By: Sania Green Reynolds and Leisa Grace Wilson
The proceedings opened with a warm welcome from Jaya Bhavnani, Executive Director of Dwight Global, who introduced student hosts Anvith and Bhavya, setting the tone for a celebration defined by student leadership, creativity, and global perspective. She reflected on how deeply impressed she was by the students’ ability to plan, coordinate, and execute the event, an accomplishment she described as the highlight of the evening.
Among these celebrated and accomplished student leaders were Anvith, a Dwight Global Junior whose spark is fencing, and Bhavya, whose passion for music and global issues has translated into meaningful action. Together, they chaired the afternoon’s proceedings and kept the audience engaged and entertained.
The Best of Both Worlds
The Dwight Schools Vice-Chancellor, Dr Blake Spahn, energised the room with humour and candour in his opening remarks, joking that for him as a parent, the best thing about Dwight Global is that it’s all online, and the worst thing about Dwight Global is that it’s all online. His own son, a tenth grader, transitioned from Dwight School New York to the Dwight Global Online School, giving Dr Spahn the rare privilege of viewing the school through both leadership and parental lenses.
He spoke passionately about the importance of giving students space to discover their spark, noting that Dwight Global’s online structure cultivates self-management and time-management skills that are essential for university and beyond. Dr Spahn also acknowledged Jaya’s extraordinary contributions, describing her as a foundational pillar of the online school, someone who, in its early days, taught classes, supported admissions, and filled every gap necessary to ensure the school’s success.
He emphasised that Dwight Global students consistently excel in higher education because the programme mirrors the rigour, independence, and expectations of university-level learning. Dwight Global, he noted, uniquely blends the heartbeat of a brick-and-mortar school with the flexibility of an online model.
Fresh from Shanghai, Head of School Louisa Childs echoed this sentiment, expressing delight at meeting families, both current and alumni, in person. Many attendees, too, had just returned from Shanghai, where students participated in the Dwight Schools Global Concert, further underscoring the school’s international reach and unique blend of an online school with local communities for family engagement.
From the Classroom to the Real World
Alumni reflections brought the programme’s long-term impact into sharp focus. Ismail, Class of 2023, spoke with gratitude about the learning environment Dwight Global provided, particularly as emerging technologies like ChatGPT were rapidly evolving around the time of his graduation. He credited the school with encouraging him to pursue his interests in computer science and entrepreneurship.
Today, he is putting those skills into practice, having recently placed second at the Cleveland Clinic Hackathon at 42 Abu Dhabi, where he also had the opportunity to meet His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. The achievement represents a culmination of the soft and hard skills he developed during his time at Dwight Global.
Leyla Daulet, another alumna, shared her journey as a globally minded creative whose sparks span music, acting, and entrepreneurship. Having grown up in Dubai and later moving overseas during middle school, she joined Dwight Global in 2018, well ahead of the mainstream shift towards online education. She described the decision as a transformative one that gave her the time and discipline to pursue her passions.
Though challenging at first, she found her rhythm, completed her sophomore year early, and now that she’s back in Dubai, she has launched her own fashion brand and is putting all her skills to active use.
Student Leadership in Action
Entertainment for the evening came courtesy of Kira and Maria, who had also just returned from the Global Concert in Shanghai. The two performed a heartfelt and at times playful rendition of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. They later performed the Dwight School song in a most spirited manner. The young women shared reflections on their Dwight Schools Global Concert experience, pointing out a specific performance that captured the spirit of experimentation encouraged by their Music Teacher.
Anvith later expanded on another of his sparks: founding and leading the Dwight Global Climate Action Club. The sustainability project, which is on track to make Dwight Global the first carbon-neutral online school, received funding from the Dwight School Foundation after a rigorous pitch process. Anvith described how he built the club with sustainability and legacy in mind, ensuring continuity through student leadership. The club designs personalised activities based on a carefully curated student survey.
To build upon this foundation, he has hosted workshops on Schoolhouse by Khan Academy following his completion of MIT’s and Climate Interactive’s En-ROADS Climate Simulator. Anvith will attend the Villars Symposium in Switzerland this June, which will focus on climate and systems thinking.
In the same breath, co-host Bhavya highlighted her leadership role in the Global Issues Network, where this year’s team launched an organisation dedicated to women’s empowerment, particularly in healthcare access and educational innovation worldwide. Her parents watched on in sheer delight and later shared their pride in her growth and impact.
