It was not until becoming scholar of Future Leaders Exchange Program when I first realized that it was time to make my own path by stepping into a new world.
Well, At the beginning of the program we all knew that it would be challenging, therefore I was scared and excited at the same time... and I left my country with the mixture of feelings.
Fitting into a new culture is not an easy thing to do, but we were meant to be future leaders and nothing would stop us...
During the program, we served as a little "ambassadors" of our country. I had a wonderful opportunity to share my own culture with others and experience a new lifestyle. Thus, I was a student of American culture and teacher of my own culture as well.
Sometimes there were times of difficulties, homesickness... Adjusting to difference was pretty hard, but I was always keeping in mind the principle of not-better-not-worse-just-different, which we had learnt during our pre-departure orientation in Georgia.
What this program brought me cannot be put into words, but simply it made me aware of the world around me and enhanced my interest in global issues.
What is more, to me FLEX associates with personal growth and life changing experience. It changed my entire life, as I turned into much stronger, enthusiastic and independent person.
What is the most special about this program is that during your experience you may even encounter yourself. For instance, I started to focus on so many important things in life that I would not really pay attention to before.
And lastly, only after completing my exchange year did I truly understood the value of the program, which IS NOT ONLY about building future leaders of the world, but IT IS ALL about building youths who will be forever strong in their own lives!
Eka Megrelishvili, FLEX '08
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