Students from Gungahlin College in Canberra, Australia will be visiting George Mason this Friday, April 7, to tour the school, meet the students, and introduce the teachers to Australian Rules football.

“They wanted to see if they could just come by and see what we do and, in a way, expose themselves to American culture through the lens of an American high school,” said principal Matt Hills.

“Their system there is a little different than ours,” said Hills.

The visiting students are all in grades 11 or 12, juniors or seniors in high school, but take college courses, similar to Mason’s dual enrollment program.  

Arriving at Mason at 9:00 a.m., they plan to spend an entire school day with us. The Mason ambassadors will be paired with 2 students each and tour the school with them, let them into their classes, and show them how a typical American school day works. And during our extended lunch period, the visitors will show GM how to play Australian Rules football.

“We have teachers that are participating in a clinic. They’re going to teach the teachers how to play, and the students are gonna watch, and then we are going to play a game.” said Hills.

After the school day, the student visitors will later return to be an audience to Mason’s varsity boys lacrosse game that night at 7:30.

Australian rules football, which is not rugby or American football, is more of a modification of the both. Two teams of eighteen players run, kick, or throw the ball with the goal being to get it through two posts at the ends of a cricket ground-shaped field. This sport combined with GM teachers will surely be a good way to spend the Friday before break.

A former Mason student, whom after two years of attending Mason moved to Australia, reached out to Hills almost a year and a half ago and brought up ideas about plans for the trip.

“Always the connections,” said Mr. Hills.

The Australian’s visit will be a fun and exciting way to kick off spring break.