By Christelle A. Calderón Spain Head-Royce School '08
Ding dong. The doors are opening and I can see a man wearing a fake construction hat, waving his hand and staring at me. First, I think he is just a crazy man in the airport. He approaches and says hi to me. He has my name written on his hat! He introduces himself as the head of my new ASSIST high school. What a surprise! He carries my bags. We share a kind and nice conversation in his car; he shows me the school that I will attend and he drops me at my host family’s house. This is how great American people are! They are nice, uninhibited and kind people, who always, always smile.
My ASSIST year has been the richest year of my life. My school was in Oakland, near San Francisco, but that didn’t stop me from travelling. I went from the beach of Santa Cruz to the snow in Tahoe. I travelled from up North in Sonoma to down South in Los Angeles. I went from the forest of Muir Woods to the desert of Las Vegas. I met people from all around the world and made friendships I will keep for the rest of my life. If you’re thinking of being part of the ASSIST community, don’t hesitate! You would have a great time and have experiences you will only have once in your lifetime.
The Class of 2010/11 – 146 Scholars from 21 Countries/Regions
87 independent secondary schools currently participate from 27 states in the U.S.
More than 4,000 alumni
44 countries represented over 40 years
U.S. State Department emergency telephone number is 1-866-283-9090. The toll free number can be used by host families, exchange students and the public to report circumstances impacting the students' health, safety and well being during their exchange visitor programs. The U.S. State Department general information number is (202) 632-2085.
Candidates for ASSIST scholarships apply through country coordinators in their home countries.
Please select your country from the list below, and the link will take you to the page with full and complete application instructions and materials for your home country.
If your country is not listed below, please e-mail Kristen Sullivan at Kristen@assist-inc.org.
Ding dong. The doors are opening and I can see a man wearing a fake construction hat, waving his hand and staring at me. First, I think he is just a crazy man in the airport. He approaches and says hi to me. He has my name written on his hat! He introduces himself as the head of my new ASSIST high school. What a surprise! He carries my bags. We share a kind and nice conversation in his car; he shows me the school that I will attend and he drops me at my host family’s house. This is how great American people are! They are nice, uninhibited and kind people, who always, always smile.
