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Alumni Promote YES Program

Kuwait

Kuwaiti alumni participated in the American Studies Unit (ASU) Photo Exhibition held on April 27, 2010 at Kuwait University’s College of Social Sciences. U.S. Ambassador Deborah K. Jones kicked off the event with brief remarks, and was given a personal tour of all the photos on display by Dr. Abdulredha Aseeri, Faculty Dean of Social Science; and Dr. Mariam Al Kandari, head of the ASU. Alumni submitted a total of 35 photos from their exchange experiences, while Ahmad Adulfatah ‘06, Ali Assiri ‘07, Abduljal Marafi ‘07 and Hadiya Al Nasser ‘08 were on hand to give descriptive presentations.

Alumni also participated in the 2010-11 YES Pre-Departure Orientation held on June 23, 2010, where they were able to share their personal experiences while on the YES program with parents and students. On that same day, alumni attended a live broadcast of the 2010 World Cup Soccer match between the U.S. and Algeria at the U.S. Embassy. In promotion of the Public Affairs Section’s cultural outreach programs, Ambassador Jones hosted this special screening with the assistance of AMIDEAST/Kuwait. Alumni of the Department of State’s English Access Microscholarship Program and the Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship Program were also on hand for this event, as were other Embassy officers and staff. Embassy representatives particularly enjoyed watching the soccer game with their Kuwaiti guests; during the match they engaged in lively discussions about fans’ expectations for the match results, and exchanged ideas about future cultural events.

Another major event was a reunion and reception for Kuwaiti graduates of all the Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs division. The event was sponsored by the State Department, and took place on June 29, 2010 at the Holiday Inn in Salmiya. Several alumni were invited to this reunion, where they shared their stories and experiences on the YES program. Fatma Abdullah ‘10 spoke about her experience in Alaska. Zaina Shams Al-Deen ‘10 read a poem that she had written in the U.S. about homesickness. Ahmad Marafi ‘06 spoke about his host family experience. Finally, Hadiya Al-Nasser ‘08 spoke about her experience with both the English Access Microscholarship Program and with YES.


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