At least 10 high school students from around the globe are in Alaska right now as exchange students, and several of them recently gathered in Juneau for orientation.
The exchange students came to the U.S. last fall through AFS Intercultural Programs, and some received additional scholarships. The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study is a federal scholarship program that builds cultural connections between the U.S. and countries with a predominantly Muslim population. The Future Leaders Exchange Program pursues a similar goal with former Soviet Union nations.
KTOO spoke with several of the students about what it’s been like adjusting to life in Juneau, Sitka and Anchorage over the past few months.
Listen here:
Rey Fadillah: My name is Rey Fadillah and I’m an exchange student from Indonesia. I live here in downtown Juneau. I also went to school here at JDHS, Juneau-Douglas High School.
Juneau itself was so diverse, like, people’s beliefs, race and sexualities and genders, beliefs – those kind of stuff is very diverse, to the point that I have friends with every kind of human. Everybody in here was so accepting and very open minded about differences, to the point that we see differences as not stuff to be divided on, but something to be learned about.
Johanna Ziegenhahn: My name is Johanna. I’m from Germany … I’m looking forward for the hiking season, and when the snow is finally melting away and you’re able to go somewhere without winter boots. But also, I’m looking forward for a school trip that is coming on. We’re going to Washington, D.C. with our teachers, and we have the opportunity to do that, and that’s so fun.
Hala Dana: I’m Hala Dana from Palestine. It’s been really cool, because East High School in Anchorage is actually one of the most diverse high schools. And it’s really cool because all the students there are really open to, like, learn – to learn about the exchange students and the people from other countries.
It actually feels so unreal being in the U.S., because it’s always been part of my dream. In Palestine, we thought I was safe and stuff, but now that I’m actually out of that country, you actually know what safety is, you know? So it actually feels really nice to be here, and it’s a really great opportunity.
Georgi Jajanidze: I’m Georgi Jajanidze from Georgia, the Republic of Georgia. It’s an independent country. It’s between Europe and Asia. I live in Sitka.
For me, Sitka is the best city in Alaska so far that I have been to. It’s really beautiful. What makes the place special is the people itself. They’re really friendly and welcoming.
My whole life I’ve been (an) athlete. I have been (a) soccer player and rugby player in Georgia, but I’ve never wrestled before, so it was my first time here. My coach, Michael, he asked me to join a wrestling team because he thought that I would be really good, and it turned out really well.
I got second place in regionals, and I also was (a) state qualifier. Unfortunately, I didn’t place in states, but it was really great experience for me as an exchange student, to be in such a great sport and having those deep connections with people that I made through the year.
Tullitsiaq Reimer: My name is Tullitsiaq and my last name is Reimer. So I’m an exchange student from Greenland. I’m in Juneau.
I’m a native Inuit in Greenland. So there’s some people that are native Inuit in Alaska. So I met Lingít people. So the culture, sometimes it could be very different. But the food that we have like salmon, halibut and seals, like deers – but we eat reindeer in Greenland, caribou – so the way we eat is very, very similar.
For me, it’s safety to live in Juneau. If I’m in Lower 48, maybe I’ll go home, because the situation that I’m in right now with Greenland and America. My friends keep supporting me. They give me strength. And my host family and their friends and my soccer teammates are supporting me a lot. Because of them, I’m feeling good. I’m doing very good right now.
Manal Shad: My name is Manal Shad and I’m from Pakistan. When we came here, everything was really hard, because the language was new. People were new, their culture and how they engage with people, each other – it was really hard. And the most hard for us was adjusting with the food and especially adjusting with the light. Because when we came here, it was like the sunset was at 10 p.m. and I was really amazed about that. And it was so hard to sleep.
I’m doing skiing right now, and I know that a lot of people, like, in Pakistan, we have snow in the mountains, but people are not even, like, introduced to skiing. So I’m looking forward to learn more stuff about downhill skiing. So when I go back to Pakistan, so I can introduce Pakistani people, and especially the girls from my area, to skiing.
