adjust to my old life after leaving it for a whole year. I changed a lot, and the people I lived with changed as well. They started to look at me as the "American girl". My parents and friends did not like my new attitude, as I was really arrogant the first week I came back. I felt lost comparing the two extremely different worlds. I remember how shocked I was when I got off the airplane to see that this was my world; I could not believe that I was back again. I went through another culture shock which might be harder than the first one in the USA. Maybe comparing things made it worse. So I had to give up some habits, and accept my life as it was, with some improvements. Not only were my parents affected by my trip, but also my teachers and friends at school. Several teachers and friends thought my experience was a waste of time because I missed an academic year at my school. Others thought the opposite. However, all of these negative issues turned out to be minor. According to my mother, my character has developed and I have become more aware of the sense of responsibility. Now I am accurate and almost always on time (not like most Arabs!). Moreover, I am more confident of myself and I no longer see the world from the same limited view. Just as relationships with other people enable us to acknowledge new aspects of ourselves, the YES program allowed us to reach great levels of self-awareness.

Gaza alumnus Samy Qarmout participated in the pre-departure orientation for departing YES students in July. He also served as an interviewer for the 2005-2006 YES candidates in February

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The YES Alumni Newsletter for the Near East and Pakistan is produced by AMIDEAST. The YES scholarship program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs and administered by several organizations. AMIDEAST is part of a consortium that includes AYUSA International, ASSE, ASPECT Foundation, CIEE, iEARN, Nacel Open Door, PIE, and Sister Cities International.