By Rimsha Ali Shah

Moiz was in the midst of a hectic study regime for his matriculation exams when a call he had been anticipating finally came through.  He had made it to the interview stage for the Kennedy Lugar – Youth Exchange and Study Program (KL – YES).  Despite having an English exam the very next day, Moiz braced himself and went for the interview that later confirmed his participation in the KL-YES 2012-2013 batch.  He was going to be in the U.S. for an entire year as an exchange student at a U.S. high school!

“Five years since the summer of 2011, I can now sit here and say that anything is possible!  That is what the YES experience taught me.”

The KL- YES program is a year-long exchange program for high school students to study at a school in the United States.  Rehan was placed at Frances W. Parker High School in Chicago.  From a public school in Pakistan to a private school in the U.S., the transformative experience that Rehan underwent during that one year includes scores of positive experiences: 200 + hours of community service, winning the Best Speaker award at the Junior Statesmen of America, learning Latin, understanding the Jewish culture through direct interaction with Jewish families and volunteer work at the synagogue, and singing and acting the role of the Dodo bird in the theater-adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.  At the same time, his volunteer work with the Obama Campaign where he campaigned door-to-door and felt the real pressure of being a political worker, helped him acknowledge and appreciate the importance of negotiation and patience.  He challenged himself and made sure he had not left any avenue unexplored.  He discovered theater and cooking, and opened himself to differing views and opinions.  He learned how to effectively network to create connections that last and how to make use of technology to create an impact.

“My conversations with my host families were most enlightening.  I was lucky enough to have two amazing host families and both of them have played a key role in nurturing my thought-process and making me who I am.”

Rehan’s story also illustrates #WhyHostingMatters and how it contributes to cross-cultural and intellectual exchange.  “I developed my love for food and art from the Struves and my tolerance for diversity from the Khans.  I had a tax lawyer mom, a dad who was an art director, another mom who was running the Breast Cancer Department and a dad from Armenia who was a brain scientist.  And magical parents back home in Pakistan who have stood by me through everything in life!”

For Rehan, the turning point during his exchange year was attending the “Better Understanding for a Better World” (BUBW) workshop for youth leaders in teaching English.  The experience opened him up to innovative ways of teaching English as a language and not just a subject.  “It was there I realized what I truly found happiness in: helping empower others.”  And that is what he did on his return to Pakistan.  He

conducted English language workshops in Kashmir with three schools where he was able to put to use the training he had acquired in the U.S.  From there, Rehan continued with short language workshops while also running a “Book Drive” where he collected around 40Kgs of books for schools in rural areas in under a month.  In 2014 he was invited to Karachi by iEarn to deliver English Workshops.  His acumen paved the way for him to go back to Washington D.C. in 2015 for the Alumni Assistance for the English Language Conference.

On a side note, Rehan also animatedly shared how on the same trip he cooked a delicious seven course traditional Pakistani meal for his host families after the conference.  “I used to cook with my host dad, but in this trip I cooked authentic Pakistani food for seven to eight families!”

While back in Pakistan, Rehan also conducted cooking workshops, mentored kids at the SOS village, ran a clothing drive, a Ramzan Ration Drive, ran Project Awaz (a three-part program on child sexual abuse awareness), and organized the PUAN International Women Empowerment Conference with over 300 delegates from across Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka!

“My association with the alumni network has enabled me to pursue my dream of being a productive member of the society.  And not just that, but also in creating opportunities for myself.  I learned about a musical exchange program through Kimball Gallagher.  It was in Tunisia, but I was able to raise funds through a Gofundme.com campaign and the support my network extended had been unbelievable!  I also landed my first job as a Social Media Manager for FACE – Foundation for Promotions of Arts, Culture and Education.”

The KL-YES program was not the first exchange program Rehan attended.  At the age of 10, he attended his first exchange program in Japan – the Asia Pacific Children’s Convention.  In 2014, after returning from the U.S., he went back to APCC but this time as a peace ambassador.  The same year he went to India as a semi-finalist in the Horlicks WhizKids Challenge where he ultimately won 1000 USD and a trip to Spain.

“Attending the YES program gave me experiences that made me sensitive to the diversity and versatility around me.  Knowledge is currency, I realized and I wanted to continue building up on my experiences that helped me in making a change back home in the lives of others.”

Since his exchange program, Rehan has not stopped exploring the world.  He traveled back to the U.S., then Tunisia for a musical exchange program, on to Japan and ultimately landed a fully-funded scholarship to Williams College where he is now pursuing his undergraduate degree.

“Exchanges have made me more empathetic and also helped me realize that I do not need to compete, but rather continue exploring what is out there!”