A year in the States: By saying ‘YES’, students embark on new experiences

Students from Sindh spent one year in the US under the exchange and study programme.

KARACHI: The opportunity of studying at American high schools on scholarships while living with host families was not merely a year of life for the 45 young students from Sindh - it was the time of their life.

These secondary school students of ages between 15 and 17 years, a majority of whom belonged to the middle and lower-middle class families, were selected for one-academic-year scholarships under the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Programme.

After one year of study at the schools in different US states, the students came back on June 17, which inspired the US Consulate General to host a day-long event in their honour on Wednesday.

As they shared their experiences with the audience, the animated vibes were enough to gauge that it was indeed an action-packed year for the students. “Sky is not the limit - that is what I have learned from my experience in the US,” said Adeel Pasha, who was placed at a high school in Massachusetts. Apart from studying at the schools and experiencing the American way of life with their host families, the students also completed 100 or more hours of community service activities. “It was such a great experience that some of us dedicated up to 400 hours, much more than what was required from us,” said Pasha.



Among the attempts to share Pakistani culture with their counterparts, some of the students even made their American counterparts cry by making them try traditional Pakistani cuisines, including biryani and qorma.

Warisha Atiq, a student at Government Girls’ Secondary School and resident of Liaquatabad, told The Express Tribune that when she got to know about the programme through her uncle, she was not aware that it would completely transform her life. “I even got the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama,” she beamed. “I took part in his campaign while undertaking a full programme at the Washington Latin Public Charter School.”

Enlightening feedback

US Consul General Michael Dodman said he loved to hear students’ experiences as even he hadn’t visited some of the places they went to.

“YES students are fantastic ambassadors for Pakistan,” said Dodman as he highlighted the importance of people-to-people ties through academic and cultural exchange. “The programme proved to be a teaching and learning experience for the students that also offered the American communities a better insight into Pakistan.”

Dodman said that the average American has misunderstandings about Pakistan, just as Pakistanis hold certain misconceptions about the US. “We can bridge the gap between the two countries by instilling understanding through people-to-people interaction.”

Farah Kamal, who has been leading the YES programme in Pakistan since it started in 2003, told The Express Tribune that the event honoured the 10th batch of accomplished “citizen ambassadors” who had educated their American counterparts about Pakistani culture, traditions and people. “At present, we are running the world’s largest YES programme among all 40 participating countries,” she said. “Since its inception, the programme has provided scholarships to more than 700 Pakistani high-school students. Out of over 4,000 applications received this year, a total of 107 students were selected for participation in the programme nationwide, which is implemented by iEARN - a project of Society for International Education.”

Upon their return, said Kamal, these students joined their seniors in the YES Alumni Association, which aims to bring a positive change by reaching out to communities with activities ad projects. Earlier on Wednesday, the students had workshops identifying how they can contribute back to the society by sharing the skills and knowledge they had acquired as part of the YES programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.