Kudos to Melissa J. in North Carolina. She came on board as a Local Coordinator with AYA last year and has risen far and beyond any challenge we have given her. She is a strong advocate for cultural exchange — kind, organized and passionate about helping her students and host families. Melissa provides a fine example of what makes a great Local Coordinator.
Melissa’s achievements include qualifying for National Meeting in her first year, by placing 15 students. She is currently the top-placing Local Coordinator for the 2017-18 Academic Year with nearly 16 students placed and plenty of time remaining to connect even more worthy students with fantastic host families in North Carolina.
Melissa won our Face-to-Face Challenge, which was an effort encouraging LC’s to get out and get connected with their local communities. No matter what is asked of her, she finds a way to handle it promptly and usually with a smile! Another great example of her dedication to cultural exchange is her work with a local high school that ended up changing its policy to allow more exchange students.
For providing such a great example of the role, Melissa was recently asked to be a mentor to new Local Coordinators. She is a valuable asset to all divisions of AYA.
Placement Specialist Christine Latchford shared the following in praise of Melissa’s achievements as a Local Coordinator:
I applaud LC Melissa J. in North Carolina! This placement season, she has run into some huge roadblocks, but it never once broke her spirit or determination. Through thick and thin, she kept her hopes up high and kept moving forward, trying her best to find these great students homes with welcoming host families.
Melissa’s dedication to exchange students and spreading cultural understanding can be seen through the strong relationships she builds with schools and her host families. Melissa goes above and beyond to support each family and do everything possible to make their dream of hosting a wonderful student come true!
Thank you for being an amazing Local Coordinator and for reminding us that anything can be achieved with perseverance, dedication, and above all, always having hope.
Learn more about opportunities for cultural exchange with Academic Year in America.
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