 |
| Joe and Jan Saban with Ivan at the Croatian Coffee Hour which he hosted. |
Three years ago, while still attending Gymnasium in my homeland Croatia, I received a Rotary scholarship. The program that I was suddenly involved in was an exchange program for a senior year in American high school. My hometown for the following year was going to be Monticello, Illinois, a very small town with an interesting Midwest architecture, warm people and a safe high school. It was nice to be one out of two foreign exchange students in the high school. I participated in anything that seemed interesting and fun, and also I was involved in things that I was forced to participate in, which were boring and dumb.
|
| Joe and Jan Saban with Ivan at the Croatian Coffee Hour which he hosted. |
I made friends, better say colleagues, and I played in the varsity soccer and baseball team. I did not play football, and I didn't have a prom date.
Joe and Jan Saban became my second host family. I had friends to go out with, I traveled with the family, and the most important thing was that I was able to introduce my parents to my American host family. They became very good friends and last summer the Sabans came to Croatia to spend part of their holidays with my family and me.
Before my program was over, I decided that I would like to come back to the U.S. and get my bachelor's degree in business. I got a new scholarship from a private company, and I was able to come back and enroll in Parkland.
I'm planning my transfer to the U of I in the Fall 2000 semester, and thanks to the support of my American host family that I've became a part of and to my parents at home, I am on my way to get the degree in business, and by doing that, to give myself a lot more chances and opportunities.
Continue to the next article.
Return to the Cosmo Connection November 1999 contents page.
Return to the Cosmopolitan Club home page.