2025 Volunteer Awards (Bonus Episode!)

It's time to celebrate the heartbeat of our organization- our volunteers!

In this special bonus episode, we proudly honor the six recipients of the 2025 AFS-USA Volunteer Awards. You'll hear interviews with each winner, conducted by a member of AFS-USA's Volunteer Recognition Committee. Tune in to discover the dedication and passion recognized in this year's awards season.

This content was also captured as a video! If you prefer to watch the interviews, you can find the full video version on AFS-USA's YouTube channel. 

A huge thank you to all the nominators, references, and judges who contributed their time and effort to make this year's awards possible!

Young Volunteer Award: Carly Armstrong, World Flags Area Team
Emerging Leader Award: Ally Parrill, Dallas Area Team
Howe Family Award: Stephanie, Lance, and Delia Wells, Columbia Pacific Area Team
Mission Award: Jody Axinn, Capital Area Team
Galatti Award: Karen Small, Midland Central Area Team
Dream Team Award: Capital Area Team

More from AFS-USA: 🏠Host a Student | ✈️Study Abroad | 🤝Volunteer | 🏫For Educators | 📧Contact the Show | 🎧Collections

Chapters

• 3:13 Young Volunteer Award: Carly Armstrong, World Flags Area Team
• 8:06 Emerging Leader Award: Ally Parrill, Dallas Area Team
• 14:56 Howe Family Award: Stephanie, Lance, and Delia Wells, Columbia Pacific Area Team
• 20:41 Mission Award: Jody Axinn, Capital Area Team
• 31:05 Galatti Award: Karen Small, Midland Central Area Team
• 38:24 Dream Team Award: Capital Area Team

Transcript

Kate Mulvihill
Hello and welcome to The AFS Exchange. I'm Kate Mulvihill. On this podcast, we share real stories from the AFS community. We're here to explore how exchange programs change lives, one conversation at a time.

This month, November, marks the end of Season 5 of The AFS Exchange. But don’t worry- we’ll be back in early 2026 for Season 6. As a little send-off, though, we’re doing a special double-release, giving you two new episodes this month!

In a few weeks, you’ll hear my conversation with Amanda and John from the Participant Support and Learning Department where we talk about overcoming challenges while on program.

Today, though, is special. We are honoring the six recipients of the 2025 AFS-USA Volunteer Awards. We’re going to hear directly from these recipients, introduced and briefly interviewed by a member of AFS-USA’s Volunteer Recognition Committee, the VRC. The VRC, which is composed of staff and volunteers, is responsible for the selection criteria and review process  for all AFS awards and chaperone trips.

Now, this entire segment was actually captured as part of a recent video project. If you prefer to watch the interviews, we've posted the full video, which is the exact same content you’re about to hear, on the AFS-USA YouTube channel.

However, if you prefer an audio experience- maybe you're at the gym, doing dishes, or driving- keep listening!
Also, a tip- if you’re on the AFS-USA website or on Spotify, you can utilize the chapter feature to easily jump to a specific award or interview you want to hear.

To kick us off, you’re first going to hear from Steve Sweet, the volunteer co-chair of the VRC. I’ll let him take it from here…

Steve Sweet
Greetings, everyone, and thank you for joining the Volunteer Recognition Committee for our award announcements. I'm Steve Sweet, and I'm the volunteer co-chair of the VRC. The VRC coordinates and administers the three national and three international awards, as well as the flight chaperone trips.
Today, we are announcing and celebrating the recipients of the 2025 awards. The recipients have been nominated by their peers, and the judging is done blind, meaning that the judges do not know the name, Area Team, city, or any other information that may disclose their identity.
We'll be chatting with the recipients to get a little look into what they do to be worthy of their award, and possibly get some inspirational thoughts and ideas. And now, on to the awards.

Michelle Bird
Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the 2025 recipient of the AFS-USA Young Volunteer Award.
I'm Michelle Bird, and I'm the staff co-chair of the National Council Volunteer Recognition Committee.
Volunteerism has an important role to play in harnessing the potential of young people. Young volunteers make fundamental contributions to promote intercultural understanding at AFS.
The Young Volunteer Award for Outstanding Service was established by AFS International 10 years ago to recognize AFS volunteers 30 years old or younger, whose exceptional contributions to the organization have made a difference in advancing the mission and goals of AFS.

This year's recipient of the Young Volunteer Award is Carly Armstrong from the World Flags team in Wisconsin.
After her own study abroad program in Indonesia.
Carly has provided essential guidance to students preparing to study in Indonesia as a Country Specialist.
She's been a liaison to a hosted student and host family, and she's now stepped into the role of Sponsored Programs Cluster Coordinator, taking on increased responsibilities and supporting hosted students.

As the nominator said, Carly's involvement at the national level reflects not only a desire to stay connected with AFS, but also a sense of responsibility to give back to the community that had deeply impacted her own life.
Through every phase of her AFS journey, participant, returnee, local volunteer, and now regional leader, Carly has demonstrated a deep personal transformation and unwavering commitment to AFS values.

