Houlton boy returns from Australian adventure

HOULTON, Maine — When Brady Wolsleben heads back to school this week, chances are he will have the best answer to the question “What did you do on your summer vacation?”
Wolsleben, the 14-year-old son of Leigh Wolsleben of Houlton, spent two weeks in Australia as a student ambassador with the People to People program. While there, he learned about the many differences between the two cultures, spent time with a family in Sydney, and was able to do his fair share of sightseeing.
    “It was amazing,” he said. “It was a chance to experience new things and take you out of your comfort zone.”
Wolsleben flew from Bangor to Philadelphia, where he then boarded a second plane to Los Angeles before the flight over the Pacific Ocean to Sydney, Australia. The combined flights took about 14 hours, he said.
According to his mother, Brady was referred to the program by one of his teachers. A number of family members and local businesses helped Wolsleben with raising money for his trip.
“As we all know, the economy is quite tough these days, so we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this a once in a lifetime experience happen,” Leigh Wolsleben said.
According to the group’s website, the People to People student ambassador program “sees students represent their school, community, state, and country while traveling abroad. They learn about other cultures, engage in fun activities, and meet local citizens. Student ambassadors come from diverse backgrounds, but share common traits: a curious and adventurous spirit, an open mind and heart, the desire to learn about other cultures and people, and the belief in President Eisenhower’s vision that each person can make a difference and help to achieve peace through understanding.”
Wolsleben was one of handful of students from Maine — and 38 students overall — taking part in the expedition. Because of the time differential, he actually lost one day, arriving in Sydney on Tuesday, July 5.
One of the more memorable excursions in Australia was a visit to the “RainForeStation” nature park in Kuranda. The park allows visitors to experience Australia’s natural beauty and traditional culture in one convenient setting.
“In the park, there were koalas and kangaroos, which was amazing,” he said. “We also got to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.”
He also had an opportunity to experience surfing.
The People to People student ambassadors program provides a unique opportunity for educational growth, which can help give the student an edge in the classroom. In addition, academic credit and service-learning hours are available per program and age requirements, according to the group’s website.
“Our student ambassadors return home with a new perspective on the world. They see people and places on television or in a textbook and can say they have been there. But more importantly, they value the importance of understanding other people and other cultures. Often, this global perspective creates interest in new career paths for some of our Ambassadors or identifies new subjects that they want to study in school. By representing their family and their country to others, Student Ambassadors recognize the power an individual has to affect positive change.”
This trip was not the first time that Wolsleben has spent time in a foreign country. He is also a former participant in the Tim Hortons Camp Day in Canada.
“It was really interesting experiencing the different culture,” Wolsleben said. “Simple things like words for the trunk and hood of a car are completely different, even though it’s still English. It was just an amazing trip.”