This year we gave all AYA students the opportunity to nominate their LC for recognition and reward as LC of the Month. Students emailed AYA with their heartwarming nominations, including some wonderful stories about the great things you do, the ways you make them feel special, and activities you enjoyed together. A committee from AYA reviewed the submissions each month and selected winners, who received a $50 gift card and were highlighted here on the AYA website.
Each LC of the Month was entered in a raffle this June to receive an American Express gift card valued at $500! We were excited to pool the names of all the LCs you’ve seen featured here and in Supermemo this year and select a winner. Congratulations to Sue Schriever of Nebraska for winning the raffle! Many thanks to all the LCs of the Month featured this year, and to the many more who do amazing work with AYA students!
May 2010
Emily Barberena
My name is Cindy Zhang. I come from China and now I live with the Moffett's family in Laurel, MS.
Since it's about time to leave America, my host family, my friends and also my sweet Local Coordinator, I decide to write something for my LC as a memory. It is also as the gift for my LC for all these times' help.
My Local Coordinator is Emily Barberena. She lives in Meridian, MS. She is such a sweet lady and a really good Local Coordinator.
I remember the first time I went to her house, she gave me a big, sweet hug. It warmed my heart. Then I met some other exchange students and we went over the AYA student handbook. The next day, we went to a water park to swim. It was a really fun time and it was the first time we met our exchange group members.
Besides that activity, we had much more other fun stuffs! Emily organized a wonderful trip to New Orleans during Christmas breaking. We went to ride on a boat on Mississippi River. We went to the France Conner and had donuts and hot chocolate. We went to listen to jazzes. In a word, we had a great time and Emily planned all of those for us. I am pretty sure she wanted to spend that weekend with her family but she didn't. She spends so much time for us.
She helps us to get over problems. We can always hear from her whatever we post on the facebook. She tries to talk to us every month and sometimes I talk to her for hours. She also spends a lot of time visiting different host family and exchange students.
She is doing her best to take care of us when she is busy. She is taking the responsibility to be a LC, and she does a good job. I am so sure that everyone in our exchange students group around here loves her so much!
I just got an email from her which was about our departure orientation. For sure we are going to get another party and an origination for sharing our excellent experiences. It is Emily doing all these origination! How nice she is!
I am blessed that she can be my LC. I am sure there are many other great LCs, but for me, Emily is the greatest one! So I wrote this letter to you and also for Emily. I am going to give her this letter instead of a thank you card.
In the end, I want to say: Emily, I really appreciate your great help and it has been a honor to know you! I will never forget you and I will miss you so much! Just let you know that I love you so much and I am sure that everyone of us loves you!
Love
Cindy
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August
April 2010
Ginger Jeffcoat
"I wrote this to let you know that since I came to the US, I really have had a great time. I want to thank everybody who helped me, especially my local coordinator Ginger Jeffcoat.
She is a very nice person and I like her a lot. The first several weeks she knew I felt a little bit uncomfortable about the different food and culture. So she called me many times to make sure I was okay. That was really kind and made me feel warm. After that we still keep in touch with each other often to communicate with joy.
Ginger does not only make sure I am ok with everything, but also helps myself quality go to another level. Once she invited me to go make a speech about Chinese culture and my exchange student's experience at her church. It was fantastic and I enjoyed when I was with her. Actually she gave me the chance to present in front of people and it helped me a lot with my self-confidence and speaking skills. This is just a example that shows what Ginger has done for me and we also had several parties with other exchange students from Germany and Brazil. Because of that I even learned some other country's culture besides United States. Everyone of us had a great time when we were together and I appreciate her for all she has done for me.
As I said Ginger is a very nice lady and her beautiful smile always cheer me up. As a local coordinator, Ginger has done a great job. She is always so patient when she is talking to me. Although I talked very slowly for the first several months, she always let me finish first and then slowly explained everything to me . So I have improved a lot with my speaking and listening.
I love here so much that I feel upset that I am going back to China soon. I will keep in touch with Ginger when I go back to China."
Young (Ziyang zhou)
Dallas, NC
March 2010
Hugh McMullen
"I want to nominate Hugh McMullen as a Local Coordinator of The Month. He has been so helpful to me.
I am his first student in Florida. I'm his first YES student. I'm the first Muslim student, too for him. And I'm the first Indonesian student he supervises. He said that I was new for him. But, the good thing is, we get along very very well, and also me and her wife as well. I feel like they are my other family in America. They shared some stories about American life with me, just like an orientation.
I have been a few times over to his home. They are always open for me. I have been two times for sleepovers. We talked, hung out at the mall and played Wii. One day, my LC took me to Kennedy Space Center, my most desirable site in USA. We spent time. When I have a problem, I talk to him and he is always available to help me. He helps me to make my year in America wonderful and unforgettable.
