Left: Kay Barr with AFS Hosted Student from Switzerland. Right: Kay attending the NSLI-Y Conference in NYC in September 2016 (w/Floyd Van Weelden)
This month, AFS USA is pleased to spotlight Kay Barr of the Ohio River Valley team. Kay has been an AFS Volunteer since 2012. Congratulations, Kay!
How did you learn about AFS and what prompted you to get involved?
My mother was AFS coordinator in my home town of Port Clinton, Ohio for many years. My earliest memories in the early 60’s were of AFS students coming to dinner, giving “slide” presentations, and participating in the annual AFS fundraiser, the Pancake Breakfast at our high school. AFS had always been a part of my life, so it was natural for me to want to go abroad, which I did in 1977-1978 when I spent a year in Germany. My amazing host family is still a central part of my family’s life even today!
What keeps you coming back to volunteer each year?
Young people. Change happens because of them. They can bring about more understanding, cultural competency, and a global perspective in their own communities. Public diplomacy is key in our world today more than ever.
What’s a typical volunteer ‘shift’ like for you?
I guess a “shift” can take many forms, but as an educator my whole career, I love one-to-one interactions when it comes to teaching and learning. Whether it be leading or helping to facilitate an orientation, conducting a home information session, or having a quiet chat over coffee as a liaison, this is where growth happens for all of us.
What have you learned or how have you been personally affected from your experience with AFS?
Wow, this is such a big question! In a nutshell, even though I know it isn’t practical, once I went abroad, and as I have continued interacting on a personal level with people around the globe, borders don’t really seem to exist for me anymore. There is no “us vs. them.” I see us all as world citizens with a collective responsibility to one another.
Please share the best thing or funniest thing that’s happened to you while volunteering with AFS?
I still laugh when I think about a South American student who, around Christmas time, kept talking about “the three wise guys.” It took a few moments for this to sink in… “Oh! The story of the Three Wise Men!” You really do have to look for the meaning behind the language sometimes—delightful!
What do you want to say to people who might be interested in volunteering with AFS?
If you have just a little time or a lot of time, a place exists for everyone at AFS. We welcome you!