Traveling the world on a boat while completing her final year of high school. This is the dream of Kalia Comparato-Bęziel, a 17-year-old student at Marie-Pila School in Carpentras. Inspired and adventurous, she has joined the international A + World Academy program, which allows her to complete her last year of high school on a sailboat.
“Stepping out of my comfort zone”
It was while “scrolling through Instagram” that the idea came to her. “I discovered this Swiss program, which follows the American school system,” explains Kalia. After several contacts and interviews in English, the answer came: “I was accepted!” From August 20, 2026 to June 20, 2027, the student will embark on a 57-meter three-masted ship, “I will attend a traditional senior class, but one that will open doors to universities, both in France and abroad,” she explains.
The goal of the exercise? “Stepping out of my comfort zone”. After traveling alone to Ireland at the age of 12 and participating in a school exchange in the United States last year, Kalia sets herself a new challenge. But beyond the academic ambition, the student emphasizes “the ecological aspect” of the program. “The engine will hardly ever be used, we sail with the sails,” she says.
15 global destinations
Cape Verde, Suriname, Guadeloupe, New York, England, the Canary Islands, Saint-Malo, as well as Norway, Spain, and Portugal, in total, the boat will make a little round-the-world trip to 15 different countries. “We will stop in each country we pass through to visit but also help the local populations.” The program includes food bank visits, pollution operations, and sea cleaning, among others.
“Such an experience opens the mind to the world and the sea, which is another universe,” says Kalia, who will be accompanied by 72 other students from different nationalities aboard the boat. “We will discover other languages and cultures,” she rejoices, almost perfecting her English.
But a program of this scale comes at a cost. A total of €66,500 is needed. The price of the training is justified by the remuneration of the crew on board, the teachers, and the maintenance of the boat, among other things. For this, she calls for generosity, especially from businesses or potential sponsors. In return, Kalia explains that she commits “to produce content for social networks, on a specific topic that could interest businesses.”
