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Promoting the YES Program in KSA

YES student posing with her host family and host sister, holding a sign that says "Welcome to USA Ruby"

Sharing the value of the YES program can be a wonderful way for YES alumni to encourage their younger peers to apply in the future. With this thought in mind, Amideast/Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh organized the YES Promotional Competition. On September 28, three YES alumni — Faisal AlAmmari, Mohammed Jamal, and Ruby Rajab — competed virtually on Zoom, sharing videos that they created to promote the YES program. 

The alumni’s video presentations promoted the YES program in their own unique ways. Faisal shared a presentation about the five key takeaways that students can gain from the YES program. Mohammed presented a video about his exchange year experience. Finally, Ruby explained how the YES program taught her the value of community service and how she is currently volunteering back home in Saudi Arabia. 

After the three YES alumni shared their video presentations, Amideast staff member Abeer Hassanain and U.S. Embassy Program Assistant Mariam Essa voted on the winning video. In the end, Ruby’s video won the competition! To celebrate her success, the U.S. Embassy awarded Ruby a certificate of achievement. The YES alumni enjoyed the competition as it gave them the opportunity to share their love for the YES program with others. 

Once the application season launched on October 11 to select next year’s YES cohorts, Amideast/Saudi Arabia kicked off their recruitment campaign on social media. To encourage students to apply, Amideast/Saudi Arabia has been uploading weekly video testimonies from Saudi YES alumni to Facebook and Instagram — including the three videos created for the YES Promotional Competition! Be sure to check them out!

Read about Ruby’s time on the YES program here!

Faisal AlAmmari (YES 20072008, Saudi Arabia, placed by PAX in IN)

Ruby Rajab (YES 2019–2020, Saudi Arabia, placed by YFU in Peoria, IL) 

Mohammed Jamal (YES 20092010, Lebanon, placed by AYUSA in Bandera, TX)


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