By Musa A Kabbah (YES 2015-2016, Liberia, hosted by YFU in Alpena City, MI)

I was hosted in Alpena City during my exchange year in 2015-2016 academic year. During my stay, I made lots of close friends and met so many supportive individuals. I returned back to Liberia as expected after my program, but Alpena remained a very important part of my life. I stayed in touch with friends, teachers from the high school, and my American family. I started college back in Liberia and was always in involved in YES alumni activities as one the key planners and team member. I had the opportunity to continue my studies in the U.S., and there was no better option than my American home city, Alpena. 

I am hosted by the Shultz family here in Alpena, a very welcoming and loving family indeed. They welcomed me in their home beyond expectations, and since then I have being treated like a son. I really appreciate the level of care from everyone. 

While in college, I decided to join The Language Society (TLS) after a friend recommended it to me. TLS is a very good student initiative with diverse membership. The mission of The Language Society is to "enhance the linguistic skills of members as well as participate in community service by using languages for a variety of purposes." We are a collaboration of language learners.

Our Language Society of Alpena Community College in Alpena City, Michigan had a bottle drive on Saturday October 20, 2019 as part of our fundraising activity to sponsor a 10 day trip to Europe in 2019. Dr. Karol Walchak is the manager and the leading advocate for the language society here at Alpena Community College. Every year The Language Society organizes fundraising activities for the sole purpose of planning a group trip to Europe. Dr. Walchak loves going on adventures with youth and she's very interested in languages. The bottle drive is just one of our planned activities, stay tuned for more. 

Welcome to Alpena, a unique and very supportive community. Thank you the Shultz family, thank you Alpena, and kudos to The Language Society – an important initiative that continues to bridge connections between diverse cultures.