Global UGRAD-Pakistan Cultural Passport Winners Announced
December 21, 2012
Kanza shares Pakistani culture with American college students during her time at Carroll College.
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IREX is pleased to announce the winners of the Fall 2012 Cultural Passport to America competition for the Global UGRAD-Pakistan program. Kanza (Carroll College), Khandad (University of Idaho), and Noorani (Chadron State College) were selected as exemplary cultural ambassadors because of their participation in an array of cultural events and their regular reflections through blog posts sharing their experiences. As they travel home to Pakistan, they discuss their cultural experiences below.
Noorani: It was not just a cultural exchange program, but also a perception-changing program because I had a perception before that people of the USA have no real feelings for the people around the globe. But I was totally wrong, and this is the beauty of cultural exchange programs.
My community is going to welcome me open-heartedly to share my experience. Youth of Gilgit Baltistan are famous for promoting peace, which is why I believe that youth act as agents of change. This is not the end, but a great start with so many new chapters!
Kanza: The U.S. is a country of diverse people, open to a change of opinion. I loved the incorporation of community welfare in their daily lives. They share with others what they can. I enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinners while also learning the importance of this holiday in American households. I also attended the traditional occasion of a Pow-Wow in Helena. It was magnificent. I learned that Montana is a state with six Native Indian Reserves, and efforts are being made to protect their cultural heritage.
Khandad: I can never forget the moment when a car and a motor bike stopped for me when I was waiting to cross a road while going to class on my first day in U.S. They let me go first to cross.
My social circle back home in Pakistan always asks me about American society, people, and their attitudes, especially towards Pakistan. I served here as an ambassador for Pakistan, helping my American friends to understand Pakistan better, beyond the single narrative that media often offers. I will act as a bridge to strengthen the love and bonds between the people of Pakistan and America by sharing the true love that Americans offered me.
The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by IREX.
