In the summer of 1985, Yoshiko Okamura came to the U.S. as an AYUSA high school exchange student. She stayed with a warmhearted host family, attended an American high school, encountered new friends, and returned to Japan with a wealth of knowledge.

She later returned to the U.S. where she realized her dream of becoming a pilot. In May of 1995, she was employed by Horizon Airlines, receiving recognition as one of their highest achievers. On June 12th, she made history as the first Japanese female commercial aircraft pilot when she flew the Horizon Air Dash 8.

She now lives in Washington and continues her success as a pilot.

First Encounter with the Host Family

I studied abroad in the state of Indiana. When I arrived at the airport, I was welcomed by my host family, the Michaels, who were all dressed in jeans and t-shirt with friendly smiles across their faces. Tom, the father worked as a lawyer and Linda, the mother was a French teacher. Their daughter Jenny was a freshman in college and they had a son named Ned who was a high school student two years younger than me.

Rather than going home from the airport, the Michael family took me straight to local children's museums and fairs. The fair was a rural event where local farmers brought their farm animals - cows, pigs and chickens and had shows to see who had the best livestock. Deep-fried snacks were sold at the food booths and they were nearly the size of an elephant's ear.

As a native of Tokyo, I felt a small degree of culture shock being immersed in a rural community where amusement involved a show of cows and pigs, but I also remember feeling delighted and joyful at the same time.

Attending High School in the U.S.

I attended Marion High School which was about 15 minutes by car from my host family's home. The town of Marion, Indiana is known to be the birthplace of the famous James Dean. Unlike a Japanese school, the American school allowed you to create your own curriculum and choose your own courses. I chose drama, typewriting, P.E., and my strong subject, mathematics. In order to learn more about Indiana and the U.S., I enrolled in social studies. I was driven by the motivation to "do everything" so I also participated as a cheerleader for the basketball team.

The American Reality

The Michael family was an upper class family, however, the United States is a country that has a gap between poverty and wealth. I spent one night at a friend's house whose family received government financial aide. Her mother told me, "Although we are poor, there is a lot of love in this family." I clearly remember her words to this day.

Perhaps because Indiana was still quite rural when I attended high school, the influence of segregation still remained so much that the cafeteria would naturally divide by race - African Americans in one section and Caucasians in another section. Seeing this reality, I understood the various levels of living circumstances and hardships that existed in the U.S.

My Decision to Become a Pilot

Although I continued high school in Japan following the study abroad program, I decided to attend college in the U.S. to pursue a career as a flight attendant, and that was when I returned to live with the Michael Family once again.

One day, my host father Tom took me to an air show and I met a female pilot. I told her about how I wanted to become a pilot and she said to me, "Don't give up. You can do it if you try hard." Her words of encouragement re-inspired my dream of becoming a pilot.

The First Flight

After intense studies throughout college and following my successful graduation from aviation school, I flew for the first time at Hiser Aviation, which is a pilot training center in the Los Angles area. In June of 1995, I began working with Horizon Air as a commercial aircraft pilot. Horizon Air had 650 pilots total, only 10 of which were female.

When I entered Horizon Air, I was recognized as one of the highest achievers of the time. I still remember when the training captain said to me, "Yoshiko, I have never met anyone as accomplished as you, and your technique is flawless!" I am extremely grateful that I pursued my dream of becoming a pilot; I never gave up.

For Those Considering High School Exchange

Time flies very quickly, and it is now 25 years since I was a high school exchange student. When I look back at the past, I realize that my dreams and inspirations developed through the relationships I built with my host family, my friends and the community.

Japan and the U.S. each has its own unique culture. It is important not to become confined in your own thought and to actively engage in understanding the country you find yourself in. The most valuable thing I learned from studying abroad is that the U.S. is a place where those who have the ambition to achieve their dreams have many opportunities and that there are people who will support you. I had dreamt of becoming a pilot since age four, and I was able to make my dream come true!

A message to all - Take hold of your dream and make the most of your opportunity to study abroad in the U.S.

Close Story

While spending a year in Green Bay, Lina Badran, 16, improved her English.

Aseel Alsoub, 16, saw firsthand the city's love for the Green Bay Packers.

Dilafruz Umarova, 17, was amazed to see prayer in the state Senate.

And Souhair Ghozayel, 17, experienced a lighter homework load.

All are foreign exchange students from programs in the Academic Year in the USA or AYUSA International Global Youth Exchange nonprofit consortium, placed with host families in the Green Bay Public School District for the 2007-08 academic school year. Each said the experience was great.

