AYUSA International is a nonprofit organization that helps send American students aged 15-18 to study abroad. It also places foreign students who want to study here in the United States with host families and provides support to those families.

These exchange programs can last for a summer, a semester, or an entire year. Since its founding in 1980, AYUSA International has placed more than 37,000 students in study abroad experiences.

During my internship with AYUSA, my primary job was to call various families to thank them for hosting AYUSA foreign exchange students. In addition, I gave them other information they might find useful, such as important phone numbers and information regarding pending legislation of interest to host families. I had my own cubicle, complete with a phone and a Braille phone book, which consists of two volumes. Many times I found myself losing track of time as I talked to a host family about their experiences. They almost always were enthused about what a great student they had, and how much they missed their student who has returned home.

Many of the families even asked how soon they can host another one. I was always struck by the kindness and generosity of spirit displayed by these families. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job occurred when I had the opportunity to inform a host family of various tax deductions they are entitled to. It was gratifying to know that I was doing a little bit to help these people who have done so much to help others. From my little cubicle, I was witness to the powerful changes that AYUSA International makes in people’s lives.

Another of my assignments involved providing support for a committee that promotes broad awareness of international exchange in an effort to diversify the pool of students who study abroad. These efforts included increasing active outreach to the disabled community. I was responsible for gathering information in support of this committee’s work, such as compiling lists of social service agencies for the disability community and locating information on dealing with diverse populations.

My supervisor was extremely accommodating to my work needs. Like most Californians, I had a long commute to work, although mine didn’t involve a car. To get to my internship at AYUSA, I took a Paratransit shuttle from my home to the San Jose train station. I then rode the train, which takes about 1.5 hours each way, followed by a 15-minute ride in another shuttle. My work day then began at 10 am. My supervisor was very flexible regarding my work schedule when unexpected and unavoidable events occurred. She also gave me all the support I needed, and always told me what a great job I was doing.

Her attitude was shared by the entire AYUSA International staff as well. The staff is young and very enthusiastic — many of them are former exchange students themselves, and you can feel their passion just by talking to them. Their excitement is infectious and made me look forward to coming to work every day. The atmosphere in the office was fun and supportive — we were more like a family than a bunch of employees.

One of the highlights of my workweek was the staff meetings that are held every Monday. At these meetings, staff members talk about the trips abroad that they have recently completed in order to make contacts and help expand the program. Each week, I got to learn about the culture and lifestyle of people in other parts of the world. I heard about people in five of the seven continents. It was very interesting to realize what we Americans take for granted. For example, some students do not want to travel to the United States because they fear they will not be able to locate their families when they return. As another example, I learned that in some cultures, foreign travel is discouraged and therefore many foreign students are reluctant to participate in student exchange programs. By contrast, international travel is practically a rite of passage in Japan, where many children have not just one, but multiple exchange experiences. My AYUSA internship expanded my knowledge of the world and my own place in it. And, I had the opportunity to do meaningful work, meet interesting people, and learn more about the world. What more could one ask?