From China to the U.S., senior Jacob Lewis has gotten a taste of two very different worlds.

Living in these nations has allowed him to discover the differences between a communist nation and a Western superpower. He has gotten a unique experience most students will never get. With that, Lewis was nominated to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, Diplomacy, Intelligence and Defense in Washington, D.C.

“It was actually really amazing,” Lewis said. “I got to meet other students who were also nominated from different parts of the U.S. I (represented) not only Allen High School but pretty much North Dallas.”

Lewis was nominated for this program last April by history teacher Amy Gumpf.

“Jacob was always really interested in government policy in class,” Gumpf said. “He is really interested in comparing democracy with communism. He was a great leader in the classroom and he was always to help other students to make content more relevant.”

She found out about the program toward the end of the school year last year, and Lewis was the first student she nominated.

“I was not surprised that he accepted but I was a little surprised because I did not know what to expect about how much he enjoyed it,” Gumpf said. “He is interested in history in general and government. (It) was exciting that he got a lot out of it.”

The program lasted for a total of six days. Attendees got the chance to see memorials, explore fields relating to national security and foreign affairs and speak with people working in those fields. They also got an inside look on how the nation plans for peace and prepares for crisis.

“For the national security (portion), (the program) gives students a sneak peek or preview of the careers and what field they want in national security,” Lewis said. “We (did) a lot of different things every day.”

Part of his nomination and love for foreign and historical aspects came from living in China.  He was born in Waxahachie, Texas, before moving to China at the age of 5, when his mother decided to pursue a career as a translator for the missionaries in that country. Lewis lived there for eight years before returning to the U.S. in 2010 and can now read, write and speak Chinese fluently.

“(China’s) education system is different from America’s because it is more focused on memorization and absorbing all the information needed,” Lewis said. “I realized the American education system supports creativity and invention.”

The forum has allowed Lewis to discover his passion and a potential career choice as a foreign service officer at the National Foundation of Science.

“I love math, science, history and foreign language,” Lewis said. “I thought it was impossible to have a career that could combine all four of them. But after going to this program, I realized that (a career) in national security makes it very possible.”