Don and I had hosted exchange students before so we knew that it would be very important for Warda to get involved in school and be as active as possible. Students who are active tend to meet people, try new things, are generally happier, and less inclined to be homesick. I think this is true for all students, but it is especially true for international students as the purpose of the program is for them to learn about US culture and experience our schools. It is difficult to understand a culture if you do not interact with the people and learn from them.
Warda chose to start her year participating in cross country and the musical. She had never run long distance and had no idea about the Wizard of Oz. However, she faithfully attended every practice, worked hard and successfully participated in both. Mrs. Skillern was very good to encourage Warda to keep trying, to stay focused, and give it her full effort. It took her several weeks to build the endurance to run the 3+ miles required, but she did it and even earned a medal at one of the meets. She knew the purpose. She was persistent and persevered until she met her goal. Her effort reminded me that even when a task seems impossible, it is not.
Don greeted Warda at the finish line of her first race
Warda also participated in basketball, track, MC2, large group speech, individual speech, the Spring play, Vis Arts, and BPA. She was selected to perform at All-State for individual speech and went to nationals for BPA. The school t-shirts she purchased nearly filled an entire suitcase. Oh, yes, she also earned A's in all of her courses. She took pretty challenging classes so she would not fall behind academically when she returns to school in her home country. She has some natural talents. She also has a strong work ethic. Her talent, her work ethic, and a bit of hard work paid off in the end. If you work for it, you are likely to succeed.
Ms. Bettag and Warda at her All-State performance
Warda has a different religion than our family; yet, we were able to live together for ten months. We had many opportunities to exchange in dialogue about the differences in our beliefs and faith practices. We learned to love and accept each other. We had good conversation and discussion. It is possible to see things differently and remain respectful of each other.
Maintaining a positive growth mindset is critical for exchange students and host families. Families and exchange students need to get along and make it work. We had to remain open-minded, consider different perspectives, and grow from the experiences we had together. Don and I are pretty confident we will never get excited about pea soup, but she will never make a rootbeer float again. She called it "malaria medicine." Yes, those are the small things that we will laugh about for some time. Many things made us different, but she still became part of our family.
As I mentioned, Don and I have hosted other exchange students. Devina Clarissa, from Indonesia, stayed with us during the 2016-2017 school year. Bilyamin Hassan, from Nigeria, stayed with Don in 2006-2007. When you ask Don why we host students, he responds with several reasons. One reason he mentions nearly every time is that he is not likely to travel the world, but people like Devina, Bilyamin, and Warda have shared with him a piece of the world he may never see. I read this statement made by Jodi Hills, "Learn something that is not in front of you. Love someone who doesn't look like you. Go somewhere you've never been. The world is beautiful." While this is a catchy Pinterest and Facebook type of quote to share, it does have some relevant meaning.
I was really proud of our students and staff who accepted and supported Warda during her time in Shenandoah. She may have dreamed of New York City or Los Angeles as a perfect place to spend her year, but she learned that Shenandoah, Iowa was the place to be. Warda will never forget her time in Shenandoah or the kindness she felt from the people. I will always remember Warda and the lessons I learned from her.
Warda was not the only exchange student this year. Katerina Noskova lived with Jim and Carol Kinghorn. She was involved in many activities and graduated from Shenandoah High School this year. Exchange students do well at our high school as the students, staff, and community accept them, offer them support and encouragement. AFS and IRIS are exchange programs that are looking for host families. I would encourage you to talk with one of the local coordinators if you have any interest in hosting an exchange student.
