By SHARON KILPATRICK

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock Ncwi Staff Writer

This spring Joe Dunagan set a - very ambitious goal for himself. He set out to raise $3,600 so he could spend five weeks this summer in Russia in an exchange program with Youth for Understanding (YFU).

On Monday he will fly to Moscow. Joe, who just completed his 10th grade year at Rappahannock County High School, received help from a number of individuals and organizations. He said his parents made it clear that they would help him, but he couldn’t count on them to fund the trip.

He put in money he had earned at his part time job, doing yard and construction work for Helen and Howard Holschuh at their home near Rock Mills. He got a scholarship from YFU. He had funds from the program for gifted and talented students in the schools and from the education foundation. The Rappahannock News matched the funds from other sources.

Joe said he got the idea of going to Russia from a combination of experiences. Two years ago he attended a summer enrichment program at the University of Virginia. There he chose to learn about Russian culture and he also learned “a little of the language.”

Returning American exchange students came to the high school to talk about their experiences. They also showed a video about the programs offered by YFU. He talked with foreign exchange students living in Rappahannock and attending high school. He made phone calls to find out more about the program, and he decided to try for the summer program in Russia.

“I think if will be interesting,” he said. “I’ll be able to see first hand the changes taking place there.” He will be living with Igor and Tamara Perov in an apartment in Moscow. He said he had learned that both of them know some English. There will be another American exchange student staying with another family in the same apartment building.

Joe said he doesn’t know what he will be doing during his five weeks in Russia. “It will depend on my Rus