From LHS to Japan to Limestone, ME

By: Johanna Mathieu

Seniors may notice a face missing since April of last year. This is none other than that of Kathe Todd-Brown. Last year, Kathe decided that she wanted to become an exchange student and in April she traveled to Kyoto, Japan where she met up with her host family and began to live the life of a typical Japanese student. Her stay was supposed to last a full year but she soon realized this all wouldn't work out.

Though she got the real "Japanese Experience," enjoyed the culture, got along with her host family, and made some great friends, her school experience wasn't optimal. She attended a private school in which the girls were separated from the boys by a fence running through the middle of the school grounds. Also, students in the school weren't allowed to take certain classes because of their gender. Males took specific classes focusing on mathematics and sciences and females focused on the humanities. Females weren't allowed to take science or math classes past their first year in high school. Kathe, who wishes to go to college for engineering and was not able to switch schools, therefore decided it best to come back to Maine in late July and apply to go to the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, Maine which is where she is now.

If you are interested in getting in touch with Kathe to hear about her journey's first hand you can email her at todd-brownka@mssm.org.