Good news for those desperate for a change of scenery: students at San Juan Hills aged 15-18 are now eligible to apply for a scholarship program providing them with an opportunity to travel abroad to either China, France, or Spain for a three-to-four week stay with a native family wishing to learn English.

Devona Drewes, a junior at SJHHS, was given the chance to participate during the 2012-2013 school year after submitting an essay for the program. Her work secured her a trip to China while the program also put a Japanese student under her family’s care.

“You have to host a student with the exchange program and then, because you hosted the student, you have the opportunity to fill out a form and you can either write or draw a picture or do a poem [etc.], and then they choose a few people,” says Drewes.

 For an application, those interested can contact [email protected]. From there, the applicant will be asked to write a poem, an essay, or draw a picture that pertains to the country they would like to be considered for. Applicants will also need to submit two letters of reference or recommendation and complete an interview over skype or telephone.

Being involved in the exchange, requires that your family host a Japanese student whether you are, in turn, selected or not.

“Definitely try it, and even if you don’t make it, it’s good to try. At least you get an exchange student out of it and you get that experience,” says Drewes.

The program will provide your family with $225 to host a Japanese student and, if your application is selected, will also cover the costs of airfare, room, and board in your selected country.

“The scholarship is provided by a non-profit organization that promotes international learning.  It is a sister company to Compass, USA, whose headquarters are in Colorado, which has been in business for over a decade and arranges exchanges and homestays of all lengths to countries in Europe, Asia and South America,” says Patricia Drewes, mother of the applicant.

The deadline for scholarship applications is on March 22, students interested can email Patricia at [email protected] or otherwise contact her by calling (949) 412-4112 for more information.