Meet Matias, a longevity student and 2024 graduate who studied at ASH his entire life. Now thriving at Pratt Institute in NYC on a basketball scholarship, Matias reflects on his time at ASH as he begins a new chapter in his education.

 

Prior to college, ASH was the only school I had ever attended. I started as a 3/4 year-old not speaking a word of English and many years later eventually graduated. As I grew up I saw how the school evolved — from my pre-school classroom turning into the classroom where years later I would be learning 5th grade math, to the gym, cafeteria, the new main entrance, the opening of the ECC, and many other changes. Looking back it is interesting to see, as I grew, how much the school grew too.

 

Being at an international school has been a privilege that I don’t take for granted. I find being able to interact with and meet people from all over the world a very unique and interesting experience. ASH provides a lot of opportunities for this.

 

I graduated not too long ago so a lot is still uncertain. However, the education and guidance that I received during my time at ASH prepared me for college here in the United States. Being exposed to teachers and students from different nationalities and cultures is something I appreciated and am continuing to experience here in New York, which I am grateful for.

 

Without the people I met through ASH I would not be where I am today. Growing up I, like many boys growing up in the Netherlands, played soccer. The whole reason I started to play basketball was because my friends were trying out for the team at ASH. Not knowing any of the rules I tried out and to my surprise made the team. Years later it was with the help and encouragement of my friends and Mr. Coyle, my basketball coach during my Junior and Senior years at ASH, that I got recruited to play in the US.

 

In all three grade levels were teachers that impacted me. In Elementary and Middle School it was mainly teachers who I could connect with, who made learning enjoyable, and treated you as one of their own. My fourth-grade teacher, Andy Thiel, still stands out to me. As I grew up and got into the later stages of Middle school and especially into High School the teachers that I connected with most I would consider them more of a friend and role model as opposed to just a teacher. The time I spent with Gary Coyle, my basketball coach, both on and off the court had quite an impact on me - more than I think he realizes.

 

As for the moments, I would have to say being on the basketball team at ASH. I met a lot of people both at ASH and other schools through being on the team. Certain moments and relationships built through that will for sure stay with me for a long time.

 

After my 14 years at ASH, I knew that I wanted to have a bit of a change of scenery. Although I couldn’t have asked for a better place to grow up, I was ready to explore something new. I took that step by moving to Brooklyn, New York - where I am currently doing my undergraduate degree and playing basketball. There was a lot of change that came along with that decision and there was a lot that was still uncertain but for the experience alone it was worth it. Living alone for the first time in a foreign country and a city as unique as New York brought a lot of change at once but it allowed me to start a new chapter in my life. Being recruited to play on a basketball team here made the change a bit easier as there were some guys that I could lean on for assistance.