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At the end of the term, EF Academy Oxford students rose early to take part in the charity fundraiser, Santas on the Run. The students put on their finest Santa suits and joined over 2,000 Santa’s of all ages for the 3.5K fun run/walk through the iconic streets of Oxford city center.
The event was hosted by the Helen and Douglas House, an organization that provides hospice care for babies and children in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.
“The event was quite big, which helped raise money for those with terminal illness, said Adam an IB Year Two student. “We also had some fun, as it was a tremendously collaborative and supportive environment during the run.”
“When I knew the Santa Run could help people who suffer from terminal illness, this became my motivation to not give up and take a further step, despite the soreness of my legs,” said Jubilee, an IB Year Two student.
It was a fun, festive way for students to finish the term and give service back to the community before the holidays.

At the end of the term, EF Academy Oxford students rose early to take part in the charity fundraiser, Santas on the Run. The students put on their finest Santa suits and joined over 2,000 Santa’s of all ages for the 3.5K fun run/walk through the iconic streets of Oxford city center. The event was …

Student Santas go on the run for charity - EF Academy Blog

Student Santas go on the run for charity ‹ EF Academy Blog

Student Santas go on the run for charity

Student santas go run charity

Cheerleading has evolved into an international sport, with teams competing every year at the Cheerleading World’s in Walt Disney World, FL and it has also become a provisional Olympic sport! So it is no surprise that EF Academy has a cheerleading team. Not only do they cheer on their very talented and skillful basketball players, but they also compete themselves. Cheerleading is a relatively new sport at EF Academy. Since the program started three years ago, great improvements have been made. The cheerleaders started their season with a phenomenal performance at the Westlake High School and Cardinal Spellman High School Cheerleading Competitions. They were within .5 points of first place! They will be competing again at the St. Catharine High School and Scarsdale High School Cheerleading Competitions.
The team has been upgrading the routine and practicing everyday to do better. They were recently contacted by the St. John’s University Cheerleaders and will be practicing with them in February. Many people do not realize the athleticism required to be a cheerleader, such as: gymnastics, jumping, stunting (where athletes are lifted up into the air), dancing, formations, leading the crowd, and exuding confidence. It’s not easy! Additionally, the team is comprised of athletes from all over the world with little to no previous cheerleading experience. Countries represented on the team include: The Bahamas, China, Thailand, Spain, Russia, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, and Japan.
Notes from the Captains:
“Don’t let the fear of falling keep you from flying.” This is my attitude for being a cheerleader. In these three years in EF, being a cheerleader is one of my greatest memories here. As a captain, my goals are to bring happiness, build up confidence and make our team feel like a family.
So far the team has accomplished a lot! We exhibited our half routine and competed with another international school in Spellman High School. Now, we are working to upgrade our stunts and dance, trying different things and learning new stunts. All the girls improve very fast, they give their full heart and dedication to cheerleading even though most of them have never cheered before. Other than competing, we also cheer for the girls’ and boys’ basketball games. You wouldn’t know how much bravery and confidence you need to stand in front of everyone to do cheer. I’m so impressed and proud of what we’ve done.
~Gabriela Rosati
The famed athlete Conor McGregor once said, “There’s no talent here, this is hardwork.”
As captain, and as a senior, I can assure you that this quote rings true to my beloved EF Academy cheerleaders.Not only have these girls built an incredible amount of trust and friendship, but I have seen the team go from a thigh-stand being the scariest stunt in the world, to doing extensions within less than a month. I have watched as we have been laughed at during basketball games for not being the Hollywood-expectation of cheerleaders, to being praised on our bravery and positivity that we bring to the sidelines. Together, we have gone from being several points behind other cheerleading teams, to being half a point away from first place in our first competition of the year. What makes this even more impressive, is the fact that a majority of us are coming together for the first time from countries where cheer does not even exist! If this does not highlight our love and determination for the sport, then I don’t know what will.
~Wendy Ng

Cheerleading has evolved into an international sport, with teams competing every year at the Cheerleading World’s in Walt Disney World, FL.

