Upper School students celebrate International Week
Campus comes together in recognition of Rabun Gap's global diversity
Upper School students and faculty celebrated Rabun Gap’s rich international diversity on March 19-23 during International Week. Students from 47 countries call Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School home, and the school is one of the most internationally diverse boarding schools in the United States.
International Week was organized by Rabun Gap’s Global Awareness Panel, a selection of Upper School students from each continent. These students act as the representatives and voice of the international student body. This panel does many things such as promotes international communications, maximizes the opportunity of cultural exchange among domestic and international students, and makes the American cultural experience more enjoyable for international students and plans and coordinates Rabun Gap-Nacoochee’s International Celebration Week. Members of the GAP include: Aloysie Umutoniwase, Ben Carter, Daniel Dobromirov, Dorothy Akpovwa, Edmundo Ortiz, Gavron Campbell, Jackson Mauldin , Jozefina Jamsran, Anja Racic, Rylee Gardner, Sayidomar Mohamed, Mikolaj Stankiewicz, , Vishal Sharma, Jack Zhou and Anna Yin.
Celebrations throughout the week included snacks from around the world, face painting, origami, African bracelet making, and a Vietnamese handwriting workshop. The dining hall served a variety of meals from across the globe all week.
During advisory time, students and faculty talked about the meaning behind their country’s flags and were encouraged to bring an item from their home to share with their peers.
Thursday’s student-led International Chapel brought the campus together through song and scripture readings that reflected Rabun Gap’s global diversity. Chapel began with the traditional hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” sung in many languages. Students also read verses from the Bible that are popular in their countries. Other music included a Serbian hymn, “Ava Maria,” “Ein festa Burg ist unser Gott,” “Pavane,” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” Chapel ended with the South African hymn “Siyahamba (We Are Marching).”
The English Immersion classes brought their cultures to the Lower School and Upper School humanities classes throughout the week. Students gave presentations about their country’s history, location, cuisine, festivals, architecture, and more.
On Friday, students dressed to represent their home countries. Saturday was filled with international fun for our boarding students, with a ramen noodle eating contest, international film marathon, karaoke, and a dance/social in the A&T.
“At Rabun Gap we encourage our diverse student body to celebrate their culture and support each other to create an international family. We have students at Rabun Gap that represent 47 different countries and are much more than a statistic,” said Lynda Ann Loring, Director of International Student Programs.
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
