By Leah Tesfamarian, YES 2009-2010, Kenya, hosted by ACES in Toledo, OH

My life after the YES experience has been immensely transformed. Having been selected to be part of the Civic Education Workshop as an alumni mentor was such a privilege for me. Not only did I get to interact with the staff of the State Department, which was critical to my career as a student of international relations, but I also got to offer service to the YES program by representing the program to congressional staff.

My exchange year influenced my choice of degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and my passion for female empowerment. Prior to my exchange year, I had a lot of interests and was a top performing student in business studies. Especially since my family was very entrepreneurial, my career goal was to own my own business and make money. However, being on the YES program and gaining exposure to State Department activities, visiting my host state's Senator’s office, visiting the Kenyan Embassy, making international friends, and falling in love with the idea of traveling to a new country with new experiences and adventures motivated me to change my career aim to diplomacy. I decided I wanted to travel the world, become a world leader, make global decisions on peace building and peacekeeping, and work for the United Nations.

I had never been in a place where women were so educated and independent, and were treated equally with the male gender. My host dad cooked and cleaned, my teenage host sister drove her own car and had a job. My host mum owned seven fast food restaurants throughout Ohio and Michigan and she traveled to attend conferences. She flew us to Florida for spring break and took us to New York for a holiday. She had a college degree when my host dad did not. She bought herself a new car and built a swimming pool for the house. This was different from what I was used to in Kenya, where my mother was only in charge of domestic duties, my father was never found in the kitchen, and my brothers never handled any household chores. As girls, my sisters and I had to always stay at home and study. Even at a low point in our lives where my father was not working and my mother owned a food kiosk, my father made the decisions about how our income was spent. All of this made me become outspoken about domestic violence in my family, and led me to define my life's purpose to empowering women. I decided to make women more aware of their rights and tell them about the possibility of living a life in which they could be equal human beings to their male counterparts.

I also found a new hobby. In Kenya, I was always encouraged to become a model because of my height and physique. When my host mum gave me an opportunity to pick something to do in my free time, I attended John Casablanca Modelling and Acting Career Center. I received training on photography, make-up, the catwalk, etiquette, personal hygiene, and presentation skills. I went home to become Miss Maseno University and First Runner-up Miss World Kenya in 2013 during my first year of college. I was able to use my title as a platform to encourage girls to go back to school after becoming pregnant.

Since my exchange year, I have been a Peace Fellow at the Regional Peace Building Institute in East Africa. I received training on genocide history and prevention, human rights, and good governance. I volunteered with the United Nations at a conference on devolution and governance. I have also taken part in creating an awareness campaign about obstetric fistula. Fistula is a permanent abnormal passageway between two organs that results from extreme pressure and tissue damage during prolonged or obstructed labor, when the fetus will not fit through the mother’s pelvis. This condition disproportionately affects poor and young women in Kenya. If a Caesarean section delivery is not available to end the ordeal, the baby is usually stillborn and a fistula forms, permitting the uncontrollable passage of urine and feces. Additionally, I have taken part in anti-malarial campaigns, a donation drive from women, and a girls mentorship program. Lastly, I participated in a “Technovation” program that trains girls in creating phone applications that solve problems in their communities and I have organized forums to celebrate and recognize the efforts of women on International Women’s Day. As I have demonstrated through my alumni activities, the YES program has a never-ending, life changing effect on YES participants and alumni.