By: Taha Frifer (YES 2018-2019, Libya, placed by Ayusa in San Antonio, TX)

For YES students, the journey begins with leaving your home country and saying goodbye to family and friends. You meet a new family, make new friends, and seize opportunities. The exchange year is a chance to become an ambassador and a leader.

I recall my arrival to San Antonio, Texas in 2018. I felt overwhelmed, not knowing where to start or how to achieve my goals. I reached out to alumni from previous years, especially those from similar cultural backgrounds, who could understand my experience. Their advice was helpful, but at the end of my exchange year, I still felt that I hadn’t accomplished everything I wanted to.

When I returned home, I helped found the YES Alumni Association Libya (YAAL). The association has served as an incubator for alumni eager to contribute to the community. However, their lack of experience often hindered their efforts. I noticed that some of them faced challenges during their exchange year. This inspired me to create the YAAL Mentorship Program to support YES Libya students throughout their exchange year and facilitate a smooth return to their home communities. The program design was inspired by YES workshops and trainings, particularly the DCOs.

During the first phase of the project, from September 2023 to June 2024, the 2023-2024 students communicated with alumni mentors about the challenges they faced during their exchange year. We conducted three surveys to ensure that communication went smoothly between mentees and mentors.

The mentorship program concluded with a re-entry orientation and leadership training in July 2024. The new alumni participated in workshops led by older alumni on leadership, project management, budgeting, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and reverse culture shock. The alumni left the training eager to give back to their communities and with the skills to implement their project ideas.

The program bridged gaps between alumni and faciliated a greater sense of community. It both equipped the newest alumni with leadership and change-making skills and fostered lasting connections within the YES alumni community. We are proud to pass the torch to the newest members of the Libyan YES alumni community and are excited to implement the mentorship program again in future years.