KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian exchange student at a small-town high school in the US was given a grand send-off yesterday in appreciation of the volunteer work he had done throughout his three-month stay there.
M Ruban Murugan, 17, was supposed to stay in Adams, New York for six months under a youth exchange programme but was forced to cut short his stay due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
According to local news channel WWNY, the Johor boy was brought on a parade in the 5,000-strong New York town where residents held placards and cheered.
His host, Elsie Mullin, said Ruban had been heavily involved in community work and was an active volunteer in the South Jefferson County town.
“He wanted to make a difference, and he has made a big difference.
“They say that we (as host parents) are to give him the best experience, but we got so much more back than what we gave. We are going to miss him terribly,” she said.
Ruban, who is from SMK Dato Seth, was placed at the South Jefferson High School as part of the US Embassy’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange Study Program, an embassy spokesman told FMT.
Ruban meanwhile told WWNY: ”Things that are unexpected turn out to be the best moments of your life, which explains everything right now. It is the best moment of my life.” - FMT
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