Junior Greg Steffensen experienced much relief in Japan with his escape from the States and his contributions toward the earthquake disasters.

Steffensen has been studying abroad in Japan this year through School Year Abroad (SYA), a program in which students live with a European or Asian family for an entire academic school year.

The purpose of the program is to allow students from all across America to master a second language, while still keeping up with the academics and curriculum of American schools.

Japan’s differences from the U.S. are a large part of what attracted Steffensen to the country. He was ready for change and especially ready to get out of Springfield. He finally satisfied his wants for independence by engaging in the program.

“Aichi Prefecture, and especially Nagoya, is pretty much the perfect place for a wanderlust-possessed teenager,” said Steffensen. “Not so overwhelmingly massive or expensive as Tokyo, but still plenty to see.”

With the recent occurrences in Japan regarding the tsunami and earthquake, Steffensen has been exposed to the tragedies within the country. While he certainly did feel the earthquake, the area where Steffensen is currently living did not suffer any damage.

“The school moved everyone to Okinawa for a week while the nuclear power plant situation settled down in Tokyo,” said Leslie Steffensen, Steffensen’s mother.

Though the disasters took place much farther north in Japan than where Steffensen is located, he has still been involved with contributions to the relief efforts.

“My school has been helping by folding senbazuru, which are bundles of 1000 paper cranes,” said Steffensen.

Steffensen has truly been living his dream with memorable experiences over the course of his months spent in Japan, and his memories will continue until his return to the U.S. in June.

“I’ve seen temples in Kyoto that are off-limits to the public, eaten absurdly expensive sushi, seen mountains more beautiful than Fuji-san herself, and watched over a hundred Buddhist ceremonies,” said Steffensen. “And I’ve still got a month and a half left for new stories.”