Minority Care International (MCI), in partnership with Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMU) and the University of Mindanao (UM), is pleased to announce that the first two MCI scholars who embarked on MCI's Student Exchange Program have returned after a successful semester abroad in what is hoped to be the first of many for MCI.

Solaica Derendegen and Sarah Sultan left on August 27, 2009, for the United States to begin taking cross-cultural courses and participating in an internship program. Besides taking classes, Solaica in her cross-cultural experience worked in a nursing internship program at the Hunt Regional Hospital of Greenville (near A&M-Commerce). Sarah, a business major, worked as an intern in the Financial Trust Services office of Dee Hilton to learn American business practices and to share those used in the Philippines.

The President of the University of Mindanao, Dr. Willie Torres, said of the exchange, "This is a unique international experience for our two students involving a semester of Cross-Cultural Studies in conjunction with a business or professional internship." Through the Cross-Cultural Studies Exchange, students will gain knowledge, skills for working in a global environment, and a greater understanding of organizational ethics. An exchange program is extremely important for mutual understanding between the Filipinos and the Americans. In particular, the Student Exchange Program helps promote friendship and goodwill between Texas A&M University- Commerce and the University of Mindanao. It also will drive the University of Mindanao to internationalize and to foster experiences for its students, reflecting its higher standards and its role as a leading institution in the Philippines.
The value of a student exchange is that it provides an experience of a lifetime. While the MCI students studied in the USA, they stayed with MCI benefactors. Some of the MCI benefactors had been to the Philippines, knew most of the students and their families, and had developed good relations with them, so when the scholars arrived in the USA, they were met by friends. And, significantly, the students' families knew where their youths would stay. By opening their home to an international student, MCI‘s contributors involved their whole family in learning about other cultures and in developing a wonderful mutual understanding that often leads to life-long friendships. MCI host families broke down the barriers of misunderstanding and enabled others to experience the common bonds that we share. In addition, this kind of exchange program could open the door for people to become more involved in a noble cause for humanity because human hearts do not need the distance between the giver and the needy.

"Taking part in an exchange program allowed me to advance my academic studies while developing a greater understanding of the world, myself, and where I live," said Sarah Sultan. "Studying abroad is a great experience for anyone; the mixing of cultures and backgrounds provides young people with unforgettable moments and a lifelong appreciation of each culture," said Solaica Derendegen. Both of the returning exchange students shared that the program taught them how to be more self-confident and independent, to increase the value of their degrees, to learn different perspectives and work ethics, to gain many significant lessons, to take initiative, and to work independently. "Since we are living in an increasingly interdependent world, this helps us to become global citizens, make new friends, and meet many people." "This learning and knowledge helped me towards acceptance and understanding of different cultures and the development of a community perspective," the students said.

Dr. Dan Jones, President of Texas A&M - Commerce, said of the program, "Education is the best diplomacy." When considering the partnership, Dr Jones admitted that he believed that both sets of students-those at his institution and those from the University of Mindanao--will be citizen diplomats. Home-hosting opportunities show that citizens can have a great impact on America's image overseas when visitors learn the compassionate, loving, and caring side of America and take this view back to their homeland. Likewise, American students will learn of the strengths of the Filipino students with their rich heritage. Sarah offered, "I met incredible individuals and made strong bonds with many individuals that I will take with me for the rest of my life. The exchange program was truly a rewarding experience. I can say my experience far exceeded my expectations. I am a Muslim, but I stayed with a wonderful Christian couple; they loved me for who I am, and they treated me like one of their daughters. In the Muslim religion we do not eat pork; they would not bring pork in their house because of me. I have never seen such a tolerant and loving example of a couple in my life. It made me ask why we couldn't have this kind of community in our troubled region; furthermore, when I was little, I lost my mom. When I was there, I became very close to my American host family, the Johnsons. I started naturally calling Carolyn Johnson Mom, because I was able to share anything with her. I met all her family. The same thing was true of Sir Jim. I was able to make jokes and to talk to him. I was able to open up to them and to give them hugs; they took care of me like one of their daughters. Also, I was so impressed with the genuine passion of MCI's contributors to invest their lives in other people like me. It showed me another face of America and the American people, which was not what I had heard about America in my community, not what I had read in the news about Americans who kill Muslim people or start wars against Muslims. What this exchange program showed me was that Americans, especially MCI contributors, are the most loving, caring, passionate and compassionate people I have ever met in my entire life. Those Christians I met truly showed me their faith; and their genuine love has impacted me for the rest of my life."

Solaica tells of her experiences, "At first it was difficult to adjust to a totally new language and culture, but since we knew ours host families before we went there, we felt at home. My home family welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I stayed with Sir Don and Mom Diane Grisham. When I was small, I lost my dad, and I have many siblings. I never had a father figure in my life; also I was not close to my mom either. Mom Diane showed me the love of motherhood and a mother figure, and Sir Don showed me the love of fatherhood and a father figure. I thought that God did not like me, even though I am Muslim, but then God put those two people in my life. Sir Don took me to school every morning, about a twenty mile drive one way, and Mom Diane told me all the time how good and smart I am, so that I realized that I am good and worth something. I saw a different kind of Christian. They never forced me to go church with them or to do anything. Even though I am Muslim, I loved them truly. I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my lifetime. I thank you MCI and those who are behind this program."

MCI's partnering institutions share the belief that such an exchange program creates a positive and personal opportunity to bring two cultures closer together. Such experiences influence an individual's outlook on the world and on different cultures, especially, in this case, the Muslim and indigenous cultures of the southern Philippines. This exchange program hopes to bring people together to discover common grounds. There are several great challenges the world faces, but especially the Mindanao region of the Philippines: poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, corruption, and religious hatred. The prescription for these challenges is education. It is MCI's position that when students attain an education, they are much more likely to get a good job, thus defeating poverty; that helps create the opportunity for replacing internal hatred with civilized dialogues and integration.

Students in the exchange program are expected to use their experiences to play active roles in their community. They serve as a valuable bridge between the Muslim culture and the American culture; they contribute to the deepening of the understanding between two cultures, but also as a paragon for understanding between opposing views and ways of life. Therefore, we should prioritize our efforts, so that through education we bring about a generation that will rely equally on reason and experience as well as conscience and inspiration. They will think, investigate, and take advantage of modern high tech resources, while also not neglecting moral and spiritual values. MCI and its partners are dedicated to teach our students never to be content with what they know, but to be always hungry for new things; they should continuously search for knowledge, be equipped with good morals and virtues, and be altruistic as they embrace humanity with love-- ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of others when it is necessary. MCI does not just give but also teaches the scholars how to give. The role of schools should be to equip students with the skills and knowledge for their future careers; however if it is shortsighted and the school becomes more of a business with money-making goals, the institution's students lose in the long-run. Knowledge is the province that provides students with the intellectual abilities to benefit others. Education, thus, becomes the most effective and common tongue for relations with others.

By Dr. Aland Mizell, President of Minority Care International