I got the “push” I needed to make a difference

Assane, Mozambique

I’m Assane Roque and I’m an exchange student from Mozambique hosted in Ellettsville, Indiana by the Dillinger family. I’m really enjoying living in the USA; it’s so much better than what I expected thanks to my host family which is a very wonderful family, Cathy (my local coordinator) and all the Grant Team. American life style is way too different than what I was used to live back home. The food is one of the major differences we have. I had some hard time to adjust to the diet but I made it and I’m really starting to like the food and I think I will miss it when I go back home.

It was my first time in the US and my first impressions were overwhelming. So many nice, friendly and caring people, a beautiful countryside and the American lifestyle made me fall in love with the country I chose for my exchange year over 2 years ago.

The hardest thing I had to overcome during my experience was my mom’s death and to be honest I don’t know if I totally overcame it. Moreover another hard thing I had to overcome was adjusting to the extremely cold weather during the winter but that wasn’t as hard as I expected to be and on the other hand I enjoyed going sledding, snowboarding, and skiing.

I did a lot of exciting things with my host family and friends during this year and it’s very hard to choose one. One of the most exciting thing I did and I really liked was our spring break t rip. It was a long and exhausting drive but it was worth it because I and my host family had so much fun; and the most exciting part of is when we went to Time Square Street in New York City, I was amazed by the beauty of the City. I got to see and visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

I also had a lot of fun at school. There’s a lot to do at school; I participated in activities that maybe I couldn’t. For example the marching band, I don’t play any instrument but that didn’t keep me from joining the marching band and becoming a bird person. I also joined the school dance team even though I was the only guy. And I’m currently pole vaulting in the school Track and Field Team even though I never pole vaulted before.

I’m enjoying the USA but I’m also using my staying here as an opportunity to learning a lot of new stuff; not only about the USA but also things about other countries and I feel that I have learned a lot during the time I spent here but still not enough yet. One of the examples is the fact that I now know how to have a very basic Russian conversation. I think that I can make I difference when I go back home. Community Service is something that I really admire about the USA. The spirit that people have to help each other without making profit out of it is such a wonderful thing and I think we should have it in Mozambique; I’m taking that culture with me and use it to help my community. Been a participant of the BUBW(Better Understanding for a Better World) Conference 2011 San Diego really changed my mind; I felt renewed after the conference.