One might say that Burbank resident Siena Florence is a bit of an adventurer.
How else can one explain the 18-year-old trekking over 7,100 miles to study abroad as an exchange student in Tbilisi, Georgia.
This became a possibility in 2021 when the United States Department of State and the American Councils for International Education announced its initial year for Future Leaders Exchange Abroad (FLEX) scholarship program.
It’s only right after more than three decades of having international students’ study here, American high school students now have the opportunity to study abroad.
For those who are interested in applying for next year’s FLEX program and several other fully funded U.S. State Department scholarship programs for teens, here is the link: https://www.discoverflex.org/flex-abroad.
“I definitely strive to be an adventure seeker and challenge myself with new experiences,” Florence said. “I believe Georgia will be a great adventure that will challenge me and help me grow as a person while learning the culture and language.”
Florence knew that she would find herself in a foreign country and studying in a faraway land.
“I first heard about the program two years ago, and it has been a goal of mine to participate ever since. FLEX Abroad operates in Poland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Romania,” she said. “I specifically wanted to go to Georgia because of my time at Glendale Community College, where many of my friends were of Armenian descent.”
Florence said she is always eager to learn and experience new and different things. Being an exchange student fits the bill.
“I also took an Armenian History class, which I absolutely loved, and that inspired me to choose Georgia so I could learn more about the culture and language of the Caucasus Mountains.”
Outside of the classroom, Florence is a typical teenager who has teenage interests, sort of.
“When I am not in school or traveling, I have been training as an aerial acrobat for many years. Aerial acrobatics is a type of dance performed in the air on different apparatuses, such as silks, hoops and trapeze,” she said. “I have volunteered at the Aquarium of the Pacific for 10 years now. I also have an interest in martial arts, rock climbing and spending time with my friends and family.”
Florence looked forward to learning a new language and being around students her age.
“I am thrilled to study the Georgian language while I am here. Georgia is a fascinating language, unlike any other language in the world, and it has its own alphabet with 33 characters,” she said. “I am also very much looking forward to studying at a Georgian school this year and seeing how it compares to what I am used to in the U.S., especially being around Georgians my age.”
Florence pointed out one difference between the United States and Georgia.
“One thing that is very important in Georgia is hospitality. This can be seen through the traditional Georgian feast, the supra. The most important part of a supra is that there is more food and drink than can possibly be finished, and your plate and glass are never empty,” she said. “On my first day in Georgia, I attended a supra with the program staff. They explained to me that the supra is, in a way, a performative celebration of abundance.”
Florence added: “Noting that while your plate and glass are immediately filled, it is common during toasts for attendees to simply raise the glass to their mouth without drinking, or to have piles of food and only sample it,” she explained “The point of a supra is more about the fact that you have been given all that you need and more, not to indulge to the point of being sick.”
Studying in a foreign country is one of many steps to Florence’s ultimate goal.
“I want to continue down the path of International Diplomacy in college and beyond, with a focus on the former Soviet Union, particularly Georgia and Kyrgyzstan,” she said. “I plan on studying the Russian language and global studies at UC Berkeley next fall after I return to the U.S. from Georgia. My long term goal is to work in International Diplomacy either in the U.S. State Department or in the United Nations.”
Nothing is ever accomplished in a vacuum.
As such, Florence knows and appreciates that her parents, father Aaron and mother Chrissy, have made huge sacrifices.
“My parents have been wonderfully supportive of my endeavors to study and go abroad,” she said. “However, both my family and I will miss each other fiercely this year.”
Being at heart an adventurer has been wholly positive for Florence who is slowly but surely approaching her dream job.
