By Adja Oumou Kane Traore (YES 2019-2020, Senegal, placed by AFS in Royal Oak, MI)

I went to Pioneer High School, a large school with more than a thousand students. For a while, when I began attending, I often got lost on my way to my classes; it was different from anything I had known before. I also had some difficulties at first because I didn't know anyone and was not fluent in English yet. 

But after a few weeks, I started to get on the right track. I began to better my English and gradually make friends. I also rubbed shoulders with very nice teachers, like Ms. Fitzgerald, my journalism and American literature teacher who became one of my best friends at school. 

At Pioneer, everyone was kind and understanding toward me. They taught me a sense of responsibility, leadership, acceptance, and tolerance. I felt very accepted and loved. It was at this school that I graduated in May 2019.

After a few months in a welcoming home and a nice school where I enjoyed myself, I moved to another host family; I gained a supportive dad, a computer engineer, and a brave mom, an engineer-architect. I spent the best moments of my exchange year in this house. Despite the pandemic season, my family always managed to do fun activities with me. They made the house a safe and healthy place to be, and we enjoyed each other. Thanks to them, I discovered my passion for gardening. My favorite activity soon became taking care of the flowers in our house.  

One of the most beautiful memories of my exchange year is implementing a Senegalese tradition, Yendou, in my host community. Yendou is when we gather all our family and neighbors in our yard, share a meal, and talk for hours. I implemented that same practice in my host community, and each Sunday, we had a Yendou with all the neighbors. It was a moment of sharing and loving, and I am thankful that I could do that for my community. Even after I went back home, I learned that my host community continued the tradition every now and then. 

I am thankful for my exchange year experience in the U.S. I will always cherish these memories, and they have made me who I am today.