Junior Zak Brite is one of five of the foreign language students from SHS who are participating in the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Language. This a program where chosen students are given the opportunity to spend approximately two months abroad in a foreign country of their choice after passing an exam and an interview meant to assess their knowledge on their language. During their two month adventures students, such as Brite, will have the opportunity to stay with a host family, visit historical monuments, and cultural festivals, all while speaking their chosen language for the entire trip.

All of the students who are a part of the program have speak the language of their country for their entire stay though there is the exception of one hour a week they receive which is given to them to call friends and family. Brite became a part of this program after passing a test and an interview that later followed. He will be boarding a direct flight to his destination, León, Spain on June 10. He has excited to be taking this international trip which he gained interest in by talking to senior Jensen Smith about his trip to Oviedo, Spain last year through the program.

“Once I heard about it, I thought it would be a really cool opportunity. I know a lot of people tell you it’s is a once in a lifetime opportunity ,” Brite said. “I’m friends with Jenson and he was telling me about it, and he really got me interested about it.

He originally took Spanish as an agreement with his parents in which he promised to take the language until his freshman year of high school. Though Brite did not necessarily enjoy Spanish when he first began classes in the sixth grade, the language grew on him and by the time he was a sophomore taking Spanish III he was in love with it. He will soon be taking his trip in order to not only develop his language skills, but to also receive a different view on the Spanish culture.

“It’s the thing I’m probably looking forward to the most, and just seeing how other people live and other places of the world, and not being so biased as the stereotypical American, ” Brite said.

Brite hopes to take the knowledge he has obtained from both in class and from his upcoming trip and apply it to his future by continuing to develop his language skills and obtain a minor in Spanish while in college.