YFU High School Study Abroad Program in Hungary

The Youth for Understanding Johnson & Johnson Hungary Scholarship was a life-changing experience for me. This six week cultural immersion program gave me the opportunity to become the daughter of two Hungarian families. It has shaped me into the person I am today by helping me become more independent who can adapt to different environments quickly. I will never forget this past summer, not only because of all of the amazing things I experienced while in Hungary, but also because of all of the friendships I made. Youth for Understanding placed me with two amazing host families. My first host family lived 20 minutes from Budapest in a village named Kosd. I had four siblings in this family- three sisters and one little brother. My second host family was located on the other side of Hungary in a city named- Pecs. I had an older sister and a younger brother. My mother, who was also named Aniko, planned sightseeing trips for me to different countries in Europe. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I now have memories that I will always remember from when we traveled to Italy and Slovenia for a weekend. Additionally, my older host sister- Johanna- and I had the same interests. This experience truly opened my eyes and allowed me to learn how people in other parts of the world live. I would have never been able to truly experience this if it weren’t for this scholarship. I will always be grateful to Johnson & Johnson for giving me this life changing experience. I learned many valuable lessons this past summer. The most valuable lesson was realizing that I was more independent than I could have ever imagined. I am currently a high school senior applying to many universities. I am no longer scared to apply to out of state universities because of the self- confidence and independence I gained this past summer. This experience has shown me that I am capable of living away from home and adapting to a new atmosphere with no issues.