AFS Students Enhance Wa-Hi Diversity

November 13, 2008
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AFS Students Enhance Wa-Hi Diversity
Wa-Hi is host school for six exchange students who are part of AFS Intercultural Programs. Wa-Hi has had AFS students since the early 1960s.

Three of the AFSers are also part of the U.S. State Department-sponsored Youth Exchange & Study program (YES) that brings students from countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S. During the week of Nov. 17-21, AFS students are observing International Education Week by making presentations to community groups, classrooms and youth groups.

The AFS students at Wa-Hi include:
- Sara Badwy is a YES student from Cairo, Egypt. She is hosted by the Steven Hamilton family. Sara hopes to be an architect. She enjoys the computer, reading, participating in sports and drawing. She will be seen in the Wa-Hi production "Taming of the Shrew" performing an Egyptian dance.

- Dorothea (Doro) Braun is from a small town in Bavaria, Germany. She is hosted by the John Ladderud family. Doro is involved in choir at Wa-Hi, and her other interests include guitar, piano and reading.

- Willow Brenner is also from Germany. Tim Brown and Beth Powers-Brown host him. Willow is enthusiastic about all kinds of sports, but his favorites are skiing and handball. He is also a member of the choir at Wa-Hi.

- Miyuki Ikuyo is from Japan. She is hosted by Jack Lenihan and Darcy Dauble. Miyuki is interested in music, and plays the violin. She participates in choir and orchestra at Wa-Hi and is in the community youth orchestra. Myuki considers her role as an AFS exchange student that of 'an ambassador of peace.' Myuki hopes to become a diplomat.

- Adams Isaaka is a YES student from Ghana. His host parents are Harald and Kelly Schoeppner. Adams' native language is Wala, but he has studied English for 12 years. He also studies the Ga and Twi languages in his school in Ghana. Adams participated in the Wa-Hi cross-country team, and he is eager to share information about his native culture with Americans.

- Irma Sefrinta is a YES student from central Java, Indonesia. Irma lives with the Heidi Dobson family. Irma will be appearing in the "Taming of the Shrew" performing an Indonesian dance. Irma enjoys music, and was a vocalist in a band in Indonesia. She is considering becoming a psychologist or an ambassador.

For more information about AFS, or to arrange for one of the students to speak to your group, contact Linnea Keatts at 525-0049 or email, lkeatts@msn.com.