Imagine The word imagine is key in where I want to take you tonight.

I want you to imagine that you are yourself. Yeah, you heard me. Imagine that you are yourself. Imagine yourself on this school, walking through these corridors, being taught in these classrooms. Imagine that these classes would be in English. You probably wont be able to. You may have had some English lessons, but to have almost all your classes in English? How? Isnt that impossible? That were my thoughts exactly when I came here on my first day. It was a Tuesday and it was quite sunny. As I entered the building without wearing a jacket, it was quite warm outside, I couldnt help but wonder. I knew some English words. Especially words associated with food. Yeah, I could tell you exactly what cauliflower was, but forming proper a English sentence I had no idea how. School started and things became easier. Days turned into weeks and soon I realized that I wasnt that bad after all. Soon I realized that I could do this, just like everybody else. Soon I realized that I was not going to fail. More recently, I have made the step from English back to Dutch. We have to prepare for our finals, which will be in Dutch, and thats why we couldnt continue speaking English all the time anymore. The moment that my books arrived I was mortified. The books in my native language scared me. I was afraid that I wouldnt understand, that I was going to fail. I felt exactly like how I had felt that first day on TTO. I was scared that I wasnt going to make it and that the switch was going to be too much, maar dat is volgens mij wel goed gekomen. Ik heb de omslag zonder problemen gemaakt en merk alleen maar voordelen van het TTO in plaats van de door mij verwachte nadelen. After hearing me talk for a while, you may think that there only are scary things about TTO. That is something that is not true. Yes, its scary at times, but most of all it is extremely fun. TTO goes on trips like going to England for a few days or going on an international exchange. We also have many extra activities that normal students dont have, like for example the annual Shakespeare project in which you will learn a lot about Shakespeare and his tales. But one of the best things about TTO is how amazingly close you get to your class. TTO is like a little community inside of the bigger school community. That was something I couldnt imagine when I got here, but its true. I realized just how close we were when I made the switch back to Dutch and came in contact with the normal VWO students. I realized that I didnt know any of them, but most of all, that they barely knew each other! I had expected them to be just as close as I was with all my classmates and with the people in the other TTO class, whom I all think of as friends, but that didnt live up to my expectations. After all this, you might wonder something. Would I recommend TTO? Good question. 4 years ago I was here too. I was sitting there (points) There (points somewhere else) Or was it there? (points somewhere else) I was somewhere back there (big hand movement) listening to people talking just like I am doing right now. They told me TTO was a great thing and that I should certainly do it. But so did all the other schools and programs. The words didnt truly convince me. They mostly left me confused with a lot of things to think about.

Now let me tell you. There are no words to accurately describe TTO. Its more than having your lessons in English. Its more than being close to your class. Its more than just a type of schooling. Before coming here, I was lost. I didnt know who I was and I didnt know what I wanted. I do now, thanks to TTO. TTO taught me to be independent, to ask questions and to take nothing for granted. TTO taught me to think, to examine and to come up with evidence. But TTO also taught me who I am, what I want and mostly, how to be myself. TTO surrounded me with amazing people, and even though the official TTO program is over for me, I still talk to many of those people and they are never done teaching me new things. I probably cant convince you. I dont think anybody can. I can, however, ask you to imagine. Imagine that you are yourself. Imagine yourself on this school, walking through these corridors, being taught in these classrooms. Imagine that these classes would be in English. (Dramatic silence, perhaps people will applaud or something) There is a small group of students that tonight will act as a panel to answer regularly asked questions regarding the TTO program. I would like to introduce an English teacher at this school who is actively involved with TTO, mister Hunter, who will be leading this panel.