Activities that took place in the reported period in the Alumni community: 1. FLEX Readjustment Orientation 2.

FLEX Recruitment meeting

Reported Period: 1august 2012 31 august 2012

Alumni Activity Report

Objectives: Helping students overcome their reverse cultural shock, assisting them with their registration in their schools, providing information about difference exams, expectations/reality of being back home, staying active with their alumni community. List of alumni: 1. Anastasia Resetnic 2. Natalia Cojuhari 3. Igor Semeniuc 4. Maxim Grama 5. Cristian Plugaru 6. Nicoleta Ionita 7. Nicu Gaibu 8. Daniela Danuta 9. Dmitrii Kukleshin 10. Mihaela Sireteanu

Goal: Successful reintegration of FLEX alumni in their home communities and high schools.

Name: FLEX Readjustment Orientation

Event #1

Description: The topic of the alumni reunion on August 17th 2012 was Readjustment Issues. The participants expressed their general feelings after having been back in their home community for more than a month, their expectations about going back to school. David Jesse, the American Councils director talked a bit about the readjustment process and told them to be tolerant and patient while dealing with reverse cultural shock. Since some of the students had questions about the difference exams and other documents they needed to be enrolled in their school, we talked about the documents and transcripts they would need for school. We advised them to start writing their exams as soon as they could, since the deadline would be around November. We had pizza and some refreshments at lunch time, and afterwards, FLEX Alumnus Dmitri Kukleshin talked about his application process to Jacobs University. Since there were many interested students, We decided to prepare another alumni presentation by the end of August.

Further steps to be taken: American Councils for International Education Moldova and the FLEX alumni community in Moldova will offer help and assistance to any alumnus/alumna who will encounter difficulties concerning the readjustment process. It is our responsibility to assist alumni with these kinds of hardships, and also to make sure that they become active members of the community they reside in. Therefore, we are planning to organize more meetings and orientations about the FLEX recruitment process and how alumni can help, different volunteering and leadership opportunities. Any suggestions from alumni concerning further topics of meetings will be taken into consideration. Name: FLEX recruitment Meeting Event #2 Goal: Getting the participant alumni familiarized with the recruitment process. Objectives: Providing information about the recruitment dates in different parts of the Republic, offering testing announcements and information for the alumni to distribute in their communities, making plans on how to promote FLEX before the testing season starts.

List of alumni: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Mihail Filipenco Natalia Gaidarji Nicolae Cotoman Ana Indoitu Alina Iaconi Daniela Danuta Elena Ionita Nicoleta Ionita Tudor ionita Valeria Bujac Dragalina Birsan Ecaterina Scerba Tatiana Caraus Elena Grusca

Description of the event: One way that FLEX alumni can stay involved in their community is help promote the FLEX program and organize the testing in different cities across Moldova. Therefore, this alumni session referred to the testing and recruitment process that happens every fall. The participant alumni got acquainted with the testing program and locations, found out what documents are needed for registration and participation, and decided in which testing center they would volunteer to help with the registration and testing process. We decided that alumni would need to compile a short presentation about FLEX and present it in their schools, and also announcements and brochures with information were distributed to them so that they can pass them on to their peers. We hope that the alumni will be excited about the new recruitment season and they will contribute to the testing process and to the selection of future participants of the FLEX exchange program.

1. Dmitrii Kukleschin, FLEX12 was accepted at Jacobs University Bremmen to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. Dmitrii is the beneficiary of an institutional grant that will help him finance his education. He says: I think FLEX was a truly gigantic step for me towards my future. It taught me so much about leadership, communication, sharing cultures and living abroad. It changed me really a lot, in the good way, and I think it was one of the key factors of becoming me, who I am now - student in one of the most intercultural universities, who is looking forward to his career and becoming truly citizen of the world. Thank you, FLEX. Good Luck Dmitrii! 2 . Elena Grusca, FLEX10 and Nicoleta Dvornicov, FLEX11 were involved with the organization of EFL Camp: English as a foreign language for FLEX finalists with disabilities, or who need to improve their English. Students from 10 different countries were hosted for a month (July 6th August 6th, 2012) in the friendly Moldovan atmosphere that was created by many FLEX alumni and friends.

Future steps to be taken: After the testing season will be done in the testing centers, we are awaiting replies from the FLEX alumni participants of our session about the actions they took to promote and help organize the testing for FLEX. Short descriptions and/or pictures will be received after the testing process is over. Success Stories:

Nicoleta Dvornicov says that It was my first year with EFL. I did not know what to expect from this experience. However, the students surpassed all my expectations. They were so sociable, friendly and hard-working. I could feel the team spirit and the commitment to group work. Each of them had something special, something unique. I believe their year in America will be a life-changing experience. I miss them already.