Divine Savior Academy’s International Program is expanding every year. In its second year of existence, there are six students from four different countries currently attending DSA through this program.
Erika Biesterfeld, International Program Coordinator at Divine Savior, is pleased with the success of the program thus far. “This year our school has been blessed with some great students from all around the world. Already, we can see the benefits of the additional diversity in our student body. It is truly amazing to see how well our local students have accepted and welcomed the international students. The program is growing, and relationships are being strengthened.”
Two of the students attending DSA through the International Program are Maxim Tiokhin from Russia and Fen Qin from China, both in 11th grade. Each student is enjoying their time thus far, despite some challenges – such as having to attend classes conducted solely in English.
“The education is hard because the format is so different, but the teachers are all very friendly and helpful,” says Tiokhin. “I wasn’t sure what to expect and had lots of questions at first about the teachers and students. But the school is very modern and the students have more communication with their teachers than I expected.”
For Qin, one of the biggest struggles has been being so far away from his family. “The time difference makes it very difficult to communicate with my family back home. It is hard to find a time on the clock to make a phone call that works for both of us.” He agrees with Tiokhin about the helpfulness of DSA teachers. “If I have a question, I can email my teachers and they actually email back.”
Divine Savior is currently primarily working with Asian and European countries with the hope to diversify the overall student body. “We look forward to the program’s continued expansion,” says Biesterfeld.
For information about Divine Savior’s International Program, contact Erika Biesterfeld at erika.biesterfeld@divinesavioracademy.com.
