Youth often get underestimated. Our thoughts and opinions are often disregarded and we are seen as too young to effect social, environmental and political change. The reason I decided to apply to this program is to break away from that stereotype and prove that teenagers can help create prosperity in the world.
In an attempt to utilize all the energy I had as a child my mom encouraged me to immerse myself in activities like sports and dancing. By experiencing the highs and lows that come with playing a team sport like basketball, I have learnt the importance of participation and cooperation. As a result, I have become a person that my teammates can freely trust and rely on. In addition, having been a dancer for many years now has helped me to develop confidence and be able to put myself out there and take on any challenge that presents itself to me.
With my passion for learning and a natural drive to succeed, I can definitely see myself emerging as a leader. Since the beginning of my high school education, I have always been involved with my school’s extracurricular activities such as the student’s parliament, where I have presented many of my own ideas which have been realized. Some of those ideas include the clean-up of the school’s yard, adding more languages to the school’s curriculum, collecting money for the students who are not able to afford going on a school trip and many more. Moreover, joining my high school’s debate club helped me improve my critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as made me more open-minded to discussing different topics with my club members. Additionally, this year I became class president and have taken on more responsibility than ever before. Learning to be a person my classmates can always count on has been a challenge and yet, a really rewarding experience. Making everyone feel included and comfortable, as well as make them feel like part of a group of unique individuals is a top priority to me.
An experience that has helped shape me into the person that I am today is getting involved in volunteering work. Not only has it made me more fulfilled and happier overall, but also helped me meet some amazing and inspiring people. Adults, who have served as amazing role models to me, as well as my peers. Meeting and speaking to a diverse group of individuals has immensely boosted my social skills and my ability to build connections. Furthermore, I am incredibly proud of the work we have done as a group. Some of the projects I have worked on include planting trees in parks, picking up trash around Belgrade and helping organize basketball games for charity.
Getting accepted to your exchange program would be greatly beneficial for my growth as a student, and more importantly as a person. Getting to know more about the life of people in the United States and experiencing it first hand is something that fascinates me. Additionally, I believe this program could help me step outside of my comfort zone as well as help me better my English and become more independent. I am aware of the efforts your government has been putting into creating better intercultural relations between the US and Europe. Therefore, I am very interested in learning more about the different ways the relationship between Serbia and the United States could be improved. From my point of view, creating more international exchange programs is exactly the change we need to implement in hopes of getting young people to join the conversation.
My journey of building a successful life has only just begun. If given the chance to attend your program I hope to meet other young people that also dream of making a difference in the world and becoming leaders of tomorrow.