Cheerleading starts with early season success and growth - EF Academy Blog

Cheerleading starts with early season success and growth ‹ EF Academy Blog

Cheerleading starts with early season success and growth

Cheerleading starts early season success growth

Dancing, singing, amazing cultural performances and ethnic cuisine marked the Year of the Rooster at the annual EF Academy New York Lunar New Year celebration. Students and faculty were ‘wowed’ by the amazing show put on by students from China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The show began with greetings from school Headmaster Dr. Brian Mahoney and President of the Student Council, Yun-Wen (Sarah) Chen. Dr. Mahoney remarked that many of the traits brought forth by the year of the rooster, including strong communication, punctuality, and power of impressions – are traits that represent the students and culture of EF Academy, with students coming to our campus from over 70 countries around the world. Ms. Chen welcomed the student body and talked about the importance of the celebration for the countries celebrating, and after the welcome, the curtain opened to an extraordinary showcase of talent and excitement for the next hour.
IBY2 student, Chiao-Hsin (Cindy) Lin was the Director of this year’s show. For Chiao-Hsin, the annual performance is a labor of love. She is currently finishing her third year at EF Academy and has been an integral part of the performance each year. This year, she wanted to take on a leadership role and saw great opportunity to put her own stamp on the show. The hard work began many months ago with meetings, rehearsals, choreography lessons and coordination with each country performing in the show. It was hard work that took up a lot of time, but in the end was worth the final product.
Ms. Lin began the Lunar New Year show by singing a duet with Wei-Chih Hu, also an IBY2 student of Taiwan. She then introduced the performance with a speech explaining the importance of the cultural tradition for many people around the world, and many of the students attending EF Academy. She also spoke of the hard work put in by many who contributed to the show, including artwork on the walls and around the school building, managing the house, working backstage, preparing the food, and contributing to the performances by each country.
After Ms. Lin’s introduction, the show began with her native Taiwan kicking off the performance with traditional song and dance sung and played by talented musicians who have been performing together in school for several months. Thailand combined traditional cultural clothing and dance with a modern pop song and wove the two together. Korea performed to “K-pop” and Vietnam was fortunate to have several performances including a traditional cultural game and a solo performance by one of the students. China finished the show with their traditional flair, and a song in Mandarin.
When asked about the importance of the Lunar New Year to her personally, Ms. Lin commented: “It warms my heart when I get to celebrate the Lunar New Year with all of you because we are all students that are away from home, and an event like this is just what we need to feel the sense of belonging and to ease the homesickness we all have when celebrating in a foreign country.” Ms. Lin was very thankful for the support of the student body – the group performed to two sold out audiences in the theater. She was also thankful for the support of the administration and her advisers, who helped her to prepare for the responsibility of leadership.
EF Academy celebrates the Lunar New Year each year with a show directed and performed by our diverse student body. After the performance, students are treated to Bubble Tea and plenty of ethnic cuisine from the region to celebrate the holiday. The Lunar New Year show is advised by Dr. Huong Tran, IB Vietnamese Literature teacher and Biao Cai, IB Chinese Literature teacher.

Dancing, singing, amazing cultural performances marked the Year of the Rooster at the annual EF Academy New York Lunar New Year celebration.

A performance unlike any other: The annual Lunar New Year celebration - EF Academy Blog

A performance unlike any other: The annual Lunar New Year celebration ‹ EF Academy Blog

A performance unlike any other: The annual Lunar New Year celebration

Performance unlike annual lunar new year celebration

It’s those little things that make the biggest difference in our lives. It’s not necessarily sleeping in or chilling out that will nourish our souls; but instead just a simple pointing of toes or stretching our bodies will completely make our day feel fulfilled.
We don’t have to pamper ourselves with material things, sometimes it’s just the thought of silencing our minds for a little while is all we need. Not a luxury but a true necessity.
When you fall, knowing that your mat will be there for you. Namaste!
“Take a deep breath and relax, think and feel, be and execute. The body and mind club is that moment of relaxing and discovering your body and your soul, it is a moment that everyone should have in their week. People today do so much for everything they end up doing nothing for themselves, which is a shame considering that your body and soul are you and need care, too.  Life sometimes becomes difficult because it is part of what it is, and breathing, relaxing and focusing are simple and obvious attitudes that have unfortunately been forgotten because of the endless run that happens in everyday life.”     -Eduarda Da Silva-
“Our yoga classes are designed to help us understand the deeper meaning of the practice.  Each class is focused on breathing and meditation and is focused on the health of the body. Classes are for everyone from beginners to advanced and offer the space and time for you to heal and unite the mind, body and soul. The course is mainly focused on the energetic aspects of life and the body, including heart center and how our energy connects with other humans, for example how we interact with others in our journey. Throughout the training, we are constantly encouraged to face our fears and be ourselves.”  -Gaia Lomonaco-
“I really enjoy what we are doing in this club. We do yoga for a week and then Pilates for another. Both are not vigorous but really stress me out. Yoga is about doing poses correctly and in a concentrated manner. They are peaceful and the movements are very slow, which requires us to focus on breathing at all time. Sometimes when the poses get challenging, I become too focused on my body movements and therefore forget to breathe. I guess that’s the most important thing I need to work on about yoga; to find that balance between my body movements and the my breathing. Also, I should try to keep myself calm and forget everything when doing yoga, in order to really go deep and explore my true self. I’m madly in love with yoga, and I do recognize the significant length of practice time needed for a person to become an expert at yoga. So, I will continue to participate in this club and hope that I will become good at yoga one day.”
–Shih Chien Huang-

It’s those little things that make the biggest difference in our lives. It’s not necessarily sleeping in or chilling out that will nourish our souls.

Working out our bodies, minds and souls - EF Academy Blog

Working out our bodies, minds and souls ‹ EF Academy Blog

Working out our bodies, minds and souls

Working bodies minds souls

Bryan Lim, from Malaysia, was the Student Council President during his time at EF Academy New York, which earned him the nickname “the Pres.” He discovered his business interest very early on and at EF Academy, he explored his entrepreneurial spirit by being one of the driving forces behind the student café “Seven Continents.” After graduating from EF Academy in 2015, he went on to business school and is now studying Finance at one of the top Business Schools in the US: University of Notre Dame. He is now aiming to enter the financial industry, specifically investment banking or private equity. Read more about our alumnus below.
How did you hear about EF Academy and why did you choose to attend?
In Malaysia, I went to a British school called Kuala Lumpur International School. However, I always knew that I wanted to study in the U.S. because I felt that the schools in the U.S. suited me better. I was longing for the whole college experience and dorm life. I was aiming to get into one of the top undergraduate business schools in the U.S. so I worked myself backwards in terms of what I thought I needed to get in. That is how I came to choose EF Academy, since I thought that EF Academywould help increase my chances of getting in. One of the main factors that me attracted to EF Academy was the professional university guidance team. Looking back, I honestly don’t think I would have been able to make it to where I am now without my university advisors Marilee Jones and Rachel Jackiewicz. Moreover, EF Academy had a school in New York – who doesn’t want to go there?
Who were you at school? 
 