To me, he is a very adorable LC. He’s just like my own grandpa. I’m going to miss him and his wife when I leave America, but they will be persons in my list that I surely will keep in touch with. I love them very much."
Putri Pamulani
Indonesia
February 2010
Charity Watterson
Hello AYA,
"I want to nominate my Local Coordinator Charity Watterson!
At the beginning I had problems with my host family. She really cared for me and helped me immediately. She is hosting me right now for almost two weeks and she is working really hard to find a new family for me. She showed me the whole city since I have been here and we are going out in the evening very often. She just integrated me into her family and she cooks delicious food, does my laundry and sees me as a member of her family.
We have been to Cuberland Falls, which was really amazing. Although she has been there already a hundred times, she took me there. Everywhere she goes she asks me if I want to come with her to learn a bit more about the US and its people.
She arranges lots of meetings with other host families. Tomorrow I will go skiing with some other exchange students and their parents and she arranged it for me again! She thinks all this is just her job. Charity is really nice, cares for her exchange students and I feel just very comfortable when she is around me!
And that’s why I want to nominate her to be the Best Local Coordinator!!"
Best regards
Daniela Sturm
January 2010
Ryan Dunfee
"I would like to say that Ryan Dunfee is the best coordinator. We do a lot of fun things, last week for example we went see avatar in 3 D, in one a big city, 40 minutes away from here, he took more two exchanges students, it was really fun. Our next plan is going to a NBA game, Cavaliers, Varejao plays there and he is from Brazil, my country. We are waiting for a good game.
The Best thing we ever did was going to New York, and I have to say, he was really brave, taking ten exchange students with him. We stay in apartments in the South of Manhattan, for two nights and three days, we got there Saturday morning and leave on Monday night. It was great. We went to Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock, Wax museum, and other places. We watch Fuerza Bruta, a Broadway show, where we saw Jay Z and Beyonce.
I know I always will have someone to count on here. Right now I`m doing swimming practice, and he gets me from the practice every day, after his work, and when he don`t work he is the one who takes me. Well I believe he is the Best local coordinator."
by Matheus Andrade from Brazil
December 2009
Chris Gaffner
"My coordinator is Christine Elaine Gaffner. Oh my god I love my coordinator so much. She is very awesome. First of all, I want to mention that she is like my mother. It has been about 5 months since I know her but in these few months she became my adorable person. She is not just kind to me. At the same time she is very kind to any of her exchange students. Before I came to America I didn't think that I am going to have so much fun with my coordinator because I used to think that I meet my coordinator for just some reasons for example about having problems with host family, school and stuff like that. Nope. She is definitely different that I thought. She visits me or calls me almost every week and ask me if I am having any problems, how am I doing, my health and etc. She cares about her exchange students. We have meetings together. I did many fun stuff with her since I came here. My favorite thing with her was camping. It was really fun and we went to SIX FLAGS, Chicago. Beside I am doing many good activities with her. I did "Christmas Around the World". She works at kindergarten school. I and other exchange students made presentations about our countries that we came from for her school students, played fun games with them. She wants us to have much fun here, to experience America, it's culture, tradition, the way of life as much as possible. We made bills about Indiana and this week we are going to Indianapolis to represent our bills there. It will help a lot to learn about American government, its economy and so on. My Coordinator is making these great opportunities for me. I am having great time with her. She is the greatest coordinator I have ever known. I love her as same as my mother."
Sincerely,
Shokirbek Marimov from Uzbekistan
November 2009
Jeanette Singleton
"One of the greatest persons I met here in America is my Local Coordinator, Jeannette Singleton! She cares for us exchange students like a mother! Before my departure from Germany, we already wrote lots of e-mails! She was very very friendly and open to my questions, told me about her experiences as a Local Coordinator and gave me tips and information about my new school and city. Shortly before my flight she acquainted me and another exchange student per e-mail, so we can stay together in the airplanes and during the workshops in New York (I will never forget this city!). She also found a new family for me and my new family was awesome But that is not all, she did for us. When I first met her, when I registered at my new school, she was a great help to fill out the papers, was patient and very friendly! That is still not all - she also organized a welcome party at her house and invited all exchange students in our region to join it! This was a very good idea, so we exchange students can get acquainted and talk about our first experiences in school and family. Jeannette plans to let us students join an Alzheimer walk here in Nacogdoches to tell the people, that the exchange students are social active and so make a bit of advertisements for exchange programs. We are still writing e-mails each week, I tell her about my school, the football games, my family.. just everything! And she informs me about the next activities, meetings, responds to my mails and gives me tips and congratulations. Oh, I can still count lots of small things she did and offered to me. She really takes her work very serious and works with heart and soul. Jeanette Singleton is the BEST BEST BEST Local Coordinator ever!!!!!!!!!"
from
Jiaxi Liu from Bonn, Germany
October 2009
Susan Schriever
Dear AYA team!
