AFS Canada
Volunteer Roles: Orientations Facilitator, Trainer, Alumni Project Leader, Online Facilitator (Global STEM, SLJ, Foundations)
Volunteer Since: 2016
26 years old
Priya’s AFS journey began as an exchange student from India to Czechia in 2016–2017, where she was an ambassador for the program in documentaries, radio and TV interviews, and outreach that showcased the value of intercultural exchange. Recognized as the “Best AFS Exchange Student 2016/17” by AFS India, she returned home inspired to give back—and has since become an outstanding volunteer leader across four AFS organizations and the wider international network.
In India, Priya served as a Sending Coordinator, Orientation Facilitator, host family, counselor, and program promoter, while leading community service projects that reached thousands of students. Through AFS India’s community service trips, she led education programs that impacted students across underfunded schools. Beyond AFS, Priya’s lifelong commitment to education stems from her early volunteer work with her grandfather’s grassroots initiative, “Balkanji Bari,” where she began teaching underprivileged children.
Priya’s volunteerism expanded to Czechia, where she became a trainer at the country’s largest volunteer event, Megavikend, and joined the European Pool of Trainers. With AFS Canada, she has transformed volunteer operations by creating and delivering intercultural trainings, improving orientations, and initiating the “Alumni Project 2025,” a new program mobilizing alumni to deliver intercultural workshops in Canadian schools. She also facilitates AFS International programs, including Global STEM Accelerators, Foundations, and SLJ.
Priya’s profession is now in the construction industry, as well as teaching. Priya has a Bachelor’s in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, a Master’s in Urban Infrastructure, and a second Master’s in Civil Engineering and Finance & Management. Through AFS and personal experience, she’s been able to reach youth and stay connected to AFS’s mission of promoting education and STEM as a mandatory aspect of personal development. Her ultimate goal is to make sure that the kids are given an identity and knowledge through the education they pursue, while minimizing child labor. AFS has been a connecting force for Priya throughout her many moves to different countries. She is grateful to AFS for giving her so much at a young age. She is now dedicated to giving as much as she can back to the organization that gave her future a headstart.