Shoshone Teen Experiences Mongolian Culture

SHOSHONE • Like most years, 15-year-old Colton Horn is spending a lot of time at the Lincoln County Fair this week.

For the Shoshone teenager, it’s usually a intense week of preparing animals for judging and a market sale.

But it’s not as hectic this time around. Something else occupied his time this summer: a monthlong trip to Mongolia through the American Youth Leadership Program.

“I was hoping to learn everything I could,” Colton said.

His mother, Kim Horn, said it was a chance for her son — who lives on the family ranch and had never left the country — to learn about a different culture.

“It was a big growing experience for him,” she said.

It was also a learning experience for the whole family, who researched Mongolia alongside Colton.

The exchange program Colton participated in is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and run through Wyoming’s 4-H programs.

Colton — who will be a sophomore this fall at Shoshone High School — returned from from the trip about one week ago.

At the Lincoln County Fair this week, he’s fielding lots of questions from people in town about his experiences.

The small-town gathering bustled with activity Thursday as students showed their animals, families ate lunch and children gathered around a dunk tank.

Colton showed a lamb through FFA earlier this week and is selling it at a market sale Saturday.

He took a break Thursday afternoon from being in the fair barns to glue pictures from his Mongolia trip onto a display board for the community building.

“It helps me realize how fortunate America is,” he said about the trip, recalling the large amount of trash lining the streets in Mongolia.

Once the fall rolls around, he plans to do a presentation at school.

During the trip, Colton and other students learned about natural resource and environmental issues, did community service projects and visited cultural sites such as Buddhist monasteries.

One highlight, he said, was meeting the president of Mongolia, as well as a few Olympic basketball and wrestling athletes.

Colton also got a taste of Mongolian culture and stayed with a host family for 16 days.

He lived in a ger — a tent — with his host brother, while his host parents and younger host brother slept in a one-room summer house.

Colton learned how to cook traditional Mongolian foods, such as sheep meat and breads. It’s a skill he demonstrated for his family back home in Shoshone.

“The food was a lot different, but over a month I got used to it,” he said.

The process of getting to Mongolia wasn’t a simple one.

Colton heard about the exchange program last year through a county 4-H newsletter. At the time, he was just 14 years old — not quite old enough.

“I just decided to apply when I was 15,” he said.

This year, Colton spent time after school filling out an extensive online application. Out of hundreds of applicants, he was among about 100 selected to interview for a spot via Skype.

Just 28 teens from around the western United States were selected. Colton was the only Idaho student in the group.

Kim Horn said she was reluctant at first about the idea of sending her son off to Mongolia.

“But after the process proceeded, it became very exciting,” she said.

Father Carl Horn said just the application and interview process alone was a good experience for his son — and good practice for college applications.

Colton’s not sure what he wants to do for a career. But he said he’s going to focus on school and think about college options.