“In my first week we had an earthquake, the volcano, a blizzard and the dark,” YY said.
Until then, she had never seen snow. Nor was she allowed to walk to school in her homeland because of the country’s crime rate, according to this tiny 18-year-old with a black belt in tae kwon do. Those were only some of the changes awaiting YY when she moved in with her host family, Jim and Brenda Dolma and their daughter, Katherine.
“I love the food here, especially the brownies,” YY said.
“One of her first breakfasts here was birthday cake,” Brenda said of the day that started with cake and ice cream because it was the only time in the day the whole family would be together to celebrate Jim’s birthday.
As a Homer High student, YY is enrolled in six one-hour classes, but in Malaysia, where she has already graduated, her school day was comprised of 11-13 classes that varied in length from 30 to 50 minutes. Homer’s educational system is more to her liking and her learning style.
“Malaysian education is fine for my brothers. They just study and take tests. But here, there is research, experiments, group discussions. I’m the kind of student that needs to understand a subject,” she said.
With plans to become a lawyer, YY joined Homer High’s debate, drama and forensics team, but was disappointed to learn that because she had already graduated from high school in Malaysia, she could not compete with the team at the state level in Alaska. She has been involved with fencing, sings with the school choir and will be in Jubilee! 2006 Saturday. She credits her mother for her English-speaking ability.
“She is an English teacher and was really strict with my English,” said YY, who also speaks Chinese, Malay, and Portuguese and knows how to sign.
Being a host family has taught the Dolmas about themselves as a family, as parents and about the closeness of the community.
“Everyone has rules in a family, but they’re not written down,” Jim said of discovering the need to clearly communicate expectations. When balancing schedules has been a challenge, Jim and Brenda discovered others willing to help.
“It really does take a village,” Brenda said.
YY will be in Homer until January 2007. In June she will move from the Dolmas’ house to the home of Dan and Sallie Rediske.
“We thought it would be neat,” Dan Rediske said of the opportunity to be a host family. In addition, his 6-year-old son, Roan, is interested in foreign travel. “He says (YY) will make an excellent sister.”
Chirameth “Nop” Promchirachote, 18, of Thailand and Yordi Carvajal 17, of Chile also are attending Homer High School as AFS exchange students. They arrived in August 2005 and will be in Homer until June.
“I love the freedom here and the people are friendly,” said Yordi, who is staying with David Lewis and Lyn Maslow.
“It was hard to make friends at first, but I will miss this a lot. It has been a wonderful year,” said Nop, who recently prepared a Thai dinner for his Homer friends, with the help of YY and Yordi, and a long-distance call to his mother to make sure he had the correct ingredients. Nop’s host parents are James and Julie McCarron.
Igor Muraro, 17, of Brazil is enrolled at Homer High School through Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program. Cinda Eckert, president of the Homer-Kachemak Bay Rotary, and her family are Muraro’s host family.
“There were other programs, but my parents knew about Rotary,” said Muraro.
That worldwide recognition is one of Rotary’s strong points, said Boyd Walker, who has been the local Rotary Youth Exchange officer for 12 years.
“The student travels wearing a blue blazer with a Rotary emblem on it,” he said. “They are recognized as Rotary and the Rotary family offers them support.”
The international program has students in 18 countries, according to Tom Martin of Kenai. Beginning in July, Martin will coordinate the program in Alaska and the Yukon Territory.
Janet Fink is the local coordinator for AFS. According to information provided by the program, it began as a volunteer ambulance corps in 1914. This intercultural exchange organization now has programs in more than 50 countries.
“It began as a means to trying to improve understanding that will hopefully lead to more peaceful situations between countries, more unity,” Fink said. “If you have understanding of another culture, it is very hard to go out and be horrendous towards it. … Each time you meet these kids, it’s fascinating.”
Homer High School students currently abroad are Abbie Marrale in Switzerland and Nathan Lander in France
Recently returned to Homer are Nikki Ervice, who was in France, Megan Wiard who was in Costa Rica and Sierra Smith who was in Brazil. Each of these students were with the AFS program.
A student from Russia has been selected to come to Homer next school year with Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program.
“I have been observing foreign exchange student programs for years, and as time goes on, I’ve grown to appreciate them more and more,” said Ron Keffer, principal of Homer High School.
“That person-to-person (contact) is extremely valuable both for our students and the exchange students. … It’s interesting to hear conversations that take place between them and see misconceptions that are dispelled.”
But knowing that didn’t keep Yaun Yi “YY” Tan from feeling like she was on another planet when she arrived from Malaysia in January. For starters, her flight from Seattle to Anchorage was delayed because of erupting Augustine Volcano.
For more information on foreign exchange student programs, contact HHS Counselor Lin Hampson, e-mail Janet Fink at jfink@xyz.net or call Walker at 235-3466.
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