Her journey from participant to volunteer leader is a powerful example of how exchange doesn't end when a program does. It evolves into a lifelong commitment to intercultural understanding and community building.
Please join me in welcoming the 2025 AFS-USA Young Volunteer Award recipient, Carly Armstrong.

[Applause]

Michelle
Thank you for joining me today, Carly. I'd like to ask you just a few questions about your AFS journey. Can you describe your first volunteer activity or role with AFS?

Carly Armstrong
Yeah, my first role at AFS was actually an exchange student. I won the scholarship to study abroad with Kennedy Luger Youth Exchange and Study Abroad to Indonesia..That program was put on by AFS, so I got to live in Indonesia for a year with the host family, and then when I came back, I immediately got involved in our arrival orientations for our students that were coming to my hometown.

Michelle
That's great. The YES program is really meaningful. What's a favorite AFS memory that you have from either being a student or being a volunteer?

Carly
I've really liked getting to meet all of the different students, especially the ones that come from Indonesia or different places that I've studied abroad myself, because, I get to share in the culture again, and the experience is, like, almost kind of going back to my post-experience and getting to interact with people again, so that's really meaningful for me, is to interact with students that are coming from some of the places where I've studied abroad myself and help them adjust to life here in the U.S.

Michelle
That's great. What does receiving this award mean to you?

Carly
It's a lot. I've been involved with AFS since my own exchange experience in 2013, so over 10 years now. So I've put in a lot of time with different orientations, and as a liaison, and now the sponsored program coordination, so I'm really excited to be acknowledged for that.

Michelle
Yes, because this award originated at the international level, you have been named our USA recipient of the award, and your nomination for the international level of the award has already been submitted, so we'll find out about that soon.

Michelle
Is there anyone who you would like to recognize from your own AFS journey?

Carly
Yeah, just everyone that helped me along the way with the Yes Abroad program. I've worked with a lot of folks in the AFS office, as well as those in my host country. My liaison in my host country, Azka, was really helpful to me my entire year. So I'm really thankful for them, and then everyone who helped supported me when I came back to the U.S, especially the World Flags team. As I've moved to the Madison area, they've been so welcoming and really kind of brought me into their fold and got me involved in the orientations with the sponsor programs.

Michelle
That's wonderful. So, it was great talking with you today, Carly, and congratulations again on this honor.

Carly
Thank you.

[Applause]

Elisabeth Hinshaw-Osgood
Hello, I'm Elisabeth Hinshaw-Osgood, an AFS volunteer with the Greater Indiana Area Team and a member of the Volunteer Recognition Committee.
Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the 2025 recipient of the AFS-USA Emerging Leader Award.
As we all know, volunteering with AFS is not only international in scope, but it is also national and local, as demonstrated by this year's recipient.
The Emerging Leader Award recognizes an individual who shows potential as a future leader within the AFS volunteer structure of chapters or teams. It is intended to recognize emerging leaders, regardless of their age, that they must have been an active volunteer for the past 2 years at the local Area Team or national level.
This year's recipient of the Emerging Leader Award is Ally Parrill from the Dallas Area Team. What stands out immediately is that Ally had no involvement with AFS until she became an AFS volunteer two years ago.

As the nominator said, which I have paraphrased, “From the moment she began volunteering with AFS two years ago, she jumped in with enthusiasm and initiative, taking on the role of the newly created Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, joined the Young Adults Advisory Group, and assumed responsibility for our local social media presence, with posts reaching thousands, all within her first year. Moreover, most notably, she played a major role in planning the 2024 National Summit held in Dallas, which brought our Area Team together, created a sense of unity, and encouraged us to hold multiple in-person meetings each year.

Through her social media leadership, she has amplified AFS's message with her thoughtful content and encourages community members to think globally, act locally, and consider how intercultural exchange can promote peace and understanding. Whether she's coordinating events, mentoring new volunteers, or sharing stories online, Ally continually promotes the core values of AFS.
Ally's energy, creativity, and commitment have made her an indispensable part of our team, and her contributions have had a ripple effect, inspiring others to get more involved.”

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming the 2025 AFS-USA Emerging Leader Award recipient, Ally Parrill from the Dallas Area team.

[Applause]

Elisabeth
Ally, I've got some questions for you. First question. Please describe your volunteer activity or role with AFS.

Ally Parrill
So, my first and current volunteer role with AFS is serving as one of the volunteer engagement coordinators for the Dallas Area Team. One of the first projects I took on was helping to build our online social media presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. So I created the AFS Dallas Instagram account and helped with revitalizing our Dallas Facebook page to better engage with our local community.
I collaborated with fellow volunteers, host families, and students to create content that highlights the incredible experiences and opportunities that AFS offers.
This initiative not only strengthened our online visibility, but also opened doors to partnerships with local businesses and organizations, really helping us establish a strong and recognizable presence in the DFW area.

