Working with Ascend International

“I have known Guy Armstrong, the leader of Ascend International, for many years. We have become dear friends, not just colleagues. I have sent my students and staff to the USA under programs he organized and I also have received Americans from the USA under the same programs.  Recently, he has agreed to be the International Educational Consultant for my school.  It has been my pleasure to be a partner with Guy, but more deeply, to be a friend and brother to him.  I know Guy cares about my students as much as he cares about his own children and students. I trust him as a leader and friend.  If you are considering working or partnering with Ascend International in some way, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.”

Lu Yipeng   (Headmaster: Blue Tassel School- Suzhou, China)

Passages: Collegiate and Young Professionals’ Program

“In the summer of 2011, I had the privilege of participating in a summer program organized by Guy Armstrong, the President of Ascend International.  Guy guided me through the selection of a program, the application, visas, flight and even found my host family for me. Through the process I learned he cares a lot about me and the others he helped participate.

My summer program was with Chick-fil-a, one of the top leadership development companies in the U.S.A.  It was a remarkable experience for me. I learned a lot about leadership. When you work in a team, you can show your leadership even though sometimes you are not the assigned leader. The workers in Chick-fil-a gave me good examples.  They took great initiative and consistently put the customers first. I enhanced my marketing skills there, which gave me a lot of inspiration when I hunted for new jobs after graduation.

I also enjoyed the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and my host family. The city is beautiful and comfortable. I had opportunity to do many fun activities with my host family, including going to church, meeting their friends and a holiday away in the mountains. We would often sit together at night, sharing interesting stories about our lives. I learned so much about American Culture through them. I miss them very much.

I am grateful for the development I received from my summer program. It helped me grow as a person and learn about living in another culture. It gave me skills and experience necessary to find a job after graduation.

All in all, this is a fantastic program. It helps me know more about American culture, make friends with American people and make my summer holiday interesting and meaningful.”    — Ling

Attending Mock (Practice English) Interviews at Universities in China

“My name is (name omitted for privacy) and my English name is Terry. You may remember that I joined the Mock Interview last evening. It’s a big honor for me to have you interviewed me in the third round. I’d like to say thank you very much! I’ve learned a lot from both your speech and your teaching us interview skills.

I’m pretty glad to tell you that I past an interview this noon, and this is kind of like my ideal job——I was looking for a job which is not only concerning to the cost of construction , but also I can use English I’ve learned from school to my work——the job is exactly what I want! I think if I did not attend the chair hold last night, I would never realize what abilities I need and what I should say to answer the employer’s question correctly so soon.

I think it’s so nice of you to spend your time in non-profit and business sectors. I want to show my respect after I know about your story through the Internet. I am looking forward your next arrival to (university omitted for privacy), and I will definitely attend again to catch the chance to communicate with you and your team.”