Exchange students on mission to spread cultural awareness in Rogers

ROGERS -- Nigina Kholova understands many Americans associate the Muslim religion with terrorism. It's a perception she'd like to help change.

Kholova, 18, is an exchange student at Rogers High School. She is from Tajikistan, one of the former Soviet republics. Like nearly all of her fellow countrymen, she is Muslim.

"Islam is a religion of peace and not of war," Kholova said. "I want people to know that if you're a Muslim, that does not mean you're a terrorist."

Kholova went through a lot to get here to spread awareness not only about her religion, but her country and culture as well.

She endured three rounds of testing before being chosen for the Future Leaders Exchange program -- also known as FLEX -- which provides merit-based scholarships for students to travel to the United States, live with a host family and attend high school for a full academic year.

The scholarships are open to students from most of the former Soviet republics as well as Montenegro, Poland, Romania and Serbia.

The primary goal of the program -- created in 1992 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs -- is "to improve mutual understanding and develop and strengthen long-term relationships" between America and other countries, according to the program's website.

Bill Bradley, a former U.S. senator from New Jersey, pushed for creation of the program because he believed the best way to ensure peace and understanding between America and the countries of Eurasia was to enable young people to learn about America firsthand and to teach Americans about their countries, according to the program's website. In August, 889 FLEX students came to the United States.

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Cultural diffusion

Many exchange students are attending Arkansas high schools this year, but only 10 are on the FLEX scholarship, according to Valerie Frank, a senior program manager with the American Councils for International Education.

Two of those 10 are in Rogers: Kholova and Rita Kadyrova, 17, of Kazakhstan, who attends Heritage High School.

Kholova has given several presentations to her classmates about her culture. She dons traditional dress and performs Tajikistan's national dance.

Tajikistan borders Afghanistan but doesn't have the same issues with violence as its neighbor, she said.

"We are a peaceful country, really different from Afghanistan," Kholova said. "People in Tajikistan are very kind and hospitable."

And while Kholova is Muslim, she frequently attends a Christian church with her host parents, Daneen and Charles Parish of Rogers.

"I'm OK with that, because religion is in your heart," Kholova said.

Other Rogers High students have treated her well, she said.

"They just take me as normal. They're actually interested to know me better because I'm from a different culture, from a different society," Kholova said.

While managing a full slate of courses at school, Kholova also volunteers at school and at the public library. She spent hours helping out on an Eagle Scout project repairing a bridge.

Rebecca Gilmer, community service liaison at Rogers High School and the School District's lead world language teacher, said Kholova is more engaged in the school and community than other exchange students she's known over the years.

Kholova has a "very warm personality" and spends much of her time volunteering, Gilmer said. Kholova also has attended high school basketball and football games, as well as volleyball games of her host sister, Alex Parish.

"She's really a wonderful person. She's really been a good example of how someone should be when they go to another country and are immersed in a new culture," Gilmer said.

Kholova spends time with Kadyrova, who lives with host parents Amy and Grant Fowler of Rogers and their sons, Asa and Drew. The two teens didn't know each other before coming to Rogers but have bonded because of the close relationship of their host families.

Kadyrova's class schedule at Heritage this semester includes ceramics, which she said is her favorite class.

"We don't have art in our schools in Kazakhstan," Kadyrova said. "You can go to art school, but it's separate and it's after school."

Russian is her native language. She began studying English four years ago and is now fluent. She's taking Spanish at Heritage this year. She said she was motivated to take Spanish because of the large number of Spanish speakers in Rogers.

Kadyrova is Christian, though Kazakhstan is a mostly Muslim country. Her mother is Christian, and her father is Muslim.

"I'm fine with both [religions]," she said. "I have a good relationship with both grandmothers. It's not a big deal."

New Experiences

Among thousands of students who applied, Kadyrova was one of 126 students from Kazakhstan chosen for the FLEX scholarship, she said.

Her trip to Arkansas from her hometown of Ust-Kamenogorsk in August took five days. It included a 17-hour train ride in Kazakhstan, a layover in Germany and a two-day delay in Washington because of flight problems. She also ended up staying overnight in a Chicago airport terminal.

"I was very sleepy, but I couldn't sleep because I had all my bags. It was so cold, and it was very bad," Kadyrova said.

She said she talks sometimes with Heritage's other exchange student, a girl from Norway.

"My expectation was that Europe and America are kind of similar living conditions, but she said no, it's very different for her. That was kind of a surprise for me," Kadyrova said.

Kadyrova, like Kholova, is busy with school and volunteer work. She has volunteered at the public library, a thrift store and at a church. She's also hoping to do some work at a hospital.

She said it was interesting to watch last year's presidential election unfold and participate in a mock presidential election at school.

"It was different because in my country we have the same president for 25 years since the Soviet Union broke apart," Kadyrova said. "We have elections every four years, but people always choose him."

Kazakhstan's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was last re-elected in 2015 with nearly 98 percent of the vote.

This is the first time the Fowlers, Kadyrova's host parents, have hosted an exchange student. They said they've enjoyed the experience.

"For a little while it's kind of like she's just a long-term guest," Amy Fowler said. "And then after a while I fuss at her like I do the boys. You know, 'You've got this chore and this chore and this chore.' And she really does just become one of the kids. You treat her like family."

Grant Fowler said it has been fun to watch someone experiencing American life for the first time.

"We took her to a Razorback football game, and she'd never been to a college football game and seen anything like this," Fowler said. "It's all so fresh and exciting."

During Labor Day weekend they went tubing at Beaver Lake.

"There wasn't a kid on that lake who had more fun than her," Fowler said. "It was really busy, and the waves were rough. It wasn't a great time to be tubing. And she had a ball. She got back on the boat and was so excited, but she was so exhausted, she couldn't think of English words to say."

Kadyrova laughed at the memory, adding, "My English was very bad."

NW News on 02/20/2017