My life post-YES
By Fatma Ayad
Coming back home from a life-changing experience is something inevitable and there are many ways
exchange students react. Some get attached to their host communities, look back too often to their
memories and take a long time to readjust. Others look at the bright side, they come back home
incredibly energized and motivated to improve their communities, apply the novel skills they have
acquired throughout their exchange year, and become LEADERS of these communities!
The latter is what happened to me! I came home with a new fresh perspective on the world. If
anything I became a better version of myself; I acquired the confidence, responsibility, and openmindedness that can only be acquired when you challenge yourself, push yourself off the limits, and
travel alone at 16 to the US!
The YES Alumni Association Libya Organization embraced me with welcoming arms and I was eager
to use their platform to spread the knowledge, unleash the energy, and venture into experiences I
would’ve never dared to do before. I did that as well when I joined Lybotics Geniuses Team where
for the first time I got out of my comfort zone and joined a robotics team with no prior experience
with robotics. If anything, YES helped me become someone who fearlessly endeavors into new
challenges!
My senior year welcomed me as well, which is also known as the most difficult year in Libyan
secondary education. It required much flexibility to readjust to our school system after a whole year
of going to an American high school. For example, I had to practice doing math in Arabic again (and
reading equations from right to left!). In addition to school, I also started working for the first time as
a part-time teacher at an international school. As I was in charge of classrooms, I found myself
applying all the leadership skills I developed in the US. If anything, YES taught me to be as flexible as I
can be and to adapt to new environments quickly and efficiently.
Despite the busy life of school, work, and volunteerism, I stayed connected with all the wonderful
people I met during my exchange year: my host family, friends, teachers…etc. I often catch myself
reminiscing all the golden memories I made with them and as I go along I look back and smile
gratefully as they helped shaped the person I am today.
It’s been a whole year since I came back to Libya and as I go along I can draw parallels of who I was
and who I became. If anything, I’m more confident, resilient, and fearless. YES showed me how to be
a leader, showed me to try, to learn, to connect, to never be afraid if you have no reason to.
So now whenever I have to introduce myself I like to say that I’m Fatma, I’m Libyan and I’m a YES
alumna!