With summer just around the corner, many students find themselves preparing for endless beach days and wild family vacations, but sophomore Grady Mcdermott is counting down to an entirely different adventure.

This summer, Mcdermott will be traveling to Japan alongside a select group of other Southern Californian teenagers to spend two weeks making a difference in the foreign culture.

“The main goal is to create connections between Japanese and American students and to help the citizens of Japan,” Mcdermott said.

As if this could be better for Mcdermott, he gets to do it all for free.  However this amazing opportunity didn’t come completely without a price, he had to work hard to earn his place in this unbelievable program. It all began the day his neighbor, who works for the program, started to encourage Mcdermott to apply.

“I always wanted to be an exchange student, and I thought this would be a cool way to experience the Japanese culture first hand,” Mcdermott said.

He started the application process, and then was selected with 50 others from a pool of around 200 to be interviewed in Los Angeles.

“It was really professional, nothing like I was used to,” Mcdermott said. “I had to prove who I was and how I could improve Japanese and American student relations.”

After the intensive application and interview, he wasn’t all too sure he had made it. This was the first time he had ever done anything like this, and even if he wasn’t accepted, the application process alone had already taught him a lot.

Fortunately, all of his doubts were ceased as he discovered he had been accepted.

“It was really exciting, and completely unexpected,” McDermott said.

Now with time ticking away to summer, the anticipation is climbing day by day.

“I’m most excited to travel to see the culture and help improve their lives.”

While many students have barely ventured outside of California, Mcdermott will be traveling across the world, alone, but optimistic.

Despite the guaranteed worries that come along with traveling to an environment outside his comfort zone, an experience like is sure to be worth the worries.