Staff at Embassy

Oxford student scales Kendo heights

Not long ago, we mentioned that Embassy Boston Downtown had a Judo champion, Fernanda Pimentel de Araujo among its students.

Well, Boston Downtown is not the only Embassy school to host a martial arts supremo: Embassy Oxford is now school to a formidable Kendo practitioner, Akari Sugiyama.

Akari explains: "I have been practising Kendo for 13 years. Kendo is a martial art. We use a bamboo swords and wear fighting gear ( mask, gloves, etc..). Although it looks like Japanese fencing, we have original “Rei” spirit that shows your respect for your teachers, friends, parents and your sword.

"I have won two ladies' individual tournaments. One was in London, the other was in Belgium. Both competitions were similar in size; about 60 women attended. I fought five times to get first place.

"In the final, I had a long match, I kept my concentration so that I managed to win."

 

We are impressed! Now we hope that Akari can apply the same levels of concentration and discipline to her English studies.

 

Judo champion at Embassy Boston Downtown

Linda Walsh, Director of Embassy Boston Downtown, writes:

We have a celebrity in the school!

Fernanda Pimentel de Araujo may be only twenty years old, but this feisty judo champion is working her way to great heights. Winning matches, which Fernanda claims is her favorite part of judo, seems to come easily to the Brazilian star. This past year, she won medals at Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell Tournament as well as Miami’s Junior U.S. Open. 

Her instructor and mentor is Jim Pedro, a world renowned judo player who has won two Olympic medals. Fernanda herself hopes to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, and we at Embassy wish her the best of luck.

Fernanda said, “Studying at Embassy, beside learning English, I had the opportunity to make many friends and learn about different cultures. It was definitely one of the best experiences I've had.”

 

Embassy Brisbane students love the Australian Football League!

There are so many great things to see and do in Brisbane, so our staff and students are never bored! Annie Azano, the Brisbane Activities Coordinator, writes about the latest excursion the school's staff and students enjoyed:

'On April 17th nearly 50 Embassy Brisbane students and teachers got together to watch the Brisbane Lions play the Western Bulldogs at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (also known as the Gabba). It was a great Australian experience for our students. The seats were very close to the field so everyone had a wonderful view of the action. The Lions were losing in the first half, but came back to beat the Bulldogs 101 points to 79. Students were cheering and shouting along with the rest of the crowd and even joined in to sing when the Lions won.

After the game, the group was able to enjoy the unique experience of rushing onto the field. “I love AFL,” French student Aurelie Gorge proclaimed at the end of the game. The students can’t wait for their next trip to an AFL game will take place on July 31st when the Lions play the Melbourne Demons.'

Do you want to find out more about all the exciting trips and activities offered to Embassy students? Take a look at the Embassy Brisbane activities and excursions page to see a list of the most popular excursions and the school’s monthly activities calendar. Also, you can find loads more pictures from Embassy Brisbane on the Facebook photo gallery.

Recent news from our Embassy schools

Here is a round-up of news from our various schools around the world. As you can see, there is a lot going on!

• A major project is currently underway to refurbish the library at Embassy Cambridge, and also revitalise some of the classrooms.
• After a year of testing and development, Smart Express classes started last week in New York, Boston, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Cambridge. Will you be on the next Smart Express course? 
• We have lots of special offers on Embassy courses and accommodation at the moment - you can get a bargain if you can be flexible on dates! 
• At Boston Merrimack, students participated in the College's Global Village - an annual event in which students showcase their country’s culture, traditions, clothing, music, and food. We had 12 countries including: Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, China, Japan, France, Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador..., & Brazil. Students took great pride in presenting their countries to the campus community.
• Recently, in Seattle, students headed to the trendy Queen Anne Neighborhood for an “Amazing Race” competition. Working in groups of three, students were given a list of tasks to perform and questions to answer in a period of two hours. They had a great time learning and exploring Seattle alongside their classmates!
• 10 new interactive whiteboards have been installed at Embassy Melbourne, meaning every classroom in that school now has access to this fab technology.
• Embassy Brisbane has a new student residence:  it's just seven minutes from school by bus; has inclusive broadband internet and utilities; and best of all there's a great social community.
• Meanwhile, Brisbane students have enjoyed trips to farmers markets, a table tennis tournament, a pizza & board games day & a sausage sizzle. OK, who knows what a sausage sizzle is? ;)
  
• Embassy Perth has a new Director of Studies - Andrew Foster. Andrew joins us after working for over 10 years with GEOS, and more recently as Senior Director of Studies for GEOS Oceania, where he was responsible for the academic management of 11 schools. He has worked as an English Language Teacher, a Teacher Traine...r and as Director of Studies in Australia, Japan, England and New Zealand.
• On Sunday 14 March, 12 teachers and staff from the Auckland campus took part in the annual Round the Bays fun run in aid of the Study Group ‘Plan Haiti Appeal’. Students and staff managed to raise $624.90 for the Plan Haiti Appeal. This amount will be matched by Study Group, so Auckland will be contributing almost $1,250!
• Embassy Sydney now offers 3-day trips for activities such as surfing camps, snowboarding weekends and tours to Melbourne and Canberra.
  

Auckland rugby trip

Carter Voyce, teacher from Embassy Auckland, writes:

On Easter Saturday, 30 Taylors and Embassy students went to a Super 14 rugby match at Eden Park. The mighty Auckland Blues were up against the previously unbeaten (and seemingly unbeatable) Pretoria Bulls.

For most, this was their first rugby game and, complete with blue and white face paint and strong lungs, they quickly got in behind the local lads.

As the sun went down and the stadium lights came on during the second half, it was clear our boys were playing well and holding the upper-hand.

Thanks mainly to the tremendous support shown by Taylors and Embassy students, the Blues went on to win 32 – 17. A great day was had by all!

See more photos from the event on our Embassy Auckland Facebook photo gallery.

Student Intern Interview at San Francisco

 What is your name?
-Yoshimi Isohata

Where are you originally from?
-I'm from Tokyo, Japan

Why are you studying English?
-I want to improve my English skills especially pronunciation and vocabulary. I want to communicate with Americans.

Why did you choose Embassy San Francisco?
-I heard this school has a high quality program. There is a big mix of students.
When I visited the school before I entered, the teacher toured me and they were kindly giving me information. 

Are you having fun?
-Yes, all my classmates have a purpose to do something. So, we can challenge each other. I'm so happy that I can make friends all over the world and it's great to have the cultural exchange.

Tell about your cheerleading career?
-I started cheerleading at university. After I graduated, I was a cheerleader in an American football team in Japan for three years.

Why did you choose to be a cheerleader?
-I worked at a company for three years but I realized what I want to do is be a professional cheerleader. I really want to be a cheerleader in the USA and I would like to have this experience.

Why do you want to be a professional cheerleader in the USA?
-Because in Japan, we don't have professional cheerleaders like in the USA. That's why I decided to improve my English and learn Dance here. If I could be a professional cheerleader, then I would go back to Japan and I want to tell and teach what I study for everybody.

What would you say to future Embassy students?
-If you come here, you need to have your own purpose and just make an effort. You can meet great teachers and great friends. You will have an amazing experience!