Moving across the world for an entire year is anything but terrifying for Mollie Carter, junior. To her it’s just another part of life.

Carter attended KHS as a freshman and sophomore, but near the end of her second year she decided she needed something more fulfilling and educational.

“I wanted to push myself and see if I had what it took to be independent,” Carter said. She wanted to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So, Carter decided to move to Taiwan for a year. She is part of The Rotary Youth Exchange Program. This unique program sponsors students and helps in every way possible. In fact, while in Taiwan, Carter recieves $100 a month from Rotary, and in the past seven months of her stay she has only spent $300 out of her own pocket.

However, Carter did not come up with this idea out of the blue. Throughout the years, she gradually discovered that her passion in life was to learn about different cultures. When she was old enough to start school, she attended a French school (Normandale French Immersion). At school, Carter said she had the time of her life and learned much more than she ever would at an American elementary school.

“I was always surrounded by different cultures,” Carter said. “I even learned to read in French before I learned to read in English.”

At the end of fifth grade, Carter moved to France and said she “did as the Romans do.” She was used to being surrounded by people from different cultures because of her school. Carter saw this change as a minor one and claims that she “jumped right in.”

Along with French, Carter has also studied Arabic and Japanese. She had her mom sign her up for Saturday Arabic lessons, Kung Fu lessons and Japanese lessons. When she found her chance to go to Taiwan, she realized that the Chinese culture was the one that intrigued her the most.

“It was different from any other country I had studied before or taken interest in,” Carter said. “I wanted something fresh and absolutely foreign to see if I could succeed in becoming a part of that culture.”

Back in Kirkwood, Carter’s mom, Alicia, now lives alone with only the family dog to keep her company.

“For the first month or so, being without Mollie was really lonely,” Alicia said. “After a while though I adjusted to the change. It’s still not easy, but time has surprisingly flown by.”

Alicia anxiously awaits her daughter’s return on July 19, and feels as though her absence will make their relationship grow.

Carter has made a tremendous amount of new friends while involved in the Rotary program. She spends a lot of her time with people from all over the world, including Mexico, Korea, Poland and Russia. She has made hundreds of unforgettable memories and knows that she will come away from this experience with more maturity and the ability to take on more responsibility and independence.

“If anyone is thinking about becoming an exchange student, just go for it because in reality, you have absolutely nothing to lose and so much to gain,” Carter said.