A lifelong dream for one Roanoke Rapids High School Student is about to come true this summer.

Juanita Webb will be participating in a student exchange program in Costa Rica sponsored by American Field Service.

She will depart on July 17 and return August 28.

“I’m most excited about living with a host family and being able to go to school in Costa Rica. A lot of people that travel only get the chance to be a tourist. By living with a host family and going to school, I’m going to be fully involved in a Costa Rican community,” says Webb.

Webb’s interest in travel and other cultures stems from her passion for reading. “I chose to be an exchange student because I’ve never been outside of the United States and I’ve read so many books about people traveling to different countries that I figured I could do it. These book have made me think a lot about what it would be like to immerse myself into someone else’s culture. They always seem to be so changed by their experiences. I knew I could do it.”

Said Jeff Pageau, the school's AFS coordinator: “I’m very excited that Juanita was selected to participate in this program. She is a model exchange student. Juanita is the first student we’ve sent to participate as an exchange student in nearly nine years. We are very proud to have Juanita represent RRHS.”

Parents and students can contact Jeff Pageau at the high school for more information about participating in student exchange programs or for hosting an exchange student.