Expanding Horizons: Welcoming Students from Colombia and South Africa to the ASSIST Community

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about the growth of the ASSIST Scholars program! This year, we’ve expanded our reach to welcome outstanding students from two vibrant new markets: Colombia and South Africa. This marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to bringing talented and diverse young individuals to our partner schools in the United States.

For many years, ASSIST has cultivated strong relationships with schools primarily in Europe, connecting exceptional students with transformative educational opportunities. This year, we’re delighted to broaden our scope and tap into the rich academic potential of Latin America and Southern Africa.

A Promising Start in Colombia

Our entry into Colombia has been particularly encouraging, thanks to the invaluable support of current ASSIST Board of Directors member, Adriana León. Her connection with Gimnasio La Montaña, a leading private school in Bogotá, has paved the way for a fruitful partnership. We were delighted when many talented students expressed interest in our first year. From this impressive pool, we selected an exceptional cohort of four Scholars who will no doubt represent Colombia and ASSIST well as our inaugural cohort.

Looking ahead, our excitement for Colombia is palpable. Martin Milne, ASSIST’s President, and Christine D’Angelo, Director of International Student Recruitment, will be traveling there in June to strengthen our partnership with Gimnasio La Montaña and explore opportunities with additional partners. Adding Colombia as a partner country furthers our efforts to bring students from new areas around the world to enrich our member schools’ communities.

Building a Foundation in Southern Africa

We are also delighted to welcome Nomvuyo Lerato Mzamane to the ASSIST team as our new program coordinator based in the country of South Africa. Despite joining us later in the recruitment cycle, Nomvuyo has already demonstrated her deep experience in education, extensive network, enthusiasm for ASSIST, and keen understanding of US independent schools.

Ms. Mzamane brings to her role at ASSIST experience as a school start-up specialist and multimedia edutainment expert with a career spanning over three decades across four  continents. An award-winning educator based in South Africa, she serves a number of nonprofits, and her societal interests include African literature/languages and culture activism, child safeguarding, girl-children’s rights, educational entrepreneurship, and social justice. She has been a head of school in several countries, her own family members attended some of the ASSIST schools, and she has hosted ASSIST Scholars.

While Southern Africa is made up of 16 countries, we are thrilled to begin with a focus on South Africa and bring these Scholars to our member schools’ communities this fall and beyond.

Overall, the addition of Colombia and South Africa to the ASSIST family represents an exciting new chapter for our organization and our partner schools. We eagerly anticipate the unique perspectives, talents, and cultural richness that students from these regions will bring to our community. This expansion reinforces our commitment to fostering a truly global network of exceptional scholars and strengthens the diverse fabric of our member school communities. We look forward to the journey ahead!