On August 28, the YES Alumni Network in the West Bank held its annual reunion. The event was held at the A.M Qattan Foundation, a non-profit office located in Ramallah. This reunion was the first in-person gathering since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the alumni were very excited to reconnect with one another. Thirty-four YES alumni from the West Bank attended the reunion. Ahmed Touaqan says, “It’s always a pleasure to be reunited with my YES family and meet new YES alumni from various years.”

The event started with a “meet and greet” where the alumni mingled before dinner. Afterwards, Mohammad Fitiani led a trivia activity. Mohammad split the alumni into seven groups and made sure that each group included peers from different cohorts. The game included six rounds. The most exciting round was “Fun Facts about Youth", which was based on survey research collected by Mohammed and his friends. 

At the end of the activity, the winning team received their prize: YES-branded mugs and candy. They earned it! Ahmad Jaberi reflects, “We enjoyed every part of the reunion. We worked in teams and had such a great competitive spirit. It was an entertaining way to learn and get closer to other YES alumni.”

Ahmad Touqan (YES 2011-2012, West Bank, placed by YFU in Raleigh, NC)

Mohammed Fitiani (YES 2012-2013, West Bank, placed by ASSE in Ellsworth, WI)

Ahmad Jaberi (YES 2017-2018, West Bank, placed by PAX in Roy, UT)