Study abroad: a life changing experience beyond academics

Picture this: You wake up in your dorm room and, with your 35 new best friends, take a bus with your teacher (probably one of the best you’ll ever have!) to hike Mt. Gilboa. Sitting on top of this beautiful mountain, you look across an expanse of green, lush land and learn about the battles that took place there thousands of years ago. This lesson expands on what you’ve been studying all week and, while your teacher paints a picture of the battle and the land, you can actually feel it come to life.After the lesson, you spend the next hour or more climbing, crawling and laughing with your friends while you try to navigate down the mountain. Now that is a history class worth taking.Over the years, Samo has been a home to many student visitors from other countries who come for a semester or a year to learn American culture. But you may not be aware that many of us have also chosen to leave our beach-front campus and travel across the world to expand our education. My experience as a student at Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) changed my life, and I believe Study Abroad should be part of everyone’s high school experience.AMHSI is an American-accredited study abroad program that offers sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to study the 4,000 year history of Israel while traveling to the actual sites in which history took place. Students receive high school credit while keeping up with their Samo classes and can earn six transferable college credits through the University of Miami. It is the only non-denominational, pluralistic program not affiliated with any religious or political ideology and has produced over 22,000 alumni in its 42-year history.I thought I was content with my life in Santa Monica but, by sophomore year, I decided that I wanted something more, something exciting and different that would change my perspective on things. Study Abroad was a chance to meet new people, step outside of my comfort zone and explore while not missing out on school. I also knew that it would be a great experience to add to my college application essays.Instead of walking on the Promenade, I had D.O.T.S. (dinner on the streets) on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem. Instead of the Farmer’s Market here in which you get local fruits and vegetables, I marveled at the many beautiful hand-made crafts, mouth-watering sweets and ethnically diverse foods at the Israeli Shuk. Instead of spending my weekends at home, I spent each weekend with a different host family, experiencing their Shabbat traditions. Without my parents telling me what to do all the time, I learned to be independent, to manage my time and get a taste of independence. So, instead of every day in the same place with the same people I’ve known forever, I had weeks of different and out of the ordinary experiences.Except for my friend Sadie Dorf (’14), who went with me, I knew absolutely no one and yet made friends from all over the country and the world that I'm still close with. Living in a controversial country, I was educated on all that has transpired not only in Israel but across the Middle East. I also gained a better understanding of my own religion, Judaism. Since I truly benefitted from this program, I decided to help recruit kids from Samo and all over L.A.Seniors Max Nath (’14) and Bradley Freericks (’14) are also alumni, and this past winter four of our own juniors Sean McHugh (‘15), Maya Gorgas (‘15), Jordan Davison (‘15) and Efe Toros (‘15) completed the program.“One of my favorite moments of the trip was watching the sunset in Tzfat,” Gorgas said. “It was a beautiful evening. The city was one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever been to, and the streets were so small and wonderful. I loved eating dinner in a small authentic restaurant with two of my new best friends. Now, I have a totally new perspective on life. I feel as if my eyes are completely open now, ready to accept anything and everything.”Jordan Davison signed up for the trip a month in advance, not expecting anything remarkable. She went on to officially have her bat mitzvah while in Israel.“There are no words to explain how much this program has changed my perspective on life,” Davison said. “By being part of a different culture, you realize the most important values in life. Also coming back from this trip, I’ve become more decisive in the things I want to do.”My brother Sean went on the trip somewhat hesitantly, not sure what he would get out of it. He came back with a knowledge and wisdom I had never seen from him. He gushed about how happy he was there and what a strong supporter of the country he had become. He expressed that the trip taught him a tremendous amount about the nation, the people and most importantly: himself.Although many Samo students chose to go on the AMHSI eight-week mini-semester program at the urban Hod Hasharon campus, Bebe Lari (‘16) is currently on the full semester program at the Negev campus.“It is nice to be in smaller classes because you have a more personal relationship with all of your teachers and they're more understanding,” Lari said.Her favorite trip so far has been camping through the Negev desert for four days and sleeping under the stars.“The reward of getting to go to the beautiful beach in Eilat after hiking was so incredible and one of the most satisfying feelings I’ve ever had," Lari said.This summer, Bradley Finkelstein (’16) will go to AMHSI on the six-week Summer Abroad experience and Max Dorf (’17) and Jason Rosenbach (’17) are signed up to go in 2015.Consider Study Abroad, whether in Israel or another part of the world, as a way to change your perspective, change your life and expand beyond your Santa Monica education.For further information about Alexander Muss High School in Israel, please see www.amhsi.org or contact Karen Rappaport, Director of Admissions for California at krappaport@amhsi.org.You can learn about other Study Abroad options in the College Center at Samo.