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Radio Interview

Maya Alsayyed 22 Arriving At Airport With Hfamily

YES students and alumni recognize the importance of sharing their testimonials to inspire future students, but not everyone has the opportunity to speak on a radio show! On February 1, YES student Maya Alssayed from Jordan went on a local radio show for an interview about her exchange year. Maya explained, “I contacted the local radio station and told them that I'm an exchange student living in Peoria. So, the radio hosts offered to interview me and ask me about my experience.”

During the interview, Maya shared her impressions of the first half of her year in Peoria, Illinois, and the memories she has made so far. Maya reflected, “Coming to the United States has been always my childhood dream. And I think like everyone that lives outside the United States, every teenager might have those thoughts to the high school and everything that we see in the movies. It was a big inspiration to come here. And I was, like, I'm very happy that I got the chance to come over to here and experience all those things.” Later in the interview, Maya explained her motivation for applying to the YES program and what it’s been like to have her dream come true.

For many YES students, culture shock can be a major hurdle to overcome, but it is often a rewarding challenge. In the interview, Maya remarked, “Of course, I had some cultural shock. When I first came here, everything was different. I was away from my family, a very different school system, a very different society, the people that I'm with the people that I'm living with, my friends, everything changed, like I literally transferred lives, you could say, because like I was, I'd had a life and everything, I have a different life back home. And down here, I have another, different life.” On the other side of culture shock, YES students gain a new global perspective and a new community to call home. Maya’s experience is an example of this transformation!

Read the rest of Maya’s interview here

Maya Alssayed (YES 2021–2022, Jordan, placed by YFU in Peoria, IL)


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