For this month’s student spotlight, we’re excited to feature Dilnora from Uzbekistan, who is spending her 2024-25 school year in Washington State with the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program sponsored by the Department of State. As she settles into her new life and makes the most of her time abroad, she shares, “FLEX is not just a scholarship that brought me to America; it’s helping me experience new things, meet different people, and make loads of friends. FLEX means another whole family to me that I love to be a part of!”
Tell us about your life with your host family! What do you enjoy doing together?
I arrived in August from Uzbekistan and I’m living with my lovely host family. I get on really well with all my host siblings and parents. I love spending time with them. My school started in early September, so I had enough time to adjust to my new life and have nice conversations with my host family members.
After a week of being here, we went paddle-boarding together. It was my first time doing this activity, so they taught me how to do it. It was so much fun because I didn’t fall off the board even though it was my first time. One day, we went to the Blackberry Festival with my host sister. There were loads of amazing things that we explored together. Then I tasted blackberry pie there. It was delicious!
In September, we went to a movie night where the film was shown with my host sister and our friends. We also attended our city’s 5-day fair with my host family, where I got to see many different animals and learned a lot about them. On the Independence Day of Uzbekistan, my home country, I made a traditional dish called “pilaf” for my host family and we celebrated it together. My host family is so adventurous that we went camping twice with my host mom’s parents. We had so much fun together. I’m so grateful that I’m living with such a great host family.
How are you liking America so far? Have you experienced any culture shock?
I love being here and exploring new things every day. The first thing I consider a culture shock is the diversity of people here. Also, I was so surprised and loved how people treated their animals as nicely as their close friends.
Furthermore, my school is unconventional compared to schools in my country because the education system is totally different. In only 1.5 months, I have managed to complete my required volunteering hours and I’m so happy with myself. I worked with 2-year-old kids at the church we usually go to. But I’m still volunteering every weekend, as it’s an amazing activity and I enjoy doing it.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an exchange student?
I would definitely recommend that they be part of this incredible community. Coming to the U.S. as an exchange student is a great opportunity to explore, try new things, and make invaluable memories in their lives!
Are you interested in making a student like Dilnora a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2025-26 school year! Check out the profiles of our wonderful students! New profiles go online every Thursday!
