Michelle, ExchangesConnect Administrator

dear michelle i admire your field of study and want to talk to you

Hello Michelle have a nice day.

hello michelle..

thank you for your accepting. i hope you can help me making my dream to school in USA be real

I was looking for some links to make a new group, but I couldn't find the link. Is it prohibited now to make a group by members?

a Discrimination Policy in YES Program Instructions

Dear Sir/Madam

I hope you’re good. I’m writing this blog to share my story with you. So, first of all, I’d like to introduce myself.

   I’m Marah Karablieh, a regular teenager in 9^th grade, I’m from Amman- Jordan, it’s a very beautiful small country in the Middle East.  I get the highest degrees in my class & I’m the student who you ask when you don’t understand something.

   YES program (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program) has been my dream since years, I’ve been imagining myself in America with brand new friends, family, house & school; living the experience of my life, something that will last in my memories for lifetime.

   Now that I’m in 9^th grade, I’ve been visiting AMIDEAST website daily, waiting for them to announce about applying YES 2013-14. And they did in November 7 –it was my birthday- I was so happy & hurried up to fill the pre-application forum, but I was surprised that my birth date should be 1/1/1998 – 31/7/1998, in the last year, the applicant should be born between 1/1/1997 - 31/7/1997. In the next year, the eligible student should be born between 1/1/1999 – 31/7/1999. It was clear that teenagers who were born in months August- December have no chance to get involved. This is discrimination & I think it won’t be accepted by a U.S. citizen beside it’s against equity.

   My dream crashed in front of my eyes, I was miserable. After I had thought that all what I chased for was just a stupid idea “how can I go to America anyway”, I thought why this unfair requirement? My English degree was 98.5% last year, my average was 98%, all my life is around English, all what I wanted is living an American life, and learning their culture, but just because I was born in November, I shall not live my dream. I accept to be rejected by YES program because of failing in the SLEP test or the interview but not because of my birthday.

   I visited AMIDEAST website & read what requirements in other countries were, in Lebanon, for example, teenagers who have a birth date between September 1, 1996 and August 1, 1998 can apply for the scholarship, in Morocco, between August 1st, 1996 and August 1st, 1998  & in Tunisia, July 5th, 1997 and December 9th, 1998, they’re all have opportunities. So, why in Jordan, it doesn’t work the same? Why restricting only 7 months? There’s no reason for restriction. Why intelligent students who were born after July 31^st can’t be exchange students?

   I submitted the pre-application on time ignoring that I'm an eligible applicant "as they allege" and waited until they announced on their website that they were accepting the finale applications. I filled the application completely and submitted it on time, the customer service employee wondered why I didn't take a test,  that's because they didn't call me, because I'm eligible. They accepted the application but I'm afraid they'd ignore me AGAIN.

   I want YES badly, I’m pretty sure it will be the greatest thing happen in my entire life. Its sign is"Say yes toYES" but the reality is "I say yes to YES but YES says no to me".

   I hope you understand me & get the point, may be help me ,either by lobbying and convincing AMIDEAST-Jordan to change their discrimination instructions in YES program or contact me if you have any idea what I can do next: marah_k1998@yahoo.com

   Thank you for reading, have a nice day.

   Sincerely,   Marah

Hi Michelle. I have come across different communities/groups. Is it possible to get one for our Kenya Chapter? Thank you.

I got an email stating to take a picture when and where you were if you were an exchange student. Now I can't find it. Can you help to find the group or the link?

Thanks in advance.

Michelle,

I am preparing for a visit for some Chinese students and teachers in late January. Are there any training programs available to help me make this exchange experience a rewarding experience for both schools?

Pat Parris