Elisabeth
That's great for now and for the future. Next question. What's your favorite AFS memory?

Ally
So I have quite a few, but one of my favorite AFS memories is helping plan the 2024 AFS Summit hosted in Dallas. This experience brought our team closer together and gave us a chance to collaborate in meaningful ways. It allowed me to embrace my leadership skills and take a more active role on the team. I was incredibly proud of the work we put in to create a memorable and welcoming weekend for all the volunteers. From packing goodie bags to assembling table centerpieces. Every detail reflected our team's dedication and creativity, and it really was just a true showcase of the diverse talents within our group. And I do have to shout out one of our amazing volunteers, Lynn Shields, who went above and beyond by making homemade pecan pralines for attendees.

Elisabeth
I'm sorry I missed that one. Next question. What does receiving this award mean to you?

Ally
So I'm truly honored to be named this year's Emerging Leader Award recipient. When I reflect on the kind of legacy I hope to build as a future leader within AFS and beyond, it always comes back to fostering connection and community. I'm reminded of Tara's powerful article, What We Do Matters Now More Than Ever, which really just reinforced the idea that even small actions can spark meaningful intercultural exchange, especially in times of uncertainty. Those seemingly simple moments have the power to create lasting impact, and I'm committed to continuing that work in every way that I can.

Elisabeth
Thank you for that. Last question. Is there anyone in particular you would like to recognize in your AFS journey?

Ally
Yes, so for those who may not know, I had no prior affiliation with AFS before becoming a volunteer with the Dallas Area Team. These opportunities would not have been possible without my friend and fellow volunteer extraordinaire, Jessica Robinson. Her passion and love for AFS are truly contagious, and I'm incredibly grateful that one conversation about volunteer work and our shared commitment to intercultural exchange opened the door to my AFS journey. I also want to thank the entire Dallas AFS leadership team, Lisa, Fevzi, Rebecca, Lynn, Max, Eric, Sherry, and Dave, their guidance and encouragement and unwavering support have had such a profound impact on my experience with AFS. And I'm just fortunate to be part of such a dedicated and inspiring group.

Elisabeth
Thank you for sharing all that, and congratulations again.

Ally
Thank you.

[Applause]

Debra Bryda
Hello, AFS volunteers! I am Debra Bryda, a volunteer with the Northeast Ohio Area Team, and a member of the Volunteer Recognition Committee. I am here to present the recipient of the Peggy and Art Howe Family Award. But first, let me share information about this award. Families are at the heart of AFS. We often see multiple members of a family actively volunteering and sharing the AFS effect. With this award, we honor the families of our volunteers while remembering Peggy and Art Howe, an exceptional couple who remarkably advanced the mission and goals of AFS, both within the organization and in society at large.
Art Howe was a longtime champion of AFS. He began with AFS as an ambulance driver, and later served as AFS president and as a life trustee until his passing in 2014. Peggy Howe served as a local chapter volunteer and as a volunteer coordinator at the AFS headquarters. She was also a key support and behind-the-scenes facilitator during Art's tenure as AFS president. Art and Peggy supported and collaborated with each other in their effort to create AFS connections.
This year's Peggy and Art Howe Award recipients are the Wells family, Lance, Stephanie, and Delia from the Columbia Pacific team in Oregon.
Their nominator said, and I quote, “As host parents, and they're hosting their 9th student, the Wells work very hard to listen to their students, understand their fears and dreams, help them become integrated into the local community, thereby helping the students become the best versions of themselves. Lance and Stephanie have both taken on support roles as volunteers, from liaison to event coordinator, dedicating much of their time and efforts to support their beloved sponsor program students.”
I am pleased to introduce the recipients of the 2025 Peggy and Art Howe Family Award. Lance Wells, Stephanie Bastin-Wells, and their daughter, Delia Wells.

[Applause]

Debra
Thank you for joining me today. I'd like to ask a few questions. What was your first volunteer role or activity with AFS?

Stephanie Bastin-Wells
Back in, 2016, 2017, we decided, as a group, to host. So our first volunteer experience was actually as host parents and host family. But after we entered the organization pretty quickly, we took on additional roles. Lance and I have been liaisons multiple times. We both worked for the ColPac group in various roles. I've done some of the orientation facilitation. We've coordinated social activities for the kids. I've been pretty active with the sponsored kids that come to our area, so we've sort of been all around, but we have been host parents all the way through our experience with AFS.

Debra
Great. Delia, do you have a favorite AFS memory to share?

Delia Wells
I have great memories with all of the exchange students, but one that was, like, very fun was our exchange student from Bulgaria. We used to bake chocolate chip cookies a lot, and that was fun.

Debra
That must have been tasty. What does receiving this award mean to you?

