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48 ShAKerONLINE.COM | SUMMER 2015 Madame Ambassador Meet Myriam Neil: mother of two Shaker alums and one current Shaker High student; administrative assistant extraordinaire at the main office of Shaker Heights High School; and unofficial greeter for international students and families who visit from every corner of the globe. It helps that Madame Neil speaks four languages fluently: English, French (her native language), German, and Spanish. “I also have enough words to joke a bit in Arabic and greet in Mandarin Chinese,” she adds. It also helps that she provides administrative support for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Shaker High, which Neil says “has definitely been a draw for several of our international families and students.” On any given day, you’ll hear a wide variety of languages and accents emanating from the area around her desk, where international students can go for a friendly greeting, and American students can come to practice what they are learning in class. (Neil also runs a lunchtime language table three days a week in the cafeteria for just that purpose.) “When our international students first arrive, I make sure to find them so that I can welcome them and let them know that someone knows their name,” says Neil. At any given time, up to 10 international students are enrolled at the High School as exchange students. According to Neil, most come to feel at home very quickly. “Shaker is a place that integrates people well,” she says. “Our students are very worldly and welcoming. Many of them have traveled abroad with their families or on school trips, so they are open to learning about other cultures.” Neil sees major benefits for both the visiting students and for the American students who get to know them. “For Americans who can’t travel, it brings the world to them and breaks down barriers. And for the students who come here, it changes their lives, and gives them a chance to interact with a range of people they will never find anywhere else.” To learn more about international exchange programs and opportunities offered through the Shaker schools, visit www.shaker.org/internationaltravel.aspx. SL “When our international students first arrive, I make sure to find them so that I can welcome them and let them know that someone knows their name.”


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