This year, as the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Academic Year in America (AYA) invited its current exchange students to participate in something special to mark the occasion. In partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s America250 campaign—a national initiative honoring the history, culture, and future of the United States—AYA hosted a student art and essay contest inviting exchange students to reflect on their experiences in America through their own creative lens.
We received over three dozen submissions from students representing countries across the globe, each offering a unique window into what it means to arrive in the U.S. for the first time, connect with the community, and discover a second home. Students were invited to submit across four categories: America Is Community, From Me to We: The Story of Welcome, Symbols of Welcome: Portraits of Belonging, and Two Homes, One Heart.
With so many thoughtful submissions, the judges had an incredibly difficult task. What emerged from these submissions were meaningful portraits of America seen through fresh, grateful, and remarkably perceptive eyes. We’re proud to share the winners along with several other standout submissions here.
Introducing the winners and honorable mentions of the AYA America250 Student Reflections Contest.
1st Place: “Many Cultures, One Bridge of Love”
Houriegodny L. | Indonesia, hosted in South Carolina
Graphite pencil on paper
Houriegodny’s piece depicts a girl holding a heart-shaped Earth, with Indonesia on her left and her new home in South Carolina on the right. Through this work, Houriegodny said that she wanted to portray “the connection between two cultures and the power of love to unite the differences” and highlight how “love and openness will create a bridge that brings humanity closer together.”
Not only is the artwork expertly done, but the meaning behind it perfectly represents what AYA and cultural exchange are all about.
2nd Place: “How Small Acts Build Big Communities”
Tara B. | Germany, hosted in North Dakota
Essay
Tara’s essay focuses on the power of her host community in a small town in North Dakota. She recounts how during a moment of vulnerability a group of teenage girls welcomed her onto her host school’s cross-country team and made America feel like home.
Reflecting on these pivotal moments during her exchange year, Tara argues it is exactly these small but meaningful kindnesses that make the U.S. such an incredible place:
“This whole season helped me understand how important community is in the United States. The girls I met didn’t know me, but immediately welcomed me and made sure I felt included and helped when our coaches needed us to do so.
This is what makes this country so great in my eyes. The way strangers become friends through small acts of kindness. The way people help others out without thinking twice. These teenagers are people who shape the future of this country and make society more open-minded, empathetic, and connected. Those actions contribute to this amazing culture of diversity and inclusion and influence the community right now and also the future of this nation.”
3rd Place: “Volunteering: A Work of Heart”
Milana L. | Ukraine, hosted in Kansas
Acrylic paint and markers on canvas
Milana’s canvas is a collage of color that demonstrates what it means to be an AYA exchange student in the United States. For her, volunteering was a great outlet to connect with the host community and reciprocate the kindness she’s experienced throughout her program. As she discovered, a few helping hands can go a long way:
“This piece reflects my belief that volunteering is truly a work of heart, and that even small actions can make a meaningful difference in our communities. And especially us, exchange students, need to bring this difference, always remember: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!”
Honorable Mentions
The judges found the following submissions particularly moving and would like to celebrate them alongside the winners.
Fateen A. (Bangladesh, hosted in Oregon) submitted a striking photograph of a bicycle rack, using the image as a metaphor for belonging:
“When I first arrived as an exchange student from Bangladesh, I often felt like the red bicycle in this rack—standing out among many others. At first, being different made me feel separate. But over time, through friendships, school activities, and everyday moments, I realized I was part of something bigger. Just like every bicycle has its place in the rack, every person has a place in a community.”
Naya J. (Jordan, hosted in South Carolina) wrote a moving essay redefining what home means after her exchange year:
“Home is not only a brick building we grew up in, home is also halfway across the world in towns we knew nothing about but found endless love in… Now, when someone asks where I’m going, and I say home, the picture in my head is no longer the same, no longer only one… The word home now reminds me of two houses, one I grew up in and the other I grew wiser as a person in. Both filled with love and memories [written in] different fonts… I am forever grateful to my host family, my second home.”
Arfa A. (Indonesia, hosted in Texas) contributed a hand-drawn illustration capturing symbols of American culture and the moment he truly felt welcomed in America:
“When people accepted me at their lunch table, it was when I started loving America every day. How they welcomed me was awesome.”
Maya Z. (Germany, hosted in Tennessee) wrote warmly about the small irreplaceable moments with her host family and the friends who showed up for her in ways she’ll never forget:
“[My host siblings and I would] spend evenings together in our rooms until midnight and have tons of sleepovers or baking sessions while blasting loud country music… Not only are they counted as family, but also all my friends I met throughout the year… Friends who would come to every single game of mine, even alone. Friends who would gift me a handmade puzzle for my birthday, and every piece represents a memory of ours.”
Onidë J. (from Kosovo, hosted in Minnesota) wrote a poetic essay about her trip from Kosovo to Minnesota. She shared how homesickness and hesitation transformed into personal growth and meaningful connection, and how her time in the U.S. shaped her understanding of home:
“I saw a country still figuring out what welcome means, but full of ordinary people practicing it anyway. A host sibling who shared their room. A coach who learned to pronounce my name correctly. A family that added a chair… Home, I learned, is not one place. It is every place that chose to make space for you.”
Sara V. (from Italy, hosted in Pennsylvania) found her footing at her host school through cheerleading. During moments of mutual support (both physical and emotional) with teammates, she discovered what it meant to belong:
“Belonging didn’t come from suddenly speaking perfect English or knowing every local custom. It came from the sweaty practices, the nervous energy before a pep rally, and the way my team made me feel like I had a home away from home. As the country marks this major milestone in its journey, I am so grateful that my own small chapter is filled with teamwork, friendship, and a community that truly let me in.”
A Note of Gratitude from AYA
Thank you to every student who submitted to this contest. What you created through pencil, paint, markers, photography, or prose is a testament to the power of high school exchange—what it feels like to arrive in the U.S. from somewhere across the world and to embrace the experience fully, despite some initial nerves. Your reflections on community, belonging, and the meaning of home are exactly what the America250 celebration is about.
As the United States marks 250 years, it’s fitting that some of its most thoughtful observers are young people who crossed oceans to be here. We’re proud to share your voices, and we look forward to celebrating your stories all year long.
If you’d like to support high school exchange, like the amazing host families who made so many of these stories possible, we’d love to hear from you.
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