Lance Wells
Yeah, it means a lot. I think learning about Peggy and Art Howe and just the legacy that they left behind is really meaningful. And in this year in particular, we had actually planned not to host. We've got travel plans this Christmas season to go visit our very first exchange student in Chile. And that travel with a student is really difficult, and so we had planned not to host, but with the defunding of the YES program for next year, and the number of kids that were still looking for a placement, we just, you know, felt really compelled to host again, and we'll work around the travel. And so it's just really meaningful to be recognized for the many years of successful hosting that we've done.

Debra
Is there anyone in particular who you'd like to recognize in your AFS journey?

Stephanie
We've been so fortunate. The ColPac group community has just been amazing for us, but there are a couple people who stand out. Carol Whitaker, who is in our group, she's the one who sources host families for the kids who come to the region. She works with the schools, she works with the host parents. She's fantastic.
There's a woman named Sarah Gray who coordinates the travel for all of the kids in and out, and makes sure that there are people at the airport for all of the arrivals and departures.

Lance
Yeah, and Ed Johnson, who's been, just pivotal in making sure that the kids have a good time, he coordinates dinners and parties and ski trips and just about every month the kids are here, they've got something fun going, and Ed has a lot to do with that. Yeah.

Stephanie
It's hard to narrow it, but those are the three that really rise to the top for us.

Debra
Thank you. Well, congratulations to your family on receiving the Peggy and Art Howe Family Award. Thank you.

Stephanie
Thank you.

Lance
Thank you.

[Applause]

Steve Sweet
Greetings! I'm Steve Sweet, and I'm the volunteer co-chair for the Volunteer Recognition Committee. Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the 2025 recipient of the AFS-USA Mission Award.
The Mission Award. The name says it all. The Mission Award recognizes an outstanding volunteer who has made a significant impact in promoting the core values and mission of AFS through their leadership.
This is a volunteer who holds, or has held, a leadership role at the chapter, Team, regional, or national level, and has made a significant impact in that leadership role while advancing the AFS mission.
A nominee must be a currently registered AFS-USA volunteer and active for the past 5 years.
The recipient has been an AFS volunteer for nearly 20 years, and has had many roles within her Area Team.
A few key words and phrases on her nomination were ingenuity, promotes core values, shares knowledge, makes a significant impact, and has been a leader from day one.
Other items to note are: she has had several leadership positions, but also thought about growing the team by finding and training new volunteers to work alongside, so that they could take over when they moved on to other positions.
The nominee kept challenging students to be leaders, to make good change happen, and spread the news of it happening.
The nominee continues making a significant impact on the lives of students hosted in the Area Team, their host families, and fellow volunteers. Please join me in welcoming the 2025 AFS-USA Mission Award recipient, from the Capitol Team, Jody Axxin.

[Applause]

Steve
Thanks for joining me today, Jody. I'd like to ask you a few questions about your AFS journey, if that's okay?

Jody Axinn
Absolutely, Steve.

Steve
Sure, well, that's good.
First thing, I'd like to find out how your passionate leaders like you get started with AFS.
Describe your first volunteer activity or role within AFS, if you could, please.

Jody
18 years ago, I was the orientation leader, where the students that had just come into the country, and there were about 300 students. They go through, my role with a day or two orientation with them, and meeting them and hearing their excitement was so invigorating. And how much they wanted to share their countries and their cultures with us, and the enthusiasm to live in the U.S. for a year and go to school. It was just absolutely exciting, and that was my first role. From there, I went on to being the sponsored program cluster Coordinator for 10 years, and that was a whole, group of sponsored programs from the State Department's Scholarships.
The State Department scholarships are YES, FLEX, and CBYX.
And that group makes up the sponsored programs, and they work together to grow their skills and become better leaders. And that program was such an amazing program, because I had so many different ways that I could grow their skills, and so many different challenges to connect with the community, to make an impact at each of their events.
And that's what I tried to do, to do the combination of growing their skills and making the impact at the same time, to let people know that the student countries were more similar than they thought, and to hear from real students that were out there, and
To allow the Americans to know that they could study abroad and have this experience as well.
From there, I went on to also being the hosting coordinator, which overlapped for 10 years with the cluster coordinator role.
And the hosting coordinator role is so interesting, because It's about matching students with the families. So the families would tell me what they like to do, and, what their personalities are in the families, and then we have so many students to choose from that we could always find a really good match for them. And sometimes it was so hard that they chose two, because they couldn't decide between the two. And these students are the ones that we would have in our chapter, we would get to know them throughout the year, we would get to know the host families, and it builds a community, as well as making an impact individually in each of their schools. Now I do the marketing and outreach.So I have tables at festivals. And this Saturday, we have a Turkish festival, and we've got 6 students per shift signed up. They're just so excited to share their country, and their culture, and to talk to people about AFS, because it's been such a wonderful experience, even just in the month or two that they've been here. And they really want to share that with people who, can have the experience for themselves as well. Host families, students to study abroad, and people who, can volunteer with the students like I do.

Steve
Wow. Well, it sounds like you were fully immersed with your very first encounter with AFS, and it just expanded on that with every, everything else you've done there.
Now, with your background and your history with AFS, it's gonna… this is gonna be a tough one, but what's your favorite AFS memory?

