Stories from Academic Year in America

Exchange Student Stories

A Very Special AYA Christmas

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Sharing holiday traditions can be a fun way to get to know more about another culture. Fatima, a YES student from Lebanon, shared the following about her experiences learning about Christmas and volunteering in her community with her host mom. It's lovely to see people coming … [Read more...]

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: AYA Students Go to Chicago

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The holiday season is a time for tradition in the United States, so it makes perfect sense that Local Coordinator Kelly B. in Kansas would continue hers. Each year, Kelly takes AYA exchange students to Chicago, Illinois. Sweta, a YES student from India living with her host family … [Read more...]

Why Hosting Matters: Khaled’s Story

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The following article was contributed by Terri, a Local Coordinator from New York reflecting on how overcoming jitters to host an exchange student opens up the opportunity of a lifetime. I suppose you could think of a lot of reasons why you might not host an exchange student. … [Read more...]

I am Muslim: An Inspired Voice in America

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AYA host mom and Local Coordinator Regenia S. wrote the following about what it was like to experience the recent election with Meriem, her exchange student from Morocco. Her story is a special one, and it speaks to the very heart and essence of the AYA program. On the day … [Read more...]

Meet the Winner of the AYA Halloween Costume Contest!

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Every year, AYA exchange students are immersed in Halloween traditions in the United States: pumpkin carving, corn mazes, trick-or-treating, dressing up in costume and more. This year, we decided to have a Halloween Costume Contest for AYA students and host families across the … [Read more...]