FEW PEOPLE ARE brave enough to live in a foreign country for any length of time, especially if they have to leave their family and friends behind. This year, however, Martha Yoshida has done just that.

Yoshida, 17, is visiting the United States for a year as part of the exchange program between Uni High and the Konan Girls' and Boys' High Schools in Kobe, Japan, where she has attended for the past two years. She is the eighth and final exchange student to come to Uni as part of this program.

Back in the USA

Yoshida was born in South Carolina while her parents were on a business trip. She holds dual citizenship in the United States and Japan, but hasn't been back here since she was an infant.

When asked about her first (conscious) impressions of America, Yoshida described the open streets of Urbana, where she is currently living.

“The houses here are so big,” she says. “In Japan, there are not so many parks, and no space.”

There are many other differences between Uni and her old school, some of them more obvious than others. Konan is split along single-sex lines, so boys and girls never mix during classes.

“It is a little difficult, going to school with boys,” Yoshida admits. “But it is also interesting.”

In Japan, she enjoys going to hip-hop dance clubs with her friends. That’s not an option here, although she did enjoy Uni’s first dance of the year, the Howdy Hop.

Along with her friends, Yoshida also misses her parents, her three older brothers, and her mixed-breed dog, Touch (named by her football-playing brother, who scores a lot of “touch” downs). She communicates regularly with them by Internet, though, which makes the transition easier.

Yoshida will stay with four different host families, one for each quarter. Over the course of this school year, she will live with me, junior Anna Gooler, junior Sophie Shenk, and sophomore Emma Coverdill.

End of the program

Learning an unfamiliar language and culture on the go can be a difficult experience, but Martha’s ready for the challenge.

Seven other students from Konan have felt the same way, each going home after their time with increased skills in English and unique memories. But after this year the exchange program, which began early this decade when John Hedeman was Uni director, is quietly coming to an end.

Japanese teacher Hiroko Ito shed some light on the mystery, saying that contrary to the beliefs of a few students, the main reason for the program’s departure is the lack of interest on the American end.

“Three years have gone by without an exchange student from Uni who has agreed to go to Japan,” she explained. “The nature of an exchange program is that both sides need to participate.”

As for why no Uni students have been interested, Ito suggests that impending college may be a factor.

“We usually sent graduated seniors over, so that they wouldn’t have to make up a year of high school when they returned. This worked for a while, but many universities are not willing to defer scholarships, and for many students, losing any of their paid tuition is not an option.”

While many at Uni will be sad to see the program go (not least the author of this article, who has so far greatly enjoyed her new experience as a member of a host family), they still have the opportunity to make this year the best one possible for Yoshida, who hasn’t seemed to have had any problems making friends.

“Everyone here is really nice!” she says.

Martha Yoshida at a Glance

• Favorite movie: "Harry Potter"
• Favorite color: Hot pink (called "shocking pink" in Japan)
• Favorite animal: Elephant
• If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Egypt
• What kind of music do you like? Hip-hop
• Best thing about Uni? Talking to her friends during free period