Photo: Siraj Belgasium (YES 2013 -2014, Libya, hosted by AYA in Pottsiville, PA)

Most YES alumni could talk for hours about their experiences on program, usually with friends and family. Sometimes, a YES alum gets the chance to spread that message even wider.

In November, Siraj Belgasium (YES 2013-2014, Libya, hosted by AYA in Pottsiville, PA) was interviewed on Alsaa Radio Station for a program called Talk Show. The interview lasted over 20 minutes and centered on his experiences as an exchange student with the YES program.

Now studying Computer Engineering at Tripoli University, Siraj used this opportunity to highlight both the successes and challenges of his time in the U.S. He also explained how being an exchange student has impacted his life.

Siraj talked about everything from the moment he was accepted (“I actually jumped a distance I never jumped before in the air!”), to a trip to Disneyland with youth from around the world, to his community service at a local fire station (“I stayed with them two hours a day… I would go in the truck with them, I would clean the truck, I would go with them to fires”).

Regarding school in the U.S., Siraj remembers, “In American high school, they don’t just give you the subjects that you have to take, you choose your subjects… I learned a lot in school.” He says the biggest difference between his schooling in Libya and in the U.S. was, “In American, you just want to go (to school). They just make it so fun!”

Siraj spends much of his time now tutoring high school students and helping run YES alumni projects like teaching English to underprivileged children in Libya.

Listen to the full interview here: