A Lakewood Ranch 17-year-old, Maija (pronounced MY-ya) spent six weeks there last summer via the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, a U.S. State Department scholarship program. “It was a completely different environment, very urban, extremely developed,” said the Booker High honors senior in its Visual and Performing Arts magnet program. The culture and food were amazing.”Captivated by the experience, she applied for the nine-month academic program in Seoul, cognizant of ongoing tensions in that region. “I’m staying up to date with the current affairs and thinking of the friends I made last summer. I miss them greatly.”Maija’s initial interest in the program was piqued after her older sister, Mikaela, spent a summer in Morocco learning Arabic.

Source: The Herald November 27, 2022 17:35 UTC