"It's been a very good experience and I know I'm going to miss everyone," said Alsoub of Jordan. Alsoub, Badran of Jordan and Ghozayel of Lebanon are participants of the Youth Exchange and Study Program. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds the grant program created to build bridges with countries with a significant Muslim population after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Umarova of Tajikistan is a participant of the Future Leaders Exchange, also a grant program, providing scholarships for high school students from countries of the former Soviet Union. The four are among 27 exchange students in Northeastern Wisconsin this year under AYUSA.

Participants are high school students ranging in age from 15 to 18 who speak and write proficient English and have academic achievements. Students are screened and host families select the students based on their interests, age and nationality provided in profiles. The four students in Green Bay leave in June.

While in the United States, the students learn about the school system, participate in community service events and teach others their culture, sometimes through presentations in the school or by bringing items or cooking food. Students received the added bonus of learning about the city's love for the Green Bay Packers.

"It was so crazy. It was amazing," Alsoub said of her experience at a Green Bay Packers game this year. She shared a host family with Umarova and attended Green Bay East High School.

Alsoub, hesitant to come to the United States when first presented with the program's application, decided to apply after learning about the program and receiving support from her family. Her experience gave her insight on what America looks like.

"Here in Green Bay, it looks very different, nothing like it seems on TV because we see movies and Hollywood stuff," she said. "But I like it here. It's really different from home, especially the houses, the neighborhoods, everything is different, but it's still good, it's really good."

Ghozayel, who attends Preble High School, said she wanted to learn about the country and teach others about hers.

"What made me so excited to come (is) that they told me that the aim of the program is to come and represent our countries and to learn about the American culture and teach the people here who we are and who we really act like and who are the people from the Middle East," she said.

Hosting exchange students isn't new in Wisconsin. The state is among the top 10 with the highest number of exchange students, said Deb Prokop, regional coordinator for the AYUSA.

"Wisconsin really embraces international education and welcomes foreign students," she said. According to the bureau, Wisconsin hosted 1,262 students in the 2006-07 school year. In the 2007-08 school year, the state ranks sixth.

Prokop has worked with the exchange program since 2002, has three years with the YES program and has opened her home to 16 students, including Badran, who is attending Bay Port High School. She meets with the students in her area once a month.

"I've learned they're kids, just like our kids," she said.

The program plans to expand and is in search of more host families.

Reach Corinthia at cmccoy@greenbaypressgazette.com

Close Story

When East Side resident Dennis Krantz used to think of Morocco, he thought of movies such as "Casablanca."

From now on, he and his family will think of 17-year-old Marouane Smaili and the 10 months that the Moroccan youth is living with them as part of a federally funded cultural exchange program.

Since coming to Tucson in August, Smaili has become very much a part of the family, host parents Dennis and Susan Krantz said. They also have two biological children -- Jenna, 13, and David, 15.

The Krantzes and Smaili sit down to family meals and talk about their day, relax by watching television shows such as "American Idol," go on vacations and attend church together, even though Smaili is a Muslim.

Some parts of the Krantzes' culture, such as singing in church, were new to Smaili, he said. And vice versa: The first time they sat down to eat a Moroccan meal, Smaili started eating with the serving spoon. In Morocco, he was accustomed to everyone eating from a communal plate, rather than serving the food onto individual plates.

When they have time to eat a Moroccan meal as a family, the Krantzes now eat the Moroccan way.

"This is the most fun thing we've learned," Dennis said last week during such a dinner.

Cultural exchange is a fundamental part of the Youth Exchange and Study Program, the U.S. Department of State program through which more than 700 high school students from predominantly Muslim nations are currently studying in the United States.

Smaili's native country is 98.7 percent Muslim, according to the CIA's World Factbook.

He is one of five Youth Exchange and Study Program students in Arizona, according to AYUSA Global Youth Exchange, a non-profit organization that has helped administer the program since 2003.

"The idea is that they experience America," said David Beiser, AYUSA's Youth Exchange and Study Program director.

Since coming to the United States, Smaili and the Krantzes have gone with other exchange students and host families on a weekend trip to Disneyland and have visited the Grand Canyon. He's also been to Washington, D.C. And in turn, Smaili has taught Americans -- the Krantzes and people outside his host family -- about his homeland. He gave a presentation about Morocco to the youth group he attends at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 8051 E. Broadway.

Part of the American experience is that, although we're a diverse country, we're one nation, Beiser said. "That's a message we try to communicate on a worldwide scale."

