News & Events
YFU-Hosted YES Scholars Visit Capitol Hill
Posted on 07.02.2009
YFU-Hosted YES Scholars Visit Capitol Hill
YFU Director of Inbound Operations Louise Reaves, YES Scholar Sondos Saquran, YFU Admissions Counselor Scott Hunt, and YFU Mid-Atlantic Field Director Lynn Blalock.
United States Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) joined by nearly 300 YES Scholars representing nations across the Islamic world.
The Capitol Building, Washington DC – Sondos Saquran, a Youth For Understanding USA (YFU USA) program participant from Yemen, joined more than 300 YES Exchange Scholars, foreign diplomats and dignitaries at a reception sponsored by the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Sondos’s exchange year came to an end this past week, culminating with the re-entry event organized by Senators Kennedy and Lugar, who established the YES program following September 11, 2001.
The reception featured scholars’ reflections on the life-altering experience of living in the United States for one year. They spoke of newfound appreciation for American culture and the American people. The students also expressed deep gratitude for their US hosts who opened home and heart.
Sondos spent her exchange year in Williamsburg, VA and attended Bruton High School. “Sondos was very determined and worked hard to succeed at school and in our community…” explained Host Mother and YFU USA Volunteer Area Coordinator Rebecca Whitney. “These students require a lot of understanding, respect and support while here in the United States. Culturally, things are just so different, and it is important to have mentors and guidance from the organization supporting their exchange.”
“At Youth For Understanding USA, we open our hearts and minds to promote global understanding. Our mission is to prepare young people for their responsibilities in a changing and interdependent world,” explained Lynn Blalock, Mid-Atlantic Field Director for YFU USA and resident of Potomac, MD. “We take this mission seriously and hope that local families will consider the opportunity to become a partner in this exciting and important endeavor.”
The YES program was launched to build bridges of understanding between the United States and countries of the Arab and Muslim world following the events of September 11, 2001. Funded by the ECA, the YES program provides high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations the opportunity to live in the United States with host families and attend high school for an academic year. While in the US, these students participate in leadership training, community service and numerous other activities to deepen their experience. As students grow and learn both inside and outside the classroom, American host families create a lasting bond of international friendship.
YES students are required to demonstrate academic achievement, leadership potential, social maturity, and a commitment to fulfilling the goals of the YES program. This year’s scholarship winners from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia will arrive in August for a week of leadership training in Washington D.C. and then depart to communities across the US. Youth for Understanding USA is currently offering the opportunity to host a YES scholar for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year. Information on hosting is available at www.yfu.usa.org or by calling 1.866.4.YFU.USA.
