By Sylvie Raymond — Correspondent
When Laiya Pavlov was asked to give a brief introductory speech in Malay on her first day of school in Malaysia, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Eyes were immediately drawn to me as I entered the campus and walked up to the front of our assembly area,” she told The Concord Bridge.
“After I finished my speech, I was met with abundant applause and countless people who wanted to introduce themselves to me. From the beginning of my experience here in Malaysia, I have constantly been met with kindness, care, and an interest to learn more about where I come from.”
Pavlov, a 16-year-old junior at CCHS, has been awarded the prestigious Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad scholarship for 2024-25.
Rigorous selection process
The Kennedy-Lugar YES program, administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is a competitive merit-based scholarship that provides opportunities for high school students to study in one of 11 countries with a significant Muslim population.
After a rigorous selection process that included a written application, personal video, and several rounds of interviews, Pavlov was chosen and placed in Port Klang, a coastal town 24 miles southwest of Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur, where she will live and study for the academic year.
Pavlov first learned about the program through Nouna Pinto, a French teacher at CCHS who encouraged her to apply.
“When I got to know Laiya, I thought she would be the perfect candidate [for the program] as she is of Indian and Russian heritage. I was thrilled that she agreed to accept the offer to participate in the program,” Pinto said.
“My hope is that she will bring back a new spirit, a new appreciation for other cultures and will share it with students, teachers, and coworkers,” she said. “I truly believe that Laiya [will] serve as an inspiration to others to learn a new language, visit a new country and get to know people with backgrounds that are different from our own.”
A whole new world
According to the U.S. State Department, Pavlov is one of only 65 students nationwide chosen to participate in the program — and the first from Concord.
“I knew from the program website that it was a really competitive program to get into, but that if accepted, it could be a life-changing opportunity to live and learn in a completely different country and culture,” Pavlov wrote in response to Bridge questions about her experience.
As a student ambassador promoting cross-cultural learning and understanding, Pavlov’s day-to-day life in the Southeast Asian nation looks quite different from that at home.
“I wake up by 5:30 a.m. each day to get to school by 6:45 a.m.,” she said. “Here in Malaysia, you either go to morning school or afternoon school. When teachers enter the room, students stand and greet them, then sit; the same applies to when the class ends.”
Though Pavlov says she speaks English, Spanish, Russian, and Malayalam comfortably, she is learning Malay to study and converse with her peers.
Stars in their eyes
Outside of school, Pavlov has many responsibilities geared at building relationships with her host family and the broader community.
“I have spent the first few weekends in local community organizations, including orphanages and various cultural events, with the support and participation of my host family,” she wrote.
“I am learning about the perceptions that individuals here hold of Americans and our value system. I’ve discovered that so much of American culture and experience is understood (or misunderstood) through exposure to Hollywood media. I have had classmates at school who assume I must know Hollywood celebrities, like Timothée Chalamet, just because I am from the U.S.”
Pavlov, a dancer who plans to study education or psychology, hopes she can harness her experiences in the program as she plans for college and beyond.
“Learning more about world culture and art in a country like Malaysia that brings together a range of religions and other traditions,” she said, “is helping me prepare to approach my future plans with a greater sense of being open-minded and having a shift in perspective on human experiences.”
