We are grateful to have a diverse community of students, staff and families from around the world. Each member of our community brings their own background and story that enriches the #ASHexperience. Our ASH Voices series zooms in on our community as we learn more about who we are in our roles at ASH and life outside of school.

Today’s profile features Corin, an ASH senior in high school, who has been part of our community for the last two and a half years. She is a student who has embraced a variety of programs and activities during her #ASHexperience. We always love hearing about why our students and families chose to join us here at ASH and for Corin the choice came down to the value placed on personal wellbeing just as much as academic success. “ASH is a unique community of learners with a supportive and flexible academic environment that encourages each student to achieve their potential.” And when asked what she would tell others considering joining our school, she summed things up succinctly, “There are so many unique opportunities that exist at ASH - take advantage of them!”

Corin has followed her own advice during her time at ASH and we asked her to share an experience she has had at ASH that makes her proud and something she will remember for years to come. “I participated in ASH’s Thailand Service Learning program in 10th and 11th grade. During our week in Thailand in my 11th-grade year, I was able to reconnect with the students at the Burmese Learning Center I had become friends with during the previous trip. As we were eating dinner one night, the topic of conversation turned to birthdays. We all went around sharing and teaching each other how to say happy birthday in any language that we knew, Dutch, Spanish, Thai, Burmese. It was my favorite night of the entire trip. I’m proud of how we used our differences to come together and make a really special memory for all of us, instead of letting them get in the way. It was a beautiful evening and something that I hope I remember for the rest of my life.” It is not surprising that when asked what motivates her most, Corin answered that it was being able to help others.

Corin went on to tell us about other programs she is involved in at ASH and what she most appreciates about them. “One program at ASH that I really appreciate is the Student Ambassador program. ASH students participating in the program work hard throughout their summers and through new student orientation week in order to ensure that each new student’s transition into the ASH community is as easy as possible. It’s a program that I really appreciated when I moved, especially because it was my first international move. It helped make such a large change seem far less daunting. 

I especially appreciate the Speech and Debate and Model United Nations programs at ASH. I joined both in 10th grade, and I’ve grown dramatically in my public speaking skills because of my participation in these clubs. The opportunity that these clubs provide students with to travel to tournaments like NESDA or revered MUN conferences like THIMUN is incredible, and while these events are fantastic opportunities, they’re also lots of fun.

My absolute favorite program that I’m involved with currently is the Thailand Global IMPACT Program, a virtual version of ASH’s traditional Thailand Service Learning Program. Through this program, I’ve had the opportunity to lead a group of ASH students working with a learning center for Burmese immigrants in Thailand, assisting the center on their mission to integrate technology into their classrooms. It has been an incredibly rewarding and educational experience. Finally, I enjoy the fact that you can participate in a Varsity sport at ASH and still have time to participate in other extracurricular activities. This is something that I hadn’t encountered before attending ASH.” 

Corin’s involvement in all of these programs certainly demonstrates the breadth of the #ASHexperience, and she has not let the circumstances of the last year impact her time at ASH. In a school year that has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to hear the student perspective from Corin and how she will look back on this time. Her response is definitely a credit to the work our whole community has put in this year, “I’ll remember how hard the teachers and administration worked to make it feel like a normal school year.” 

#ASHexperience