My name is Tyler Bentley and in August I will be leaving for a semester in Japan through the AFS semester program. I'm really excited about having the opportunity to live with a Japanese family, go to a Japanese school, and see the Japanese culture from its own point of view which is something few Americans get to experience. I am also very excited to bring some American culture to the people I will be meeting while in Japan.

I have always wanted to travel, since I was very young. I have many different nationalities which has made me appreciate different cultures around the world. When I was around 8, my parents took me to Disney World in Florida. At one of the parks, there were exhibits of many different countries and although I was fascinated by all of them, the Asian exhibits sparked the most interest within me. They seemed so different and I began to have a growing passion for Asian society's.

Hopefully my experience in Japan will lead to many things, becoming more proficient in Japanese, knowing enough about Japanese culture so I can spread my knowledge, and finally experiencing something I have been in love with for so long. When I return, I want to be a large part of the local AFS program and help other people live their dream.

The cost of the program is something I must work hard to cover and I hope that the sponsor an AFSer program can help me reach my goal. I also plan on doing both a breakfast with the Easter Bunny and a Japanese style tea ceremony. I am extremely close with many members of my community and they are excited to help support me and then learn about my experiences. The program allows potential sponsors to make a non tax-deductable contribution to my AFS program fee. Any amount helps, it all keeps me working toward my goal.

Thank you very much for reading this and if you could think of anyone who might be willing to contribute toward my goal I would greatly appreciate it if you forwarded this to them. Be sure to keep checking this page to read more about me and my experience when I get to Japan.

To sponsor my AFS program, please click the Donate Now button to make a non tax-deductible contribution directly to my AFS program account.