The program also aims to encourage thinking with an open mind, along with the concept of volunteering and community service, Beiser said.

Smaili volunteers at St. Paul's and has helped carry equipment for the marching band at Santa Rita High School, 3951 S. Pantano Road -- where both he and his host brother, David Krantz, go to school. Smaili is a senior and Krantz is a sophomore.

He will go back to Morocco in June, but it won't mean the end of his international travels. After he finishes his last year of secondary school in Morocco, he's considering going to an American university and plans to eventually become an international businessman.

Contact reporter Danielle Sottosanti at 618-1922 or at dsottosanti@azstarnet.com.

Moroccan exchange student Marouane Smaili has introduced the Krantz family to Moroccan cuisine, which is eaten from a communal plate. From left are Dennis Krantz, David Krantz, Smaili, Jenna Krantz and Susan Krantz. During his stay, Smaili is considered part of the Krantz family.

James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star

A new outlook From Moroccan exchange student Marouane Smaili's perspective Five misconceptions people have about Morocco and Islam:

1. The religion is very strict and based on violence.
2. The culture is strict.
3. The people are closed-minded.
4. Only people of the African race live in Morocco.
5. The country doesn't have technology such as cell phones and the Internet.

Five things he learned about the United States that he didn't know:

1. The culture is diverse, interesting and simply fun to learn about.
2. People are open-minded, sociable and respectful.
3. The educational system is very interesting with a lot of freedom -- elective classes -- and cool activities.
4. There is a full mix of cultures and races.
5. There is a cultural mix of food and ways of cooking.

On the Web

For more information on the program:

• Youth Exchange and Study Program: www.yesprograms.org
• U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: www.exchanges.state.gov/education/
• AYUSA Global Youth Exchange: To learn more about becoming a host family through AYUSA, go online to www.ayusa.org or call 1-888-552-9872.

Close Story

Kawan is from Iraq.

He doesn't know any terrorists.

He's never seen an explosion.

He's not angry with Americans.

But they're the kind of perceptions the high school exchange student has been trying to dispel since arriving in Columbia last year.

"They ask, 'If if you fought in a war? Have you seen any explosions? Have you seen anyone being killed? Anyone being kidnapped?" he said. "That's not exactly what happens in Iraq.

"And, some people in Iraq say that the United States don't like Iraq, but there are a lot of nice people here."

The 17-year-old, who attends A.C. Flora High in Richland 1, is part of the Youth Exchange and Study, created by the U.S. State Department in 2002 to help relationships between Americans and Muslims following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Unfortunately, those events were the first introduction many Americans had to Muslims, and it was in "a pretty scary way," said David Beiser, director of grants programs for AYUSA Global Youth Exchange, an agency that administers YES.

But face-to-face meetings through opportunities like exchange programs can change negative perceptions, he said.

There are five students in South Carolina -- three in the Midlands -- who are among more than 700 who came this year from places like Gaza, Israel, Pakistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

For Gail Gieseking and Pete Williams, host family to Kawan -- whose full name is not being used because of a federal policy protecting Iraqi exchange students -- the experience has been eye-opening.

"It's like the two words go together -- Iraq war," Gieseking said. "So that's what he's had to redefine for people ... it's a country and it has people, and no, not every 16-year-old is a soldier."

Israeli Muslim Narmeen Salama, 15, an 11th-grader at Irmo High, said it takes a certain level of maturity to be without her family and to be an "ambassador."

She has given many presentations about her culture and helped relaunch a school Muslim club.

"People get to know your country through you. Like, if you don't do something, for example, you don't wear shoes, they expect that everyone in your country does not wear shoes, that it's normal for you. You have to be real responsible here."

Students are chosen through a rigorous process and get scholarship money to participate. This year, $19.2 million was spent on the program.

Host families are always in need, Beiser said, and almost anyone, including single parents and retirees, can help.

The government likes the program so much that it is working on sending American high school students to countries with large Muslim populations.

That could begin as early as the 2009-10 school year.

"These students that do this have guts beyond my comprehension," said Pete Williams, a host father in Columbia. "To grab the bull by the horns and come here, that's really pretty amazing."

Ultimately, the program is about focusing on what we all have in common, said Marion Crane, the Columbia coordinator for YES, who has hosted at least 60 students in cultural exchanges.

"It is difficult to generalize a nationality, to create stereotypes, once you have gotten to know and respect someone from that country," she said.

