Having completed her studies in medicine, we recently asked Dr. Amrita Roy, who graduated from Townshend in 2005, to share her thoughts with prospective Townshend students. Here is what she had to say:
Dear Future Townshend Student,
I am writing to tell you a little bit about a wonderful place I called home almost ten years ago, but one that I shall hold close to my heart forever – Townshend International School, in the Czech Republic.
I was born in India, where I completed my primary and secondary education until Class11. In 2003, I moved with my family to the Czech Republic, where I lived for two years, until I finished high school. I started my new life in this tiny country in the heart of Europe with a lot of fears, especially since I hadn’t really travelled abroad before.
As children growing up in India, the thought of going to boarding schools was incredibly scary! And here I was in a country halfway across the world from my own, and considering going to live in a boarding school halfway across the country from my parents!
However after a visit to the campus and a short interview with Mrs. Reyhani (who greeted us with a smile from the moment she opened the door to her office), I knew I had to go to that school!
Now it has been almost ten years since I took graduation pictures with my class- and looking back, I can say that if it weren’t for Townshend, I would probably not be where I am now.
I work as a doctor, and a great part of my work involves communicating with patients, fellow doctors and medical students. Looking back to my first days at Townshend, as a shy new girl, I would never have imagined that after two years of living with students from almost every continent, working on group assignments, learning to give oral presentations, I would one day be teaching medical students, participating in seminars with senior clinicians and most of all, helping bring sick people back up on their feet.
Going to Townshend was not just like going to any other high school. I can say that every one of my teachers contributed to who I have become today- not only through the subjects they taught me, but because each one of them set a very unique example in his or her own way! Not only did they motivate us to learn, but they were also always available for help whenever a student needed assistance with schoolwork or advice on planning future careers. Our dorm parents were always there for us when we needed help with homework, flooded our bathrooms, or just needed a hug when we were missing home.
I could write a book about my wonderful experiences at Townshend, but I recommend you try it out for yourself. And make sure you note down every one of those happy memories as you’re living them! Maybe one day you’ll be writing a letter just like this to another teenager somewhere halfway across the world!
All the best!
Amrita Roy
Amrita (second from left) with classmates during her days at Townshend.