Glenn

Gresham, 16, of Peachtree City is preparing for

the experience of a lifetime.

This

week, he took off for Australia as a participant

in World Learning's Experiment in International

Living, a 65-year-old program that places

students in work and home-stay situations. He is

one of 20 students from the United States

traveling to the "land down under" to

stay with a host family and work a stint on a

sheep ranch.

Following

stays in Sydney and Cairns, Gresham will snorkel

at the Great Barrier Reef.

Why

Australia? "When I was younger, I had a

great fascination with the Orient. I found

Australian culture interesting, especially during

the British colonization. The country is kind of

laid back, and it's close enough (in language and

culture) to feel comfortable," Gresham said.

The

Experiment in International Living annually

places students in 30 types of programs in 18

countries. Participants

"learn-by-doing," living with a family

for couple weeks and working alongside the

country's inhabitants, in Gresham's case, on a

sheep ranch.

He

has earned a portion of his money for the trip

through his business, "Pet Minders."

Gresham has taken care of dogs, birds, cats,

hamsters and an iguana or two as a pet sitter. He

also was awarded a $2,000 scholarship from

Readers' Digest.

His

mother, Sue, has no qualms about her only son

traveling half way around the world for the

summer. "He's traveled a lot," she

said, ticking off a list of places Gresham visits

in the course of a year. He has regularly

participated in several mission trips with his

church, Peachtree City United Methodist, as well.

To

prepare for his journey abroad, Gresham has kept

in touch with his team leader via the Internet

and has read about Australia from the reading

list recommended by the sponsoring group. Upon

his return, he is required to relate his

experiences in a report and share what he has

learned informally.

Gresham is a rising

junior at Starr's Mill High School.

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