Reach Woodson at (803) 771-8692

Close Story

OCALA - Katja Schmitz is quiet, polite and holds her thoughts close. RikkiLee McGlynn is boisterous and tells it like it is. They seem like typical American teenage sisters. They go most everywhere together, room together and wear similar clothes.

And sometimes they don't get along.

For Katja, 17, an exchange student from the 700-year-old German village of Bergneustadt, learning about life as an American teenager was a dream. For RikkiLee, 17, a North Marion High junior, hosting an international student was a dream, though she soon learned one result was she would no longer be the center of attention in her family.

Katja has learned to understand American sarcasm, fallen in love with chicken parmesan and introduced the McGlynns to tuna fish pizza. RikkiLee has had adjust to sharing time with her parents, brother and dog. "Sometimes I feel like I hate her," RikkiLee said, adding she also protects her like a sister. "I'm not used to sharing my family. I am a very selfish person."

Katja smiled while RikkiLee talked about her international sister, who has been living with the family for seven months. "When she gets like that, I watch television with dad [actually the host father, Scott McGlynn] while she cools off," Katja said. "I even watch golf if I have to."

RikkiLee said she feels bad about it afterwards, but "sometimes I have made her cry. I want her to feel like she can yell back at me like a sister."

Though the teenagers sometimes don't get along, they are also always together. They go to North Marion High functions, football games and even played together on the Lady Colts soccer team. "I think it was hard for her to understand me. She didn't know that I was joking with her," said Scott McGlynn, 46. "She really thought we didn't like her at first."

RikkiLee's mom, Lori Jean McGlynn, agreed, saying there was a language barrier at first. She said the family thought Katja wasn't happy and didn't like them as well. But now everyone understands each other. They all say it has been a great experience for Katja and the McGlynn family, one of about 10 area families currently hosting international exchange students.

The students are part of Academic Year USA (AYUSA), a global student exchange company that led 1,300 teenagers from about 75 countries to homes around the United States.There are strict rules that apply to all exchange students. No alcohol, drugs or even dating are allowed during their 10-month stays. The average cost per child is $10,000, not including about $2,000 spending money they bring with them.The host families are responsible for providing a bed, food and transportation to school and related functions.

Eileen Zimmerman, AYUSA regional director for Marion County, first hosted a student 30 years ago. She said her company is very meticulous, requiring criminal background checks on all host family members. The families choose the exchange student, who also must agree. The hope is that the families and students are compatible. Sometimes, there are problems and she must find another host family or the child must return home early.

Sometimes a host family may be too strict, worried about the student getting harmed, or there are cultural differences. In other cases, it may be a health issue with the host family.

Stefan Niesen, 17, of Huerth, Germany, which is a small village located in the Cologne suburbs, was moved from a home recently due to a host family health problem.He was moved out of a home that had a 16-year-old boy into the home of Max and Kelly Hadaway, who have no children. The couple, who are in their 30s, have been trying unsuccessfully to have children.A few days before they learned about Stefan's plight, they were considering hosting a child next school year. Then, Zimmerman contacted them about the situation.

"The stork then brought us a 16-year-old, 160-pound German boy," Max said with a laugh.

They have taken Stefan to Texas to meet their family, been skiing in New Mexico and soon will head to the Florida Keys. He even exchanged Christmas gifts with the family.

"My favorite gift was a pocket watch," said Stefan, who attends Belleview High School.

Last week at Forest High School, Peichin "Peggy" Tsai, of Taipei, Taiwan, said she thought American high schools were segregated, where students formed groups of friends based on ethnic groups or sports they played.

Peggy said she was shocked to find that America is truly a melting pot, where people of all races intermingle.Peggy also had a different vision of the typical American household."I thought all Americans lived in mansions," she said, adding she soon learned that most homes were more modest than she had envisioned.Later that evening, Peggy sat at a kitchen table with her host family, James and Lynn Zimmerman - Eileen Zimmerman's son and daughter-in-law - and their two children, Ashley, 12, and Michael, 14.Ashley looks up to Peggy and loves having her around the family."She is doing much better in school," James Zimmerman said of Ashley's grades.

Back at Forest High, Derya Rabanus, of Siegen, Germany, said she felt intimidated about communicating in English, but has now lost her German accent and speaks fluent English.

Instead of using money from her savings account to get a driver's license and car, Derya paid $9,000 for the trip, gaining support from her mother to tap into an account started by her grandmother."I was pretty scared about having problems with the language," said Derya, who was homesick when she first arrived and her birthday fell on the third day of school. "I felt alone."

