The Foreign Service Journal, April 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2021 37 exchange in Austria when COVID-19 hit hard. It was disappoint- ing being forced to come back early; but being able to connect with my Thai partner, May, and share our cultures went a long way to making that loss of opportunity bearable.” To supplement synchronous engagement by Zoom, WhatsApp and social media, we facilitated use of two asynchronous platforms. FlipGrid allowed participants to create and share short videos about their interests, hobbies and dreams. The UM course instruction hub, Moodle, housed readings and conver- sation prompts. There have been unforeseen benefits of the move to virtual exchange. Participants have bonded over sharing the struggles of COVID-19, and the number of friendships developed exceeded our expectations. As UM student Ahna Fox notes: “I didn’t think I would get a friend out of this experience. I saw academic gain, a posi- tive for my résumé and an eye-opener involving culture. All this proved to be true, yet I gained so much more. The things that I didn’t expect to find are the things that I find the most rewarding.” Despite the benefits, participants were united in expressing their desire for experiential learning and face-to-face interactions. As one YSEALI fellow notes: “It makes me want to end COVID-19 and visit Montana already. My PAL and I have a list of activities we will do together when I get there such as mountaineering, baking and biking.” Spontaneous Connections Lost Similar sentiments were expressed by participants in the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program, which is centered on a monthlong fellowship in a U.S. workplace. A reciprocal exchange, participants then host their American partners to implement an action plan. FellowMathilda Ho founded a nongovernmental organiza- tion to lead Singapore’s first volunteer movement to promote the dignified treatment of refugees and displaced persons. While her April 2020 exchange was postponed, she and her cohort met for online training and small-group work. Mathilda notes: “We were able to bond over common struggles, hopes and aspirations in our areas of work, to better our communities and the people we serve. This is the spirit that is missing and something very much needed in today’s fragmented world.” While Mathilda and her cohort await a rescheduled U.S. program, it is important to note that one of the most powerful elements of in-person exchanges are the spontaneous connec- tions that happen through people-to-people relationships. Take 2018 Vietnamese alumna NguyenThi Van: During her fellow- ship in Montana, her American partner realized Van could be much more comfortable in her wheelchair with a sheepskin seat cover—something commonly used in the United States. That opened Van’s world to numerous low-cost adaptive technologies that were not available in Vietnam. Now, with the assistance of her U.S. fellowship host and a small program grant, Van is 2020 YSEALI Academic Fellows share their favorite books during the first stage of their experience, reframed as a virtual exchange. Exchange participants raft Montana’s Clark Fork River in July 2018. COURTESYOFTHEMANSFIELDCENTER COURTESYOFTHEMANSFIELDCENTER