Year: 11th gradeAge: 17School: Kadena High School, Kadena Air BasePlaces lived: Naples, Italy (2 years); Okinawa, Japan (15 years)Favorite assignment: OkinawaWhat is your favorite keepsake or souvenir? Okinawa soccer tattooPlans for the future: Play soccer in college and on a higher level and later become a sports journalist.

Day after day I hear how much better “the States” are and how terrible life is over here compared to “back home.”

This is understandable because most military families move every few years. As a son of two DODDS teachers, I have lived on Okinawa for 15 years, saying goodbye to those leaving every year. This continual loss of friendships can eat away at a teenager.

I could compare myself with the average teenager living in the U.S., who grows up in the same town and never leaves their state. I’ve grown up here and I know the island way of life. I leave Okinawa for only about three months a year, usually for summer break and athletic events.

Moving can be one of the most dreaded parts of a teenager’s life. Other than the repeated change of location, the most difficult part is having to make new friends. When PCS season rolls around, I see kids full of anger and resentment because they have to leave their friends and home behind. I hear students complaining about how there is nothing to do overseas or how their chances to get noticed by a college are weakened. But I know all about overseas life and the opportunities it can provide.

While the DODDS’ curriculum will get you prepared for college, military and school-sponsored events such as essay contests give students a chance to add noteworthy items to their resumes and college applications.

Colleges and businesses look for something unique in their applicants. And an applicant living overseas will stand out. The college will notice where you’ve lived and the kind of opportunities you took advantage of. For example, working part time at the golf course and volunteering in the community.

As an athlete, I know that it can be extremely challenging to prove my abilities to colleges that are on the other side of the world. But you need to be aggressive. I am currently compiling videos to send out to colleges in hopes of a landing a scholarship. At this same time, I am working hard to keep up my grade-point average. Many people don’t know the hardships that military and even civilian teenagers go through living overseas. But we must take advantage of the opportunities we are given and have no regrets. There is no changing the fact that we live overseas, so make the best of it.

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