Emily Stepanek Wins U.S. Department of State YES Abroad Scholarship to Study in Malaysia
Katy, Texas – The U.S. Department of State has awarded Emily Stepanek, a high school student in Katy, TX, one of 65 scholarships to study abroad on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program.
Emily Stepanek
The competitive, merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Emily a full immersion experience through living with a host family in Malaysia, attending a Malaysian high school, and helping develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community. The YES Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Through her participation in the YES Abroad program, Emily will be at the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in her host country, promoting mutual understanding by building lasting relationships with her host family and friends, and through community engagement in volunteer service and leadership training.
The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as an effort to increase dialogue and understanding between the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program was expanded in 2007 to include YES Abroad for American high school students. The YES Abroad program provides opportunities for Americans to study for an academic year in select countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.
The YES Abroad program is administered by a consortium of non-profit organizations led by American Councils for International Education and including AFS-USA, AMIDEAST, and iEARN-USA. Exchanges taking place in Malaysia are administered by AFS. AFS is a worldwide, nonprofit organization that has been a leader in international exchange for more than 60 years. Visit www.afsusa.org for more information on studying abroad, hosting an exchange student, or bringing intercultural learning into the classroom.
For more information about the YES Abroad program, including information on how to apply for the 2014-15 academic year, visit yesprograms.org/yesabroad. For more information about hosting a YES international exchange student, visit hosting.state.gov.
