Eliza Townsend of Bainbridge Island will spend the summer in Finland.

Townsend has been named as a 2015 recipient of the Finland-U.S. Senate Youth Exchange.

Townsend is a junior at Bainbridge High School.

Administered by Youth For Understanding USA and funded by the government of Finland, the prestigious scholarship provides selected high school students with the opportunity to study abroad and explore local culture in Finland. Eliza was selected from a national pool of applicants for the highly competitive scholarship.

YFU is an educational nonprofit that advances intercultural understanding, mutual respect and social responsibility through exchanges for youth, families and communities.

Officials note the students selected for these programs represent some of the most talented youth in the United States.