Sarah Alamari of Saudi Arabia, second from left, is shown with her host family, Layla, 5, Nura, 9, and Kim Alabasi of Chester Township.The 17-year-old student from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, participated in the Youth Exchange and Study program, which she thought could help change perceptions about the Middle East.
“I really wanted people (in the United States) to know we are not what people think,” she said. “That was really one of the big reasons I came here.”
The YES program, which began in the aftermath of the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, helps build an understanding between Americans and people in countries with significant Muslim populations.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The students receive a merit scholarship once accepted into the program.
Sarah was placed in Chester Township with the Alabasi family for the nearly yearlong program after her parents in Saudi Arabia attended several meetings.
Sarah attended West Geauga High School and passed her Ohio Graduation Tests during her stay. She also was pleased with the number of friends that she gained. Continued...
She said she doesn’t feel like an outsider in America and will tell her family and friends about her positive experiences in the country.
Susan Pavlisko of Kirtland, a volunteer for AFS, a nonprofit international exchange program that organizes and supports intercultural learning experiences, said Sarah was the only YES exchange student this year.
When asked about her reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1, she said she was relieved but wondered how her American classmates would respond. Continued...
“I was worried about going to school the next day and how (the students) would react,” she said. “I went and it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was fine.”
Sarah Alamari of Saudi Arabia, second from left, is shown with her host family, Layla, 5, Nura, 9, and Kim Alabasi of Chester Township.
The 17-year-old student from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, participated in the Youth Exchange and Study program, which she thought could help change perceptions about the Middle East.
“I really wanted people (in the United States) to know we are not what people think,” she said. “That was really one of the big reasons I came here.”
The YES program, which began in the aftermath of the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, helps build an understanding between Americans and people in countries with significant Muslim populations.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The students receive a merit scholarship once accepted into the program.
Sarah was placed in Chester Township with the Alabasi family for the nearly yearlong program after her parents in Saudi Arabia attended several meetings.
Sarah attended West Geauga High School and passed her Ohio Graduation Tests during her stay. She also was pleased with the number of friends that she gained.
She said she doesn’t feel like an outsider in America and will tell her family and friends about her positive experiences in the country.
Susan Pavlisko of Kirtland, a volunteer for AFS, a nonprofit international exchange program that organizes and supports intercultural learning experiences, said Sarah was the only YES exchange student this year.
When asked about her reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1, she said she was relieved but wondered how her American classmates would respond.
“I was worried about going to school the next day and how (the students) would react,” she said. “I went and it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was fine.”
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