Alumni Referral
If you would like to learn about the experiences of YFU students, please e-mail your questions to any of
these YFU Alumni. They have all participated in a YFU program and would be glad to share their YFU
experience
with you. When sending an e-mail, please include:
- YFU in the subject line
- Your name, age, and city/state
- Country, length, and year of program that you are interested in
If you have questions regarding specific program components, admissions, tuition and scholarships, or other program-specific information, please e-mail our admissions office. You may also talk to an admissions counselor by calling toll-free 1-800-TEENAGE (1-800-833-6243).
Alumni Referral List
Click on the first letter of a country you would like to visit to see a list of alumni or scroll through the full list to browse countries.
| H | K |
*Alumni with an asterisk next to their program name were scholarship recipients.
Country/Program |
First Name |
Quote |
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Semester |
Jackie | If I could say anything about my exchange, I would say it was life changing. I will never think or be the same again. I can actually say that I no longer see in just yellow or blue but I see in green. Doing an exchange will change you and your worldly outlook for the rest of your life. DO IT! IT COULD BE THE BEST THING YOU DO TO DATE! |
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Australia |
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Semester |
Karen | Going on an exchange to Australia was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I was able to try so many new things like surfing, feeding and playing with kangaroos, meeting people from all over the world, and learning a whole new culture. This exchange opened my eyes to all the wonderful things we have in this world. I would strongly recommend going on an exchange because every day is an adventure, and it is the neatest feeling at the end of your exchange to look back and see how you came to a new country knowing no one and by the end, you have close friends, your host family really is like a second family, and you feel like that country is your home-away-from-home. Going on exchange to Australia was definitely an excellent decision! |
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Summer |
Alicia | Being an exchange student with YFU changed my entire way of life. It opened my mind to things I never thought possible, and I will be forever grateful that I was able to have the opportunity. |
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Summer * |
Kristen | Spending the summer in Brasil was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had! I am willing to answer any questions and I am available just to talk... even if you aren't going to Brasil. Being an exchange student is a life-changing experience and I would love to share anything and everything about my time abroad! |
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Summer |
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Summer |
Hola! I'm happy to answer questions you may have before your trip or even if you're just scoping out programs. Going on a cultural exchange is a fantastic experience, and Chile is a great country to visit. Exchanges can be challenging, overwhelming, exciting, and best of all (well, at least in my opinion) open your mind to other cultures and values. You'll learn a lot about yourself too-even though it sounds cliché. |
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China |
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Year |
Di is from China and spent a year in the US. He is available to answer any questions about China that you may have. |
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Year |
If I had one piece of advise about going on exchange it would be to go expecting nothing; that way no matter what you get you will enjoy it to the fullest instead of being disappointed about it not being what you thought it would be. Going on exchange to Denmark was the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me, it changed my opinion on just about everything and opened my eyes to so many wonderful things. The experience I had was truly fantastic and all I can say is that if you get the chance to go on exchange anywhere take it and run. I would love to answer any questions you have about going on exchange. |
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Year * |
Ecuador is such an interesting country. I lived in Ibarra in the mountains, but we went on trips to the coast, rainforest, and the Galapagos islands while I was there. The people are very friendly and open and I will definitely be going back to visit in the future. After I got over the culture shock it really was one of the biggest learning experiences of my life. |
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Summer * |
My summer in Finland was definitely an interesting experience. Finland is such a different country. The Finland-US Senate Youth Exchange Scholarship is a wonderful scholarship. You will inevitably make 13 new friends and have so much fun with them over the course of the summer! I had an awesome summer that I will never forget. Feel free to contact me anytime. |
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Summer * |
I traveled to Haamenlina, Finland for my FUSYE exchange. It was an awesome experience and Finland was a beautiful place to visit. You will get so close to the other American Oversees students who will travel to Finland too. I am able to answer any questions you may have about Finland or an exchange experience in general. |
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Summer * |