Everyone gave me the nickname – the “Pres.” Being the Student Council President, I felt that I had to be a good role model at school. However, with my close friends I didn’t care at all – I could be a fool if I felt like it.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why? 
 
I am currently studying Finance at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. It is a four-year program and in the beginning we are taking general classes. The classes are good but I just want to get started with the finance parts.
When choosing my university, I was mainly looking at top undergraduate business schools in the U.S. As Notre Dame is a highly ranked business school and many top investment banks are recruiting here, I applied here and I got in. Sara Walsh, one of my favorite teachers at EF Academy, was a Notre Dame graduate and she did a good job of convincing me to accept the offer and come here.
What are your plans – or dreams – for the future?
My mother always wanted me to become a doctor but she is a stock broker herself while my dad is in business. Thus, I got a lot of exposure to the business world while growing up and it kind of rubbed off on me. Looking ahead, I believe that I want to go into investment banking and private equity. I know it is tough but the financial sector really interests me. To try it out, I will be doing an internship in Malaysia this summer at RHB Investment Bank.
What tips do you have for current students who want to study what you study? 
 
If you want to go into business school, make sure you show the universities that you have an interest in business. Being able to exhibit tangible proof and examples of this interest can really help your application. In my case, I started and ran the student café at EF Academy which I believe was essential for my college application as I could prove that I had an interest in business.
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates? 
 
Last December, me and a couple of my friends, Patch Nattamon Rawanghet and Billy Sudiarto, went to visit our classmate Camila Son in Brazil. I would never have gone there by myself but having a friend there really made it a great experience. It was my first time in South America and I would definitely go back, preferably with a local friend.
What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy? 
 
This is a tough question, I had so many good memories. For me, just going into New York City every weekend was great. Since I went to church every Sunday, I would always make the trip and then usually I would stay behind and explore the city.
What do you miss the most? 
 
The people of course. I liked living together with my friends, who really became like a second family to me because we did everything together.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For work life? For your personal life? 
 
Meeting people from all over the world has made me a person that is more conscious and aware of different cultures. I think that is something that is really unique to EF Academy. I could of course learn this by traveling to all these places. However, I would never have been able to build the friendships that enabled me to see the world from my classmates’ points of view.
What final tips would you give to current students? 
 
Don’t stick with people only from your own country! I understand that it is much easier to stay within one’s own comfort zone. However, it defeats the purpose of going to EF Academy. By just being at the school, you travel half the world and are able to get to know so many people. Even four years is not that long and I would have never traveled the way that I did if I hadn’t attended EF Academy. Of course, there will be some culture shock along the way. Embrace the differences – you will never learn to appreciate them if you don’t put yourself out there.
Who is the most successful alumni that you know of? 
 
Andrew Seitawan
Any advice to fellow alumni who are at university or starting their career? 
 
Definitely networking – it is key! Having the right contacts is the thing you need to get your foot in the door, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
How would you summarize your EF Academy experience? 
 
The best two years of my life so far! The people (teachers, college counselors and friends) and being in New York made it the best time of my life.
Short questions:
Name: Bryan Lam
Age: 20
Nationality: Malaysian
How many languages do you speak? Malay, English and little Cantonese and Mandarin
EF Academy campus: EF Academy New York
Graduation year: 2015
Program: IB (Economics, Business, Literature, Math, environmental science, Chinese)
Residence or host family: Residence
Favorite subject: Economics, since it was the closest subject to what I wanted to study at university, I also liked the teacher.
Favorite teacher: These were my favorite teachers and I still maintain a close personal relationship with them. 
Sara Walsh – English teacher; drove two hours to meet up with me. 
Timothy Burns – Economics teacher 
Ashley Fetzer – Environmental Science teacher
Favorite club/society: I have to say the Student Council. I was the President and we started a student café. There was actually a lot of work involved: we had to do everything from getting funding from the school to organizing all the purchasing. We called the café “Seven Continents” because we had students from all over the world and we sold everything from pastries and snacks to coffee. As people at school were always hungry, it worked really well. It was a great experience to see the café going from an idea to actually implementing it.
What is the next country you want to visit? 
Somewhere in Africa, probably South Africa
Who to interview next: 
Billy Surtiado 
Azmine Mushed 
 
Shouts outs to: 
Lauren Raia – Previous Activities Coordinator 
Everyone else that I mentioned

After graduating from EF Academy in 2015, he went on to business school and is now studying at the University of Notre Dame.

Advice from alumni: Bryan Lam - EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Bryan Lam ‹ EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Bryan Lam

Advice alumni bryan lam

Marie Poncin from France graduated from EF Academy New York in 2015 and went on to study Communication Design at Parsons The New School for Design. She decided to pursue her passion after an internship at Publicis, a creative marketing agency, sparked her interest in advertising. Learn more about what inspired her most at EF Academy New York:  
How did you hear about EF Academy and why did you choose to attend?  
My father actually got a promotional email from EF the summer before I started attending. He thought it would be an amazing opportunity for me.
 What university did you go to afterwards? What do you study and why?  
I went to Parsons The New School for Design and am now currently studying communication design. A few years ago, I was pushed to study business but I was not totally into it. After an internship at Publicis, I realized that advertising was a world that I was really interested in. During my last year at EF Academy, I had an amazing art teacher who encouraged me to do my best and made me enjoy art more than ever. Communication design is art with business insight and that’s what I like about it. Parsons is the top choice I could get for my major so I went for it. 
 
