Above photo: Sanjina enjoying the snow.

January YES Student of the Month Sanjina Kumari (YES 2018 - 2019, Pakistan, hosted by ACES in Onalaska, WI) has been a real go-getter since her arrival in Onalaska, WI. At Logan High School, Sanjina has been inducted into the National Honor Society and nominated for student of the month. She has been active in her school’s Pep Club, which organizes school parades, the Forensics and Interact Clubs, and the cross country team. She also helped stage a community play with her German class.

Sanjina gave an impressive 50 presentations during International Education Week to a total of 900 people at her high school, local elementary and middle schools, and church. She prepared delicious Pakistani food to accompany her presentations. For Sanjina, IEW “was the most hectic yet the most beautiful week” of her exchange year. In addition, Sanjina gave a cultural presentation about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, at an international elementary school.

As a member of the Interact Club at school, Sanjina has been heavily involved in a food drive called iFeed. She helped sort 36,000 non-perishable items for local food pantries and packed 100,000 meals to be shipped to Nicaragua. She was filmed in two spots that aired on local television, one to raise awareness about iFeed, and another in which she was interviewed about her exchange experience. She has also volunteered at a craft fair, at school concession stands, as an usher at her host family’s church, and at a blood drive.

Congratulations, Sanjina!