At Grace International School, we aim to be Christ-centered, to care for students, as well as to be committed to excellence. So what is it like to be a student at Grace? This month we are hearing from David (Class of 2021) about his time at Grace.
David came to Thailand in 2012 when his father became the Regional Director for Compassion International. After eight years in Thailand, a change of job led his family to Ecuador for the 2020-2021 school year. Instead of moving with them, David made the hard decision of staying in Chiang Mai. He says that he is not only blessed by the quality of education, extracurricular activities and sports that Grace has to offer but that overall, “Grace is a good environment to be in.” David explains, “Being surrounded by believers enhances your faith because it’s easier to relate to people. Through classes such as Sports Leadership, I have learned to serve others better. Honestly, I am a pretty selfish person and learning to put others first has helped me grow in many areas. Also, the teachers and staff aren’t here trying to just do their job, but they want to invest in you as a person.”
Since Grace believes in ‘called staff’, each staff member raises their own support to be here because they felt that God has led them to serve the children of international Christian workers in Asia. When asked about his experience with the teachers and staff at Grace, David says, “The reason why we go to school is to learn, but at Grace it’s more than that. Here, you not only form friendships with other students but also with your teachers, and I think that’s something that’s really awesome and unique. For example, Mr.Mckeown, leads my Bible study and he often checks up on me and asks how I’m doing.” It is this kind of relationship and more that seniors like David are able to take with them once they leave Grace. “Teachers here know that we are in a Christian bubble so they are constantly equipping us to be able to face the temptations of the outside world. When I leave here to go to college, the most important thing from Grace that I will take with me is that God is the centerpiece of everything.”
We are encouraged to hear the experiences of students like David as we continue to be committed to our mission of offering quality and affordable biblically-integrated education for international Christian workers.
With graduation just around the corner, please pray for all of our seniors as God leads them to a new chapter in their lives and that they will be Christian leaders who will impact those around them no matter where they are in the world.