On Aug. 11, Abigail Anderson will be leaving Petersburg to study in Celle, Germany for her sophomore year of high school. Anderson said she was first inspired to study abroad after listening to one of her classmates give a presentation on his time spent studying in France.

"That sounds cool to do," said Anderson. "Go off to another country and learn their language and learn their culture."

She applied for a student exchange program through the Alaska District Rotary Club, which sends about 24

students to 20 different countries each year; however, Anderson wasn't chosen for the year long p...