The University of St. La Salle makes history by hosting its first AFS Intercultural Program exchange students in the college level for one school year. Juan Sebastian Mayorga from Bogota, Columbia, and Margot Emma Holmgren from Antwerp, Belgium-Flanders, arrived in Bacolod City on June 8 and July 8, respectively.

Being on “audit” status, Mayorga is attending classes in Photography, Culinary, Math, Environmental Science and Filipino. A tennis player in his own country who had participated in tournaments in the USA, he aspires to join our own USLS tennis varsity team. Meanwhile, Holmgren chose Filipino, Psychology 1, Foreign Language, Culinary, Physical Education and Personality Development.

Mayorga and Holmgren are two of the 12 AFS foreign exchange students in the Philippines for school year 2008-2009. The other countries of origin are Germany, Switzerland, France, and Latvia. Other host schools for this year’s batch are the De La Salle-Santiago Zobel School, Mindanao State University in General Santos, St. Mary’s University in Nueva Vizcaya, Holy Trinity College of General Santos, St. Mary’s College in Quezon City, Xavier University High School and the Ateneo de Manila University.

AFS Intercultural Programs (formerly American Field Service) is a non-government, non-profit and non-stock community-based volunteer organization dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through international student and educator exchange.

In accepting Mayorga and Holmgren to our university, USLS joins the network of the oldest, biggest and most prestigious student exchange organization in the world today. Established in the 1940’s by a group of former World War II volunteer ambulance drivers, AFS has given life-changing experiences to its young participants who later on became leaders in their chosen careers. Worldwide, 112 ambassadors were former AFS students. So were UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy Jan Eliasson, Gawad Kalinga’s Tony Meloto, Mt. Everest Philippine Expedition Team Leader Art Valdez, TOYM for Medicine and premier Filipino allergologist Dr. Manuel Canlas, Miss Saigon’s Leo Valdez, and many other alumni who have become achievers in their own rights. Francisco F Guerra III (1970-1971 Massachusetts) currently serves as a member and Global Brand Advisor to the AFS International Board of Trustees

More than 13,000 students, young adults and teachers participate in AFS programs each year. Welcomed into host families in more than 53 countries around the world, they attend classes in their host schools for a year, a semester or two weeks.

Filipino students and educators who participate in AFS programs abroad enjoy the free-tuition, free-board-and-lodging arrangement with their host families and host schools. Those who participate in specified programs under AFS such as Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program to the USA and the Japan–East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) also receive free international travel benefits.

During their AFS program, exchange students and educators actively participate in their host school, host family and community activities. In the process, they gain a real understanding of another country and its culture and society, learn a new language, find out something new about their own culture by seeing it from a fresh perspective, build lasting friendships with people from other countries, and feel confident and comfortable with people from other cultures.

By hosting foreign exchange students like Mayorga and Holmgren, USLS brings education to the level of the 21st Century where learning about other cultures and countries goes beyond the pages of the books and the computer monitors, but is rather experienced in the flesh.
If we can “encourage capable students and teachers interested in going abroad to join AFS and bring their experience back to our school through their blogs, their photos, their impressions,” what could this mean for our LaSallian classroom?
If we can invite “an international perspective in all subject areas, what new ideas might emerge in our school’s classrooms when a very different perspective is introduced in history, sciences, geography, languages, arts, and math?”

At present, there are six Filipino AFS “returnees”/alumni in USLS. Five went as exchange students. Nino Lanes III, now a junior nursing student, went to Italy in 2005-06; Tina Abello, sophomore nursing, to United Kingdom in 2006-07; Allen Iñigo, sophomore engineering, to USA in 2006-07; Alyssa Salvio, freshman education, to Japan in 2007; and the author, to USA after high school. One college faculty member, Ms. Josette Terrora of the Math Department, went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan last December 2007 as exchange educator, the first one from Negros Occidental.

From the USLS-IS, two students traveled abroad as AFSers last school year: Francis Joseph Villanueva to United Kingdom and Anthony Bayawa to Japan. The High School Department also hosted for four months last school year its first foreign exchange student, Gintz Gzibovskis from Latvia. In mid-August of this year, Bayawa again embarks on a one-year study program to Italy while another USLS-IS alumna, Krishia Marie Millanes, leaves for Spain.

When asked about her feelings about being here, Holmgren remarked: “It’s exciting, everything is new, and the people are very friendly. For now, I have to get used to the weather and being stared at.” Hosted by Emilio III and Irene Hilado, with their children Emilio Ray, Leana and Ervin, “Marge” hopes to integrate into the culture.

Our Colombian AFSer “Juancho” has these words to say about his being here: “I like it a lot here. What I like the most is my family [Roberto and Agnes Tinsay with their daughters Tamila, who went as AFSer to Italy last year, and Nina, a junior at St. Scholastica’s Academy]. The culture is a bit different, like the food. I find it very hot [here]. The subject I enjoy the most is Filipino! I already know how to say Salamat, Maayong aga, Maayong hapon, Maayong gab-i, tubi, pamahaw, panyaga and panyapon!”

Both Holmgren and Mayorga hope to get really good friends, visit other places in the country, and give a good image of their countries.

For more information on joining AFS as an exchange student (15-18 years old), exchange teacher, host family or volunteer, visit its websites at www.afs.org and www.afs.ph or contact Mr. Rhoderick Samonte of the Center for International and External Development. For application forms and more details, contact Mrs. Malou Cabrera, Volunteer Local Coordinator, CP# 09266425882 or e-mail malou.cabrera@yahoo.com.