What is the most interesting project that you have done so far? 
I think my favorite project so far has been my final in my photography class because I got to try different things that were not at all related to my major. The project is called “d/humanization.” I body-painted two nude models with thick layers of acrylic, mostly blue tones and touches of bright yellow. Their bodies were completely covered this way. I photographed them and had them pose alone at first, doing really graceful movements. I then had them pose together in what we can call sexual positions. I edited all of them and made a series of eight photographs in which you could not really tell what was going on or find anything provocative despite the lack of clothing. The bodies seemed more like waves of colors beautifully connected to each other, instead of intimate parts and so on.
What is your dream for the future?
To be happy! I guess professionally, being a creative director in a good firm and maybe even open my own advertising company would be what I am aiming for.
Do you have any tips for EF Academy students who want to pursue studies or careers in Arts & Design? 
Don’t go to your art class thinking it will be easy or that art is the easy way. It really isn’t, and it’s a lot about doing things on your own: go to galleries and museums, meet interesting people and always look out for things that could inspire you. Then, get ready to stay up a good 11 hours to finish your project. Find what you really like and give everything for it. It’s hard but definitely worth it.
 Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates? 
I do. I still see some of my friends from my first year at EF Academy even though we live pretty far apart now. One of my roommates in New York is actually one of my classmates from my last year at EF Academy. And I actually just came back from Moscow where I met one of my friends, and another I hadn’t seen in three years. Those friendships are forever.
 What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy? 
 I have so many, I can’t pick just one. The people are my favorite memories. I met people that I could never forget, people who taught me a different way of seeing things, people who I could admire and trust.
What do you miss the most? 
I miss waking up and already being around a family. I miss not being bored one second of the day.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For work life? For your personal life?  
Being able to stay up for 24 hours at a time is a helpful skill. Think positive even though everything goes wrong, and don’t overthink things.
What final tips would you give to current students? 
Enjoy yourselves, those years are the best of your life!
Who is the most successful alumni that you know of?
Daniel Lengyel, I’m sure he is doing and will do great things.
Any advice for fellow alumni at universities or who are starting their careers?
I would say that the most important thing is to find ways to keep it interesting. Dig deeper, push yourself, have more ambition and do better, be better. 
Short questions:
Name: Marie Poncin
Age: 19
Nationality: French
How many languages do you speak? 2, and some basic German
EF Academy campuses: New York and Torbay
Graduation years: EF Academy New York, 2015
Program: IB Diploma
Residence or host family: residence in New York and host family in Torbay
Favorite subject: ART!!
 Favorite teacher: Jessica Eddis, no doubt!
Which is the next country you want to visit? I want to go to Russia again!
Who to interview next:
Vitoria Fiore
Shouts outs to:
My current roommate Vitoria, my Russian host family from my first year at EF Academy and my favorite Korean, Rim.

Marie Poncin from France graduated from EF Academy New York in 2015 and went on to study Communication Design at Parsons The New School for Design.

Advice from alumni: Marie Poncin - EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Marie Poncin ‹ EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Marie Poncin

Advice alumni marie poncin

This week’s post is written by EF Academy Oxford A-Levels 2 student, Nisrina Lum’ah Salsabila, from Indonesia. Nisrina will pursue her marketing studies at a UK university and dreams about working in Public Relations in the future. She sat down with our Mexican alumni, Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz, who graduated from EF Academy Oxford in 2015 and is now studying Economics and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in USA. Read more about our featured alum below:
What university are you studying at right now? What do you study and why?
Currently, I am doing my double major – Economics and Psychology – at the University of Pennsylvania.
How are the U.S. and UK university application processes different? 
 
