Have you always wanted to live your own “American Dream”? To travel to the USA, to meet new places, experiences and people, to discover new traditions and customs, but also a different lifestyle?
Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) probably guessed your thoughts. This is a US government sponsored program for high school students in Europe and Eurasia. The program provides scholarships for students to travel to the United States and attend a US high school for a full academic year while living with a US host family.
The initiative for this program started in 1922, and US Senator Bill Bradley, together with US Congressman Jim Leach, sponsored the historic legislation that provided for the FLEX program. Its objective was to expand friendly relations between the people of the United States of America and those of the former Soviet Union, and it has since expanded to other countries.
So, now in its thirtieth year, (for the year 2024-2025, you can find out more details about recruitment here) the FLEX program has offered scholarships to over 30,000 high school students, including the student Popescu Bianca-Maria. She studies at the “Grigore Moisil” Theoretical High School, Tulcea, Social Sciences. Intelligent, ambitious and a lover of languages, Bianca applied for the FLEX scholarship in 2021 with the hope of having such a life-changing experience for the upcoming school year 2022-2023. And who can stand in the way of a remarkable young woman like Bianca? No one, exactly.
Next, Bianca agreed to share with us the journey from America, how it all began and how it ended.
1. HELLO BIANCA! I’M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU AGREE TO SHARE WITH US PROBABLY THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE. FIRST OF ALL, TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOURSELF.
Hi! I am very grateful that you offered to do this interview. My name is Bianca, I am 17 years old and I am a graduate of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program 2022-2023, through which I had the chance to study the 11th grade in the United States of America. I consider myself an open, easy-going and optimistic person. I enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone and always say yes to new challenges.
2. HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO APPLY FOR THE FLEX PROGRAM? WHAT WERE THE STAGES YOU PASSED THROUGH?
My desire to apply to this program came precisely from my enjoyment of learning new things, meeting new people and trying new activities. At the same time, I really wanted to be surrounded by elements of American culture and I wanted to see up close how American teenagers live their daily lives.
The application process consists of three rounds. The first round consists of a preliminary application and three essay questions. The second round consists of an English test and the final round consists of an interview, three more essay questions, a full application and another English test.
3. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU LEARNED THAT YOU WILL BE SPENDING THE NEXT YEAR IN AMERICA, AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT MEANS HOME, FAMILY, FRIENDS?
Although I was aware that I would not see my loved ones for a period of a year, I tried to think in a positive way. I was very happy and proud of myself because I was accepted and because I passed to the finalist stage. I knew that the coming year would be a difficult one, but still a unique one and a unique chance in my life.
4. HOW DIFFERENT IS AMERICA FROM ROMANIA? COULD YOU TELL SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCES THERE, SUCH AS THINGS ABOUT THE HOST FAMILY, THE HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED OR THE AREA YOU LIVED IN?
Romania and the USA are very different in many ways. The way people behave and the way they think, but also the activities they choose to do in their free time, differ a lot from Romania.
There are also a multitude of differences in relation to the way the educational system works, but also in relation to other aspects such as eating habits. I was placed in a two-parent family and had no host siblings. My host parents were of Mexican descent, so I had the opportunity to be surrounded by aspects of that culture as well, not just American culture. I lived in a town called Moses Lake in Washington State. Although the town was much smaller than the one I came from, the high school was very large, given the fact that it was the only one in the town.
The high school, like most American high schools, offered a lot of opportunities in terms of sports, which I appreciate. Although in Romania I was enrolled in the 11th grade, in America I was enrolled in the 12th grade. I could choose what subjects I wanted to study at school. So, I studied subjects that were predestined for 12th graders, such as American politics, current affairs, English, but also other subjects such as sociology, Spanish, culinary arts, guitar.
5. HAVE YOU HAD MOMENTS WHEN YOU FELT PART OF THE CAUSE OF NATIONALITY?
Personally, I never felt that I was excluded because of my nationality, on the contrary. People were very curious about Romania and always had questions they wanted to ask me. They found it very interesting that they were from here. Sometimes they mentioned that they would like America to adopt some of our customs or that they would enjoy visiting or even living in Romania.
6. HOW IS A DAY IN YOUR LIFE IN AMERICA?
Every day from Monday to Friday, I had classes at school for seven hours, from 8 am to 3 pm. During the first semester, I dedicated a lot of my free time after classes to volunteering. I volunteered in various places such as kindergartens and elementary schools, at the church, at the nursing home, at the food bank. The time I didn’t dedicate to volunteering, I spent with my host family or friends. All Friday nights were dedicated to American football games and basketball games.
Throughout the second semester I was part of the tennis team. I had training every day, for two or three hours, after classes were over and on Saturday mornings. We generally had two games a week. If the match was in our city, we would finish around 6pm, and if it was in another city, we would get home around midnight. We spent the weekends together with the host family or with new friends.
7. DID YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU SUPPORT YOU ALONG THE WAY? TO WHAT EXTENT DID THEIR SUPPORT MATTER?
Yes, family and friends have supported me from the very beginning, ever since I submitted my first application. They always believed I would make it, even when I doubted it. Their emotional support meant a lot when I felt alone, down or when I needed advice or an opinion.
8. DO YOU CONSIDER THAT DURING THE FLEX EXPERIENCE YOU SUCCEEDED IN ACHIEVING CERTAIN OBJECTIVES?
I believe that all the moments I had the opportunity to live in the USA were successful, especially the moments specific to this country: all the American football games, the trips in the famous yellow bus, the banquet and the other school dances, the graduation. I have traveled to thirteen different states such as California, New York, Nevada, Texas and the Pacific Northwest states.
At the same time, I managed to do about 120 hours of volunteering during the school year, something for which I was recognized by the State Department of the United States of America and for which I am very happy. Tennis was a new sport for me, but I really enjoyed playing it. I finished the tennis season ranked second on the team and also finished the school year with a 10 in the line.
9. WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPEAT THE EXPERIENCE? WILL YOU RETURN TO AMERICA AGAIN, PERHAPS TO STUDY OR VISIT?
If I had the opportunity, I would definitely choose to repeat the experience. I don’t plan to return to the US to study, but I will definitely return to see my host family and friends again.
10. FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE FLEX ADVENTURE, IS IT WORTH IT OR NOT?
The last year was definitely one of the best years of my life and it was totally worth it. However, I believe that an experience like this always comes with wonderful moments, but also with less easy moments. A year of cultural exchange always has its ups and downs, although sometimes it is hard for us to accept this.
I wish those who want to apply to the FLEX program success and I suggest them to keep in mind that the level of English is not what matters the most. So don’t be put off by this aspect! What matters is your mindset, your commitment and dedication. It is also important as finalists not to compare your experiences to the experiences of other finalists. Each individual exchange student will have a different, unique experience. Try to get out of your comfort zone, meet people and try new things. “Not better, not worse, just different!”
It is to be appreciated that teenagers from so many countries, not only from Romania, can benefit from such an experience that can change the course of their lives and help them discover both the world we live in and themselves, Bianca being one of the young lucky people of the FLEX adventure.
