The explanation is simple. Friedericks was born in the United States but has spent most of his life in East Africa . "I was born in Virginia in 1986," he says. "I lived there until I was two years old, and then my family went to Kenya, where my father was teaching at a university. After that, we moved back to the States and lived in Nebraska for four years. After four years in Nebraska, we moved to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and we have been here ever since. I have lived in Africa for two-thirds of my life. It is more a 'home' for me than the United States currently is."
Friedericks' parents moved to Dar es Salaam in 1995 as missionaries with an organization called Bible Study Fellowship. Today, they continue to work with the Bible Study Fellowship, as well as with its former sister organization the Rafiki Foundation. "Rafiki," Friedericks explains, "is a nongovernmental organization involved in vocational training for underprivileged girls and boys. It also sets up orphanages throughout Africa ."
Friedericks describes himself as a very sporty person who plays sports often. "My favorite sport is soccer, which is the national pastime in Tanzania. I play soccer-or 'football' as it is called here-several times a week."
In addition, Friedericks is heavily involved in his church and in a Christian youth group that he helps lead. "I play music in church and organize activities for the youth group. There are about thirty 12- to 16-year-olds in the group, and I enjoy it very much."
Friedericks also enjoys the challenge of learning. He attended school at the Haven of Peace Academy in Dar es Salaam until the 10th grade. ("'Haven of Peace,'" he explains, "is the English translation of ' Dar es Salaam .'") He completed the 10th grade through a British program, then decided to transfer to Indiana University High School. "The director of the Haven of Peace Academy suggested Indiana University High School as one of the best distance education programs," says Friedericks. "That appeared to be the case-and still does."
Friedericks liked Indiana University High School because the program allowed him to work at the pace he wanted to. "I am a quite driven person, and the program allowed me to work at a fast rate," he says. "As a result, I was able to graduate a year early from high school."
Moreover, Friedericks liked the challenge of the dual-credit courses he took. Dual-credit courses are university-level courses that students can take to earn high school and college credit simultaneously. "I particularly enjoyed the dual-credit courses," he explains, "because of the way they challenged me. I enjoy challenges, because they push me to succeed and to work harder."
Now a graduate of Indiana University High School , Friedericks is looking ahead to college. He believes his IUHS experience well prepared him for this next challenge. " Indiana University High School prepared me for college work better than 'normal' high school," says Friedericks. "In normal high school, you would most likely get a project or something to do in your classes. In Indiana University High School , the typical assignment asks you to read and to write papers," says Friedericks. "This, if I understand correctly, is much like college."
Friedericks will attend Indiana University in Bloomington starting in fall 2004. He plans to major in mathematics and to one day become a university professor.
What will it be like to live in the U.S. like a typical American teen? It will, no doubt, be a major adjustment. But then, Friedericks is always up for a new challenge.
