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Finally a Cheerleader!

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YES students have so many ideas of the new experiences they'll have in the US, and sometimes those ideas are part of a lifelong dream. Rokaya from Lebanon had such a dream - to be a cheerleader! 

Rokaya explains in her own words:

"It has always been a dream to me! For Americans it might sound stupid or silly when I say that cheerleading has always been a dream to me. But in my home country we don't do cheerleading. For me, cheerleading has been a big dream for me since I was about five years old. I used to watch Kim Possible and envy her for being a cheerleader!

Rokaya Cheer

"When I got accepted in the program the very first thing that popped into my mind was cheerleading. When I got my placement I started looking for my school's cheerleaders and I found one! I started texting her... Then I met another one and she told me they already had the tryouts and I couldn't get in the team. But I emailed the coach and told her about my dream.

"And well here I am... My dream has become true!!!" 

Rokaya has been busy with more than just cheerleading since she arrived in the US earlier this month. She also cooked a special meal for her host family to celebrate Eid al Adha, an important Muslim holiday.

Rokaya tells us more:

Rokaya Eid 1

"I was having my very first dinner with my host mom and she reminded me that Adha was coming very soon and told me we can celebrate it together! And you know what's REALLY good about holidays? FOOD! 

"So I decided to cook some Lebanese food for the first time. I made shawarma,tabbouleh,and stuffed grape leaves. I really didn't expect that anyone would like the food but they turned out to love it! Everyone was asking me when I was gonna make Shawarma again, they even asked me about the recipe! My favorite part was hearing my host mom say, 'I could eat this every week'!!!

"I started cooking from 10 am and finished at 3:30. Hearing all these loving words from my host family and neighbors that I've just met for the first time made me the happiest person - I forgot that I was even tired. This was literally my favorite Adha! I don't know how to thank them for making my day."

We are so excited for Rokaya's new adventures - and those of all the new YES students!

Rokaya Haidar (YES 2018 - 2019, Lebanon, hosted by AFS in Bethlehem, PA)


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