By Zarin Chowdhury (YES 2015-16, Bangladesh, hosted by AFS in Matteson, IL)

I was only 15 years old when I received notice of my acceptance to the YES program. I was so young, and, although it was only five years ago, it feels like ages ago. I was placed in a small suburb of Chicago, Illinois with a single host mom and a double placement sister from Brazil. From the first day of my exchange year, I was ready to make the most of it. I was always actively interacting with people, learning about other cultures while sharing my own story. 

My American-Brazilian host family made my transition into my exchange year very comfortable. They were beside me every step of the way, helping me understand the culture and informing me about opportunities to do community service, which I was very passionate about. During my year in Matteson, Illinois, I volunteered at the local Habitat for Humanity Resale Center, public library, church, and community center. I also played soccer for the first time!

Since my return to Bangladesh from my YES year, I interned with iEARN Bangladesh for one year, organized and coordinated more than 13 YES alumni projects, and volunteered during YES program recruitment and selection. While being an active alumna, I also started studying at Independent University Bangladesh, where I am currently in my sophomore year majoring in English Literature. 

In October 2018, I was selected to attend the Digital Storytelling Workshop hosted by iEARN in Dhaka, where I had the opportunity to learn about telling my story through videography and photography. I was also recently elected as an Executive Committee member of the YES alumni association in Bangladesh, and my goal is to encourage more alumni to organize alumni projects. 

From 2016-2019, I also assisted with Pre-Departure Orientations in Bangladesh and got see the “other side” of YES, giving me the chance to go beyond the experience of being an exchange student and see the changes within YES scholars before, during, and after their exchange year. A strong sense of responsibility to give back and my emotional attachment to the YES program inspired me to apply to be an Alumni Instructor for this year’s DC Arrival Orientations. 

Being selected as an Alumni Instructor is an honor, and I am ecstatic to meet the newest group of YES scholars and play a role in preparing them for their exchange year. At the start of my exchange year, the DCO Alumni Instructors played an invaluable role in preparing me for the challenges ahead of me, and I hope to do the same for the incoming YES students.

To the new YES scholars: I am beyond happy to meet you all at this year’s DC Orientations. Until then, keep your luggage light and your passport close. This is going to be a journey of learning for us all!