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From Little Moments to Big Goals

Tur Hannah With Hfam

By Hande Halilibrahimoglu (YES 2012-2013, Turkey, hosted by AYUSA in Downington, PA)

I find talking about my exchange year strangely difficult, because there are tons of moments and many small or big adventures from my exchange year, and they are all so special that I want to talk about them all. However, when I look at the big picture, I can easily describe my YES experience as the collection of many small and big moments that shaped a socially aware person with the enthusiasm to solve problems in society.  

I was hosted in Downingtown, PA and lived with the amazing Hoyers and Liebhardts, who warmly welcomed me as a new family member. We shared many holidays together. I participated in my first Easter egg hunt. They taught me skiing and how to not be afraid of animals. My host family cheered for me at my swim meets and choir concerts, supporting me in the activities I wanted to do most. Most importantly, we shared many dinners and weekends together, and there was the inevitable cultural exchange. My host families and I were curious about each other’s lifestyles. I was foreign to them and they were foreign to me, so we all wanted to learn more. I shared Turkish culture with them and they shared theirs with me. It was a continuous discussion; every day we were learning new things and creating bridges between the U.S and Turkey. Those moments made me realize we were like neighbors who had been living far away from each other and just waiting for an opportunity to meet.

Tur Hannah With Us Friends

During my exchange year, I volunteered at my local church to help provide housing for families in need. I helped at the junior high school theatre club stage design and volunteered at the local YMCA after school. I spent time with elementary school students, played games and helped them with their homework. When I first met these younger kids, I told them I was an exchange student from Turkey. In return, they asked a lot of questions about my country such as what we ate, if we had pizza or camels, what games children play, etc. One of the students asked me what Turkish people called the color blue. The question sounded bizarre at first, but then I replied back “mavi”, the Turkish word for blue, and taught a child his first ever Turkish word. 

I also volunteered on a special day at my high school where we spent the day with people who had mental and physical disabilities. We did arts and crafts together and had a great time. The community service I did with different groups of people showed me one thing: We live in the same world and some of us are just given more opportunities than others. Since that day, I believe that we are humans living on the same planet and we should all live equally and in peace.  

When I came back to Turkey after my exchange year, I wanted to continue volunteering. I met YES alumni in Turkey and noticed we all share the same mindset: peace and equal opportunities for everyone. At that moment, I knew I was with a group of young people who could identify issues and take action to solve them. Since I came back, I am doing my best to be an active volunteer and work with fellow YES alumni and people in my circle to solve issues in our community. In 2016, I was part of a YES alumni project where Syrian and Turkish mothers and their children met for an apron and T-shirt painting event, to help build bridges between these two groups. For me, it was more than painting. I could see the connection between Syrian and Turkish mothers. Syrian mothers, many of whom came to Turkey as refugees, felt welcomed as we listened to their stories and spent time with their children.

Tur Hannah With Syrian Refugee Project
Hannah and the YES alumni team who implemented a project with Syrian refugees and Turkish citizens

Currently, I am part of what I call my dream project: A Bus to Unimaginable Achievement. When I was a child, I learned many things during my education and was given the opportunity to discover my skills in science. I always wanted to share these opportunities with children in underprivileged parts of Turkey, because every single person deserves equal opportunities, especially in education. With A Bus to Unimaginable Achievement, we are aiming to engage children with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics). We want to help them discover their skills and talents and spark curiosity. I am out of words when I want to describe how excited I am to be a part of this great initiative. At university, I am studying medical engineering to develop affordable and accessible healthcare technologies and practices for people in Turkey and around the world.  

Looking back 5 years, I can see that my YES year had a great impact on who I am today. The memories with my host families and friends, the conversations, the cultural exchange, meeting new people, devoting my time to helping others, matured me greatly and encouraged me to help create a peaceful and equal world for everyone.  

Tur Hannah Yes Brunch

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