Youth Exchange Stories

Learn about the experiences of youth with disabilities who have participated in international exchange programs!

A Birthright Realized in Israel

Johana Schwartz, who travels with a wheelchair, realized her dream of visiting Israel when she applied for a program for Jewish youth with disabilities.

Blind Turkish Exchange Student Overcomes Challenges

Abidin Karademir, an 18-year-old exchange student from Turkey who is blind, spent his YES high school year in Michigan, USA, with host parents who are also blind. In his reflection, Abidin discusses how his family and technology helped him adjust to American life.

Dear Future Exchange Student

Following an eventful year at a U.S. high school, Dzenana "Jenny" Brkic wrote an open letter to other exchange students with disabilities all over the world that are coming to the U.S. in the following years. Jenny, who is blind, came to Indiana from Bosnia as a YES student.

Far from the Philippines but Close to My Heart

Marlon Celso, a student from Philippines, who is of short stature, studied at a high school in Michigan, USA, under the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program.

Featured Person: Arie Farnam

Meet Arie, whose career as a student, English instructor, and journalist extends over the landscapes of a dozen countries.

Future Leaders Exchange Program: A Student Shares Her Experiences in the U.S.

Ludmila Kurochkina, who has low vision, came to the United States from Russia to study English for a year.

Going Global in Middle School: Experiences in Bahrain, China, and Mexico

Hannah is a young leader with a vision disability who already has three international experiences including China, Mexico and Bahrain.

Internship with AYUSA International

Diana Nguyen is a high school graduate in San Jose, California and interned with Academic Year USA in San Francisco, California.

Internship with Youth for Understanding USA

Rachel Berkson is from Florida and an International Relations graduate of Syracuse University. She interned with Youth for Understanding USA headquarters (www.yfu.org). Rachel participated in an international exchange program to Israel as a teenager and studied abroad in the Czech Republic while in college.

L'Exchange with France

Zeke Nierenberg built a new "moyen d’être" while adapting to French life. Zeke, who has neurological disabilities that affect learning, developed a fearless new identity and pushed himself to tackle new things.

Learning the Language, Politics and Culture of Germany

Rebekah Elsen, a student from Washington, USA, who uses crutches from polio and has a learning disability, studied at a high school in Germany under the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program.

Lessons Learned

Vera Aminova, a high school student from Russia who has scoliosis, studied at a high school in Ohio, USA, as a Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program participant.

My Experiences as an International Student at the Arkansas School for the Blind

Originally from India, Anmol Bhatia studied at the Arkansas School for the Blind in the United States, where he learned how to use a cane and Braille to increase opportunities for education access and mobility.

Nepal, Peru and Costa Rica - Volunteering Perspectives from a Wheelchair User

Megan Smith writes her blog as a college freshman volunteering in Kathmandu, Nepal with Helping Hands. As a high school senior she volunteered in Peru and Costa Rica with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

One Thing Turns into Another in the U.K.

Angela Winfield is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University Class of 2005 with a degree in political science and human rights and minor in religion. She attends Cornell University Law School.

Personal Experience: AFS Program in Germany

Sara Bianco, who is Deaf, participated in a six-month exchange to Germany through AFS high school programs.

Reflecting on their Teen Experiences Abroad

Young adults with disabilities discuss the impact their short-term exchange experiences during high school had on their lives in the years that followed.

Tracing the Steps of a Deaf Leader Through France

Rebecca Epple is an extensive traveler who grew up hard of hearing and is now profoundly Deaf. Having graduated from Gallaudet University with a master’s in Deaf Education, she now teaches at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. Rebecca explains how she established an educational exchange for her students to France, the birthplace of Laurent Clerc.

YES Student with a Disability Joins Track Team

Benay Gozkaman, a YES student from Turkey who is blind, researched YouTube videos of blind runners before joining her host school's track team.