AUSTRALIA OR BUST

Megan McCarter reads about Australia.

Derek Jenkisn points to a Downs Under map of the world where Australia is on top of the world.

Megan McCarter and Derek Jenkins may be four years apart in school but the two hold one thing in common.

They are both planning a three-week trip to Australia this summer.

McCarter's trip will begin one day earlier than Jenkins' Down Under adventure.

Both will experience the east coast of Australia. They will arrive in Cairns and travel down to Sydney in the three weeks they are there.

They will both study government, economics, the people and culture while they are there.

McCarter learned of the trip through a flyer she received in the mail.

"I thought it was junk mail, but since it was in Cape I checked it out," McCarter said.

McCarter, a junior at Jackson High School, signed up for the trip because she knows of a fine arts school there that she wants to attend someday.

She also said that she wants to experience their culture because she thinks it is more interesting than American culture.

"As long as I can remember I've wanted to go there and my mom was hooked on the idea. I've always wanted to travel," McCarter said.

"I'm still trying to figure out a way to pay for it because it is hard getting donations," she added.

McCarter is working two jobs that give her the money to save for college, this trip and pay her bills.

For Jenkins' mother, Jane, this is a dream coming true through the eyes of her son.

But Derek, a seventh-grader at Jackson Middle School, has wanted to go since he was in the second grade.

"This is a once in a lifetime chance for him and we're not going to let him miss it," Jane said.

"I'm very, very excited," Jenkins said about his upcoming trip.

His group has 10 kids from the tri-state area and they will travel with a group from the Boston, Mass., area.

Jenkins said that while he is there he will get to experience the Outback and see some of the unique animals on the continent of Australia.

He received a letter from a member of parliament that invited him and his group to sit through a session of parliament.

The two are going through the group People to People Student Ambassadors.

The program allows high school aged children to earn college credit and middle school aged children a chance to earn high school credit.

McCarter said she may write an article about her experience 'Down Under' for a magazine to gain college credit.

Jenkins will keep a daily journal for high school credit.

A local service organization will give Jenkins film to record the trip. When he returns he will do a slide show for the organization.

The three-week tour of the eastern coast of the continent will begin in Cairns and the student ambassadors will experience the Great Barrier Reef while snorkeling in the beautiful waters off the coast of Australia.

They will also spend a week in a typical Australian home.

They will also get to stay with an Aborigine. McCarter said she is nervous about that because if their Aborigine host shows them how to do something, then she has to show her host how to do something.

She plans on showing her host how to play guitar, but after that she said she doesn't know.

The tour will eventually make its way to Sydney where they will experience the Sydney Opera House.

"I think that it will be cool because I love music," McCarter said.

When the group isn't spending time in the home of a native Australian they will be in hotels in cities on the east coast experiencing as much as they can of the Australian culture.

McCarter's trip will begin July 10 and Jenkins will leave on July 11. They will fly out of St. Louis to Los Angeles to Australia.