My name is Ann-Christine Narloch and I stay for half a year with family Freese in Nebraska (4710 Happy Hollow Lane, Lincoln, NE 68516). I enjoy it so far. Also because of my great LC, Susan Schriever. She is the best.
We did so much together in the last months. She thinks that it is very important to meet with the other exchange students for exchanging experiences and other interesting questions. That is also my opinion and I enjoy every meeting.
One time we met to play miniature golf. It was a great fun for all of us. We got to know each other better. After that we went to a restaurant and ate together. It was a very interesting and funny day.
Another time, we met in a park. We had a picnic and could talk again to the others. We played also some Volleyball and a few other games with the ball.
One time we drove to Lincoln South West High School to watch the Choir, because one exchange student is a member. Susan is very interested in how we are doing. She wants to watch also other concerts and marching band competitions for example. It is very nice to know, that someone does everything to see us performing. Susan wants only the best for all of us.
Another time we met for a movie night. All of these meetings are very good ideas and a great fun.
It is every time very helpful to talk with persons, who are in the same situation as an exchange student.
Susan also is very helpful. She suggests for every meeting that she can pick us up from our home. So everyone has the chance to come.
In addition she answers our e-mails, when we have questions, very quick. That say also some other exchange students.
All in all, Susan is the best. She reserves recognition.
See you,
Ann-Christine.
September 2009
Tony Barnett
"Tony is really helpful to everybody not only the exchange students but also the host parents. When I arrived in the United States and in Washington DC the staff there showed a lot of compassion to the students. But when I stepped into Washington State Seattle Tony showed me and the other exchange students his gratitude and that was where he started to show us the real love that we needed as exchange students." By Tuozie Tinus of Ghana
"My Local Coordinator Tony Barnett is very special. He had taken us for a trip to LONG BEACH for 3 days and he is planning a trip for us at the end of every month. He has been teaching us how we can make better use of our year in US. I thank God for having such a great coordinator." By Solomon Lonte of Kenya
August 2009
Becki Smorynski
Nominated by Halyna Lytvynchuk - FLX037 - Ukraine.
"...I think Becki is the best coordinator because she is always willing to help."
Sheila Green |
Shirley Jackson
LC of the Quarter
Sheila Green
Nominated by Kira Greenwood
Sheila Green has been chosen for as LC of the Quarter! Sheila's dedication to her exchange students is truly something to be admired. She shows her dedication through the activities she plans for her students, host families, and communities. She holds her own orientation for her students upon their arrival to Missouri to elaborate upon what to anticipate with their host families and all of the unique features of the area. She takes her students to local attractions, big cities, and even a few professional sport games!
One of Sheila's most valuable qualities is her commitment to all of her students that they have a successful year here in the United States. She recognizes the opportunity that each host family and student has to experience other cultures in such a special way. Her facilitation of culture understanding allows students to return to their home countries with not only a broader understanding of the United States, but also of themselves.
Thank you Sheila for all of your hard work! Congratulations!
LC of the Quarter
Shirley Jackson, New Jersey
Nominated by Alisha Collins
Here at Academic Year in America, we pride ourselves on the quality of service that we provide to our overseas partners, our students and our volunteer host families. In order for us to extend our services to both our students and host families, we rely heavily on our Local Coordinators. Our Local Coordinators are so vital to our mission of cultural exchange as they are the face of AYA in their local communities and they are an integral part of the placement and supervision process for our exchange students. As expected, our Local Coordinators follow an important list of guidelines when placing and supervising students, but it is those LC’s that go above and beyond that make this program so successful. I am proud to announce the LC of the Quarter, Shirley Jackson of New Jersey for her efforts beyond what is expected.
Shirley Jackson has placed numerous students over the years for AYA and in my short time as her Regional Director, she has been one of my LC’s that I can reach out to, for just about anything. Shirley’s passion for cultural exchange is infectious throughout her community and she has built flourishing relationships with host families and school administration in order to carry out our mission. Not only does she form relationships with her families and schools, she builds life long relationships with both the students she’s placed and hosted. Her exchange student Nina, 1997 states: "I was an exchange student in 1997 and was so fortunate for having Shirl Jackson as my local coordinator. She was more than that, she was my friend, my NJMom, my angel - and still is! Since then we became family and I just have to thank God daily for having such a special person in my life!" Shirley’s commitment to AYA and its mission are appreciated and we can’t thank her enough for all her hard work.
Marilyn Murchie
