We are happy to announce May’s YES Student of the Month is Nesrine Khiari (YES 2018-2019, Tunisia, hosted by Aspect Foundation in Crete, NE).

Nesrine fully immersed herself in every opportunity during her exchange year in her small host community.  At Crete High School, Nesrine participated in cross country, basketball, and the National Speech & Debate Club.  She is also a member of the National Honor Society and made the Gold Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA.  She participated in the National Society of High School Scholars’ conference, and was president of her school’s Environmental Club.  She recently received awards through the Future Business Leaders of America club, the Business Achievement Award for completing specific activities, educational tasks and projects, and the U.S. Department of State’s Community Service Award for performing more than 100 hours of community service in her host community.  

Nesrine gave many presentations in her host community during International Education Week and throughout her exchange to fully share about her country and culture.  As part of her presentation at the local United Church of Christ, she and her host family cooked a Tunisian meal for over 100 people.

In all, Nesrine completed an impressive 304 hours of community service during her exchange, far surpassing the original goal she set for herself.  She organized supplies and donations at Friendship Home of Lincoln, a shelter for victims of domestic violence; planned events for the Crete Cardinal Classic speech tournament; and volunteered with various after school programs, festivals, and school and community club events. As her volunteer hours added up, Nesrine’s perspective on volunteer service changed.  As she expressed it, “As the months flew by, I understood that it is not about the hours, it is all about drawing a smile on the faces of the people you are serving. And even more than that, it is about that universal feeling called satisfaction.”

Nesrine was an outstanding student who went above and beyond to make a difference in her host community and in the lives of everyone she met during her exchange experience.  

Congratulations, Nesrine!