The yearly international Student Ambassador Meet-and-Greet welcomes new international students to school days before the school year starts; this year it occurred August 21. This allows ambassadors to give new students a tour of the school and answer some of their questions before the first day of school. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, the ambassadors met with their respective students in the Student Center to help introduce them to their new school’s culture, resources and environment.
Most of the new students have multiple ambassadors “so they have a variety of perspectives and support,” Mrs. Kelley Zavatsky said, the guidance counselor for freshman and sophomore international students. Each ambassador is a current student who has experienced a similar journey in their adaptation to life in the United States. This way, they can provide insight and tips for their respective students.
“When I moved here from Brazil, I was still in middle school, so I didn’t have an ambassador to help me around and I struggled a lot. But now I am able to be that ambassador for someone who needs me,” junior Alice Prado said.
After conversing with the new students for a few minutes, the students ate lunch before heading to the school tour. However, due to an unexpected rainstorm, the tour was cut short. “I barely got to show them the 7000 building when it started pouring. It was unfortunate because I didn’t get to show them their classes, but at least we had a lot of time to talk at the end,” sophomore ambassador Stella Agratchev said.
Despite the weather setback, the ambassadors continued to explain about the school’s clubs, classes, service hour opportunities, sports and the diverse community that makes American Heritage unique.
The international student ambassador meet-and-greet, despite the hiccup, created a welcoming foundation for the new students. The event helped all students connect with peers and ensured that new students felt supported as they began their journey at Heritage.
After getting caught in the middle of the rainstorm, the students and their ambassadors returned to the student center to try and make the best out of their time. (Photos/Nina Vieira)
