HHS senior spends vacation in Japan

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle High School senior Amanda Elliott is spending seven weeks of her summer vacation as a foreign exchange student in Akita, Japan.
As one of 50 "Youth for Understanding" scholarship recipients, she left the country June 14 and will return in early August.
She is the houseguest of a Japanese family of four.
"I don't know much about the family with whom I'll be staying," she said before she departed.
"However, the husband and wife both are school teachers and they have a 17-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.
Elliott said she feels lucky to have been chosen for the trip.
"I first learned about the exchange program in our school's bulletin," she said. "When I applied I didn't realize the deadline had passed. I'm fortunate that my application was accepted."
"I'm very excited and look forward to getting to know my host family," Elliott said. "Not knowing their language is a concern but I hope they'll be able to speak and understand some English. I hope to gain a better understanding of the Japanese culture and a better perspective of the world in general."
Elliott is the daughter and stepdaughter of John L Elliott II and Cory Elliott of Hartselle.
Her mother, Marti Kane, resides in Ohio.