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February 22, 2005
Nacel School offers world of opportunities
If you’ve ever wandered the labyrinthine hallways of Drew Hall, you may have stumbled upon Nacel
International High School. The school, located in the residence hall’s basement, consists of international teenagers studying typical high school subjects-as well as American culture.
“The kids are all very focused in school and have achieved amazing things. It’s a shame that so few people on Hamline’s campus know that the school even exists,” said Gina Robertson, associate dean of operations of the Nacel Open Door Program in St. Paul.
According to its mission statement, Nacel International School boasts a program committed to educating high school students from around the globe to become enlightened world citizens. Robertson said the
American division was started in 2003 at Hamline University as a partnership with Nacel Open Door, a nonprofit organization dedicated to international appreciation and language education. There are currently 60 students attending the school, representing 22 countries from around the world.
“They are a very close-knit group, which is pretty amazing considering their diverse backgrounds,” Robertson said.
The students spend significant time around campus; they use the gym, the library, and even attend university classes and eat in the cafeterias.
Avindra Yuliansyah, a 16-year-old from Jakarta, Indonesia, was in the HUB last week hanging out with some of friends. He said he’s in his first year at Nacel and has gained some of the best experiences of his life.
“My dad was so excited about the program, he practically forced me to get involved,” Yuliansyah said. “I’m
glad I listened to him.”
The students attending Nacel International School are carefully recruited and selected for possessing an extraordinary talent or experience that sets them apart from other students their age, Robertson said.
Thus, the student body is comprised of a high caliber of young people, creating a rich learning environment.
In addition to the basic high school core classes, students must take two foreign languages, and are offered electives through Hamline University. This allows them a large range of complexity in their course loads.
Andrea Bitunjac, head of admissions, said that there are 12 teachers on staff at the Nacel International School, creating a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio and ensuring each student plenty of one-on-one attention.
“I’m enjoying it tremendously; this school is much better than the one I attended at home,” said 17-year-old
Alison Siefert, a junior at Nacel. She thinks it’s at least partly because of individual instructor attention.
Siefert is from Hanover, Germany, a country known for its challenging school systems. She has only been at the school for three weeks now, but said she loves it.
“Everyone is very nice, and friendly,” Siefert said.
Posted by msveum at February 22, 2005 04:18 PM
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