Since 2023, Ayb School has been a member of the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching (COST), which offers U.S. students the opportunity to gain international teaching experience in schools around the world. The Consortium’s international placements are coordinated by Grand Valley State University, which collaborates with Ayb School.
As part of this collaboration, in the spring of 2025, Ayb School hosted Larissa Hawker from the University of Georgia, who taught world history and English to students in grades 8–11.
“I always knew I wanted to become a teacher—I just had to decide which subject to teach. I loved helping my classmates with homework, enjoyed working with kids, and simply loved school. And I was drawn to the social sciences because they allow you to deeply study people,” Larissa shared.
Larissa chose Armenia as her placement with great curiosity:
“When I was going through the list of countries, I realized how little I knew about Armenia. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore a place that normally wouldn’t be on my path.”
During her stay, Larissa visited Garni, Geghard, Dilijan, and Gyumri, and was especially impressed by both the cultural heritage and the warm hospitality.
With a smile, she recalls her impressions of Ayb:
“The school’s values, its atmosphere, the students’ engagement, and the teachers’ dedication are truly impressive. I deeply appreciate how thoughtfully everything is designed at Ayb to make the learning experience as effective as possible—both for students and teachers.”
When asked about the most memorable moment of her teaching experience, Larissa says:
“With my 8th-grade students, we held a small ceremony to mark the death of a book character. The students had written incredibly touching eulogies. As they were reading them aloud, I just started crying.”
Larissa is confident that the months she spent at Ayb will have a lasting impact on her professional development. For her, the program became a journey of mutual learning and an exchange of ideas.
“Ayb’s collaborative and family-like atmosphere as well as mentor teachers’ approaches—both methodologically and personally—gave me so many new ideas. And my students reminded me how important it is to believe in your own abilities. I’m just thankful to everyone.”