American Dream Postponed: Reflections from an interrupted exchange program
Dr. Maureen Manning
Educational Consultant in Global Education, Exchange Programs, Language Immersion, and Study Tours
“Enjoy every moment of an experience because you never know when it will be over. Live in the present. Experience as much as you can and talk to as many people as possible. Make connections.” Such is the advice of 18-year old Gebril Aniss, a former exchange student who was forced to abruptly end his high school exchange program in Phoenix, Arizona and return to France, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gebril arrived in Arizona in August of 2019. Studying on a J1 visa, he was placed with a host family in Phoenix and enrolled in the 11th grade at South Pointe High School. The experience of being an exchange student in America was one that Gebril found difficult to put into words.
“Although I was expecting it to be a great experience I never knew just how deeply it would impact me. I never could have imagined how much an exchange program could change my life. I cannot fully explain in words the magnitude of it. It’s impossible to sum up in one hour, or even in one day. There are simply no words to adequately describe the deep impact of this experience.”
In sharing about his time on program, Gebril explained what he perceived to be the key difference between school in the US and France.
“In France, school is a whole different thing. It’s mostly focused on information and exams. Here it’s more than just instruction, it’s being part of something much bigger. It’s about being part of a community. There is so much school spirit, opportunities to volunteer, and to be on sports teams and clubs.”
Indeed, Gebril took advantage of the American high school experience to the fullest. He was a striker on the varsity soccer team, a member of the Black Student Union, and was accepted into the National Honor Society. In addition to his extensive involvement in campus life, Gerbil spent hundreds of hours volunteering in his local community. He helped build playgrounds, volunteered at camps, and participated in community clean-up efforts. He packed up food boxes for the “Feed My Starving Children” initiative and planted trees in Grant Park. Gebril also volunteered in a mosque with members of the Muslim community as well as in a Sun City church at interfaith events.
Gebril asserted that as a result of his involvement in the diverse Phoenix community, the immersion experience in Arizona was multicultural. As well, Gebril credits his host family in large part for his enhanced multiculturalism, embracing him in their Mexican American culture and traditions. “My host family really had an international mindset, like me. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and took me to many places in Arizona like museums and the 911 Memorial.” An experience that Gebril believes helped to foster his burgeoning multiculturalism was when his host family took him to Mexico over the holiday break. His host family and their Mexican relatives shared their home, farm-fresh meals, their culture, and Christmas traditions with Gebril. On Christmas Eve, his new extended family shared their annual tradition of lighting sparklers together and on New Year’s Eve they celebrated with fireworks. It was a bonding experience for Gebril and he appreciated being so accepted and loved by his multinational family. For him, it was somewhat reminiscent of his own experience of visiting his French- speaking relatives in Morocco and being immersed in the best of French and Moroccan cultures in his home in Vichy, France.
But seven months into his program, everything changed. With increasing Covid-19 cases and deaths, South Pointe High School closed its doors and students shifted to online learning. “We had to stay at home and stay safe. We couldn’t go out. I was only involved in online school and just trying to keep busy at home.” Gone were the South Pointe Griffin’s soccer games, the afterschool club meetings, and gatherings with his school friends. “I didn’t want to get Covid. And if I did, going to the doctor is expensive in America. In France it’s free. I did not want to risk getting Covid here and having to go to the doctor.” Gebril quarantined with his host family and engaged in distance learning for one month, when he was given the heartbreaking news from his Local Coordinator. In the interest of safety, his exchange program agency was suspending all programs and sending students back to their home countries. “It was hard information to process. I knew then that I had to go back to reality, that my American dream was done. All of the memories I’ve made and all of the people I have met, I must now leave.”
Yet even as Gebril packed his belongings, said his difficult goodbyes to his host family, and headed back to France where his natural family was anxiously awaiting his return, he maintained a positive outlook on the situation. He shared that he was even more determined to return to America now. “So much of my drive and motivation came from my exchange experience in the US. This motivation will help guide my future education and career choices.” Indeed, it already has. Gebril has applied to 10 prestigious schools on the east coast, including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently awaiting response. “I will be so happy to come back and study at university there and visit my American family and friends.” And Gebril fully intends to pay this experience forward, as he considers working in the field of study abroad in the future so that he can assist other French students in broadening their horizons through cultural exchange. Gebril has a deep understanding of the profound nature of international exchange and how it can help shape the trajectory of one’s life. “Besides mastering a new language, studying abroad is a life-changing experience that offers a new perspective on the world. It allows you to meet new people and gives you skills that you will use for the rest of your life.”
