Future Leaders Exchange

Participant Story

FLEX Student of the Month - May 2017

We are pleased to announce Anastasiya Kahanova, a CCI Greenheart-placed, Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) student from Ukraine, as the May FLEX Student of the Month. Anastasiya has been a wonderful ambassador for Ukraine since her arrival, and has really endeared herself to her host family and community, even recruiting a new host family for next year, who was inspired to host due to their positive experiences with Anastasiya.

At school, Anastasiya was involved in a multitude of activities including Ambassador Club, Interact Club, Pancake Club, lacrosse and dance. Additionally, she was a member of a synchronized swimming group, which went on to perform in the Catalina Swim Show! Anastasiya loves to write and has had articles and photos published in the school newspaper. She was also chosen to attend the Workshop for Youth Leaders in English Teaching (WYLET) and learned many English teaching skills, which she will use in the future.

Anastasiya completed an impressive amount of volunteer work – 199 hours! These hours included working in the school library, sorting donations in a charity thrift shop, visiting elderly people in a retirement home, decorating for at a halfway house for the holidays, participating in “Rake a Difference” which involved yard clean-up for elders, collecting 40 pounds of garbage in a state park with other students, and helping to make Lake Michigan beach “barefoot friendly” by collecting trash. In addition, Anastasiya worked as an interpreter for orphans from Ukraine who were brought to Alabama with the hopes of finding them adoptive families. Besides interpreting, she also took part in the day-to-day child care and cooking for 19 children.  Anastasiya also spent many hours helping physically disabled people each week. She was especially pleased that one boy improved enough to walk on a treadmill without holding the bars.  

Anastasiya’s host family stated that she was helpful and cooperative in their home, and was smiling all the time. Anastasiya loved to attend her host sister’s volleyball games, and took part in all family activities. For all of her activities and service projects, she had a wonderful, giving spirit and always had a positive attitude.

Congratulations, Anastasiya!