Thursday, June

go lancers! International Student-Athletes

Sports help create a better study abroad experience for international students and raises them to be future leaders.

Playing sports significantly enhances our international students’ experience while they attend Kennedy Catholic high school in the U.S.

Not only does physical activity improve their physical health. It releases endorphins that boost their mood and reduce stress. Plus, socializing with friends and coaches, and returning to a more structured routine after online learning last year, has been a great boost to their mental health.

Many international students compete in high school athletics to learn more about American culture and enjoy friendly competition. Track and Cross Country are two of the most popular sports among our international students. Basketball, tennis, soccer, and baseball also top the list.

Participating in a sports team can bring a sense of belonging for international students. Through training and competing with their teammates, international students build up a stronger community and support system surrounding themselves as they study abroad. This is especially important for young high school students who are not used to living away from home.

American culture is huge on sports. Most American students talk about their favorite sports and teams, even if they are not athletes. Playing and understanding sports helps international students engage better in day-to-day conversations with their American friends and teachers, even creating a special bond within their peers.

Ko Y. | Japan

Varsity Baseball .

Sehyeon J. | Korea

Junior Varsity Boys Soccer

Diego C. | Spain

Varsity Boys Soccer

student athletes

High school students’ athletes are highly favored by top U.S. university admissions officers

As an extremely sports-focused country, top American universities value candidates who show a strong athletic record in their application. The Washington Post released a report of enrollment data from Top U.S. Universities recently that showed Varsity Athletes accounted for up to 19% of students successfully enrolled in Princeton University, 16% for Harvard University and 15% for Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Our school administrators considered the risks involved during the pandemic and made sure the chance of being exposed to and spreading the virus was kept to a minimum this school year. The IE Office staff invites all our students to join activities, clubs, and sports when we welcome them to school each semester, but it’s our ambassadors who are great at encouraging their news friends and best able to influence them. Their passion and participation make them great role models and it’s natural for them to promote the benefits for our international students.

They don’t view their responsibilities as a burden, but instead see this as a great learning opportunity that can be used for future life success. Joining sports and clubs gives them the challenge of identifying and solving problems, collaborating with team members, overcoming adversity, and instilling pride in the school and community. They are gaining great life experiences that helps them to develop as better people, not simply better athletes.

Rui T. | China

Varsity Girls Tennis

Thu N. | Vietnam

Junior Varsity Girls Tennis

Duyen P. | Vietnam Junior Varsity Girls Tennis

Tanya L. | Taiwan . Junior Varsity . Girls Tennis

Suan C. | Korea

Junior Varsity Girls Tennis

Zoe Y. | China

Junior Varsity Girls Tennis

Sunny Y. | China

Class of 2022

Shirley O. | China

Class of 2022

Fun with Friends

Girls Bowling has given senior girls, Sunny Y., Maggie L., and Shirley O. a chance to meet great teammates and lifelong friends!

Our all-boys St. Edward’s Dormitory hosts ping-pong night, a fun opportunity for our students. They enjoying playing with one another and sometimes get to play against their teachers too!

Maggie L. | China

Class of 2022

community service Giving Back at Food Lifeline

Olympic-Style Tournaments

Five new students were welcomed from Korea, China and Vietnam in January! These students spent a day with Food Lifeline to sort and repackage apples for distribution to food banks, shelters and meal programs in our area. This volunteer effort helps our new students connect with the community, and to the Lancer experience. We are so excited they are here for second semester!

Kennedy Catholic international students and their friends played some Olympic-style tournaments in the gymnasium. It was a memorable time for our students to get de-stress, have fun and enjoy recreation with their classmates. International Olympic Games included tournaments in volleyball, badminton, dodgeball and basketball.

recreational fun!

PHOTO ALBUM >>