They are very different! For U.S. universities, I could choose what subjects I liked the most. I had to write a more personal and specific essay than the common personal statement. In that essay, I wrote about my personal interest and experiences which were linked to my target university – in this case, Pennsylvania! I had to promote myself and what I am good at and this essay was for the University of Pennsylvania itself. Also, more work was required for things like the SAT test and essay practices to ensure my essay was focused.
What did you think of the whole application process?  
It was tough.  Cy and Mark [my University Guidance Counselors] helped me a lot since I was also applying to the U.S. Writing good essays can be quite challenging, especially when it comes to finding creative ideas that can make you stand out from other candidates.
What are your thoughts about the IB exams?
Some are harder than others, so your results might be predictable. Generally, I found the exams to be on the harder side. The IB exams were really relaxing as university offers had increased my confidence. But you still need to study in a few weeks rather than days ahead of time.
What’s your favorite EF Academy memory?
Well, I remember before summer vacation, my friends and I went out and spent a lot of time together. Another nice memory I have is the trip to Alton Towers. We spent two days and one night – paid by the school – and it was really fun because almost everyone was there except for those who still had exams.
What do you miss the most?
Just the people in general actually, like my teachers and friends. The various cultures I encountered at EF Academy broadened my knowledge of other cultures and allowed me to see different perspectives. The teachers and counselors were super easy going as well – whenever I need them, they were always there for me, giving solutions to my problems and basically just helping me through a lot.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university, work and personal life?
Keep all your friends close and they will really help you in the present and future. Everyone is different and we all make mistakes but it benefits us when understand each other better and it helps us improve our social skills and make even more friends.
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
Yeah, I talk to people in my group of friends every once in a while. I meet a couple of my Mexican mates in Mexico sometimes as well.
How would you describe university life?
I really like the classes and the degree I am doing. I’m enjoying university life so far, being productive most of the time and learning important information. University has more people, so you have greater connectivity and a larger social network. Frankly, it is easier to talk to friends in high school because you have many more things in common while in university, you come across various people with various interests and you can’t see them all the time. But on the other hand, more people means more skills you can learn.
What tips do you have for current students at EF Academy?
Pay attention in class! Don’t skip classes unless it is a must, receiving instruction directly from your teachers is always better than revising for exams alone a few days before. Knowing what you have learned by heart as soon as you learn it will make it easier for you when you revise for exams. Eat healthy, rest well and just be fully prepared before entering the exam room. These all will really help you function better in general. Don’t forget to always be nice to the teachers and host parents! Don’t procrastinate – it makes your life easier and gives you extra time without having to worry about deadlines!
Any final advice to fellow alumni at universities and starting their careers?
Networking is really important! Keep in touch with your friends, meet new people and build good relationships with others. Opportunities can come easily to you through connections. Don’t study too hard, try to find a balance between working and having a social life.
“The experience that I got from EF Academy is one of the most useful things I’ve had so far.”
Short questions:
Name: Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz
Age: 20
Nationality: Mexican
How many languages do you speak?  English – Spanish (little bit of French and Japanese)
EF Academy campus: Oxford
Graduation year: 2015
Program: IB Diploma
Residence or host family: Host Family and residence in my 2nd year
Favorite subject: Economics and Business Management
Favorite teacher: Lydia Hemming and Amy Webber, my physics teacher
Favorite club / society: MUN Club, Rugby, Investor Challenge, Environmental Club, Boundary Brook – maintenance to the park – and Gardening Nature Club.
Which is the next country you want to visit? Italy because it’s a European country I did not have the chance to visit while in the UK.
Who to interview next: Diego and Reid from last year.
Shouts out to: All the teachers, especially Cy and Mark.

Mexican alumni, Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz, graduated from EF Academy Oxford in 2015 and is now studying at the University of Pennsylvania in USA.

Advice from alumni: Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz - EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz ‹ EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Luis Fernando Hernandez Magro Quiroz

Advice alumni luis fernando hernandez magro quiroz

Addison Nix, also known as “Addie,” is an American alum from our EF Academy New York campus, class of 2014. She is currently studying at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service since she has always been interested in diplomacy and international relations. Learn more about our featured alum:
Why did you choose to go to EF Academy? 
I lived 1.5 hour away from the EF Academy campus and my stepmother would drive past the school on her way to work. When I had the chance to go to EF Academy, I thought that I should definitely go because I knew it would be a unique opportunity to live with people from all over the world and practice new languages. I also knew that I wanted to do the International Baccalaureate (IB) program because I wanted to apply for universities both in the UK and U.S. Being American and studying at an international boarding school definitely helped set me apart when it came to university applications – I was even invited for an interview at Cambridge.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why?
After EF Academy, I started at New York University (NYU) and I studied International Relations and Political Science because I have always been very interested in this field. I even got to go Europe and study as an exchange student in France. I liked this experience a lot because I met a lot of new people and got to visit my friends from EF Academy in Europe.
I liked New York, but after a while, I felt it was a bit too urban. That is why I decided to transfer to Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service; initially, the idea was just to see what would happen but I ended up loving it here. I really like the classes and I enjoy the fact that it has its own campus.
What do you want to do next?
I would like to work for the State Department with Foreign Service, since I have always been interested in diplomacy and relations. I find the lifestyle of moving to a new country every two years to be very exciting.
Tips to current students that want to study what you study?
If you really love politics, make sure to educate yourself by staying up-to-date on current events and find relevant experiences; like internships. It is all about having passion!
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
I do keep in contact with a lot of people, some more frequently than others but it is never weird if someone contacts me randomly. For example, just the other day, my friend from Norway, who was a senior when I was a junior, sent me a message asking what Americans thought of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy?
When I participated in the Hult Prize competition! I did it during my junior year and it was really a turning point for me. My whole life, I was introverted and did not really like working in groups. However, I wanted to participate in the Hult Prize competition and that entailed working in groups of five people from different parts of the world. Since people had so many unique perspectives, it became a true learning experience and I am sure that I would have never come up with as good of a solution alone. To be fair, it was a lot of work and we spent many late nights and even ordered pizza at 1 a.m., but it was fun because we had a joint goal and we all really put in a lot of effort into achieving that goal. We really bonded during that experience and I still keep in touch with some of them; one group member even became my roommate for my senior year.
What do you miss the most?
I miss the friends that I made there. It was a very close and intimate environment, which is different from university where the teachers don’t always know your name. At EF Academy, even the Headmaster knew my name. I also miss being so close to New York City.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For work life? For your personal life?
For me, I think that the biggest thing was how well the IB curriculum, especially the Extended Essay, really prepared me for university studies. I still rely on those skills today. I did Advanced Placement – the American equivalent of the IB program – in my previous school, it was more about memorizing, whereas IB really focuses on actual learning and making connections. I also had more exposure to standardized tests. The only standardized test that we have in the American system is the SAT.
What tips would you give to current students?
It can be tough sometimes, but just know that it will all be worth it in the end.
Make the most of your time and your friendships at school – these will be the people that you will miss the most. Relish the unique opportunity of being at EF Academy.
Short questions:
Name: Addison “Addie” Nix
Age: 19
Nationality: American
How many languages do you speak? English and French
EF Academy campus: New York
Graduation years: 2014 
Program: IB
Residence or host family: Residence
Favorite subject: I really liked English Literature because of our amazing teacher, Sara Walsh. She was always on campus and helped a lot. This was by far my favorite English class.
Favorite teacher: Sara Walsh – Really loved the way she taught, which made the classes very interesting. Most importantly she cared a lot and would stop anything to help us.
Favorite club/society: Student council or Model UN
Student council: I was the treasurer and I made a lot of friends there. Compared to my old school, the student council at EF Academy had a lot of say which was amazing. Just the fact that we had a budget was great!
Model UN: Daniel Wood and I revived the Model UN club during our senior year. It was great fun as we got to travel to different, fun conferences across the country.
Which is the next country you want to visit?
Israel – I am taking a class in Judaism and also learning Hebrew.
Who to interview next:
Danny Wood – An American who is now at Harvard.
Stefanie Arnold – My roommate from Sudtirol in Italy, who is currently studying Law in Bologna. She is amazing and one of the smartest people I know.
Shouts outs to:
Marilie Jonas – a guidance counselor who was previously a dean at MIT. She was great and so supportive. She had so much experience and was great when recommending where to apply; she even contacted a few admission offices for me.
Brian Mahoney – Really great as well
Jason Kirschner and Lauren Utnick – Really nice to have the country admission managers close on campus and I would spend hours at their office. We started the Storm guides my year and it was really fun!