UAE Students Finding Their Spark
Present were Emirati students and families enquiring about the Dwight Global Online School’s experience. Among them: a sixteen-year-old international competitive show jumper pursuing an American curriculum with plans to study equestrian sciences at a U.S. University; a thirteen-year-old fencer and netballer who will make her international debut at the Arab League next week and is on track to become the first Emirati netball player in a sport largely dominated by expatriates; and an eleven-year-old fencer and footballer.
The allure here is the flexibility that Dwight Global could provide these students as they travel to compete and pursue their ‘spark’, something traditional schools have struggled to provide for the family, despite their patience.
Grade 12 student Mohammed Shahram spoke about the flexibility of the US curriculum in the Dwight Global environment, which allows him to pursue cricket, having run his own academy whilst playing with the UAE Under-16 team, as well as being an avid badminton player. He appreciates the regular check-ins from deans and teachers and plans to pursue a BBA locally. His mother shared her satisfaction with both his academic progress and overall well-being.
International Achievement
Another standout was Youssef Kassem, an 18-year-old Lebanese student who arrived dressed for competition; he’d later attend the Dubai Police Games. Having been with Dwight Global for six years, he praised the flexibility and strong sense of community.
An accomplished international tennis player representing Lebanon’s national team, Youssef won the University Tennis Rating tournament two months ago, as well as the Rackets Academy UTR showcase. He was also the Södertälje Audi Cup singles winner and doubles finalist. Youssef is currently in discussions with Swedish clubs as he plans a professional career.
The Numbers Behind the Magic
During a trivia segment led by ninth grader Naira, attendees learned that Dwight Global offers an average class size of seven students, 148 courses, and has been operating since 2014.
Bhavya later returned to the stage to share her musical spark, performing a jazzy rendition of “From the Start” by Laufey. She shared her aspirations to study law and business at Harvard whilst continuing her music career, and elaborated on her upcoming Spark Project, producing a music album in collaboration with fellow Dwight Global students. She has also qualified for the prestigious DECA regional competition in Orlando, Florida, this March.
Future-Focused Learning
Conversations continued with families and students, including Ethan, now deeply engaged in AP Precalculus and algorithmic trading, developing trading bots whilst studying Python and Java. His parents reflected on how Dwight Global’s flexibility has enabled this advanced learner to pursue interests ranging from cryptocurrency to competitive sports, whilst benefitting from a local community.
Also in attendance was Faiza Qureshi, Discipline Lead for the Master of Education and Foundation Studies at Murdoch University, who spoke on the university’s official partnership with Dwight Global Online School. Jaya, in return, contributes to the partnership by sharing her expertise through guest lecturing at the university.
Erika, a Finnish parent who’s actively exploring future enrolment, shared her impressions as well. She felt inspired by the school’s flexibility for her son, Yonas, a 13-year-old footballer and electric guitarist, and felt hopeful that Dwight Global may also be the right fit for her daughter, Maya, as she approaches middle school.
A Model for Different Needs
Alumni voices rounded out the evening. Ryad, an Emirati alumnus from 2019, chose Dwight Global after returning from the U.S., where he had received specialised support for dyslexia. He found comparable support at Dwight and now studies HR and Management locally whilst working part-time as a data analyst.
Tennis player Manan Ahuja, an 11th grader and finalist in the Pro Global Junior Tour, was unable to attend due to travel but was represented by his mother, who shared her delight with the institution.
A Community Beyond Geography
As the evening drew to a close, families, students, and faculty lingered, continuing conversations, exchanging stories, and reinforcing the sense of community that defines Dwight Global Online School.
The Spark Social 2026 achieved its purpose: demonstrating that education need not be confined to physical walls or rigid schedules. For students whose sparks burn brightly, whether in sports, arts, entrepreneurship, or academics, Dwight Global Online School offers a model that asks not what students can sacrifice for their education, but how education can serve their fullest development.
In a region where educational innovation is increasingly valued and diverse learning pathways are gaining recognition, Dwight Global’s decade of experience offers compelling evidence that when schools prioritise flexibility, rigour, and student agency, remarkable things become possible.
Dwight Global Online School , a campus of The Dwight Schools, serves students across the UAE and internationally, offering both fully online and hybrid learning models with small class sizes and comprehensive support systems.
