When Nicolas Sharareh ’25 was interviewed by CCTV in China, he only had trouble answering one question: Describe your trip in one word.

“My answer was basketball, but it was bigger than basketball.” Nicolas shared. “What started with a little orange ball turned into a huge cultural exchange experience. I got to see a new place in the world and see the ways it’s so different from other places I’ve been and lived.”

He has been managing the basketball team at George School since freshman year, expanding his manager responsibilities through sophomore and junior year. Now a senior, Nicolas has taken on responsibilities beyond the norm for a high school team manager. This past summer, Nicolas traveled with the team to China, using his fluency in Mandarin to facilitate cultural exchange.

Nicolas learned to speak Mandarin from a young age, when his parents enrolled him in an immersion school. “From kindergarten through second grade, Monday through Friday, my everyday school immersion experience with no English taught me Chinese language skills. From third grade through seventh grade, I attended public school and continued with four hours of Mandarin each week. I took AP Chinese last year and have continued speaking it.”

In the beginning, it was Nicolas’ parents who influenced his language education. “For most of my life, I didn’t understand the significance of being able to speak another language. It became routine after years. Until George School basketball brought me to China, I didn’t really appreciate the skill I had developed.”

The impact of Nicolas’ language skills became apparent when in China when people became reliant on him to communicate with others. “Everyone sees the people in China through a different lens because communication is tough. I realized China could be a place I could end up in life through this experience.”

CCTV, the primary news outlet in China, requested to interview Nicolas to feature the incredible cultural exchange that happened. “[Head of School] Justin Brandon told me that CCTV wanted to interview me, and I had no clue what CCTV was in that moment. [Director of Admission] Kim Major told me it was the CNN/Fox News of China and that up to a billion people watch it. I’ve never done anything that big before, so I was in awe. In the moment it was only me, the interviewer, and the camera operator, but I knew it was bigger and didn’t want to seem nervous.”

Being a manager on the road in China was another amazing experience for Nicolas. “There were over a thousand spectators in the stands. After the game, people came up to me to ask for my autograph. I’m used to being around high-profile guys, but the spotlight like that was a new experience.”

Nicolas values his position of manager of the basketball team. “Basketball has been a huge part of my life. While I realized playing the sport was not the route for me, I love basketball and didn’t want to give it up. At George School, I chose to step away from playing and go into the manager role.”

Coach Ben Luber models the team to simulate a college environment, giving Nicolas the opportunity to expand his role and understand the operations of a basketball program.

“My role has expanded each year. Freshman year, I worked the clock during practice and did water during games. Sophomore year, I worked players out in my free time to get us better to win more games. Junior year, I spent hours clipping film, running full team film sessions, and ran practices when coach was not available. As the manager, I’ve been able to network with college coaches who come to George School to see our players.”

Now in his senior year, Nicolas hopes to use his experiences to pursue a career in basketball coaching.

“Not every school gets a college-level coach like we have in Ben. I got really lucky ending up at George School.”