Wheat Ridge – For a year before coming to the United States, Tunisian student Wejdene, 16, studied American customs and culture to prepare herself for life in a different country.
But after taking the initiative to learn about America, Wejdene was surprised to find that her classmates in Washington knew very little about her country or the Muslim world.
“It hurt,” she said. “I thought, ‘Why do I know so much about your country and you don’t know anything about mine?”‘
The challenge of leading the way to understanding brought Wejdene and 39 other participants in the Youth Exchange and Study program to the Youth Leadership Summit at Exempla West Pines Training Center on Saturday.
(The program requested that students’ last names not be used for security reasons.)
Through exercises on the ropes course, the students learned about trust and teamwork.
“They’re going to have a lot of responsibility when they return,” said facilitator Jorge Gibbons. “If they can see things and creatively solve problems, they can leave the past and the grief behind.”
As he climbed the 25-foot power pole, Mukit, 16, of Bangladesh, trusted in his teammates to provide rope support and catch him if he fell.
“One moment changes everything,” he said. “At the top I was trusting those guys.”
The State Department started the program after Sept. 11 .
Placed in high schools throughout the country, the students have soaked up life as American teenagers. The education system especially surprised some of them.
“They have life-skill classes that prepare you,” said Sameirah, 17, of Bangladesh. “I didn’t know how to change a tire. That’s helpful to know.”
As the students learn about the United States, they serve as mini- ambassadors for their home countries, she said.
For Arab students, this means answering questions about terrorism.
“People think ‘Arab’ and they think we’re just terrorists. That’s the stereotype,” said Hassan, 16, of Lebanon.
Hadika, 15, of Pakistan, said students taunted her at school because of her nationality. Even so, she said she cherishes her experiences in the program.
“I feel like a different person,” Hadika said. “I’m much more mature and independent. You could say it’s been my memorable year.”
Staff writer Gabriela Resto- Montero can be reached at 303-954-1638 or grestomontero@denverpost.com.
