This summer, in the biggest city on Earth, 10 Gallatin High School students could be spotted trudging up the Tokyo Tower, indulging in Japanese cuisine, learning about the island nation’s history, and forging new relationships all the while.

The cultural exchange, which devoted a week to Naha, Okinawa, was part of Gallatin’s sister school relationship with Naha Kokusai school on the small, southern island of Japan. The group also spent four days in Tokyo.

The inaugural exchange was coordinated by GHS teachers Logan Aytes and Colter Curey, who run the sister-school program. Aytes was approached for the role because of his enthusiasm for connecting students to exchange opportunities, a passion that stems from his formative years.

When Aytes was graduating college, he joined what he descri

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