A Mom's View: Watching My Daughter Embrace Opportunities

Claire Kinloch Anderson is mother to Izzy, a CIEE BridgeUSA High School student who spent her most recent academic year in Washington state. Here, she shares Izzy's experience.

Izzy had the most amazing 10 months. She left Scotland and her close-knit family, and she entered a whole new world of American high school. 

Izzy is a type 1 diabetic, and so sometimes at home she would restrict her activities. At Roosevelt High School, she chose to play ultimate frisbee and flag football, and she learnt to ski with her host family. Izzy loves acting and singing and was welcomed into the school drama department, where she performed in several productions. They've prepared her well for any future in theater she might have. 

Her host family, the Mcfarlanes, treated Izzy as if she was one of their own daughters. She now has two more sisters for life! The strong friendships she has made will also last a lifetime.

Izzy has grown into a confident, caring young woman who has embraced all the opportunities that have been offered to her. She has studied new things and seen a life quite different from her own. (I wasn't sure she really wanted to come home!)

Thank you to CIEE, to the Mcfarlanes, and to Roosevelt High School for this life-changing experience for Izzy.

Considering attending high school in America? Learn more through our CIEE BridgeUSA High School program.