Global Ambassador

“I went on the AFS – Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme to United States of America in 2007. During the programme, which is of 11 months duration, I was hosted by a family from Buffalo, New York. The YES programme is for students studying at the secondary school level. As I was 16, I had to take the junior year in high school, which is equivalent to class 11 at an Indian academic institution. The US education system offers a variety of subjects to choose from and I thought I should go for subjects that are not offered back home.  Hence I chose languages, maths, drama, wood workshops and software.

It is natural that to have a perception about people who we don’t know, about their culture, their customs. We are exposed to stereotypes about different countries every day. Trust me, the 11 months of YES programme proved most of these stereotypes wrong. You won’t realise this unless you have a first hand experience. Being the youth cultural ambassador of India to US it was my duty to share our culture and traditions with my host family and, at the same time learn and understand various cultural aspects of my host country. There are many things I learnt during my stay with the host family, their religious beliefs, festivals, family bonding.. It made me realise that though there is a different system at work when it comes to academics, when it comes to family, it is similar to Indian households. 

The exchange programme has been a life changing experience for me, it gave me independence and an ability to learn new things and experience life in a different country. Currently I am pursing architecture, and also volunteer with AFS inter cultural programmes. During my exchange year I evolved as a completely different person, my perspective towards the world and the people changed completely, my thinking processes have evolved and I have become more responsible as an individual. Moreover, now I have an aim to achieve in life.

— As told to Gauri Rane