Photo credit: Adam Wesley/The Gazette

The Gazette sat down with Esther Bila, a YES 2014-2015 student from Nigeria who is currently hosted by IRIS in Hills, Iowa. The local newspaper wanted to know more about what Esther thought about her exchange year, her host parents, and events that have occured in her hometown of Gombe since she arrived in the U.S. in August.

A few months after her arrival to the U.S., the jihadist group Boko Haram attacked her high school in Gombe. During the interview, Esther shared that when she first arrived in Iowa, she continued to feel anxious about attacks from Boko Haram, even though she was far from her hometown. She credits the love and support of her host family with helping her feel safe and giving her “a reason to push forward and keep hoping.”

Esther believes that “if youth had employment, it would reduce the risk of (them) being radicalized.” For herself, Esther plans to build on her current schooling and go on to study chemistry in the future. To learn more about Esther, read the full article.