As the new school year begins, a new group of bright and dynamic American Fellows joins the Anatolia campus, both to immerse themselves in the culture of Greece and to connect the school with its American origins. Established in 1995 with just two intrepid young Fellows, the program has grown to include eight positions for the 2017-18 academic year and will continue to grow. This year, those eight recent graduates from US institutions will live and work alongside Anatolia and ACT students, exchanging ideas and preparing Anatolia’s students to be citizens of the world.
Run out of the US College Counseling Office, the Fellows Program was instituted to enhance the student life experience. Says Arian Kotsi, Director of U.S. Counseling Office & Special Programs, “Every year I think to myself, “there can’t be a better group of A Fellows than the one we have this year” and every year I find myself thinking “this is the best group we have ever had”. It is a very exciting program and I feel proud that it began in this office.”
In addition to their individual jobs across the school’s academic divisions and student support offices, the Fellows take on the additional work of advising clubs, leading Service as Action classes, and serving as role models to Anatolia’s students. Stuart Asbridge, the new Resident Assistant Fellow, says: “The care taken by Anatolia’s faculty for the students’ academic excellence and overall health makes this campus feel like a family, and it has been inspirational to see. It is easy to understand how these elements have shaped and secured Anatolia’s role as one of the best schools in Greece.”
Through the program, the Fellows themselves are also able to gain invaluable new life experiences. For many, the close sense of community at Anatolia is immediately apparent upon entering the campus, and this feeling helps ease the transition from home. “I’ve been absolutely blown away by the sense of community and warmth at Anatolia,” said School Counseling Fellow Emily Fisher. “I’ve never felt so welcomed and supported in a new place. I’m invigorated by the amount of passion that I see here and am excited to be a part of it. Thessaloniki and Anatolia already feel like home.”
Fellows are not only able to expand their families to include the Anatolia community; they find opportunities to take advantage of all that Thessaloniki has to offer outside the school gates. “I love living in Greece,” said Kats. “It is refreshing to be somewhere else – especially somewhere so beautiful. Anatolia, in particular, seems to work very hard to make its students, faculty, and staff feel at home.… That is the type of community that I am proud and excited to be a part of.”
Without further ado, below are the new Fellows and their positions on campus. If you run into them around the school, please say hello and welcome them aboard!
- Stuart Asbridge, Resident Assistant Fellow
- NiTosha Billman, Middle/High School English Fellow
- Christina Daniskas, ACT International Programs Office Fellow
- Emily Fisher, School Counseling Fellow
- Ellyze Francisco, Elementary English Fellow
- Alice Huntoon, Student Services Fellow
- Keiran Miller, College Counseling Fellow
- Kats Tamanaha, Art Fellow
Top row (left to right): Stuart Asbridge, Keiran Miller, Alice Huntoon Bottom row (left to right): NiTosha Billman, Christina Daniskas, Emily Fisher, Kats Tamanaha, Ellyze Francisco
