Last week, CCI international exchange participants celebrated Thanksgiving. Some joined their local host families for dinner and others took the short break from school to learn more about their host country by traveling to new states. For most CCI students, this was their first Thanksgiving celebration and was the one event they were most looking forward to during their exchange year. Although they did not fully know what to expect, CCI students quickly caught on to the significance of the holiday as not only a time for great food, but as an opportunity to reflect and give thanks. Alisson Medeiros from Brazil, who is studying Tourism and Hospitality Management at Northern Virginia Community College-Annandale, said that his evening with his social hosts had him “feeling at home for one night.”
CCI participants at Bunker Hill Community College visited Old Sturbridge Village to learn about early New England history.
During the days leading up to and after Thanksgiving, CCI students also learned about early U.S. history. Through conversations with her mentor family, Ivorian student Jessica Audrey Tiade, who is studying Business at Kirkwood Community College, learned about the relationship Thanksgiving has to the Native American community. CCI students at Bunker Hill Community College visited Old Sturbridge Village, an 1830s New England Living Museum and learned about life in rural New England between 1790 and 1840. Junita Diding from Indonesia said what was most significant to her about the trip was learning about how early American living “applies to our lives today.”
Other students used the short Thanksgiving break at their colleges to visit nearby landmarks like the National Mall and White House in Washington D.C. Ronaldo Lobo Gonzalez said the holiday made him reflect on where he’s from—Colombia—and wrote, “We had such a great holiday and understood the special meaning of such an important American celebration.”
A few days after the holiday, some of this year’s CCI group shared their thoughts about celebrating Thanksgiving.
“Thanksgiving Day was very meaningful for me, and it was a first. To be honest, I did not have any idea about Thanksgiving before I came here. When my social family invited me to dinner in their house, I was so happy because the meaning of ‘Being with family’ has a special place in my heart. I will never forget this day!” – Elif Özcan (Turkey, Valencia College, Business, 2017-18)
“Two of my professors cooked Thanksgiving food and shared it with homeless people. They taught me that Thanksgiving is not only about eating with your families but also making sure that everyone gets a special meal that day.” – Kausar Ansari (India, Houston Community College, Business, 2017-18)
“I realized the importance of family, giving thanks, and sharing. My friend with whom I celebrated Thanksgiving hasn’t seen her brother for 20 years. Because of Thanksgiving, she was able to meet him and share a meal with him. It was so meaningful.” – Mesmer Doué (Cote d’Ivoire, Valencia College, Business, 2017-18)
“Everything was great. I had Thanksgiving parties with other international students and my mentor family. My favorite part was playing American games.” – Mira Aryuni (Indonesia, Kirkwood Community College, Agriculture, 2017-18)
“My favorite part was the big meal and what surprised me the most was seeing a lot of people in a Thanksgiving food coma!” – Claudio Martinez Mora (Dominican Republic, Houston Community College, Information Technology, 2017-18)
Regardless of how CCI participants ended up celebrating Thanksgiving Day, the spirit of the holiday was felt across the group and they were excited to share their uniquely American holiday experience with their families and friends back home.
Some CCI participants visited Washington D.C. during the Thanksgiving holiday, where they toured the National Mall and various U.S. monuments.
Maria Eima (Pakistan, Northern Virginia Community College, Early Childhood Education, 2017-18) spent five days with her host family in Connecticut during the Thanksgiving holiday, and was excited to visit her host family’s parents’ home.