The opportunities 4-H offers youth are countless. Peyton Fechter, a senior at West Elk, has hosted three Japanese students through the States 4-H Internation - al Exchange Program. This year, he had the opportuni - ty through the program to travel to Japan and stay with the family of one of those delegates.
Fechter filled out the ap - plication last fall and attend - ed meetings to prepare him for the adventure. He was selected along with two oth - er 4-Hers from the state of Kansas to go to Japan on the 4-week exchange.
Fechter stayed with his host family in Shinagawa, a neighborhood in Tokyo. The experience of living in Japan for a month is completely different from visiting as a regular tourist. Since he is currently in high school and his host brother was in col - lege, Fechter got a unique look at what college lifestyle and school are like in Japan. Fechter got to experience real daily life alongside his friend, Ko, like riding the crowded train system every morning, taking off his shoes at the genkan inside the front door, and eating homecooked Japanese meals with his host family every eve - ning. During his month in Shinagawa, Fechter learned how to get around a huge public transit system on his own, which really helped build confidence and in - dependence. Even though there was a language barri - er, Fechter learned that you can still connect with peo - ple through hand gestures, translation tools, and pa - tience. Seeing how college life works in Japan also gave Fechter a whole new per - spective on how students transition into adulthood in another country. Com - pleting this project brought everything full circle from when he first hosted a Japa - nese delegate, and it showed how much you can grow just by stepping out of your comfort zone. For more in - formation about States 4-H, or if you would like to have Fechter come talk to your group about his experience, contact the Rolling Prairie Extension Office at 620-- 374-2174.