Jody
It's not so much a memory as it is the process. So each year, the students coming in shy, quiet, and reticent.
And taking them from wherever they are in their leadership abilities to grow throughout the year. So, we have them do a presentation when they first arrive about who they are and their country, and they look at what their skills are and what they need to develop, and then work with them throughout the year to be able to plan events that will grow their skills.
While making an impact on the community. So, the process of seeing them grow, and knowing that I'm bringing them through these critical changes to be better leaders and to make a better impact in whatever country they land in when they are adults. It's just… it's so gratifying, and it's so wonderful to be a part of that.
And then these bonds that we form during the school year that they're here, they can last a lifetime. I've visited a lot of the students in their countries, I've gotten to meet their wives and their children, I've gone for weddings.
And they've come back, and they've visited us as well. Sometimes they'll come back for college, sometimes it'll be a program, sometimes it's just a visit. So we live in their hearts forever. It's not just the one year in time. They actually think about it as they go through life.

Steve
Wow, that's pretty cool, and it sounds like not just a memory, but like you said, a process, and just watching the evolvement of the kids as they go through their year and beyond. You said, you've met many of the families and stuff afterwards, which is just amazing, so, cool.
Well, what does receiving this award mean to you, though?

Jody
To receive this award is such an amazing honor. Knowing that AFS has 50,000 volunteers around the world, and to be selected for the Mission Award is huge.
So I'm so thankful that Jim and Joan, put me forward for the award, and that Jamie and John have been my co-leaders, and have been amazing the work.
So, the award itself is such a nice recognition for all the love and effort that I've put into AFS, and that AFS has given me back as well.

Steve
That's great, yeah, that's just what I was hoping it would be, and to piggyback on that just a little bit. What keeps you coming back to AFS?

Jody
So, some people think it's crazy to volunteer so much, but the community keeps me coming back. I love the other AFS volunteers. We've been together for a long time. My 18 years is not the longest in our chapter, by far. We have a lot of other volunteers who have longer longevity than I do.
Because we like each other, we work well together, we're organized, we all support the mission of making an amazing year of growth for the students, of bonding, of promoting peace.
And everybody just works together really well to make not just an amazing year for the students, but also for the volunteers and for the families.
So the community… is really why I come back, to get to know the host families over the years, and to get to know the students each year. And it rips my heart out to see them go each year. But I know that it's not goodbye. It's not forever. It's just a goodbye. I will see you at some other point in time. And this is, you know, an ongoing thing.

Steve
Absolutely, as they say, until we meet again, right? That's, that's, you know, a common theme, I think, that we hear from, some other volunteers, and myself included, is until we meet again. It's not a one-done type of deal for the 10 months that the student is here, so… that's great.
Well, it was amazing talking with you, today, Jody. Really appreciate your time that you took out of your day for this. You're our 2025 AFS-USA Mission Award recipient. Congratulations again, and thank you for all your efforts and contributions to AFS.

Jody
Thank you, Steve. It's such an honor to receive this award.

[Applause]

Abby Munro-Proulx
I'm Abby Munro-Proulx, a member of the AFS Volunteer Recognition Committee and the Northwest California Area Team. I was the AFS-USA Galatti award recipient in 2024 excited to be presenting the 2025 AFS-USA Galatti award to Karen Small of the Midland Central Area Team, who has volunteered for AFS for 18 years. Karen follows the example set by Stephen Galatti, founder of AFS, for which the Galatti award was created to honor. Karen has been a steadfast presence and resource for all of her years volunteering with AFS, she does this through love, humility and an unwavering belief in a better, more connected world. She has changed lives, inspired hope and built bridges that span continents. Karen has shaped her local team's community by her volunteer leadership presence while serving in every possible volunteer role.

Her initiatives such as working with local educators to develop new ways to facilitate exchange student classroom presentations brought global voices directly into the curriculum, allowing students across the state to experience cultures beyond their own and explore themes of international cooperation. Several schools now integrate global learning into annual events such as an AFS carnival to raise funds for study abroad students. Karen's warmth and generosity have transformed ordinary moments into lasting memories. She leads students with firm expectations that they fully participate and follow the AFS rules. She responds to a nervous host family with reassurance and answers with kindness. She offers overwhelmed volunteers with steady encouragement. These quiet gestures have rippled outward, creating a culture of empathy and support that extends far beyond her Area Team. Please join me in welcoming Karen Small, the 2025 AFS-USA Galatti winner.

[Applause]

Abby   
Describe your first volunteer activity or role with AFS.

Karen   
Well, it all started with hosting, and I had an opportunity. I overheard some people talking about hosting, and I thought, oh, you know, I've always thought about wanting to do that, and so I expressed interest, and it wasn't long before I had people here checking out my house and interviewing me and helping me choose my first student who, by the way, they helped me choose the perfect match. And we, 18 years later, are still our strong friends. But in addition to that, at the end of that first year, I was asked to do some other volunteer work, and I started out as the sending coordinator, and I did that for several years before I started taking on other other roles.

