I never imagined I would find my true self like I have. I guess it all came into my life the moment I shyly entered the room of the austere-looking interviewer, who later openly announced that I had passed him. This happened exactly two years ago, when I was selected as one of the 108 finalists of the Youth Exchange and Studies Program (YES). A little girl who would now travel across oceans to a totally new place with a different tradition than her own; my happiness knew no bounds. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I was placed in De Pere, Wisconsin, a beautiful town of 25,000 people, who accepted me wholeheartedly. I loved the plethora of my little community that is sheathed in winter for much of the year. The winter that made me step out of my comfort zone and try different activities that I otherwise wouldn't have even imagined existed. Something I love to do now that I'm back home. Going to an American school is probably the second best thing that happened to me. The first would be the same YES. I was getting chills just thinking about how I would adapt to the new place. I was sure that my shy and introverted existence, confined only to books, would never change. But miracles exist. And this is what happened to me. In those 10 months I learned to speak a new language fluently, I became more human, I made new friends from literally all over the world and, above all, I understood what it truly meant to become part of a culture different from my own. The year has transformed me into a stronger and more confident person, well connected with the world around her, unlike my previous self. YES has absolutely broadened my worldviews. Having never had the chance to explore the outside world, all I knew was what our culture told us. Our traditions meant so much to me, they still do, but there is so much outside of this little world. And that's what this program has rewarded me with the opportunity to explore. It rewarded me with the chance to eradicate the misconceptions I had about Western culture. It made me capable enough to not only think like a Pakistani but from the perspective of a proud global citizen. Today, I can proudly say that I learned so much more about myself as I learned about others during those 10 fascinating months. "You are nothing like I thought a girl from Pakistan would look like! Your traditional clothes are so colorful and I thought the only color girls could wear was black." (Skenandor- a senior at West De Pere, my American high school) "I have so much respect for you. Everything you've done since you've been at West De Pere, it's really amazing." (Hubers, my school counselor) These were perhaps more valuable moments of my exchange year than the trip to California or Washington DC. These moments, the smiles, those faces after cultural presentations that said, "Woah! This is so different than what we thought it was like," motivated me even more to continue to do my best to teach Americans what they are really like. the Pakistanis. From singing to public speaking for forensics, this year has given me the chance to reveal my inner self. Credit goes to the Spanish Club, Student Council, Yearbook, Beautiful Confidence, Cultural Club, Outreach Team, and Theater for allowing me to make new friends in high school and shape myself as a person. Please note: this is just an example. Get a personalized card now.