Congratulations to Claire Hoffman, a sophomore at Mountain Ridge High School, who is a recipient of the AFS (American Field Service) Global Prep Scholarship to study abroad for two weeks this summer. Claire submitted an essay detailing her plans to become a doctor and assist people in countries that may be affected by environmental and climate change. Her essay impressed the Mountain Maryland AFS scholarship committee, and Claire will now have the opportunity to spend two weeks in Kenya this summer.
AFS is one of the oldest student exchange programs, beginning more than 60 years ago, when WWII ambulanc drivers started the program to bring German students to the U.S. to promote understanding between the two countries. Now, AFS brings more than 2,500 international high school students to the U.S. every year.
American students can also discover the world through AFS programs. AFS sends more than 1,400 American students to over 40 countries in programs that include summer, gap year, and year-long high school programs. Students do not have to speak the language of the country they are going to, and some programs offer language intensive coursework. There are also numerous scholarship opportunities for students.
If your family is interested in hosting a student from another country, or if you have a child interested in studying abroad, check out the links to the right or visit the AFS USA website at www.afsusa.org. Interested parties can also call or email Karen Treber at 301-687-0644 or ktreber10@gmail.com for more information.