Abby   
What is a favorite AFS memory?

Karen   
Well, for me, there are just so many memories I don't think I could pick just a single one. If we talk about great memories from being a host parent, which I've done nine times, I would say that there's been a lot of really funny moments that have come about, whether it's because of language misunderstanding or maybe some cultural differences, and I'll use as an example. With my first student, I was singing like childhood songs to her so that she couldn't understand a little bit about American cultural songs. And I had sung the song to her Itsy Bitsy Spider. And a few weeks after that, we were driving in the car somewhere, and she decided that she was going to sing this song. Now, however, she didn't quite remember the words correctly, and what she's saying was itchy bitchy spider, which, of course, I found completely hilarious, and I've not stopped teasing her about that now for 18 years.

Abby   
How amazing.

Karen   
Yeah, it was. It was cute. So as a volunteer, though, I have to say that my memories really are all around having created basically a second family through the friendships I've made through volunteering. I am not a native Iowan. I came to Iowa for a job, and so I have no family that lives in this state, and the fact that I was, you know, introduced to all these people who were all welcoming and wanting to, you know, offer friendship was was a big thing for me, so it allowed me to create basically a second family that I rely on and spend a lot of time with.

Abby   
So being part of this AFS Teams is so important.

Karen
It is.

Abby
And what does receiving the Galatti award mean to you? 

Karen   
Well of course, it's, it's a great honor to be recognized in this way. You know, I volunteer with AFS because I personally get so much out of it. It's for me, the connections that I make with the students and the other volunteer, the other volunteers, are really the reward that I seek. And However, having said that, I have to say that when you get this kind of unexpected recognition, it is, it is very satisfying to get that, to have the knowledge that somebody has recognized all the work that you have done and the time that you have put in over the years. So it does mean a lot.

Abby   
And is there anyone in particular who you'd like to recognize in your AFS journey?

Karen   
Well, I'd have to say that I have to give that shout out to the entire Midland Central team. You know, my willingness to continue to volunteer all of these years is directly related to the other team volunteers and how they have always stepped up and joined in in order to get things done that we want to do for the students and that you know that they all deserve a shout out for that particular reason. But in addition to that, I I would like to recognize Sarah Roberts, who's an AFS staff member, and she actually lives here in central Iowa, and she started out as a volunteer, also with our team, and then later transitioned to a staff position, but Sarah has always continued to be a great mentor and a sounding board for things that we need in our team, and you know that that level of leadership has been a part of the success that we've had here in central Iowa.

[Applause]

Kim Allegretti
Hi, I'm Kim Allegretti, a volunteer on the AFS USA Volunteer Recognition Committee, and today I have the absolute honor of announcing the 2025 Dream Team Award.
The Dream Team Award recognizes AFS USA teams for outstanding service that benefits volunteers in more than one area of development and recognition. A Dream Team is firing on all cylinders. New volunteers are welcomed and onboarded, leadership roles are full, and volunteers are engaged and feel appreciated.
And this year, the award goes to our incredible Capital Area team. With over 100 volunteers, the Capital Area team has their work cut out for them to make sure all the volunteers feel welcome and included. The team has two very active co-chairs and two volunteer engagement coordinators who work tirelessly to create a strong sense of community on the team.
To accomplish this, the Capital Area team relies on impactful communications and also recognizes the achievements of volunteers throughout the year during events and at virtual meetings.
Each year, at various team events, the Capital Area team will mention the name of the volunteers in hosting and orientation, providing certificates sometimes, and often small gifts of appreciation.
The recognition happens as part of the student talent show, when host families are present, and other volunteers, liaisons, and everybody is there to recognize and appreciate these volunteers.
There are also specific volunteer recognitions held by the Capital Area team.

The team's main event, for recognition last year was held in the summer of 2024 at Team Chair Jim Walker's home, which he often graciously opens up for team events. There was food and a lot of fellowship. Team leadership reflected on the team's success during the year, and recognized key volunteers who made their year a success. Both new and long-term volunteers had a chance to introduce themselves and talk about how they, And talk about how they have been involved in the Area Team.
Here to accept the award on behalf of the Capital Area team are the co-team chairs, Jim Walker and Joan Siegel. And now let's talk with them a little bit about what makes their team a dream team.

[Applause]

Kim
I am so excited to welcome Jim Walker and Joan Siegel, the co-chairs for the Capital Area Team.
Congratulations to you and to your most incredible team for this award.
And now I have a… I have a few questions for you, just wanna hear about how you guys came to be the Dream Team for 2025.

Kim
First off, how does the Capital Area team create such a sense of community in your team?