Addison Nix, an American alum from EF Academy New York, class of 2014 is currently studying at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Advice from alumni: Addison (Addie) Nix - EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Addison (Addie) Nix ‹ EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Addison (Addie) Nix

Advice alumni addison addie nix

Guest Post by Bill Livingston, Academic Coordinator & IB Environmental Systems and English Teacher
On November 14th, 2015, Stephen Fleming and I were sent by EF Academy to The Explorer’s Club (yes, there is such a thing) in New York City.  A posh townhouse is home to the 110 year old club whose members include arctic explorers, astronauts, & former United States Presidents. Admiral Peary’s sled hangs from the rafters, the flags carried to the moon by Neil Armstrong grace the wall, and paintings commemorating the travels of Teddy Roosevelt hang in the hall. We listened to five presentations on ocean waters.
The presentations ranged widely.  We learned about the latest on shark electro-sensory orientation and ways it might help fishermen avoid killing sharks as a by-catch. 50% of shark mortality comes from by-catch, which is altering ecosystems as these top predators are removed from systems with unknown consequences. The presentation was given by Dr. Stephen Kajiura, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. A second presentation included recent efforts by deep ocean diver Richie Kohler to solve the mystery of why the Britannic, a Titanicsister ship, sank so quickly in 1916.
My favorite presentation was given by Anna Cummins, entitled “More Ocean, Less Plastic”. Ms. Cummins shared how she and her husband built the 5 Gyres School devoted to studying and raising awareness of the growing gyres of plastic waste spinning in five oceans.  Another, Dr. Nasreen S. Haque, described her recent studies “Mapping Microbial Genetics Underwater” in highly toxic environments such as the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and a quarry/lake/dumpin Brewster, NY. She also spoke about our growing understanding of the long term interactions between microbes and the human genome.  This microbe study is happening at a lab in nearby Valhalla, NY, and could present EF students an opportunity to study as interns or volunteers.  It’s an experience which can turn into a great Extended Essay or even a career in science for our IB candidates.
As a science teacher, I was inspired by the creative ways researchers collect data related to crucial issues we face.  I always look for ways to make IB Environmental Systems “real” for my students. It’s always nice to be a student again and learn from great thinkers and explorers.  They served a mean salad, too, amid the stuffed-bears and secret doors of the old townhouse.
For more information on, or to support these worthy science and learning organizations, try:
<ul>
<li>Anna Cummins and the 5 Gyres School: <a href="https://www.5gyres.org/">5gyres.org</a></li>
<li>Haque at New York Medical College: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#90fef1e3e2f5f5fecff8f1e1e5f5d0fee9fdf3bef5f4e5">[email protected]</a></li>
<li>Kajiura at the Elasmobranch (cartilaginous fishes) Research Laboratory: <a href="https://www.science.fau.edu/sharklab/">https://www.science.fau.edu/sharklab/</a></li>
</ul>

On November 14th, 2015, Stephen Fleming and I were sent by EF Academy to The Explorer’s Club (yes, there is such a thing) in New York City.

Teachers visit Explorer’s Club for scientific lectures - EF Academy Blog

Teachers visit Explorer’s Club for scientific lectures ‹ EF Academy Blog

Teachers visit Explorer’s Club for scientific lectures

Teachers visit explorers club scientific lectures

EF Academy New York welcomed 47 new students to campus for the spring semester. The students began their week by moving into the dorm and getting settled while meeting new friends. On Monday, students were formally welcomed with our annual Spring Induction, a program which includes a welcome from Headmaster Dr. Brian Mahoney, a tour of the campus, introductions to both academic and student life at EF Academy and individual meetings with guidance counselors and university advisors.
On Thursday evening, students were invited to their first EF Academy Movie Night in our theater on campus to watch the movie “A Night at the Museum” starring Ben Stiller. The movie is based upon the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The week culminated on Friday with a trip to New York City and a visit to the American Museum of Natural History. The event was a fun way to meet new friends at EF and for many students, explore New York City for the first time.
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest and most exciting museums of natural history in the world. It includes permanent exhibitions on human origins and culture, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and also a planetarium. For incoming student Daijia Li however, the most exciting part of the visit was touring the “Fossil Halls” and learning about dinosaurs. Part of the exhibit at the museum is the newly discovered and yet to be named “Titanosaur”, a 70-ton, 122 foot long dinosaur. Daijia noted, “It was so cool to see this new dinosaur, it was definitely my favorite part of the trip!”
After the visit to the museum, the trip in New York City continued with lunch at Dallas BBQ in Times Square. Students enjoyed a traditional American barbeque lunch and were able to see the sites in Times Square. “It was a great way to begin my EF Academy experience,” noted Daijia. This is one of many opportunities our students have to see and experience New York City throughout the semester.

