Campus News

November 10th, 2026

Crellin students hear compelling ‘fairy tale’

Garrett College’s Cardy shares what homeland Isle of Man is like

Fairy bridges, castles, and tailless cats can combine for quite a compelling story.

Especially when it’s all true.

Rosabel Cardy, a Garrett College student athlete from the Isle of Man, shared her story with the students of Crellin Elementary School last Friday as part of the Garrett College international student outreach program. Cardy, a freshman on the Lady Lakers’ women’s soccer team, presented to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, making plenty of new friends along the way.

“It was great just seeing the joy on the kids’ faces and how curious they are, and teaching them new things,” said Cardy, whose home is one of the British Isles, located in the Irish Sea off the northwest coast of England. The Isle of Man has about 84,000 residents – about the same as Ogden, Utah – and is an internally self-governing crown possession of the United Kingdom supervised by the British Home Office.

It also has quite a colorful background, including the Fairy Bridge on the A5 road.

“We have real, live fairies where I come from,” Cardy said during her presentation to the second-graders. “They live under the bridge that I have to go over to get back and forth to work. If you don’t say hello to the fairies, it’s bad luck!”

Cardy also reported that the Isle of Man has a pair of centuries-old castles along with a beach that is one of her favorite spots. The isle also includes a functioning water wheel.

“It generates energy and – fun fact – it’s the biggest waterwheel in the whole world,” said Cardy.

Cardy shared a photo of the Isle of Man flag, which features three legs on a red field.

“Whichever way you throw it, it’ll always stand . . . it signifies strength,” Cardy said of the three-legged symbol.

And then there’s the Manx Cat, which is found exclusively on the Isle of Man.

“It’s famous for being born completely without a tail, or with just a tiny stub, because of a natural genetic change. People say that when this cat was getting on Noah’s boat, the door slammed shut and cut its tail off,” said Cardy.

“It was really great growing up there,” Cardy added. “Great beaches, forests, just kind of everything you want as a kid.”

Cardy also highlighted the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle races, a two-week event that takes place each May and June.

“Every year these motorbikes go on public roads insanely fast – 200 miles an hour!” said Cardy. “You’re watching it and they literally zoom past you. Thousands of people come from around the world to see them race.”

Cardy said she chose to study and play at Garrett College in part because it reminded her a bit of home.

“The location . . . I just felt more comfortable with the trees-and-nature kind of thing,” said Cardy. “It feels more ‘homey.’ ”

Cardy told the students “I’ve played soccer since I was four – longer than you have been alive!” The only pushback she received from the students centered around soccer and the Number 10 she wears in honor of Lionel Messi, the Argentine soccer star.

“Isn’t Messi the greatest?” asked Cardy.

“I like [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” responded one second-grader, referencing the Portuguese star.

“Yeah, Ronaldo,” added a chorus of second-graders, to Cardy’s feigned dismay.

Crellin Elementary Counselor Heidi McKenzie said Garrett College’s international students are a big hit with her students.

“Every one of the Garrett College students I’ve met has had such great skills in the classroom,” said McKenzie. “They’ve all had the personality to fit right in and mesh with our students.

“We have a distinct and awesome local culture, but there’s so much more in the world,” added McKenzie. “It [the international student program] lets our kids see how awesome people are from other cultures around the world.”

Garrett College’s international student program, operated in collaboration with Garrett County Public Schools, has been in existence since 2017 with a brief hiatus during COVID. Former Garrett College Board of Trustees Chair Vianne Bell, retired GCPS Counselor Tim Watson, and GC Director of Admissions & Recruitment Melissa Wass jointly launched the program.

“There is an entire world for children to discover. Meeting people from other countries gives them the opportunity to experience that world firsthand and to realize how much we all have in common,” said Bell. “People come from different cultures, faiths, races, and languages, yet we all laugh, play, love our families, and dream for the future. These visits help children appreciate both our differences and our shared humanity.”

Bell praised Cardy’s seemingly easy connection with the Crellin students.

“Rosabel is a natural teacher and communicator. The children immediately connected with her and thoroughly enjoyed her presentation,” said Bell. “She had a wonderful ability to make it engaging and relatable for students from kindergarten through fifth grade.”

Notes

Garrett College's November 16th Joan Crawford Lecture Series will feature the College’s 17 international students, who represent 12 different countries. The 6 p.m. event will take place in the Morin Family Gymnasium of the Edwards Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex.

The event is free and open to the public. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to sample popular cuisine from each student’s home country, including a Dominican rice pudding, Canadian poutine, and Japanese ramen. Students will also share interesting facts about their countries as well as popular activities and music.

Countries represented include Spain, Scotland, United Kingdom, Isle of Man, France, Philippines, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Serbia, Cameroon, and Japan.