Renewal of Funding for the YES Abroad Program

I came across this story while reading my Exchange Student Survival Kit:

“In an old story of a long running war between two kingdoms, the kings agreed to a peaceful exchange. Each agreed to send his daughter to live with the family of his enemy, to be cared for in another kingdom as if she were the daughter of that family. Each put his faith in the other to care for his daughter, and committed in return to care for the other’s daughter as if she were his own. These daughters also came to understand and became attached to the new kingdom, making it impossible from then on for either of them to raise war against the other.”

I know that one teenager headed for a foreign country won’t bring world peace. It’s never that simple. That being said, I really do believe that exchange brings a global and understanding perspective to the individual and to the community at large. James Bradley, son of a flag raiser at Iwo Jima and exchange student to Japan, wrote, “If more kids from more countries went to live in homes abroad and had a second Mother and Father, we all would benefit from the mutual respect, understanding, and love that impact both families.”

I’ve wanted to study abroad since the age of twelve. Yet it wasn’t until I discovered YES Abroad that I started to think more deeply about the importance of exchange. Exchange allows us to develop critical skills for our future, in particular, language learning. It allows us to become more competitive in an international job market. But no matter how important these skills are, their significance pales when compared to the wider purpose of exchange and in particular, the YES Abroad program. Created after 9/11 to foster better relationships between the U.S. and Muslim nations, the YES Abroad program strives to accomplish its goal one exchange at a time.

Misunderstandings of other cultures and religions exist both in the United States and in the YES Abroad countries. During my exchange, I will work towards alleviating these tensions, a critical step towards establishing a more peaceful global community. While abroad, I will represent a curious and respectful side of the United States, one that is not often seen in the media. When I return, I will bring with me an understanding of Islam based on my experiences in Morocco, instead of what is presented in the news. I am honored to study in Morocco, as I will truly be part of the important process of increasing understanding between citizens of the United States and of the Muslim world.

I am ready to experience life as a member of my host family and to see the vast differences between Portage and my host community. But I also am prepared to draw parallels between my two homes. I don’t simply want to observe the readily available differences; I want to discover what characteristics we all share, no matter where we live. I am confident that these similarities exist and that I will seek to identify them during my year abroad.

Despite the fact that we may live on different continents, speak different languages, or practice different religions, we all want the same things in our lives – peace, health, and happiness. This coming year, I will seek to gain a full understanding of my host community, and I hope to combine their values and beliefs with my own, to create a balanced multicultural identity. By using all the resources available to me, I will transition from the curious girl I am today to the global citizen I will be tomorrow. None of this would be possible or probable without the YES Abroad program.

I’m grateful to YES for all my new friends, for my incredible weekend IPSE, for the conference calls and webinars. But most importantly, I am grateful to them for facilitating a program that is truly part of the change I want to see in the world and for allowing me to a part of this program next year. YES Abroad has already changed my life, and I cannot wait to see how it will change many more lives in the coming years, whether I remained involved as an alumni or not (though I hope I will)

However, there is no guarantee that the YES Abroad program will continue. As you may know, YES Abroad is sponsored through the State Department and is funded by government money/tax payer dollars. Today, April 18, there was a Congressional hearing to renew funding for all the State Department funded exchange programs. Our nation currently faces a time of great economic hardship, but the YES Abroad program, and other State Department exchange programs, deserve to continue their important work. I have emailed my Congress people, and I urge you to do the same. A simple email or a phone call can confirm your support for the renewal of funds for State Department funded exchange and can enable the exchange dreams of thousands of students! Thank you for your support.