EF Academy New York, a private boarding school in the US, welcomed 47 new students to campus for the spring semester.

EF Academy New York welcomes new students - EF Academy Blog

EF Academy New York welcomes new students ‹ EF Academy Blog

EF Academy New York welcomes new students

Ef academy new york welcomes new students

Peyman Norouzi, from Iran, graduated from EF Academy Torbay in 2014 and is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Learn more about our featured alum:
Why did you choose to go to EF Academy?
My dad saw the EF Academy ad in the newspaper by chance. At that time, I was not planning to go to the UK or U.S., but rather, somewhere closer to my home country. However, we talked to some people from the school and decided to go for it.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why?
I am currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University and I am also a part of the Schreyer’s Honors College (author’s note: exclusive college that only 5 % of Penn State graduates are a part of). Honors College is great for me because I gain access to a bigger network that will be especially helpful for research work.
I always knew that I was going to study science since I was good at mathematics and physics. Initially, I was considering aerospace engineering but I quickly realized that my career within that field would be restricted since I am an international student. Thus, I chose mechanical engineering because everything today requires these kinds of skills. However, I still think it is important to keep your mind open to new things and that is why I am doing my minor in Art History.
Pennsylvania State University was not the obvious choice for me. I did apply to universities both in the UK and U.S. I was considering attending the University College of London (UCL) to study Electrical Engineering but I was not that enthusiastic about it. The fact that Penn State is on the East Coast made me choose it over UC Santa Barbara.  
 What are your goals for the future?
My short-term goal is to get an internship at a technology company like Microsoft or Otis. However, in the long run, I have not decided whether I want to follow the research track or start working and then study an MBA to pursue more leadership opportunities. Right now, I just want to try out everything and I think that will help me make the decision.
What tips do you have for current students who want to study what you study?
<ul>
<li>Make sure that you fulfill the requirements and get the grades needed.</li>
<li>Try to be as outgoing as you can: In the end, it is not only about your grades and skills, but also how good your relationships are and whether you can sell yourself.</li>
<li>Try not to limit yourself: Gain exposure to different subjects.</li>
<li>Apply early to university: I personally started to apply too late and I strongly advise you not to make the same mistake as I did because I did miss a couple of deadlines.</li>
</ul>
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
I do keep in touch regularly with a close group of friends! I even went back to EF Academy Torbay twice to visit everyone – once for spring break this year and once for my birthday.
What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy?
Without a doubt, making friends! Both the teachers and the environment were great – overall it was a friendly experience.
What do you miss the most?
I miss meeting and hanging out with people outside of school. Of course, it was cool to meet people in school but it was more fun to meet people outside of school.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For work life? For your personal life?
Time management and self-management: After two years at EF Academy, I really felt that I had become a man. When starting at university, I could really tell that I was ahead of my peers. For most of them, university was the first time that they left their parents and they found it to be quite challenging. On my end, I had already been independent for two years so I felt that I was ready from the beginning. I knew exactly how to manage my own time.
What tips would you give to current students?
Have fun and try not to rant too much. Looking back, we were all complaining that Torbay was so small and there was nothing to do. However, all of us who left Torbay now miss it like crazy – weird but true. It was truly a great experience!
Also, think of yourself as an adult and take responsibility for yourself. The aim of your time at EF Academy should be to become independent and to learn how to manage your life. Do not be afraid of making mistakes during high school – you will learn from them and they will not make that big of an impact on your life overall.
What career advice would you give to your fellow alumni?
Make sure to gain exposure to different leadership positions. Of course, your success will always be dependent on getting good grades, but it will also come down to how you work with others and how you handle pressure. Also, build a good resume as soon as possible.
Who are the most successful alumni that you know of?
Sining Liu – Alumna who is now studying mathematics at Imperial College.
Short questions:
Name: Peyman Norouzi
Age: 20
Nationality: Iran
How many languages do you speak? 2 – English and Persian
EF Academy campus: Torbay – I would definitely recommend the Torbay campus because it is a small community, which makes it easy to make new close friends.
Graduation year: 2014
Program: A-Level. It was great program for me because I really got support to focus on my studies. Compared to IB, we studied fewer subjects but instead we went really in-depth and learned to derive the actual concepts. I was also happy to find out that A-Levels are a very respectable qualification also in the U.S., which meant that there were no problems for me to apply to university in the U.S.
Residence or host family: Residence
Favorite subject: Physics
Favorite teacher: Oliver Chapman – it was really fun in his class because he was good at understanding different situations.
Favorite club/society: Started to get a movie club going during my second year but we did not manage to really set it up, but it was fun anyways.
Who to interview next:
Phoebe Chang – Studying at Arizona State University 
Pedram Esmailzadeh – Studying at Arizona State University
Shouts outs to:
<ul>
<li>All of my friends</li>
</ul>

