My daughter had the privilege of attending the International Summer School of Scotland at St. Andrews University for three weeks during the summer prior to her junior and senior year. I can say, that ISSOS was one of the most amazing experiences she has ever had. During her time there, she met numerous students from all over the world. Meeting students from various religious and cultural backgrounds opened her eyes to ideology and issues that were once foreign to her. It was intriguing how she learned to see what they had in common and not just focus on the apparent differences. With a balanced program of academia and culture, ISSOS provided her with an environment where she could learn within an encouraging and supportive environment. During her time there, she studied youth leadership, debate, film, and tennis. The experience provided her with unique developmental, educational and cultural benefits that would not be able to be replicated in a traditional classroom. In particular, the debate class combined the building blocks of argumentation and presentation with an introduction to basic political and philosophical theory necessary to debate a wide range of issues. Her ability to debate topics outside her comfort zone improved dramatically. As a freshman in college, this exposure has given her great confidence in many of her speech and international business classes in college. Twice a week, she had the opportunity to explore parts of Scotland, getting to know the culture and history. Meeting students from over 70 nationalities was truly a valuable and life changing experience. The relationships she formed with these students gave me a better understanding of international issues and conflicts. She still stays in touch with many of the students she met during her time there. The program taught her so many valuable lessons and experiences that she will carry with her forever.