Rozina Kidari, a student at Knox College in Illinois who always had difficulty explaining what being a Moroccan-American “meant or represented for myself,” writes in the Huffington Post about her experiences of cultural- and self-discovery during her YES Abroad program in Rabat:

“I learned a lot about the Moroccan culture and myself as well. After about a month of living in Rabat, my host family helped me to get in contact with my grandmother in Kenitra….My sister, Aziza, got the chance to fly out to Morocco during that time as well! We had the chance to connect with our family together, while also discussing our feelings and experiences around it, and that's something I will treasure forever.

“My experience in Morocco is a painting that I've permanently etched onto the canvas of my mind. I know that I have experienced something much richer than most people my age could understand. That empty gap in my life is now filled with love, friendships, memories, and a newfound understanding.”