Above: Vesa began volunteering at a pet shelter in Kansas City this year.

By Vesa Sherifi (YES 2017-2018 Macedonia, hosted by AFS in Kansas City, MO)

As I was riding home on the school bus today, I began counting the number of days that I have been in Kansas City, MO. When I realized that it’s been more than three months, I thought "Wow!" When I look back, I can clearly remember completing the tests, medical documents, and then the day my friends and I departed Skopje to start this wonderful journey!

I'm one of those students that didn't fully accept that I was leaving for a year until I was sitting on the plane! If you ask why, I think it's pretty normal to be scared to leave your comfort zone and small circle of friends and family. It can be pretty daunting to get out of a small city like Kumanovo and leave for a different country, culture, and a much larger city. But I am so happy I did it! I am so happy I had the American Councils’ staff by my side, along with the nine other amazing finalists from Macedonia, and of course, my family and friends. Since the first day I arrived in the United States, my days have been full of memories to collect and moments to keep forever.

I go to Lincoln College Prep Academy, which is ranked as the best school in Missouri and is also one of the 100 best high schools in the U.S. Since my first day, I felt very welcome here, and it was amazing how many people came to ask me about Macedonia. I have joined a lot of school activities. A few other students and I represented Lincoln at a recent math competition for the top math students in the region, and I won 4th place out of 150 participants!

Outside of school, I fill my time with new activities. I volunteer at a pet shelter where I spend time with dogs and cats. I also participated in the Metropolitan College's drama club during their last play as part of the stage crew. I'm looking forward to shadowing a doctor at one of the hospitals in Kansas City soon.

Being an exchange student is about more than just your own experience. I now understand that being an exchange student also means representing the people of your country, especially when you come from a small country like Macedonia. People want to know more about me and where I come from. I try my best to represent Macedonians and Albanians who live in Macedonia in the best way possible: talking about the diversity, culture, and our lifestyle.

One of the moments when I really felt like a youth ambassador for Macedonia was during International Education Week. I gave six presentation in a row, and, to be honest, after each 50 minute presentation, I felt so tired. But as I saw many people coming through the classroom doors, I felt inspired to talk to them, show them Macedonia, and show them the Balkans, a piece of Europe they never knew before. I think a lot of people want to visit them now!

Those presentations made me realize how many beautiful places there are to visit in Macedonia, our hospitality, and the recognition my country deserves. I feel more proud as the days go by, and I’m thankful I've been given this chance to tell people who I am and where I’m from every time I succeed and do something good for this community.

Macedonia has eight other amazing students representing us in the best way possible in the USA: Marija, Lumi, Sara, Berta, Petar, Marija (#2), Kushtrimi, and Sara (#2). Spread all across the U.S., we are doing our best to teach people about ourselves and our country and at the same time making our American Dream come true.

We're going to go back home with a lots of stories to share and a lot of beautiful, useful ideas for our own communities in Macedonia. My message to others is that everyone is good enough for this experience; all you need is confidence to be the next student writing for the YES website and sharing your exchange stories.