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YES Alumni Chapter Updates

Kuwait

The Kuwaiti alumni chapter: (top row, from left to right) Dalal Al- Sharhan, Batool Hassan, Zaina Al- Mussallam (bottom row) Amer Akkad and Zeinab Hassan. (not pictured, Jassim Al- Ghanim)

Alumni met with departing YES students in August to share their experiences abroad and give tips on ways to adapt to a host community, fit in with their host family, make friends, and confront common difficulties. Basil Al Majollem, father of current YES student Abdul Razak Al Majollem, also attended the meeting to share his parental perspective.

The alumni kicked off chapter activities with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell in August. They joined participants of other U.S. exchange programs to meet with Powell and to discuss current educational, cultural and political issues. Powell emphasized the importance of exchange programs and the opportunities they provide for cross-cultural understanding and he praised the students for their initiative and achievement in taking part of the program.

Alumni have also been reflecting on their year abroad: "It's a life-changing experience that no one should miss," said Batool Hassan. "It sets a lot of ideas and individuals get exposed to a new great culture." Jassim Al-Ghanim pointed out that the experience has influenced his family as well. "My parents were really worried that I was heading off to the US, but after I came back and told them how much I learned and that I have gained an excellent experience to set me off for my future life, they knew that they did the right thing by allowing me to go and study there," he said. Dalal Al-Sharhan agreed. "Going to the US gave me the chance of getting exposed to a new culture, new ideas, new thoughts…it's a whole new world. It was an amazing experience."

Alumni have helped to promote educational opportunities in a variety of venues. They volunteered at the Linden Fair, a college admissions officer tour that provides information on educational opportunities to students who wish to study in the United States. Alumni manned a booth at the fair and shared not only information on educational services and opportunities but also their own experiences as exchange students. Alumni were also involved with the YES recruitment process at the AMIDEAST office, answering questions for applicants and their parents.

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