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All three students are extremely grateful to KFF for its support. "I don‘t know how to express the gratitude that I am feeling for making all of this possible, but I just want to say a huge THANK YOU," writes Gabija. "For all of this, I have you to thank. I am grateful for everything you are doing to improve the well-being of future Lithuanian generations as well as the current ones," shares Arnas, while Kipras notes, "Thank you for making one of my dreams real."

Students are adjusting well to their new life in the US and are facing their new daily challenges with great excitment.

"I feel like I have been a part of this community for centuries. Transition was really smooth and I have found a lot of academical challenges that forced me to be a better student," writes Kipras. "I never thought that I could enjoy Philosophy, but I really do," he continues.

Arnas is eager to share "I have always believed that exploring one’s possibilities and taking full advantage of all available opportunities create the most thrilling experiences, and the environment that I am in right now provides ample chances to try something new. Just in the fall I have taken part in many activities that I had not done before, and, if not for this program, probably would never have done. I have participated in dancing lessons and even staged a performance for the school. I have worked on the set of my school’s theater production and helped them run the show. I have joined my school’s swim team and will represent them in various events."

Gabija was very honest about her emotions, "The three months that I have already spent here had their ups and downs, but that‘s just how life is. Like someone said: ‚you can‘t see a rainbow without a little rain‘. The bad days cannot overcome the good days that I‘ve had here, and even the bad days usually turn out to have something good in them. I love this school and this gorgeous place (the nature here is beautiful!), I am so happy to be here, this is the best thing that ever happened to me."

But the biggest excitment for all three students was - people they've met.

"I realised that the people here are quite similar to the people in Lithuania. For some reason, before coming here I was expecting them to be somehow different, but, as I already mentioned, they are not. This made me realise that no matter where they live, people are still people with the same problems, emotions and thoughts," Gabija writes.

"I have met a great deal of interesting people and made lots of new friends. One of the things that I have enjoyed most so far is being a part of an American family and sharing firsthand experiences of their daily lives. These people welcomed me with open arms, and made the integration process so much easier. I really feel like a part of another culture now. This full immersion seemed like a daunting task at first, and there were times when I was feeling rather homesick, but, as time passed, I began to appreciate this new environment more and more," Arnas shares.

"I've made a lot of new and amazing friends who can help me and try to introduce me to genuinely American foods, activities and traditions. All these people, among whom are my new friends, host family and my teachers, are equally amazing and they're willing to know more about Lithuania, more about Lithuanian language..., food and customs," Kipras notes.

One of the greatest purposes of ASSIST program is to gain valuable experience, share it with the others and never forget who you are. Arnas perfectly sums it up what it means to have a chance to share who you are with others: "One of the biggest changes I have noticed is a growing sense of nationalism. I feel like I am representing my country here, and, by doing so, I have learned to appreciate it more. To many of my peers, I could be the only Lithuanian they will have a chance to meet, so it is not unnatural for them to form an opinion of my country based on me. Although this might put pressure on me, it also teaches me to really think about what it means to be Lithuanian. The environment that I am in is the biggest factor in invoking these thoughts, and, without it, I might have never had them."

Thank you, Gabija, Arnas and Kipras, and good luck!

Photo: Courtesy of A. Gosnell