Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Mar 2010: Trent InternationalE Opens Its Doors to Foreign Students

Nine international student athletes from the Bahamas and Ghana are attending Trent InternationalE School in Sugar Land as part of the Prep Team, launched in 2010.

This program gives student athletes an opportunity to acclimate to the U.S. academically and athletically and to understand the fine balance between academics and sports that is necessary for a well-rounded life.

The nine young men—seven basketball players and two football players—joined the school through a partnership with the Frank

Rutherford Foundation.

Once their education is complete at Trent, the athletes will continue their sports and academics at the college level by way of athletic scholarships.

Alvin Brooks, head coach at the University of Houston, is the coach for the Prep Team. Mentoring, motivation and training are provided by current and former NBA and NFL athletes such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Rick Fox, Calvin Cato, Steve Francis, John Lucas, Robert Ferguson, Devard Darling, Corey Bradford and Andre Ware.

According to athlete and foundation director Frank Rutherford, Trent was the first private school he found in the area that is equipped to acclimate foreign students to the demands of student athletic life.

Located in a 17,000-square-foot building on Lexington Boulevard, Trent adds its own innovative twist to established curricula of traditional Eastern and European academies. The Trent program involves each student in his or her own learning process.

“Our programs are designed to instill a love of knowledge in our students, and to help them acquire the skills that will motivate them to thrive and succeed both in college, and in our increasingly global society, ” said school director Reeya Raman.

Trent has been using innovative teaching techniques throughout its 15-year history at the elementary, middle school and upper school levels. Any student at Trent is eligible to try out for the sports teams —basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and track.

Trent’s curriculum not only covers all grade-level requirements, but provides full introductory courses in engineering, law and medicine that enable students to develop a better perspective of their own goals. For more information, go to www.trentinternationale.com.