Getting Acclimated in Arkansas
Volunteering the highlight for Moroccan
My name is Louay, and I am from Morocco. I have been placed in Brinkley, Arkansas. Brinkley is a small city with people of many ethnicities. It combines the beauty of nature and some city aspects.
I have been placed with a host mom who works as a high school counselor in my school and a host dad who's a retired officer. I have enjoyed my experience so far, and I think I am going to enjoy it even more.
During this month, I visited multiple places in the state, and I tried a lot of different food. Even though a new environment can be challenging, I managed to get close to the people here and made a couple of friends.
This experience is more than a year spent in the U.S. It is a family created here and knowledge and experience gained. I have learned different aspects of American culture, and I got to participate in several activities such as school trips.
Volunteering is one of the highlights of my journey so far. Some of the best moments that I spent with my classmates were volunteering with building the float for homecoming and during the state fair.
I'd like to encourage everyone to enroll in this program, because as a YES student, I have to say that it is a wonderful experience.
—Louay (YES, Morocco), hosted by the Weinfurtner family (AR)
