2026 Ebetsu-Gresham High School Exchange Program Participant Reports

"America Helped Me Grow" by Fuma Sasaki, Junior, Nopporo High School

　　First, I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in the Ebetsu-Gresham Sister City High School Student Exchange Program. I am truly grateful for this precious opportunity.

　　The three weeks I spent studying abroad became an invaluable and wonderful experience for me.

　　When I was in the 9th grade, I was interested in this exchange program. However, at that time, I was not attending school and lacked confidence in English, so I hesitated to apply, and eventually gave up. That feeling remained in my heart, so this time I applied with full intention to go. When I was selected, I was filled with excitement and joy.

　　Since this was my first time traveling abroad, I felt some anxiety during the trip, but Yoshiaki, who participated in the program with me, had studied abroad twice before and was a very reliable presence. At Haneda Airport, we ate ramen as a last taste of Japanese food, and on the plane, I ordered drinks in English, gradually feeling closer to America. When I met my host family at Portland Airport, my heart raced with anticipation for the life that was about to begin.

　　My host family consisted of three people: father Lan, mother Van, and Luong, a senior at Gresham High School. At first, I was confused by their native English, but they spoke slowly and warmly welcomed me. Van prepared a variety of dishes from different countries like Italian and Chinese, making each day enjoyable. Breakfasts were also substantial, with toast, eggs, steak, and sausages, making me realize the differences from Japan.

　　Life in America was full of discoveries every day. Many differences from Japan surprised or confused me. For example, the shower handle turned counterclockwise, and there were no locks on school restroom doors. Gresham High School had a theater, an athletic track, a rugby field, a pool, and a training room, and I was impressed by the size.

　　Host father Lan took me to many places and gave me numerous experiences, including watching an NBA game, hiking, shopping at a supermarket, and even trying shooting at a range. These were all exciting and valuable experiences. The time spent walking around town with him while learning about Gresham is also a precious memory.

　　As the return date approached, I strongly wished to stay longer. It was very hard to part with the host family and friends, but they told me, "This is your home, so you can always come back," which was a great support. Even after returning to Japan, we keep in touch. Also, I had an unforgettable experience of forgetting my passport at my host family’s house when returning home.

　　Through this study abroad, I learned the importance of taking on challenges and the courage to face the unknown without fear. I also deepened my understanding of American culture and values. Using this experience as a foundation, I want to continue to challenge myself and broaden my horizons.

　　Someday, I hope to visit America again to meet Luong and my friends. In anticipation of that day, I will make efforts to grow and communicate more fluently in English than now.

　　Finally, I sincerely thank my host family, the friends I met there, everyone involved in the exchange program, Yoshiaki, and my family who always supports me. Thank you very much.

"Three Weeks of Growth in America" by Yoshiaki Horiba, Junior, Sapporo Kiyota High School

　　The three weeks I spent in Gresham became truly invaluable to me. First, the reason I applied for this program was because I enjoy communicating with people of various nationalities. I have previously studied in the Philippines twice and have had a strong interest in interacting with people across nationalities and communicating using English. I believed that America has even more diverse cultures and values, so this exchange program was very attractive to me, and I eagerly wanted to participate.

　　The most impressive and memorable part of living in America was meeting my host family. My host family was from Mexico, and Spanish was mainly spoken at home. Since I could not understand Spanish, my host brother Jose translated it into English for me, allowing me to finally understand the conversations. I was also surprised by the differences in daily habits. For example, my host family maintained a strict early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine, going to bed every night at 8 p.m. and waking up shortly after 5 a.m. When I was in Japan, I often stayed up late and barely woke up on time in the morning, so it was hard to get used to this lifestyle. On the other hand, I strongly felt my own growth. Until now, I often relied on my family for household chores and personal matters, but through this experience, I developed an awareness of handling things myself and felt I had become somewhat independent as a person.

　　At Gresham High School, I was able to experience a very fulfilling school life. The local high school students were very friendly and easy to talk to, and although it was only a short three weeks, I made many friends. Especially, I had many friends from Mexico, and I enjoyed fun times inside and outside of school, like receiving Mexican sweets from them and playing soccer together. However, I also realized challenges in my English skills. Although I was confident in English from my previous study abroad experiences, actually living in America made me realize how difficult listening could be. Even though I could say what I wanted to say to some extent, it was difficult to accurately understand what others said. However, through daily conversations, my ears gradually adjusted, and by the last week, I was able to comprehend most of the conversations.

　　Also, in conversations with friends, I was often asked questions about Japan and Ebetsu, which made me realize that I did not fully understand Japan myself. I sometimes felt frustrated with myself when I could not immediately answer questions about Japanese culture or local attractions. Through this experience, I became motivated to relearn about Japan and Ebetsu.

　　From now on, in addition to improving my English skills, I want to challenge myself to learn Spanish, so I can communicate more deeply with my Mexican friends. Also, I hope to make use of this valuable experience in my future school life and career and share it with those around me.