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When international students begin to struggle

By Stephen C. Schultz


“Making the decision to send him to the other side of the world to an American desert was not an easy decision; we now know that it was the best decision we have ever made in our lives.”
Sandra - UK Parent

Discovery Academy, as well as our sister programs, have seen an increase in foreign students needing the very specialized educational opportunities we offer. Over the last few years, we have assisted students from the UK, Australia, Singapore, Israel, Brazil, Russia, France, Netherlands, Dubai, Guatemala, China and Spain to name a few. 

The students we work with struggle with an emotional concern of some kind and find themselves in the culturally embarrassing position of failing or dropping out of school. Often these students struggle with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or substance use. Concerns with technology use and abuse of “Gaming” and "Pornography" have increased over the last few years.  It may also be a complicated combination of two or more issues. Sometimes it is simply a sense of entitlement and a narcissistic attitude that more traditional parents struggle to deal with. Either way, the student’s academic achievement is being impacted in a negative way.
These are some links to my blog that I hope you find helpful.


 International Boarding School Educates Struggling Students From Around The World 

 Adversity - Can We Avoid It? 


The most important thing to remember is that we can provide an International Boarding School experience for students who are struggling with their current placement. We are an exclusive and personalized solution for families and students to find success in the face of embarrassment and potential failure.
I was speaking with an educator in Canada. She shared an experience she had with a girl attending their school who was from China. This particular student was struggling with an eating disorder (Anorexia) and the school ended up releasing her from school and sending her home. The educator then asked me, “You could have worked with this student?” My answer was, “Absolutely!”
So, we specialize in assisting teens who are studying abroad and young adults who are struggling with university. The students do need to speak English at an intermediate level.
If you are aware of a student that meets this criterion, you can contact an IECA Consultant who specializes in therapeutic placements and ask about Discovery Academy or any of the sister programs such as Discovery Ranch, RedCliff Ascent or Oxbow Academy. Or, you can run the situation by me. I am more than happy to help problem solve any situation.  
I am very interested in your thoughts and feedback. We have been SEVIS certified since 2005 and have been approved to issue Forms I-20 and maintain current F-1/M-1 student records.

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