Joan Siegel
So, the Capital Area Team has a bit of a challenge because we cover a pretty large geographical area, and it's not just the size, it's also all of the various school districts and governments and so on, so we have to take a lot into account when we're building our team.
But I think over the years, we've figured out ways to do that, to be sure to include as many people as possible, and try to choose centrally located places where we can all get together. We use Zoom pretty extensively, because that's important, too, to make sure that people who don't want to drive an hour to get to one of our locations can still be a part of it.
Jim has opened his home often for events, both for the entire team, just for the volunteer team. We do make a real effort to get everybody together.

Jim Walker
Yeah, I think it's super exciting that we won this Dream Team Award. Our volunteers, we've got about 100 volunteers, spread across the Washington, D.C. metro area, and we try to do personal things, like Joan said, is invite volunteers over to meet each other and not have work to do sometimes, because we have orientations. You know, we just got done with our orientation in October here, and so we're working, but we try to have fun, too, and so I think that's what makes us a dream team. We've got a great group of people of all ages and all experience, working in the team. We've got a lot of new volunteers that Joan has really been helping to get on board by sending them a welcome email and including them in the monthly meetings. So, we're super, super excited to be a Dream Team.

Joan
And this new group of younger volunteers brings so much energy. It's really great for those of us who've been at it for a while. And, you know, makes us excited about the possibility of handing it over to them and feeling like… I mean, we're not stepping out or back, but it's nice to know that there's this new generation coming up behind us that really wants to get involved. A lot of them are returnees. And, we're lucky in that there's a lot of college students in the area as well, so students come in, who are returnees, but from other parts of the country, and they bring ideas from that part of the country. So, yeah, there's a lot of exciting things going on here.

Kim
It's just amazing. And, you know, again, you guys, I want you to be an inspiration for some of the other teams that we have at AFS, so I'm going to ask you a few more questions, just so you can, you know, give some of these other teams some ideas about, you know, how to make your team a dream team.

Kim
How does the Capital Area team, for example, you know, foster awareness of AFS and goodwill in the community?

Jim
I think one of the things we've done in this past year, especially, is outreach events. We've been collaborating with other groups. And so, we had, I think, about 24 outreach events, where we've had tables at farmers markets, schools, local festivals, embassies, places like that, to get the word about AFS, and to give volunteers an opportunity to speak to other people about it. Really, we find it's a personal connection to the organization. If you've been asked to participate, then you're more likely to do it. And then if you follow up with an email, or a phone call, or invite them to a meeting. I think that's how that we've been able to grow such a wonderful team.

Joan
So there's a Thanksgiving parade coming up next month, and we've… several years, we have participated in that, and we are planning to again. So we walk down the middle of Silver Spring with a big banner, and invite all the volunteers and the students to wear their t-shirts, and… and be a part of that parade, and Montgomery County has a million people in it, so it's… it's really nice to have that kind of exposure.

Kim
These are fantastic ideas, and no wonder you have so many new volunteers, and so much excitement going on in your team. That's, that's just fantastic.

Kim
I guess, can you describe maybe some of the other ways that your team welcomes and integrates these new volunteers that you were telling us about?

Jim
Well, I think one of the things that's important is we've got these volunteer engagement coordinators, we've got two of them.that, in addition to Joan, reach out to the new people and invite them to activities. So, sometimes, you know, we've had a few, get-togethers, like happy hours. We're trying to plan some other events this spring, and to celebrate our Dream Team Award. So I think that's really helpful is that the volunteer engagement folks have taken the burden off Joan and I as team chairs to also engage with the new and continuing volunteers.

Joan
A few years back, we decided that we needed to be sure that new volunteers instantly were acknowledged, and so we put together an email which includes a lot of information, it sends… it sends them to our… we have a Google Doc, which has our calendar in it, and it has contact information. We have a Facebook page, we have the AFS page, and we also have a Signal chat.
And so I send them all the ways that we communicate with each other, so they instantly can get involved in any way they want to. And we also meet once a month on Zoom just to lay out what's coming, and to be sure that everybody knows what events they should have on their calendar. I mean, they've already had the email and so on. We have a meeting once a month, and then there's also a monthly email that I send, so that we have a number of ways that we try to keep everybody abreast of what's coming up, so that they can figure out what they have time for, and can sign up for the things that they're interested in.
Oh, and one other thing that we do, too, is we created a volunteer questionnaire, which we send out every year, under the assumption that people change their minds. And it's more detailed than what they fill out when they're applying as a volunteer just to AFS USA. It's very specific to our team.
It's like, do you want to help with the Halloween party? Do you want to go on the trip to New York? Do you want to help with the ski trip in February? And so it's very detailed, and then it produces a spreadsheet.
So if we want to hone in on people who've already specifically said, “Yes, I want to be involved in this,” then we… we reach out to them. And our volunteer coordinators, Kofi and Taylor, are really good about phoning them, also phoning people who we haven't heard from for a little while to see, you know, is there something up, can we help?
We've occasionally had things happen to volunteers, you know, they get sick or whatever, and we try to find that out. We send them flowers if they're in the hospital. I mean, we really do try to make people feel like they're part of a team.

