October 2023 Student of the Month: Gulay in Missouri
American Councils is pleased to announce our September Student of the Month! Gulay, a FLEX program student from Azerbaijan, is placed in Fenton, MO. She has impressed us and her host community by jumping straight into her exchange year.
“I am so grateful for this exchange program, because it gives me an opportunity to represent my country. I’ve been truly inspired by how welcoming and open Americans are.”
American Councils is pleased to announce that Gulay Aliyeva (FLEX-Azerbaijan) is our September Student of the Month!
Gulay has wasted no time getting involved in her host community of Fenton, Missouri! Since her arrival in August, she has jumped into life with her host family, joined clubs, started volunteering, and shared her culture. Above all, Gulay has had a positive attitude and says, “I am so grateful for this exchange program, because it gives me an opportunity to represent my country. I've been truly inspired by how welcoming and open Americans are.”
As a cultural ambassador, Gulay started with her host family! She says, “I made Azerbaijani meals and sweets for my host family and host grandparents! I showed them our traditional dances, music and our famous architecture and buildings! My host mom even knows some words in Azerbaijani.” This jump-start on cultural exchange will prove to be great practice for International Education Week in November!
“[During the rest of my exchang year,] I want to make long-lasting friendships. I want to complete 150+ volunteering hours, and get good grades!”
Gulay is also off to a great start at school, with an A average in all her courses. She’s taking a variety of subjects, from AP Calculus and Engineering to creative classes like photography. She especially appreciates her school’s Latino Club, where she’s learning about diversity in the US and in her host community. “It's opening up a whole new world of American and Latino culture for me,” Gulay says. “I've made some awesome friends there who are eager to share their culture with me.”
With the first month of her exchange year under her belt, Gulay is not slowing down! “I want to learn more about American culture, and visit famous places in my host community,” She says. “I want to make long-lasting friendships. I want to complete 150+ volunteering hours, and get good grades!” Considering that Gulay has already completed her first volunteer hours and has a clear plan of where she wants to volunteer next (“The Food Bank, Church, school, library, and wherever else I can lend a hand and make a difference!”), we know Gulay is well on her way to a successful FLEX year!
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