A Year of Ex Ed

The+Hong+Kong+International+School

Sarah Scharlin Ben-Hamoo

The Hong Kong International School

Molly and Sarah Scharlin Ben-Hamoo, two former AHS students, have embarked on an experiential trip taking them all the way across the world. They are no longer attending Aspen High School, but in their own way they have just entered into a year of Ex Ed. The moment they stepped off their plane flight from Denver to Hong Kong a window of new opportunities awaited them.

The Scharlin Ben-Hamoos are no longer attending AHS due to the family’s itching desire for adventure. The Scharlin Ben-Hamoo’s goal in moving to Hong Kong was to change it up, and they tackled that goal by moving 11,996 kilometers.

“The whole family wanted to have an adventure,” said Sarah.

Moving across the world is an adventure on its own, but the Scharlin Ben-Hamoos adventure is far more than just moving to Hong Kong. Their trip did not just begin before their big move this summer; it began when they decided they were going to go to Hong Kong, for they underwent a yearlong process getting there. The Scharlin Ben-Hamoos applied to the school they hoped to attend, and they got in. Their parents flew out to find a place to live, and Molly and Sarah are now attending the Hong Kong International School. The girls have no idea how their mother found out about this school, but they are grateful she did.

“I’m glad she did because it is so beautiful,” Sarah said.

Within this one broad experience, Molly and Sarah explain that many more opportunities have come up through their school. Moving to a new school can be extremely challenging, but that didn’t seem to be much of a problem for these girls.

“The people are mostly very nice and welcoming. Because the school is international, it is a very transient community, so many people have lived all over the world,” Sarah said.

So far they have been enjoying everything their new school has to offer. Some of the classes the girls are involved in include Humanities, Spanish, Honors Chemistry, Pre Calculus, PE, and Asian History in Action. The action component of Asian History in Action means exactly what it implies, for they are definitely in action.

“In Asian History in Action we are going to Cambodia twice to volunteer at an orphanage,” Sarah said.

Molly and Sarah are not only going to Cambodia, but they might even have the opportunity to go to Africa through another course at their school.

“We have this thing called interim, which is similar to Ex Ed, except we go to places all over Asia and even Africa,” Sarah said.

By moving to Hong Kong, the Scharlin Ben-Hamoos hope to achieve the goal to find an adventure, and by the sounds of it, they will definitely fulfill their goal before they return to AHS for their junior and senior years.