Jeremiah Toller/Arizona Republic

Elaissia Sears shares her story at the Away We Go event at the Hotel Valley Ho on June 12, 2018.

KJZZ partners with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers sometimes share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them in general. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series. 

Elaissia Sears has lived in Mesa her entire life. In high school, her mother wanted her to experience different cultures, so she was encouraged to study abroad a few times. It was her German teacher that encouraged her to join a youth exchange during her senior year.

Right before leaving for Germany, Sears’ teacher told her to be careful. But Sears says the experience wasn’t dangerous — it was weird.

Elaissia Sears is the West Mesa District judge for the Maricopa County Justice Court in Arizona.

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