31/10/2008 - 2009 Girlfriend JENESYS Scholarships Announced!
The Sun is Set to Rise for Five Young Australians
Five lucky Australian teenagers will be spending part of their holiday season in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. Regan Lawton, Jemma Hogan, Sharni Ross, Nathan Parsons and Gabrielle Brady will soon be immersed in the sights and sounds of Japanese culture as esteemed recipients of two-week scholarships courtesy of AFS Australia and Girlfriend magazine. As participants in the 2009 Jenesys Program, these young ambassadors will be joining 600 other students and teachers from the Asia-Pacific in Japan, for what promises to be a remarkable project of global kinship.
The Jenesys program aims to facilitate cross-cultural communication and strengthen affective bonds within the region. Young people are the future, and this interactive project provides them with the vital opportunity to engage with other cultures in order to appreciate the cultural differences that animate the world, and construct a common consciousness. A consciousness anchored by values of justice and peace to orient our future towards a more inclusive and tolerant global community.
Regan, Jemma, Sharni, Nathan and Gabrielle were selected for this prestigious scholarship in recognition of their academic diligence, community development projects and commitment to enriching their understanding of global cultures, customs and lifestyles.
“I see AFS as an opportunity to broaden my academic studies and experience first-hand a different lifestyle and culture,” said Regan. I am enthusiastic that this experience will be an opportunity of a lifetime that will give me a new perspective on life and the world.”
Jemma has always been fascinated by the striking balance of innovation and tradition inherent in Japanese culture, and cannot wait to see what Japan has to offer. “I hope to take part in this program to improve my language skills, learn to adapt to a new environment and take part in all that Japan has to offer… I hope to come back from this trip, a more well rounded and cultured individual,” she said.
Sharni hopes that she will come back from Japan a more open-minded and culturally aware young woman. “I think learning about things like this will teach me not to take things for granted, and appreciate what I have at home,” she added.
Nathan will be re-tracing the steps he took as a six-year-old in Japan, but this times he hopes his maturity will open new avenues to explore his independence and adventurous spirit. “Being so young, I didn’t fully appreciate the cultural experience of the holiday, and so would like to go back and learn some more now that I am older and can appreciate the differences between our two countries.”
Gabrielle has already experienced the wonders of exchange, having hosted a few exchange students with her family. Her main goals are to appreciate and adopt new ways of looking at the world, whilst making lifelong friendships. She added, “I hope…I can have a once in a life time opportunity where I can widen my language skills.”
Expectations and energies are high in the lead-up to the two-week journey in December. These five young, enthusiastic and broadminded students are in for the most challenging and rewarding experience of their life!
About the AFS JENESYS Program
In 2007, the Japanese Government launched the AFS JENESYS Program in order to help strengthen and promote mutual understanding within Asia. The program provides students from Asia and Australia with the chance to immerse themselves in Japanese culture on a fully funded, two week scholarship. The scholarships are worth $8000 each and include flights to and from Japan, food, accommodation, medical insurance and a study tour of Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Students will be exposed to the realities of the Japanese political and economic systems, and interact socially and culturally with Japanese citizens. This year, 240 Australian students and 24 teachers will get the opportunity to take part in the prestigious program.
Media Contact:
Sheenal Singh
sheenal.singh@afs.org
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