Peyman Norouzi, from Iran, graduated from EF Academy Torbay in 2014 and is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

Advice from alumni: Peyman Norouzi - EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Peyman Norouzi ‹ EF Academy Blog

Advice from alumni: Peyman Norouzi

Advice alumni peyman norouzi

Victor Huang, from China, was one of the first students to graduate from EF Academy Torbay in 2007. After studying Mathematics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Reading, Victor went on to work in consulting, commercial finance and is now working in investment banking all across Asia. Learn more about our featured alum:
How did you hear about EF Academy and why did you choose to go to EF Academy?
I went to the Suzhou International Foreign Language School in China when I first heard of EF Academy through our international department. I wanted to go abroad and I thought that EF Academy was a great choice because I could go to the UK.
I became one of the first batches of students at the EF Academy campus in Torbay, which at that point only had about 30 to 40 students. I ended up spending two great years in Torbay, which marked the beginning of my six very important years in the UK. Honestly, to this day, I still get a very warm feeling when I think about EF Academy and Torbay. Compared to London, Torbay gave me sense of home and security.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why?
In 2007, I started studying Mathematics at Queen Mary because I loved mathematics. It was at Queen Mary that I started dreaming of pursuing a career in the financial industry. I would see the bankers going to work and think, “I want to become one of them!” That is why I decided to specialize in finance during my master studies at ICMA Centre at the University of Reading and during that time, I learned a lot about risk management, securities, etc.  It was a deliberate choice to stay in London, because I wanted to stay in a larger city with many different cultures.
What did you do after your university studies?
After my studies, I was drawn back to Asia and Shanghai because of the booming and dynamic market with many opportunities. I started working with the Nielsen Company; a global leader in delivering market research, information and analysis to the consumer products and service industries. However, I wanted a job with more client interaction and thus successfully applied to become a Graduate Trainee at GE Capital that only recruited three associates in 2012 in Greater China. I believe that my independence, maturity and solid quantitative background, as well as my English skills, from my time in the UK, was crucial in getting the job.
In 2014, I finished the graduate program and was offered a full-time position in Hong Kong with Structured Finance. After that, I started trying to transfer out from commercial finance into investment banking division.  This was much harder than I expected because investment banks are much more competitive and also require experience within the field. However, I did not want to give up and so I kept trying. Luckily, I had been offered a place at one of China’s top boutique investment banks. I have now been working in Beijing as an associate for over five months and I absolutely love it. In my daily job, I get to execute private placement and M&A transactions. I am so happy that I was persistent and never gave up on my goals.
Tips to current students that want to study what you studied?
<ol>
<li>Understand your own skills and personal priorities; then choose the career that fits you: For example, working in banking and consulting is stressful and competitive. It is definitely not for everyone, depending what you want to get out of life. Thus, my advice is to take the time and figure out what you really want in long-term and then base your career choice on that. However, no panic! For me, it took tons of time before I finally figured out what I was good at and what I wanted to do.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li>Work hard and get good grades: In the industries that I have worked for, people do recognize which university that you went to so it is worth putting in the extra effort to get into a well-known university.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="3">
<li>Be persistent and never give up: Remember that there is always a way to overcome challenges and find alternative ways to your goal. For example, I did not have the right experience from investment banking in the first place but I still made it to where I am today thanks to my hard work, persistence and my belief that you can always make it somehow.</li>
</ol>
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
Yes, definitely!  We are a bit spread out and many of us are doing really well, e.g. PhD at Wharton University, entrepreneurs and employees at world top 500 companies. Of course, people are very busy but we are like brothers and sisters so we can always reach out to each other.
What’s your favorite memory from EF Academy?
The feeling of being completely carefree and free. At Torbay, everyone was really good friends with everyone – we were like a family. We would cook together, go on different excursions and even cut each other’s hair. Those days will never come back.
What is one thing that you learned from EF Academy that you found valuable for university? For the work life? For your personal life?
My English skills! When I went to EF Academy, I did not understand what people were saying when they were talking in English. As people were so nice in Torbay, I quickly started to pick up the language. Being good at speaking, reading and writing English, was immensely helpful when I started at university and I could communicate freely with other classmates. When I started working, having good English skills was of course essential to being able to work in an international setting.
Short questions:
Name: Victor Huang
Age: 28
Nationality: Chinese
How many languages do you speak? English and Chinese
EF Academy campus: Torbay
Graduation years: 2007
Program: A-Levels (mathematics, further mathematics, economics)
Residence or host family: Host family – I had the best host mom and she really meant a lot to me.
Favorite subject: Mathematics
Favorite teacher: Hazel Linacre, my mathematics teacher. I am sure she will remember me always sitting in the front row.
Favorite club/society: The Music Club – I started liking Rock n’ Roll in Torbay. I played the guitar, rapped and even produced my own recordings.
Shouts outs to:
<ul>
<li>Debbie Chatterton – My IT teacher at that time</li>
<li>Hazel Linacre – My mathematics teacher</li>
</ul>
ABOUT FUTURE FRIDAY: 
Every Friday will feature an EF Academy graduate who is on the way to accomplishing great things! You’ll read about former students’ experiences and a little bit about their university and career plans. Plus, you’ll get some pretty helpful tips on how to make the most out of your time at EF Academy!

Victor Huang, from China, was one of the first students to graduate from EF Academy Torbay in 2007. Victor is now working in investment banking in Asia.

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