Another student, Juliana Shimizu, 17, of Sao Joaquim, Brazil, said American high schools are much different than she imagined. She said they are much better than those of her homeland. "There are much more activities here," said Juliana, who was born to Japanese parents who moved to Brazil before she was born. "I like the school system much better than in Brazil."

Eileen Zimmerman and her husband, Mike, are Juliana's host family. They take her with them every Sunday to First Baptist Church in Ocala. The church is planning a mission trip to Anchorage, Alaska, in May, and Juliana received money from her parents to go and help renovate a church. "I want to go and help them have a closer relationship to God," Juliana said.

Now, Eileen Zimmerman is seeking host families for next school year. "We want people to consider being a host family," she said. "It's an experience they will never forget."

Joe Callahan may be reached at joe.callahan@starbanner.com or 867-4113.

View a related video

Close Story

Chautauqua Park provided a scenic background this weekend for a gathering of high-school exchange students from across the world as the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program hosted its fifth annual Youth Leadership Summit in Boulder.

Arriving Thursday from placements in states throughout the US, the 52 students - representing the cultures, religions, and ethnicities of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa - gathered at the Chautauqua Community House to begin a weekend filled with group activities, skill-building, and leadership training.

"I really like it so far," said Alisbah Sehar, a 16-year-old high school student from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, during a group activity requiring students to use two beams to travel across a series of blocks. "Here in the USA, kids can stay after school for programs that help them with their studies - at home, students must pay to go to centers that do this".

Sehar went on to say that, by attending the Youth Summit in Boulder this weekend, she has learned the necessary skills that will help her achieve the goal of starting an after-school program in her own community when she returns to Pakistan.

"I am a senior, so I already know the curriculum my younger classmates are studying," she said. "The seniors in my class could help the younger students do better. I have also learned how to raise funds from parents and other students if we need it I can lead people."

Amine Rekik, a 17-year-old high school student from Sousse, Tunisia said that he has enjoyed getting to know the side of America that he does not see on television.

"It's not the same image I see on TV," said Rekik. "We see the U.S. mostly as trying to dominate, but it's not like that."

Rekik also said he enjoyed seeing the unity between members of different Arab countries during the activities and throughout the course of the summit. He said he plans to use the training he received to start community service projects such as cleaning up the littered beaches in his hometown.

Bethany Rehling, Youth Coordinator for Sister Cities International, an organization that helped to sponsor and plan the summit, stated that Boulder provides a wonderful setting for the event on the terms of its natural beauty and its strong sense of community.

:There are two great aspects to this, one is what the students are learning - how to be leaders," she said. "They'll go back to their own countries and share with their community what American culture is like and change their community for the better."

"The other great aspect of this summit is that it really is put together and supported by the Boulder community," Rehling continued. "These students are staying with host families from Boulder who have opened up their homes to them, the Boulder Valley School District donated bus transportation, the Chautauqua Community House was used for the summit - so it's really a great way for these students to touch the Boulder Community."

Rehling also expressed gratitude for the 21 host families who committed to offering their homes to the students, many playing host to several students at a time, and getting them to and from the events on time in addition to sharing their lives and experiences with the students. Host home providers such as Laura McCutchen, however, see the opportunity as an equally exciting learning opportunity for themselves.

"Being part of a host family gives me a firsthand experience of how people live out their Muslim faith in everyday life - and it's a way of learning it that's not the way you see it in the media," said McCutchen, a business manager at Boulder's YWCA who has opened up her home to visiting exchange students for all five of the Summit's annual events. "Once you do it once, you're hooked."

McCutchen hosted three female students this year-Meliha from Bangladesh, Alifbah from Pakistan, and Faten from Israel-and views the experience as eye-opening for everyone involved.

"You've got your extremists and fundamentalists in every religion," she said, "but these are people who are just like us in using it as a part of their foundation for life. And they get to realize that with us, too. They get to see that whatever our government policies are is not necessarily the way the people think and live - so it helps to dispel fears in a lot of ways."

This dispelling of fears also happens to be the primary objective of the YES Program. The program was initiated by the U.S. State Department of State after 9/11 in order to foster understanding between America and the Muslim world.

"They don't want to leave each other," said Natasha Fong Cohen, Senior YES Coordinator for AYUSA International, as she was seeing them off at the airport on Sunday. "A lot of lifelong friendships were made across country lines, across religious lines - and for me that's just really inspiring that they were able to get along so well and work together."

Contact Lance Vaillancourt about this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 125, or at Vaillancourt@coloradodaily.com.

Close Story