The school provides a lot of leadership opportunities for students. I am currently a student trustee member and an international ambassador. That leadership role is to bridge the international cultures at Putney and introduce different cultures around the world to the Putney community.
My first week on campus was a challenge because it was my first time in a completely English speaking environment. As a non-native speaker, I was really scared to talk to other people, but then I found out everyone is so nice and friendly. They smile at you all the time. It’s so easy at Putney to find someone with things in common and make friends with them.
What’s also interesting about Putney is that we don’t call teachers by their last name. We just use their first name. That really creates an inclusive environment for students to interact with teachers, and it just makes me less nervous to seek help.
I would say American Studies is one of my favorite classes. We’re looking at the history of native Americans and indigenous people. In one class we went to visit the sites where indigenous people lived. I didn’t even know that there were indigenous people in Vermont before.
I never got a chance to learn history like this before I came to the United States. Before Putney, I didn’t know I was interested in history at all, but after taking these classes and doing projects, I realized history and other topics in social sciences are what I love. I’m going to apply to colleges in the United States, and I would like to major in a topic in social science.
I also really enjoy Alpine skiing. It’s a really nice way to relieve the stress from studying. You can speed really fast downhill, and enjoying the view of Vermont is just so peaceful. I mean, honestly, every time you walk out of a building you see something beautiful.
I think I’m more brave and willing to try new things after coming to Putney. Before I thought, this is too challenging, it’s too hard. But I’ve learned that getting out of my comfort zone is an important lesson for my whole life, and I need to do it.