Get inspired to learn at an international boarding school

Hi everyone! My name is Lily, and I am a current 12th grader here at EF Academy. This is my 3rd academic year here, and I haven’t looked back since! I am originally from New York, funny enough, I live nearly 15 minutes away from the actual EF Academy New York campus, in a small town called Ossining. I started being a student here halfway through my sophomore year. I switched during the pandemic and was absolutely surprised that EF Academy managed to not only accept me as one of the only day students at the time but was able to keep the campus up and running with in-person classes.

As soon as I started my first day of school here, I immediately noticed right off the bat that everyone is here to learn. I came from such a different environment which never encouraged me at that time to be so eager to study and participate. I was taken aback by all of the hands being raised, the laughter, teamwork, and participation within the classrooms. For the first time, I came out of a class wanting to go back in. I thought to myself how is it possible to create such an environment in which people were expressing joy through learning!? And just like that, I became inspired and proud to be a student here.

The word “inspired” isn’t meaningful enough to describe the feelings and emotions I experience when entering the classroom. I am stronger, smarter, a harder worker and the most social I have ever been. EF Academy is not just about learning and getting good grades, it’s about the process in which you learn creatively with your surroundings. Those surroundings being the children from 60+ countries… and an unbelievable amount of supportive faculty and staff.

Among the amazing teachers and staff that support us academically, mentally, and physically, there are more opportunities to involve our time outside of academics with them. EF Academy holds an abundance of clubs. From Meditation and Aromatherapy, to NBA basketball club, Film and Photography, Model United Nations and more, they carry a diverse array of clubs involving the discovery of many new skills and talents I was not aware of. I started discovering myself, and my passions and watched others around me do the same. Through this process, I noticed a couple individuals who stand out to me here, people who inspired me to do better, people who helped me find who I truly am.

A role model who stands out to me is Ms. Deborah Farney, an amazing English teacher here at EF Academy. Ms. Farney has not only been an amazing teacher to many students, but has inspired many others around her. She is a mother, a teacher, an inspiration, and overall, a role model to so many here at EF Academy. Ms. Farney has shown me my potential, and has been my teacher for 3 years now. She supports students’ ideas by building upon them and helps transform any thought into works of writing. She has made me learn to love reading, which is a very hard skill to master.

For anyone considering or craving a new education experience, EF Academy is the place for you. My goal here is to help inform viewers that the way you learn here is a life changing experience. My advice is to really reach out to your peers. Through one school, we can bring together so many different nationalities and backgrounds. We can hear different perspectives. We can see a change.