Mansour Saleh Al Zamil, an Institut Montana Zugerberg alumnus, shares his experience during his time with at the school. He is based in Saudi Arabia where he oversees AL AQTAB Group, Al Zamil Heavy Industries Ltd. and has published a book titled, Children of the Clouds, where he details his time at Institut Montana Zugerberg.
I had a good command of English, so the American section was the natural choice for me, but I also took German classes as well.
I had two favourite teachers; Mr. John Mather & Mr. Kevin O’Brien. Not surprisingly, they were my teachers for both biology and history; the two classes I loved most. Both were very sincere and considerate. They put a lot of effort in making sure that the students understood their subjects. Not only that, but they played a major role in our upbringing as boarding students as they were our mentors so to speak. Today, I own an establishment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which focuses on preserving the history of the old town. I believe my love for history from a young age had a lot to do with that. I owe them a lot.
Growing up in an international environment is so important that without this exposure one struggles in life today. Living at school with students from so many other countries brought with it the diversification that we all needed. This deepened our appreciation of others; of how they thought and of why they thought that way. It taught me that there are more views than mine that needed to be respected and understood. It taught me how to accept and respect those who are very different from me.
During my three years Institut Montana Zugerberg, I learned so much. I learned that respect will take you far. I learned that communicating your thoughts with others and respecting theirs took you even further. I learned that discipline is the foundation of tangible results. I learned that rising above our differences only made me see clearer. I learned how to bring up my own children many years later using the same values and principles.
All in all, Institut Montana Zugerberg not only fed my mind, but my heart and soul as well!
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