CONFESSIONS OF AN EXCHANGE STUDENT

Hi guys! My name is Saw Stefanie, 17 from Penang, Malaysia. I am studying senior year at Sacred Heart High School and I am just some typical high school student with a coconut haircut and wearing ridiculously tall socks just like any other Chinese school students across Malaysia.

This year, I am an exchange student, a young ambassador of Malaysia to the United States of America. Yup, you heard me right. I got the Kennedy-Lugar YES scholarship to spend six months FOC in America. At first it was like a dream. Thousands and thousands of people applied for this scholarship and 120 made it into the selection camp, which is the final round. Out of these 120, 46 were selected. And I am honored to be one of them.

It was a friend’s complaint that actually changed my life. I was going to apply for the 2 weeks Kizuna program to Japan since I assumed that I was going to be eliminated anyway from the YES program, since so many students had applied for it and failed. And then, my friend, Zi Ying came over and asked me to switch to the KL-YES program since I was form 5 and everything. I shrugged and agreed. The school counselor was most unhelpful with this program so I had to search and get the forms myself and send it.

It was a surprise when I got the interview letter for the state and national level.

Well, here I am, one of the 44 chosen young ambassadors of Malaysia. And this is also the end of my normal days as a typical high school student. So, I am blogging to start the new PART II of my life: confessions of an exchange student.

Basic stuff about my new life:

1.     I am hosted in Pamlico, South Carolina.

2.     I am going to Hannah Pamplico High School.

3.     My host mum is Lori Bowen, a good cook and working as a pharmacist. Plus, she is divorced with my host dad.

4.     Host dad is a policeman, so I guess I don’t have to worry about personal safety. :p

5.     I have two host siblings, Keri Bowen (21) and CJ Bowen (13).

This is basically what I know about my placement. I look forward to spend time with my host family! <3