Kim
Jim and Joan, those are all really great ideas. I mean, I can understand why new volunteers would feel welcome when they get that kind of reception. That's fantastic. And I'm starting to sense a theme here that, you know, there's a lot about creating connections and finding out what interests your volunteers. And that's a great way to integrate them in the team. So my guess is that once your volunteers are already on the team, you probably have a lot of ways that you continue to foster those connections.

Kim
You know, so can you share maybe some of the ways that the Capital Area Team engages in appreciation events for all of your volunteers.

Joan
Sure, so we've… we've done different things over the years. We do try to show our appreciation to our volunteers whenever we can. We acknowledge them during orientations, we acknowledge them during our host family appreciation dinners and so on, and things that we've done. For example, we did a word cloud for our support staff one year, where we got people to send in words, and we created a big poster of the words they think of when they think of our support staff.
We've also, Jim takes the time to send handwritten notes of thanks to people. We have used gift cards to say thank you, for example, to Starbucks, that way they can think of us when they're buying their next coffee. We've done a number of things where we do try to remind them, or let them know that we do appreciate everything they do.

Jim
Yeah, we love it when volunteers come to events, and we try to make sure to introduce them to other people, and our outreach coordinators are really good about talking to people, getting them to know about the opportunities that are available, to really welcome them into our team and integrate them into the orientations and the fun things that we do, the volunteer get-togethers or, other events. So, we have a great team. We've got about 100 volunteers. Some are more engaged than others, but we try to give people small tasks to do, too, so that they're not overwhelmed by everything that we have to do. So, small, episodic volunteer opportunities are available to them.

Kim
That's just fantastic. It's… I mean, it really sounds like this is such a great contributing factor to why you have such a robust and passionate for our mission team.

Kim
And, you know, speaking of that, you know, what… I guess, just in general, what else do you think really, you know, makes your team stand out and makes the Capital Area team a dream team?

Jim
Sometimes I think it's the creativity and the drive, I mean, for years, we've wanted to do more outreach. Recently, there was a travel expo in our team that somebody found out about, one of our volunteers. And she looked up the price to be able to go, and it was, like, way too much to have a table. But she was determined to get AFS there, because she knew that there was a lot of people that might be interested in hosting or going abroad.
So she was able to convince the organizers that they didn't want to have a space that was just empty, because it wasn't rented out, and that we could fill that space. And so, the travel expo in DC, and then she got a table for the volunteers in Dallas.
And so, I just think, you know, people know that AFS has a mission. One-to-one relationships that we can really change the world by people getting to know each other.
You know, volunteers are determined to find ways to spread the news about this opportunity to volunteer, host, and go abroad on exchanges, so I think, you know, that's one of the great things about the team.

Joan
Yeah, there's incredible devotion, and we do have some very long-term volunteers. I mean, people who started out in the 90s, and they're still volunteering. I think maybe that includes you, Jim. I think it includes Taylor, there's… we have several. I actually created a chart that… that shows the year that everybody started volunteering, just so that I could kind of keep track.

Kim
Well, it's just amazing to hear how the Capital Area team has used AFS's our shared mission and our shared passion for, you know, world peace through individual connections with these high school students and with the host families, and through your amazing volunteers, to just really advance everything that AFS USA is trying to do. Congratulations again, to the Capital Area team, and Jim and Joan, thanks for leading such a wonderful team and being such an inspiration to all of the AFS USA volunteers.

Jim
Thank you.

Joan
Thank you.

[Applause]

Steve Sweet
Wow, as you have heard, and probably already knew, there are a lot of great volunteers within AFS. I would like to make a solid shout out to the nominators and references who took the initiative to submit the nomination and reference forms. The judging is based solely on the words put down by the nominators and references, so their work is critical in the selection of the awards. Even being nominated is a huge accomplishment.
One more time, I would like to congratulate the award recipients, nominators, and references. Lastly, thanks to all the volunteers and staff that keep the wheels of AFS rolling. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Take care.

Michelle Bird
And I'd like to extend thanks to other contributors to this awards celebration, including Julie Ball, Tara Hoffman, and the talented producer of this video and accompanying podcast, Kate Mulvihill.
But the greatest thanks goes to the members of the Volunteer Recognition Committee, volunteers who deeply care about making sure other people feel appreciated.
So to Steve, Abby, Debra, Elisabeth, and Kim, thank you for investing so much care and dedication in recognizing achievement. And if you're a volunteer watching this who'd like to join the VRC fun, check us out on Help and Learning. And that's a wrap on the 2025 AFS-USA Volunteer Awards.

Kate
Thank you for listening to The AFS Exchange, and congratulations again to all the recipients of the 2025 AFS-USA volunteer awards! Keep an eye out for the final episode of the season, all about overcoming challenges, later this month. 
This podcast was created by Kate Mulvihill. Social media by Julie Ball and Nina Gaulin. Special thanks to Tara Hofmann, Michelle Bird, and everyone on the Volunteer Recognition Committee.