Recognizing the Usefulness of Mobility Training

“I always had this image of traveling as being a quintessential turning point in a person's life, especially a person who plans to be involved in higher levels of education and eventually employment. I found that this was true, in terms of my education and future career plans, but it was also a major turning point for me personally. It wetted my appetite for travel. Because I had already been to England in high school, it made me feel more comfortable about going back in college and doing a study abroad experience there. I was much more confident, and I knew that I wanted to travel and go places, so it forced me to be more independent and to think seriously about using my cane and learning how to navigate airports and transportation. My parents knew I would go places and do things, but that’s when they started to realize that I wasn’t afraid of the world anymore.” Angela Winfield, visually impaired, currently in law school

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones 

“It changed my perspective on the world. There are so many cultures and countries out there. And I was able to learn about myself. I learned how to adapt to new changes and accept the unusual environment. After Germany, before my senior year I had to move to a new high school in a small U.S. farming town. It was a different culture than the city that I was used to. I had to learn how to adapt and make the best out of it...Germany showed me how to step out of my comfort zone. But not only for me, but for my mother also, as a parent; she learned how to let go of me.” Sarah Gordon, deaf, currently in college where she did two summer exchange programs

Linking Classes to Real Life

“[The best part was] to see new places. I gained more knowledge about how other governments work or history. I studied World History in school. It was really cool.” Joshua Chen, autism, currently taking language courses

Finding New Independence 

“[When I came back] my parents said I was so peppy, so excited to tell them all my stories. I was less apprehensive to just go out on my own – to be less dependent. I don’t drive, so it fosters more dependence on my parents than maybe other kids. Seeing all these people [in Europe] who can drive yet are taking public transit too, helped me. Public transit [in Europe] is the norm and more accepted than where I grew up. I had thought, ‘How will I ever be independent and have my own life, and have a family if I can’t get around on my own?’ To see that it is a reality in other places was really good for me. It opened my eyes to ‘Oh, I can be very independent on my own.' Then I moved to college, and they had public transit and I did my own thing.” Kim Borowicz, visually impaired, currently in law school

Expanding One's Horizons 

“It made me stronger, learning how to control emotions, to become more independent, to stick up for myself. I had a strong connection to the country. The Israel program was personal to me, so it was an emotional time…I became more confident and willing to travel to different places. Looking back at it, if I didn’t have that experience then I may not be able to expand my horizons – to go to a school in the east, to have been able to live away from my parents. Even though I went to overnight camp for 8 weeks at a time, I feel the earlier one travels abroad, the better they are prepared for anything in the world. [My experiences led me to my major] – my geographic area is the Middle East, specifically on Israel and the conflict there. Also for my career interest – international housing and community development – the whole idea of community in Israel is inspiring, which I would like to see happening in the States.” Rachel Berkston, hearing impaired, recent college graduate

Shaping Career Interests 

“I left being a lot more naïve and immature and came back being a lot more able to go out and do things on my own. I was always afraid of going out, getting run over by cars and not seeing things, but [on my exchange in Finland] I gained a lot more independence as far as self-confidence overall. I’ve always been interested in something international, and now I’m studying Philosophy, but I’m going into International Affairs. I’m very interested in working with Finnish culture and Finnish companies that do business in America. They have some great companies in Finland and Scandinavia that we use, but we don’t know [are from there]. I think there’s a great future for them.” Eugene Aronosky, visually impaired, currently applying for graduate school

Understanding Other Cultures 

“My parents said I was more open to things [after my exchange to Europe]. It gave me an understanding of other cultures and how things work in different countries. I was seventeen when I went, so I was young enough that I didn’t know a whole a lot about the world. I hadn’t been outside of the state yet, and then to go overseas it really showed me how much there is to learn from going and seeing different places. So much you can learn from a simple conversation or interaction with someone with different views and cultural norms. I guess that made me really love the idea of study of people, study of different cultures and it really fed my drive to learn more and to go abroad more. I know when I applied for my internship in my senior year [my overseas experience] helped me because I was applying with a mentorship program and the kids and adults were minorities.” Paula Geiselman, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, currently working as a social worker

Growing Up and Beyond

"I became a lot more self-confident because I was able to do something on my own for awhile, and I think it proved to me I’m able to do just about anything if I’m able to put my mind to it. It gave me courage because I was getting scared turning 18 and be a grown up, and then all of sudden I got to go on this program and it helped me grow up so much more. I realized there’s more to this world than just the United States. I made a lot of friends in the program and they are friends to keep for a lifetime. If you are going to do exchange programs to Germany, definitely do this [Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange]. It’s amazing and it’s unforgettable what you learn." Rebekah Elsen, mobility and learning disability, currently living in Germany 

Learning New Skills

“Traveling and being away from my family helped me to increase my independence. My goal is to be as independent as possible so I can attend a University either in the U.S. or Egypt. I am blind, but that has not been a problem for me.  I had accommodations made to help me participate fully in activities.  I was sight guided and had things explained to me when necessary. I learned Braille and new things about technology to further my learning opportunities, as well as received orientation and mobility training to learn how to use a white cane to guide myself rather than relying on others.  Those opportunities weren’t as readily available to me in Egypt.  In the U.S. there were many opportunities to learn and grow.”  Mahmoud Garem, vision impairment, an YES high school exchange student from Egypt who was placed in Wisconsin in 2004-05.

Gaining Confidence for College

"I learned how to be open about my disability. I no longer set barriers for myself. I want to reveal the potential I have. Though I had some hesitations on my return to Russia, I chose to take classes at the university, rather than study at home and take exams twice a year, which is the common practice for most disabled students. I finished my first year in the Department of History (regional studies) at Omsk State University. I am glad I made this decision, because despite the difficulties I face every day, it is compensated by the valuable experience of studying in this setting. Overcoming is not always easy, but these strong, determined, and motivated people whom I had the chance to meet during my [U.S] stay, helped me. The results of their work showed me the importance of being active. They showed me that the first step involves breaking stereotypes about disabled people. Their own experience inspired me because they started changing the world around them by taking the initiative and making efforts to have a better future. It has become a real stimulus for my further actions at home." Alfiya Battalova, uses a prosthesis, a FLEX high school exchange student from Russia placed in Minnesota in 2001-02 (excerpted from the Bradley Hearld).

Making an Impact on ParaProfessionals Too!

“It’s just so worthwhile. I’ve worked with visually impaired kids for twenty years and Alena (an exchange student from Russia) is one of the top students I’ve ever had. It’s strictly because she was so motivated, so excited and such a hard worker that it made my job so easy. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I anticipate that we’ll stay in touch for a long time...The best skill she came with was that she wasn’t afraid to ask questions or to attempt anything. She was a quick learner and a hard worker, and that made all the difference. Once the teachers saw her positive, outgoing attitude and how eager she was to learn, they found she was a great person to have in the classroom for the other kids.” Judy Loving, a resource teacher for visually impaired students in Texas.