A PUBLICATION OF THE YFU-USA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Welcome to “The Link” the “Alumni of YFU” newsletter. Whether you are a recent returnee or an old hat, we want to reach you, provide current information, and get you involved in the Alumni Association. Your level of involvement and commitment are up to you but let us provide some resources to continue your exchange experience whether it was a year or 50 years ago.

Where do you want to go today?

Have you joined an Alumni Group?
http://www.yahoo.com/ has several groups, even local area groups. Check out the groups link then do a YFU search. You can also visit the District's page of this website, click on your state, and see what's happening near you!

Have you checked out the Alumni website recently? YFU-USA Alumni Association has a special page for First Time Visitors! It is a good place to start -l et us know who you are, update your address, and get involved!

Do you want to find old friends?
Unfortunately, there are not the funds to set up and run the Web Directory. With help from YFU Alumni, we hope to be up and running again. Until then, join the yahoo-alums group and you can communicate with other alums and find your friends.

Alumni Contact Network
The Alumni Contact Network (ACN), is a project sponsored by the National Alumni Council, the governing body of the YFU-USA Alumni Association. This project is completely managed and conducted by YFU alumni volunteers, and is intended to help fellow alumni get and stay in touch with each other as well as to provide opportunities for alumni to get reconnected with YFU in many different ways.

Let us know what YFU can do for you. Email any of your area District Facilitators or contact any of the NAC members.

Check out this story! Remember When...

I went to Plainwell High School in Michigan and was an exchange student to Chile in 1973. When I came back for my senior year in Michigan, my high school Spanish teacher introduced me to an exchange student from Cali, Columbia; Isabel Londoño. Isabel was placed in a very conservative family who had a rural farm. It was difficult for her because she experienced both culture and class shocks. She was from a wealthy urban family and was, as she says today, "spoiled." At several times during the year, she almost went back to Columbia. But we became friends and went out on a few dates, nothing very serious because I was dating another girl steadily. I had her over to my home for a family dinner and she gave us a small gift, a cast brass bottle opener that said Cali, Columbia on it. At the end of the school year in 1974 Isabel disappeared, she left Michigan early. I became busy with my preparations for college and summer work. Isabel faded into history except every once in a while over the years that bottle opener would crop up and I would wonder, "What ever happened to Isabel?"

Twenty-five years later in November 1999 I was surfing the net doing some research for my niece about her going on exchange and I looked at the YFU site. I saw the icon for "Alumni" and you had a directory. I looked up several friends without luck and then Isabel came to mind; presto, she was listed. I sent an email and we started corresponding. Finally this summer we met in Washington DC as we both had business there and coordinated our schedules to have dinner. I was expecting to have a pleasant evening, catch up on our lives, and then go our separate ways.

Well lightning struck, we both extended our stays, and we ended up spending the week together in DC. We went our separate ways on Monday, she to Miami on her way back to Bogota, and me back home to Anchorage, Alaska. A few days later we talked and she asked what I thought about her coming to Alaska for a visit. I said that would be great, anytime. And she said "Well what about tomorrow?" So she came to Alaska on Friday for a week. Then she went back to Bogota. Next week, October 7th, Isabel is coming back to Alaska to stay for a month. And we are currently talking about Isabel moving to Alaska to see if this relationship is a long-term thing or what. There may be more to our story soon.

Editor’s note: Rich promises to keep us informed of their status. Good luck guys!