to Indonesia to study on a full scholarship.
Nathan, from Cary, has traveled throughout Europe and the Caribbean with his family. And it made him want to travel more.
When Nathan began searching for opportunities to study abroad, he came across the U.S. State Department's Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad program. Before he knew it, Nathan was a semi-finalist, flying out to Denver for interviews.
The program was created after Sept. 11, 2001, to increase understanding between the United States and countries with large Muslim populations. In 2002, the program began bringing Muslim students to the states, and in 2007, American students traveled to other countries.
Because of a hiatus in the intervening years, Nathan will be part of only the second group of outward-bound students.
He was one of 50 selected and one of five who will be living with host families in either Jakarta or Surabaya, the two biggest cities in Indonesia. Two weeks ago, he attended an orientation session with other participants in Washington, D.C. And on Aug. 17, he'll leave North Carolina, stopping in New York for another orientation session and then heading to Indonesia to begin his adventure.
Here are some thoughts he shared recently:
Q: Were you concerned about missing your senior year at Apex and all that entails?
A: At first, I thought it was no big deal. Then, as I thought about it and considered all I would be missing, it began to hit home.
After a lot of thought, I'm really fine with it.
Q: What about class credits and applying to college?
A: I will be graduating high school early - I'm taking two summer classes to finish my requirements.
As far as college applications, I already got my teacher recommendations, and I will take my laptop and apply online while I'm in Indonesia. I'm considering Chapel Hill, Middlebury, University of Chicago and a few others.
Q: Which language did you take in high school, and how are you learning Bahasa Indonesian?
A: I took Spanish, so I do think it helps that I have been through the process of learning a language.
One of the reasons I ranked Indonesia high on my list is because it was a place I was more likely to learn and speak the language. Students traveling to other countries may be attending an international school. I will be attending a local school.
But there's a lot to learn, and I'm working on it. I have Teach Yourself and EuroTalk CDs. There's a little bit of help from the program, but once I get there, I'm on my own.
Q: What is the part of your year that you are most looking forward to? What stands out about Indonesia?
A: I am most drawn to the independence of the experience. I look forward to learning what I'm capable of.
As far as interesting tidbits I've found so far, the national sport is badminton, and I like that Indonesia is known for its diversity, just like America.
The people are known for being very hospitable.
Q: How are the program's organizers helping you prepare?
A: We have had conference calls that discuss topics like Ramadan, and we are all able to ask questions. We are all going to meet in Washington, D.C., in late June for three days. We will visit the State Department and some embassies.
Q: How does your family feel about you being gone, possibly a year earlier than they might have expected?
A: It was mixed. My family is both excited and hesitant. My sister leaves for UNC-Greensboro this fall, and I'll be leaving, too. I'm hoping they'll be able to visit me there.
Q: What advice do you have for other travel-loving students?
A: I wish I had known how easy it would be to be accepted. For our program, 66 percent got accepted. I wish they had publicized the program more, because the application process is not as formidable as it sounds.
Staff writer Stacy Chandler contributed to this story.
