U.S. Department of State Honors S.M. Fahad bin Kamal of Bangladesh

The U.S. Department of State has named Fahad bin Kamal as State Alumni Member of the Month. Kamal is a Bangladeshi alumnus of the Department's Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Throughout November, his leadership and contributions as a community organizer will be recognized on the State Alumni website, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' official website for the more than one million Department-sponsored exchange alumni worldwide. Each month, the Bureau's Office of Alumni Affairs, which supports alumni as they build on their exchange experiences, confers the award on an outstanding alumnus or alumna.

Kamal participated in the YES program in 2004, attending Milford High School in New Hampshire. During his exchange, Kamal not only lived with an American host family, but also participated in numerous school activities, including the indoor track team, the future business leaders association, and the marketing association. "That single year integrally changed my perspective on life," Kamal said. "The YES program is a platform that helped me gain leadership skills, broadened my vision, and made me aware of my responsibilities."

Exemplifying alumni excellence, Kamal has served as the elected President of YES Alumni Bangladesh for five years and continues to strengthen the alumni community through service projects such as clothing drives, blood donation events, and cyclone relief efforts. Embodying mutual understanding, he also has served as a representative for Bangladeshi alumni at the U.S. Department of State's "Diversity and Tolerance Symposium" in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and the 2009 YES Alumni Conference in Washington D.C.

Kamal is currently in his final year at the North South University in Bangladesh, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management. He continues to split time between school and community activities. When asked about his rigorous schedule, Kamal said, "I believe we all came in this world to fulfill a certain mission. The YES program taught us to take the lead. To make society a better place, it falls to young people to take up this responsibility and change their world."

For more information, visit the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' website at https://exchanges.cms.getusinfo.com/alumni/alumnus.html.

Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, StearnsCL@state.gov or phone (202) 632-6437

Source: U.S. Department of State