Fulbright Friendsgiving Forum was closed with a closing remarks by FSUA President Febriyanti Lestari who highlighted the spirit of Friendsgiving and connection between foreign fulbrighters/international students and the American friends and family. Febriyanti invited two of her ex-classmates Mekiya Walters and Sara Ramey to give a short speech telling their experience making friends with Fulbright students from other countries. Mekiya and Sara are two of many remarkable Americans who are very broadminded who dare to take real action and support for international students especially during this difficult time in the United States. She then invited her host family Diane Ungar and her daughter Maya Ungar who is a freshman in International Studies at the University of Arkansas. Diane went to Indonesia over twenty years ago to accompany her husband Peter Ungar, the Former Chair of Anthropology Department at the same university, who was doing a research in Aceh. Ungar family has been an amazing host family to Febriyanti and some of her Indonesian friends for over a year now. Diane not only mentioned the benefit of IFriend family program sponsored by International Students and Scholars (ISS) office through which American families and students from all over the world can get to know each other and exchange cultures but also underlined that the community of Fayetteville always welcomes the international students. Maya Ungar closed the speech with a very great statement showing the American’s support and friendship.

 

american-friends-3

Diane Ungar

friend-sara

Sara Ramey

friend-mekiya

Mekiya Walters

american-friends-5

Maya Ungar