Top photo: YES Abroad students in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina (left to right) before a performance at the European Day of Languages: Matt, Georgie, and Alex with Julie Gallagher (wife of Edward Gallagher, Director of the US Embassy Branch Office in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
"Dobrodo li na Evropski Dan Jezika!" Matt greeted his crowded high school auditorium in Banja Luka, a northern city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, translating to: "Welcome to the European Day of Languages" in Bosnian.
As he went on to introduce his classmate and co-announcer in Bosnian, Matt a young American exchange student from Philadelphia with blond hair, rosy cheeks, and a warm smile was greeted with thunderous applause from his classmates and teachers.
The European Day of Languages, a pan-European initiative, celebrates the diverse languages and cultures across the European continent. Many cultural and educational institutions host plays, concerts, and events for students and the larger community to showcase their knowledge of foreign languages and to be exposed to new languages and cultures.
Matt's high school in Banja Luka organized an event to mark the European Day of Languages with activities and performances, during which students performed skits, played instruments, and sang in various languages including non-European languages like Japanese in front of teachers, parents, school staff, and fellow students, including two other YES abroad students. The YES trio even performed "Sweet Home Alabama" to cheers from the audience which might seem a tad silly, but for a city where peacekeepers used to be stationed and which was not the friendliest place for Americans just two decades ago, it's a telling sign of the positive energy and mutual understanding exchange students can bring to their host communities.
Matt at the ancient fortress of Travnik, a city in Central Bosnia.
Matt was most proud about opening the European Day of Languages event at his school in Bosnian. He said: "[My classmates] take pride that an American is learning their native language, of which there are only 19 million native speakers. That's including all of its variations: Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, and Montenegrin; which is only 0.0027% of the world's population."
''Languages truly have a power in connecting people. We all think in a language. It's like opening a door into the mind of another person. It's a very valuable thing in a world where we just can't seem to get along sometimes."
About YES Abroad
Matt is a participant of the Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad Program. YES Abroad, sponsored by the US Department of State, offers American high school students and recent graduates scholarships to study for one academic year in select countries with significant Muslim populations.
YES Abroad students serve as youth ambassadors of the United States, promoting mutual understanding by forming lasting relationships with their host families and communities. Participants live with a host family, attend a local high school, acquire leadership skills, and engage in activities to learn about the host country's society and values; they also help educate others about American society and values.