Since we were little, the traditional American high school experience included good grades, football games and pep rallies. This glorified perspective seemed like the path to the best high school experience. The American education system is designed to train students to succeed in college but exploring different routes, like study-abroad programs, can prepare students for college, life after college and induce character development. 

There are various study-abroad programs for high school students ranging from one semester to four years. These programs provide students with real-world experiences, allowing them to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Teenagers have been anticipating the traditional American high school festivities like Friday Night Lights, Prom and Homecoming since they were children. Giving these events up may seem like a big commitment, but getting to study in a foreign country, surrounded by a different culture, could benefit students in more ways than they might think. 

Senior Sophie Sutton studied abroad at St. Stephens, an international school in Rome, for her junior year and has now returned to Redwood for her senior year.

“I loved it. I loved living at school. It was definitely very different from Redwood,” Sutton said. 

There were only seventy-five students in her grade, one-sixth the size of her class at Redwood. 

“I think my biggest class was twelve [students]. You got to know the students and teachers very well. It was amazing,” Sutton said.

Junior Zoe Gister is currently abroad in Germany, participating in a government-funded program as a junior ambassador. The program sends 250 American students to Germany to foster cultural and political relationships. Her program involves explicitly learning about international relations and politics.

“I was interested in immigration law going into this so this will definitely give me more of an idea of what I want to do [after college],” Gister said. 

Reasons for taking this unique route can vary from wanting to gain experience to simply wanting a change of scenery. 

“I chose to leave essentially because I wanted to get more experience. I’ve only lived [in Marin], so I wanted to experience something else. [Redwood is] very structured. I kind of wanted to branch out of that,” Sutton said. 

Gister had similar reasons for wanting to study abroad.

“I think as young people, the best thing we can do is experience new things. This is the best time in our lives to grow and learn new things. Change comes with life and life needs change so why not try changing everything at once and see how it goes?” Gister said. 

Going abroad can immerse you into a culture not represented in Marin.

“Redwood is such a cultural bubble. We all come from basically the same place and such similar environments. There is no cultural diversity at Redwood and that is really what I felt was lacking,” Gister said.

Many programs give you more freedom which allows you to explore your specific interests. This flexibility helps you develop a deeper understanding of your passions.

“I had free reign in Germany for a month. I traveled around a lot, as far as I could and I even went to some political protests,” Gister said.

Due to moving away from families prematurely, students who attend boarding schools learn skills that more students learn once they go to college.

“I have become super independent and have learned how to do basically everything for myself. I’ve learned how to manage my own time manage my mental health and realize that it’s okay to take breaks,” Gister said. 

These skills can be beneficial to learn early as they lay a strong foundation for a successful personal and professional career.

“I think [going abroad] definitely gave me really good habits. Before, I would procrastinate [finishing] all my work; [this experience abroad] just made me more independent and not as reliant on other people,” Sutton said.

Though often challenging, leaving home in high school can help prepare students for life in college.

“I feel like now I’ve already gone through the hard part of leaving my family and moving somewhere new. So I feel like it prepared me for college,” Sutton said.

Besides just academic improvements, many experience profound personal growth.

“It definitely also taught me more about my friendships because all my best friends were people that I was living with all the time. So it taught me to be more considerate. It made me more well-rounded,” Sutton said.

Many students seek a change in terms of how Redwood is structured academically. 

“It’s kind of more hands-on learning. And also something that I really liked was I felt more like an adult,” Sutton said.

Guidance Counselor Ian Scott explained that boarding programs may be a good choice for students who don’t thrive in a very structured and traditional academic system.

“We are pretty in line with just one system here. It’s hard to do anything out of the norm in our system because there’s so much structure to what you have to do. There’s not a lot of freedom of choice for many of my students looking for different systems [abroad],” Scott said.

The strict structure of Redwood and the academic atmosphere may drive students away.

“I feel like a lot of students kind of just want to get by and they graduate high school, but [at St. Stephens] everyone really cares about what they put into school. So I feel like that motivation made me want to be a better student, which I really like,” Sutton said.

Though these factors may be appealing, there are downsides as well. 

“Most places abroad don’t offer U.S. history, so [students who go abroad] are usually behind in terms of that,” Scott said.

Redwood is definitely very focused on preparing students for college instead of life after school, which abroad programs help with.

“I think we do a better job of preparing students for college. So many students are so academically focused that the drive is really towards academics and college. That is what students are prepared for, and not so much the life changes that come after,” Scott said.

Redwood does offer resources, including the college and career center, career talks and interest surveys, to get students thinking about their future interests.

“I think students don’t always avail themselves of the opportunities for your conversations,” Scott said.

With the increasing rate of school shootings and bomb threats, going abroad to safer countries might be a very appealing factor.

“I think I definitely would send my kids. It’s a safe and positive environment, I never felt once like I was in danger,” Sutton said.

Overall, abroad programs can prepare students for college and life after school, help students better understand themselves  and what they may want to do as a career.

“I would definitely recommend these programs to people who are looking for a really big challenge or change in their life,” Gister said.