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YES Alumni Spotlight: Deborah John

Dj Alumni Spotlight

After an exchange experience in the U.S, YES alumni always return back to their communities energized and inspired to take immediate strides in making a difference. Deborah John (YES 2011-2012, Nigeria, hosted by PAX in Kennewick, WA) exemplifies how one exchange experience in the U.S not only changes one’s life, but also changes the lives of people around you.

My experience as a YES exchange student was life-changing and had such an amazing impact on my life. Through established relationships with my host family, host friends, and overall U.S community, I learned to see things differently and became more accepting of others despite differences in religious beliefs, race, and cultural backgrounds. My desire to identify needs in my community and to fulfill these needs through service was a significant result of my exchange year. After being involved in so many service activities in the U.S, I received a presidential bronze award from the White House and a certificate signed by former President Obama. This award was truly an honor and encouraged me to continue engaging in various acts of service. Furthermore, I started to think about how I could serve my community back home in Nigeria.

I completed my YES year and immediately became an active part of the YES alumni community. I was really looking forward to sharing stories about my exchange experience with my peers and doing the best I could to serve the people in my community. I am now the president of the YES alumni association in Taraba State and I also play a leadership role in the YES Alumni Association of Nigeria (YAAN). The board members of YAAN are alumni from different states in Nigeria. All board members share a common goal: to unite in an effort to make YAAN a strong force and a make a great change in Nigeria. I am so glad to be a part of this dedicated group of alumni who are striving to make Nigeria a better place.

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As a leader in YAAN and a member of the YES alumni community, there are many service projects and activities I have helped organize, implement, and execute in my community. One of these activities was a collaborative effort with YES alumni from all over Nigeria. We came together to renovate two classrooms in an orphanage and to donate school supplies to the students. Back in Taraba state, with the help of my peers, we carried out at least two community service projects per month. The activities included providing food and clothing to a local orphanage, renovating two public bus stations with funding from IRIS, and implementing environmental sanitation projects.

Many of the service projects I’ve conducted have played a huge role in the development of elementary and high school students. As a YES alumna, I’ve partnered with a fellow alumna to facilitate seminars about bullying, women empowerment, the importance of girls’ education, and health workshops in high schools. With the help of our previous coordinator, we started a book club in an elementary school and launched a computer club in an all-girls school to promote computer literacy.

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I think the highlight of my YES alumni journey was receiving training to provide medical assistance to children in Jemi, a remote village in Taraba State. We provided vitamins donated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and clothing to children in the community. This was the first time I participated in a service activity outside of my own community. The village did not have any roads or signs of development, but the joy of making a difference kept me going. In the future, I plan on raising funds to provide access to clean water and primary education in Jemi. I also plan to solicit support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health in Nigeria to help the people of Jemi. 

Serving my community has given me so much joy and satisfaction. My experience in the U.S has really shaped me and has made me a better person. The KLYES program has given me a lifetime of experience and has taught me to positively impact lives with the passion of excellence as a driving force. I am currently studying law in Benin Republic and looking forward to seizing more opportunities in the future. 

Congratulations on all of your accomplishments, Deborah! 


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