The summer of 2007 provided me with new experiences everywhere I went as I lived in Turku, Finland. Being in a country as unique as Finland I was always intrigued by the new language and the constant surprises that everyday brought. I was fortunate to visit many areas around the country, as well as make many great friends. Finland may be stereotypically reserved and quiet, but there were so many opportunities that made my summer one of the most outstanding ever. I also documented my summer with pictures on ccfinland.blogspot.com |
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Summer |
Hyvää päivää! Immersing myself in the Finnish way of life last summer, I spent much time with my host family at Lake Päijänne, where the beautiful hues of greens and blues formed a picturesque backdrop for fishing and picking berries. Relaxing in the sauna was a daily ritual, and I loved learning about the Finnish culture of sisu, folk and metal music, Muumi, and organic design while sharing my own with my host family and new friends. I am more than happy to help and answer any questions you may have about embarking on an awe-inspiring exchange! |
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France |
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Year |
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Year * |
My year in Germany was the best experience I have ever had in my whole life. My time spent there taught me so much. I feel in love with the German culture, the beautiful countryside, and the great people. I learned so much about myself and I know I am going to carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life. Going over to Germany as an exchange student was probably the best decision I could have ever made. |
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Semester * |
A semester just isn't enough time to fully understand another culture. I wanted to stay the year, but my mom wouldn't let me! I lived in the western part of Germany near Cologne. German isn't nearly as hard as they make it out to be. |
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Greece |
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Summer |
Going to Greece was the best choice I ever made. By experiencing another culture and seeing completely new things, I now have a completely different outlook on life. |
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Year |
I was the happiest I've ever been in my life during my exchange year in Hungary. I learned about the culture, the language, but more importantly I learned about myself. With my host family, friends, co-workers, classmates, and host-relatives, I grew so much as a person and had the time of my life. |
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Year |
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Summer * |
Okinawa is one of the most beautiful places. Its people and culture are fascinating and they have their own culture aside from Japan. I knew absolutely no Japanese, and that didn't stop me from having the best time in my life. I will always keep in contact with my new family. Please feel free to ask me any questions about anything or more specifically about Okinawa. |
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Summer * |
Japan has a mysterious way of sticking in your mind and soul. Though I was only in Japan for six weeks, the experiences I gained there will last me my entire life. I would love to share my experiences with anyone. No question is too big or too small. I am happy to know that I can help other kids in starting this exciting journey to the land of the rising sun! |
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Summer * |
The summer of 2006 that I spent in Saga, Japan, lived up to everything I was so excited to experience and then some. I made so many great friends since I was able to attend high school with my host sister who was my age. Talking about Japan is something I absolutely love doing, and I am more than happy to answer anything from language and culture to packing. I also documented my summer with pictures on ccjapan.blogspot.com. |
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Summer * |
I spent the summer of '03 in Kawasaki, halfway between Tokyo and Yokohama, and it turned my life completely upside-down. I spent about three weeks at a Japanese high school and visited several famous and amazing places with my host family. Now I'm in the Japanese Department at Purdue, so feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to help out. |
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Summer * |
I spent an amazing six weeks in a small town called Ide-cho, Japan, in between the cities of Kyoto and Nara. My host family was very different from my actual family, and I learned a whole new way of life! I'm from Alaska, which is very dry and cold, so going to Japan in the summer was a big climate difference for me! If you're interested in going to Japan, or know you are going and have some questions, feel free to ask! I know how important it is to have even those seemingly frivolous concerns addressed! |
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Summer * |
I didn't know any Japanese before I went, but I didn't run into many difficulties. If you have any questions about school, family life, shopping, what gifts to bring... how to avoid eating fish (that was difficult!), or anything else, I'd love to answer your questions! |
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Summer * |
I was in Kumamoto, Japan in the summer of 2006. Kumamoto is on the island of Kyushu. I had a wonderful time there and I will never forget what I've learned from Japan. I was on a corporate scholarship and would like to help anyone with any questions. |
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Summer * |
