Over the summer Johnny Riordan participated in the High School Diplomats in America program, a cultural exchange that brings American and Japanese students together. HSD is just the first version of the United States High School Diploma Program (USHSD). “It is a great experience of exchanging ideas in culture,” Riordan said. Two Japanese students stayed with the Riordans for a few days and then later in the summer Johnny joined them at Princeton for ten days of living and interacting with other Japanese students.

Riordan first found out about HSD through his older sister who was also involved in the program. She did not end up going to Japan, so this is where Riordan is taking it one step further.

USHSD to Japan where only twenty former HSD American students are accepted to travel to Japan for three weeks over the summer, Riordan was one of those students. It is a three week scholarship program from the AIG foundation in Japan. Similar to HSD in America, the Japan trip will be in three parts: a tour of Japan, a home stay, and the cultural exchange program (like the one at Princeton).

“I am excited for all of the trip we are going to be going on; a tour around [Japan] just sightseeing, meeting at the US embassy, and meeting Japanese government officials. We are going to see the sight of the bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and talk to a survivor from the bombing.”

Riordan is also excited for the four day homestay to see what their culture is like.