El Hadji Faly Seck (YES 2019-2020, Senegal, placed by PAX Organization in Hope, AR) 

It is not always easy for alumni to make friends in a new environment due to reasons such as language or cultural barriers. But if there is one thing that always helps alumni of Senegal, including myself, overcome that issue, it is playing sports.  

Indeed, alumni testified that through sports they built beautiful friendships in the most natural way. 

Ndeckie Gondoleeza Elie (YES 2019-2020, Senegal, placed by PAX in Avon, IN) participated in track and field while in the United States. 

“Doing track and field was one of the best things that happened to me while being an exchange student,” she said. “I achieved things that I never thought I was able to, and that gave me much confidence. The pain and tiredness were all worth it after you achieve your goals. Thanks to sports, I have some great friends that I still talk to and have unforgettable memories with my teammates, such as our fun bus rides when we had to go compete in other places.” 

Ndeckie also notes the valuable lessons that sports taught her. 

“The most important lesson that I learned from playing sports was that teamwork always pushes you far,” she said.  

Sports are also a way for alumni to discover a lot of new places in their host community, because they get to go to different schools and different cities to play other teams. Traveling and spending quality time with the team helped Aissata Samb (YES 2021-2022, Senegal, placed by American Councils in Bellefonte, PA) have a better understanding of the American culture and better herself in running and basketball, she says.  

I too found sports to be more than just wearing a jersey, as sports strongly influenced my personality. Playing basketball helped me be more confident. Making the team among incredibly talented players taught me that I was enough and that the only thing that was separating me from succeeding in whatever field was hard work. It was a blessing as well for me to get to know such amazing people such as Devin, my best friend in the U.S., who plays an important role in my life. Sports means more to me  than I could ever put into words.