October Student of the Month: Sude from Türkiye
American Councils is pleased to announce our October Student of the Month! Sude, a YES program student from Türkiye, is placed in Burleson, TX. She has impressed us and her host community with her ability to fully embrace the start of her exchange year. Great work, Sude!
“I have built an amazing relationship with my host parents which is based on kindess and love. Also, I’ve build wonderful relationships with my host siblings, as I’m an only child [in Türkiye].”
Sude from Türkiye is embracing life and American culture in Texas! From fishing to football, she has impressed her new community with her willingness to jump right into new activities. Her LC says, “Sude is an exemplary student full of warmth, kindness, and positivity. She has come into her exchange year with an open heart and mind, ready to embrace her host family, school, friends, and culture with optimism.”
Many of Sude’s favorite on-program experiences have taken place with her host family in the kitchen, whether she’s sharing traditional Turkish recipes or experimenting with vegetarian versions of her host family’s Texas classics. She also learned how to use chopsticks with the help of a very special teacher – her 9-year-old host sister! Sude has also embraced a new role in the US: the middle child! As an only child in Türkiye, she’s taken great joy in building relationships with each of her host siblings. Whether they’re cheering on her host brothers at a football game or spending quiet time at home together, Sude has already become a part of the family.
Her LC says, “Sude wants to leave her host family with unforgettable memories of her time here, and she realizes that this exchange year is their exchange year, as well.” One of Sude’s biggest accomplishments on program is her determination to make the exchange year a positive experience for the Americans she meets on program. She fully embraces her role as a cultural ambassador and is determined to make sure that her Texas community takes away as much as she does from her YES year.
““Even though you were born in different countries and have been raised differently, being nice and optimistic gets everything to work out!”
In her first month in the US, Sude is on track to complete 15 community service hours, and finding more opportunities to volunteer is one of her biggest goals for the rest of her program year.
Sude’s LC says, “Sude came to Texas where our state motto is ‘friendship,’ and she has already built enduring ties and relationships that I believe she will carry the rest of her life.” We know her host community will be forever impacted by Sude’s YES year, as well!
Interested in sharing your corner of America with another exceptional exchange student? Find out more about how you can host a FLEX or YES program exchange student with American Councils here!
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