How has your community benefitted from cultural exchange?
There are countless ways my community has benefitted from cultural exchange. One group who benefitted from this was my community of friends. Before my involvement with AYUSA in 2009, my group of friends did not have much knowledge of other cultures. It was funny to hear some of the questions that my friends have asked students. For example, someone asked Natalene if she spoke ‘European’. Very soon, my friends learned that exchange teenagers are not much different than us. We all just want to live life, make friends and create lifelong memories. Having exchange students around and learning about their lives is very rewarding. My friends realize this, and they take time to create relationships with these exchange students that last a lifetime. One day when we all go our separate ways, my friends will hold on to the friendships we have nurtured and we’ll all be more knowledgeable about the world because of these relationships.
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My school community has also benefitted from cultural exchange. My city population is just over 110,000 but our schools are not very culturally diverse. Beyond the German, Latin, French, and Spanish clubs at our high school, we’re not really introduced to what life is like for teenagers in other countries. By having exchange students in our classrooms, our learning environment is much richer. Having them intertwined with American students gives the exchange students the opportunity to be in both a teaching and learning role. For example, in a world history class, Milica was able to share her own family’s experience of when the US bombed the city she lived in, and how that impacted her as a child. That is not something you can learn about in a text book. The students in French and German classes often call on the exchange students to help them prepare for tests or to tutor them, as they have first-hand knowledge of the language and can often find easier and more fun ways of teaching it. Through their interaction with our exchange students, the students at my school have learned so much about what life is like for teenagers in foreign countries. My classmates have come to appreciate (maybe not totally) how lucky we are to have lots of school pride, many extra-curricular activities and to not have to go to school on the weekends. Many of the American students become very close friends with the exchange students and have stayed in touch with them after they leave. Technology, particularly Skype®, has helped to make it easier and inexpensive for those relationships to continue which have contributed to some of the students at my school going to the exchange student’s country and visiting them over the summer. This demonstrates that AYUSA program has both immediate and long-term impact.
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Seeing my church community impacted by these students has been eye opening. Although I appreciate that our exchange students may not have the same beliefs as their host family, it has been heartwarming to see some of them embrace the church experience and get involved in church activities. By sharing their customs and beliefs, the students show us that maybe we are not all so different and sometimes they help to educate us on where we may have some wrong perceptions about other religions. Hearing from past exchange students, they say that church in their countries is very different from ours. This has encouraged many of them to get involved in church, not necessarily to believe what we do, but to get the full experience. From Harryet singing a solo at her church’s Christmas Eve service, to Milica being a 1st grade small group children’s ministry helper in her church every week ,this has helped to show we can find lots of things in common to where we can form a bond. My church community has benefitted from these exchange students by understanding how other religions and churches across the globe work. People find it fascinating that even though these exchange students may not believe what we do, they still are open to serving and helping out around the church.
As for the Springfield community, we are a conservative Midwestern city with lots of our citizens having lived here their whole lives. Many will never travel to another country to learn about another culture. Having the exchange students be part of our community gives us a chance to learn more about what it is like to live outside of the US from someone rather than from movies, TV or the internet. One person from our town took two students out to dinner to learn more about the country that her ancestors came from. The students were excited and anxious to share their culture with her. I believe that having these students be a part of our lives is more rewarding than we realize at the moment. For those who do not travel, the exchange students help to make the world a little bit smaller and more real.
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My various communities (friends, school, church and city) have benefitted from cultural exchange by having them teach us that the world doesn’t revolve around us, it revolves around relationships and love. Engaging in relationships, listening to what they have to say, and learning about their cultures benefits our community more than we may ever know. These students are amazing, and lives would not be the same without them. We will be forever impacted individually and as an entire community for having these cross-cultural experiences. Tim McGraw once said "We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere."
To watch Lily's inspiring video, click here.
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NianWu presented each of these audiences with a slide show that consisted of detailed information and great visual imagery, and his anecdotes and sense of humor kept his fellow students and teachers engaged and interested in learning all they could about China. As one observer stated, “NianWu’s presentation in my class led to an amazing and interactive discussion…he was very good at elaborating on his slides and answering everyone’s questions frankly.” Videos of several of NianWu’s presentations can be viewed .jpg)
2nd: Mariyam is a YES scholarship student from Pakistan who lives with the Saunders family in Coquille, Oregon. Mariyam presented four amazing presentations to four very different audiences, including an elementary school, a women’s club, a community church, and the high school she attends. She really impressed this year’s judges with the variety that these presentations entailed, including slides about Pakistan’s culture and traditions, teaching young children how to write their names in her native language of Balochi, wearing traditional dress to the presentations, cooking Gajar ka Halwa, a Pakistani dessert, and drawing Henna on some of the students who attended her presentation. Mariyam’s application spoke volumes about the philosophy put forth in her presentations that “while we speak different languages and have different cultures, there are still many things that we share…we are all the same.”
3rd: Kaerels from the Philippines really showed her level of commitment to IEW by changing the content of her presentations for each audience that she presented to at her high school, local elementary and middles schools. Kaerels put together a very thoughtful presentation that told about the different dialects, school system, traditional dress and foods (including preparing dishes native to her country) of the Philippines. Her engaging style and love for her country made a strong impact on those who attended her presentations. Some of Kaerel’s teachers had this to say about her: “She did an amazing job. Her information was interesting and personal. She was excited about presenting and did great with the young audiences.”
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1st: Venera Shamyonova Nailyevna is a FLEX scholarship student from Turkmenistan living with the Michiels family in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Venera blew this year’s IEW judges away by completing 49 presentations to over 1578 people of all ages! She began working on her presentation back home in Turkmenistan as soon as she found out she was a FLEX finalist, collecting memorabilia and pictures to include. Venera covered much of Turkmen culture, from food to education to dance, including showing a video of traditional dance to get audience members involved. Her audiences truly appreciated such a wonderful opportunity to understand both her experience back home and as an exchange student here! A participant wrote: “Venera had wonderfully creative ideas and shared excellent first-hand stories and explanations of her country with [us]…Through her stories and other examples she was able to create a tangible venture of Turkmenistan for us.”
2nd: Mohammad Al Hariri is a YES scholarship student from Lebanon who lives with the Shikany family in Springfield, Missouri. Since he arrived on program, Mohammad’s local coordinator Traci Clary has spoken highly of his eagerness to learn and really take advantage of his experience in the US. He impressed this year’s judges with his immense efforts leading up to IEW, which resulted in an extraordinary film that he edited over the course of four months. The video stood out because it was so thorough in its content and very professional in quality. His audiences have commented that his video and presentations were engaging and informative, and his enthusiasm was tangible. Mohammad’s film can be seen on YouTube here: 
family in Uvalde, TX. The boys tied for 3rd because they were really neck-and-neck, both making 17 engaging and informative presentations to a variety of people and both getting featured in both the local newspaper and on local radio! Guram and Ameer have truly made an impact all over Uvalde, bringing understanding of both Israeli and Georgian life and culture, as well as a greater appreciation of international exchange. Their host mother writes, “I am proud they are my sons and am so happy they are a part of my family!”.jpg)
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