📷- Sanjana Gollamudi ’25
George School has a long legacy of partnership with ASSIST, which is a program that matches students to international schools. Most of the ASSIST program students come from Germany, as it is a very recognized and popular program there. Students sign up for the program and fill out a series of forms in order to provide an accurate matching that will align with their interests. ASSIST then matches them with the school that is “best fit” for them to enjoy their year-long experience. These ASSIST scholars are encouraged to not return home during school breaks, in order for them to further gain an international school experience and an overall foreign connection.
This year, George School hosted 5 ASSIST students coming from Germany, the Czech Republic, and Spain. The 5 ASSIST students are Matyas ‘24 (Czech Republic), Leo ‘25 (Germany), Carlo ‘25 (Germany), Johanna ‘24 (Germany) and Ines ‘24 (Spain).Through an additional program, the Bienvenido Scholarship, GS also welcomed Paula ‘24 from Ecuador.
We interviewed these students to get a take on their experiences and their reflections as the year comes to a close. Many expressed feelings of sorrow, but were more than grateful for the experience that they were offered. When asked why they chose to have the opportunity to go abroad, Carlo and Leo responded by saying that they were influenced by their families’ history of participation in ASSIST and the stories that they were told. Others like Johanna stated that they were in between schools and found ASSIST at one of the many exchange program fairs provided in Germany. Although foreign-abroad programs are easier to come by, that does not mean it is an easy application. Johanna shared with us her application process, “We have an interview with them and we write personal essays and they match us to the school that they think you fit best.” Unlike other George School applicants, they do not undergo the same interview process as they do not even apply directly to GS. In fact, they get matched to George School at the end of their process.
They went on to explain the cultural and educational differences between America and their home countries. There were a variety of responses expressing their individual expectations. In his reflection, Carlo stated that GS was “more strict than I expected, I guessed it was because it’s a private school”. While on the other hand, Matyas said that it was “actually more chill than I feared that it would be”. Between expecting uniforms and the presumptions of the academic policy, they were both pleasantly surprised at the GS community and the teachers that are always willing to help. But, unfortunately their time at GS is only for one year. When asked if they would return to GS if they had the opportunity to next year, an overwhelming majority of them said yes. They all came to a consensus that they would love to come back if they had the chance to go back home during the breaks and visit their families. Paula expressed that what she will miss the most when she returns home are her newfound friends, the campus, and the close knit community at GS.
All in all, they expressed that their experiences at George School were positive and valuable. They met people they will never forget and made friends to last a lifetime. Their opportunity gave them something many high-schoolers in America lack: an international perspective.
