Hello, I’m Joana Grossinho, I’m sixteen years old and I’m from Portugal. Currently I am in my final year of the Dual Diploma program, in grade 11, which corresponds to the junior year in the United States. When I learned about this program, I was immediately very motivated. I wanted to do more, challenge myself, and I am leaving with no regrets. By participating in this program I have not only benefited in academic terms, such as learning how to write essays, the fact that my vocabulary increased greatly, the enrichment of my organizations skills, efficient studying techniques, and so on, but in personal aspects. Being a part of this program as highly developed my personal self, I have learned over this past three years we can achieve more than we think we do, and the course of Life Management Skills helped us develop a sense of confidence and encouraged us to grow within ourselves, being the course that I enjoyed most deeply. The live sessions were also obligated us to leave our comfort zone and challenge ourselves, and as a result my pronunciation has developed highly. As with everything, being in this program also has its drawbacks. Sometimes it’s hard to conciliate school with Dual Diploma, there are certain periods of time where it’s hard to keep up, but with the help of the teachers and all the resources we have available, it’s possible to succeed. For this opportunity, my amazing teachers, and what it has given to me I am forever grateful.
Joana Machado Lopes Grossinho
