My experience as an ASSIST scholar at Westtown School (PA, U.S.A.)

For those who know me, my passion for immersing myself in other cultures is no secret. So I wanted to start my blog by writing about what so far has been my most cherished international experience: my year in the U.S. as a recipient of the ASSIST Scholarship.

ASSIST is a unique non-profit that pairs students from around the globe, in their final pre-college years, with top U.S. high schools. The program offers a year of deep cultural immersion — one cannot return to their home country for the duration of the program —, attending a school that aligns with their talents and interests.

Having stayed at American summer camps in previous years, I was eager to experience life in this country more closely. So after finishing my high school studies in Spain, I did not hesitate to apply for this program.

The selection of candidates is made based on academic aspects combined with other personal qualities such as athletic, artistic, social, etc. — I leave all the information about the process in the following link, in case you are interested or know someone who might be: https://www.assistscholars.org/en/scholarship-candidates. Each year, around 10 people in Spain are selected to enjoy the full scholarship.

This scholarship generously provides full funding for tuition, room, and board for the entire year. What really sets this program apart, in my view, is its personalized approach to placement. They carefully match each applicant with the most fitting destination, considering their application details and preferences. For me, this meant expressing my desire to be in a boarding school, coupled with my keen interest in programming and my ambition to pursue competitive swimming.

The school I was assigned to was Westtown School, and I couldn't be happier with the experience:

Westtown Campus

Westtown School is located in West Chester County, PA, a 40-minute drive from Philadelphia. It was founded in 1799 by a congregation of Quakers and it is still guided today by its values of community, connection to nature, and openness to other cultures and traditions - nearly 20% of the student body is foreign.

The school I attended boasts an expansive 600-acre campus, nestled in nature. This includes a self-sustaining farm that grows fruits and vegetables, and produces chicken eggs, supplying not just the school but also the local county. The campus is also equipped with extensive outdoor and sports facilities, like several hiking and cross-country trails, a competitive swimming pool, multiple gyms, running tracks, and even a small lake. But as with any life experience, the true highlight was the people I met there:

People

Living in a boarding school can teach one many things. The first and most obvious is to be more independent, but you also learn to behave in a social environment very different from the one you are used to at home: being with your classmates from breakfast until you go to bed, you get closer to them and you practically become a family.

And speaking of family, I can't forget to express my gratitude to my host family: assigned by the school as a support system, they did far more than just address any issues I faced. They embraced me as one of their own, offering care and attention that went well beyond the call of duty.

Sports

In American culture, sports are a fundamental aspect of education. Even more so at Westtown, where every afternoon after school we would need to train for 3 hours to prepare for competitions against other schools in the area throughout the season.  During my time there I practiced cross country (JV league) and swimming, where I earned a Varsity Letter.  Both of these activities were another way for me to meet people and become part of new social groups, with whom we went on trips and shared free time.

Academics

Having already completed the American Dual Diploma at my Spanish High School, one of the reasons I applied to the ASSIST program was because I wanted to enjoy the American educational system's curricular offerings more closely. Unlike the Spanish school system, where almost all classes are the same for everyone born in the same year, the American system adapts to the tastes and abilities of each individual, offering much more diverse courses.

My studies there helped me figure out what path to follow in college. I took Computer Science and Advanced Physics courses, got involved in Design Engineering projects, participated in the robotics team, and signed up for Advanced French and Equality and Diversity Studies. You can see some of my Computer Science and Design Engineering projects on this website.

Trips

...but above all, I fully embraced the opportunity to travel 😀. By the end of the year, I had explored nearly the entire East Coast, making the most of every moment of my journey.