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Visit to Peta Gimnazija in Dobrinja
By Riley McCord, YES Abroad Bosnia and Herzegovina ‘14
On December 10, several other YES Abroad Bosnia and Herzegovina students and I had the pleasure of meeting with an English club at Peta Gimnazija, a high school in the Dobrinja neighborhood of Sarajevo. The students were so thrilled to meet with us, and their teacher was particularly excited to see us and have the opportunity to speak with students from America.
The students’ enthusiasm was contagious, and soon the room was filled with conversation. They had many questions for us about our lives in America, including things like our schools, families, and hobbies. They also were very anxious to know how we liked Bosnia and Herzegovina. After answering all of their questions and expressing how amazing Bosnia has been, despite the cultural differences, we asked them a few questions of our own.
Before we left, the teacher asked if any of us liked to sing. The other three YES Abroad students all pointed at me, and I timidly raised my hand. I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of singing in front of all of those students, but the teacher and the students were persistent. One of the girls we had been talking with stepped up and said she would sing with me. So, we sat in front of the class singing Adele songs together. After we had finished, the class applauded, and the girl and I turned to one another and gave each other a huge hug. We had only known each other for about an hour, and we had shared a moment that brought us closer very quickly.
As the other Americans and I were walking out the door, the girl came up to me again to give me another hug and mentioned that that was the first time she had sung with someone. I thanked her for helping me be braver about singing in front of everyone, and she smiled and said we should sing together again sometime. It is the little moments like these that make me realize that no matter the background of people, we can always find a common ground, which is exactly what the Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad program is about.
