As February kicks off, we’re thrilled to feature Constance from Ghana for our student spotlight! Constance is currently spending the 2023/24 school year in Utah, with the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program sponsored by the US Department of State! Constance tells us how she competed for the opportunity to come to the United States and live with a host family. Since her arrival, she has embraced every activity and loves spending time with all members of her host family!
I wanted to experience a new culture, meet new people, and live independently in a new environment. Through the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations get the chance to live and study for an academic year in the United States. So I wrote my scholarship essay and was hoping I would get selected because it was very competitive. Thousands of students wrote essays and had the interview. I was so happy and surprised that I made it to the top sixteen students who won the scholarship.
Honestly, I didn’t know much about Utah, so I had to do some more research. I liked the landscape and tourist attractions here. The biggest difference here is the food. The food here is completely different from Ghanaian food. I have my favorites and the ones I dislike. I like the education system here for high schools. The classes are fairly easy as compared to the education system in Ghana. Everyone is friendly here and one could express him/herself freely.
My host family is the outdoorsy type. We mostly go on hikes, riding, doing snow and water sports. There is no dull moment around here and I love it. My favorite activity to do with my host family is hiking. This is because I get to exercise and have a look at all the beautiful scenery. I have been to Bryce Canyons, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and the Sand Dunes Park. My host mum enjoys art, so we mostly do it together whenever we want a girls’ quiet time. I have 5 host siblings, four boys and a 3-year-old girl. It is kind of chaotic and fun to have 5 host siblings!
The kids at school are also friendly. I’ve made friends and we hang out sometimes. I’m currently a member of HOSA, which stands for the Health Occupation Students of America. It is a club for people having interest in the medical field. My host cousin told me about it before I came here. I wanted to be around her, and I found it interesting that’s what made me join!
I also joined the Swing Dance Club because I wanted to join a dance club here in the US. I thought it would be a good opportunity and one of my closest friends was already in it, so she encouraged me to join. I’m also currently thinking of joining the Lacrosse team at school!
I’d advise future exchange students to be confident and open to new things. They should be proud of taking that step of becoming exchange students because this would be their best life in a year. The adventure is worthwhile!
Thank you to my host family, school and community for hosting me. Even though, it’s not always smooth, this is one of the best moments of my life!
Are you interested in making a student like Constance a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2024-25 school year! Check out the profiles of our wonderful students! New profiles go online every Thursday!
