Blog Post

We are excited to unveil the brand-new ASSIST Scholars website – a complete new look and online experience, designed with you in mind! While our dedication to the community hasn’t changed, our website has had a major upgrade. It’s now more intuitive, more engaging and more accessible for all visitors. Whether you’re a student, a…

ASSIST Class of 2025 Orientation: A Historic Event in Switzerland This year, ASSIST made history! For the first time ever, the ASSIST Scholars Orientation was held in Europe, bringing together over 170 new scholars, along with alumni and volunteers, to kick off the Class of 2025’s journey at the beautiful Leysin American School near Geneva,…

An Experienced Leader in International Education Joining ASSIST in July 2024 as Director of School Relations, Bill Mena brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his decades-long career in education and nonprofit leadership. Having worked in leadership roles across admissions, financial aid, non-tuition revenue, and international student recruitment at boarding schools, Bill’s extensive experience…

New ASSIST Scholars Director of Development In September 2024, we were thrilled to welcome Ali Cranshaw as our new Director of Development. With over a decade of experience in educational fundraising and leadership, Ali’s career has been defined by her dedication to advancing education at every level. Now, she’s eager to bring her talents to…

New, In-Country Program Coordinator for ASSIST Scholars and HMC Projects in the Czech Republic ASSIST Scholars and HMC Projects are thrilled to welcome Denisa Maková as our new shared Program Coordinator for the Czech Republic! Denisa comes to us through our Czech partner organization, The Bakala Foundation, which was established in 2007 to support young…

ASSIST Scholars Class of ‘24 at Linden Hall School Czech STEM Leader and Rise Global Winner Kristýna Říhová has always been determined to make a difference, driven by her passion for marine biology and environmental protection. Coming from the Czech Republic, where there are no oceans, she didn’t let that limit her dream of saving…

When it comes to climate policy, it’s quite apparent that the power of critical decision-making lies primarily with those who hold a unique position of power in local, national, or global governance. For Gustė Gurčinaitė, a student from Lithuania who has been named one of two United Arab Emirates Rhodes Scholars for 2022, her academic…

By Camille Wilson The data speaks for itself—it’s no secret that young people (people in their teenage years and early 20s) will continue to be a driving force behind environmental awareness and climate policy reform. ASSIST alum Barbora Kvasničková ‘17 is a former representative of Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic) to the United…

By Camille Wilson “As women, you always have challenges to even have the option to go to school. They see you as a woman and a wife—you are expected to be a housewife. At the end of the day, I was a rebel.” Social activist and feminist from Somaliland, Ubah Ali, sat down with ASSIST…

John Kazickas (left) and his father, Dr. Juozas Kazickas (right). “My father lived the American dream,” board member of The Kazickas Family Foundation, John Kazickas, told ASSIST recently. “He worked very hard at establishing himself throughout his career and with such a great personality, he was admired by so many people. His success was always…