Being an exchange student was the single most amazing experience of my life. I spent six weeks in Nanjo, Okinawa living with a host family and attending school. When I first found out I was going to Okinawa, I was actually disappointed, because I had heard it was completely different from the rest of Japan. But it's the unique culture that makes Okinawa so fascinating. After spending six weeks there, I can't imagine having been anywhere else. It was incredible. The only regret I have about my experience is that I didn't go for a year. |
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Summer * |
I had the most amazing summer of my entire life. If I had only found out about it sooner, I would have gone for a year in a heartbeat. What is so funny is that Japan was practically my last choice for my scholarships, and after going there I cannot imagine having been anywhere else. |
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Summer * |
Hi, my name is Nikki. I was born and raised in Hawaii but currently reside in Oregon attending college. I went to Sendai, Japan during the summer of 2005 on the Japanese-American Friendship Scholarship. I had an awesome time with my host family and friends I made at school. I was older than both my host siblings but it was still a lot of fun hanging out with them. |
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Summer * |
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Summer * |
I experienced island life in parts of Okinawa and stayed on Ishigaki-Jima. Any questions about island Oki lifestyle, schooling, weather, etc. I could definitely answer! |
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Summer * |
My exchange experience with YFU has changed the way I view family. My original homestay was in Shimane, Japan in 2002 for six weeks. Shimane is one of the most rural areas of Japan, and I'm from a part of South Florida that's anything but rural. Anyway, I had a blast there, and my host family were the sweetest people I'd ever met. After my exchange, my host-sister, Kanako, decided to come to America through YFU and stayed with my family for a year. It still impresses me how much my family and my life has been affected by a six-week exchange program. |
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Summer |
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Year |
Choosing to go abroad as an exchange student was one of the best decisions I could have made in high school. Being in the Netherlands for a year gave me the chance to immerse myself in the Dutch culture, language, and my family; the small size of the Netherlands only meant more chances to see the entire country and gain better insight into this wonderful nation. |
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Norway |
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Semester |
I also lived in Finnmark. Although times were trying, I made it through and fell in love with the country and its' people. It was a wonderful experience that has helped me grow in so many ways and I wouldn't trade it for anything else! |
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Summer |
Going abroad to Poland, even for as short of a time as I did, six weeks, helped me discover a lot about myself. Talking with others who went with me both before and after our stay, I would say that on the most part everyone had a self-enlightening experience. The Polish people were the nicest and friendliest people I have met to date. To this day I still keep in contact with my host family after my program in 2001. Personally, the only thing holding me back from going again is my personal finances. |
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Summer |
I lived on the green northern coast of Spain in the city of Santander. Going through the learning process of developing familiarity with a new language and culture encouraged me to see a new perspective on the world as a whole. Because of my exchange experience, I have become a world traveler and am now teaching English in South Korea. My advice: go through YFU, don't have expectations, let your experience be your own...and love it. Email me with any questions! |
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Sweden |
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Summer * |
Hej hej fran Svergie! YFU's Sweden exchange changed my life dramatically. My host family expanded my perspective of life and showed me the beautiful benefits of experiencing international activities. Because of my summer in Sweden, I am attending the University of London in the fall for a three-year BA and am working at the United Nations in New York City as a summer intern. If you have any questions about the country, the people, the food (like sugar strawberries in a bowl of milk), feel free to contact me! |
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Switzerland |
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Year (German) |
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Year |
Going to Uruguay with YFU shaped my life. Since then, I've been in two dozen countries, done two other [university] study abroad programs and lived in over half a dozen of the countries that I've visited. Uruguay amazed me and I long to go back. I still keep in touch with my family and hope to be with them again soon! |
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Please contact the National Alumni Council (NAC) at alumni@yfu.org if you have questions or problems with a particular e-mail address.
If you are a recently returned alumna/us and would like to be on the Alumni Referral list, please visit the YFU USA Alumni web site.
Thank you for participating!
All YFU Programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
Last Updated:
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 02:37 PM