The Power of Story: A Moldovan ASSIST Alum’s Film Explores Identity and Connection

Movie Poster from ASSIST Alum producer

Alexandru Curilov, ASSIST Class of 2003, is a Moldovan-born, Slovenia-based filmmaker and creative director with over 20 years of experience crafting emotionally honest stories across animation, live-action, and documentary. His recent animated short, Care Packages, set in a rural Moldovan village, poignantly explores the resilience and imagination of children left behind by migrating parents, blending humor…

Read More

Celebrating Our Largest Class Yet From a Record 30 Countries

This year, ASSIST is proud to welcome its largest and most global class in our 56-year history. The Class of 2026 is comprised of 190 scholars from 30 different countries, representing an incredible range of cultures and perspectives. Expanding Our Reach We are particularly excited to welcome students from countries that are either new to…

Read More

Announcing ASSIST Scholars’ Exciting New Look

ASSIST Logo

We are excited to unveil ASSIST’s new look with you! While our visual identity has been updated, our mission remains the same: to create life-changing opportunities for outstanding international Scholars to learn from and contribute to the finest American independent secondary schools. Carrying Forward the History of ASSIST This new design reflects both our proud…

Read More

A Warm Welcome to the ASSIST Scholars Class of ’26

This August, we had the honor of welcoming the ASSIST Scholars Class of ’26 with an unforgettable orientation in the Swiss Alps. Staff members, board members, and students traveled to Leysin, Switzerland, where we were generously hosted by Leysin American School and The Swiss Hotel Management School. The students left feeling energized and prepared for…

Read More

From Small-Town Bulgaria to Global Opportunity with ASSIST

Iliyan Hristov

For Iliyan “Ilko” Hristov, growing up in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, the world beyond his small town felt distant—almost unreachable. For students like him, who weren’t born in capital cities, opportunity often seemed like something that happened to other people—something glimpsed on TV, an elusive version of the American Dream. But then came ASSIST, and everything changed.…

Read More

Joanna Martyni: A Pioneer for ASSIST in Poland

Joanna Martyini

Joanna Martyni has been the local Program Coordinator for ASSIST Poland for fourteen years, making her one of the longest-serving country coordinators. Her journey with ASSIST began in an unexpected yet very personal way, sparked by her daughter Julia’s ambition to study abroad and ultimately, an ASSIST scholarship. In middle school, Julia’s determination led her…

Read More