Aiglon Magazine | Issue 20 (Summer/Autumn 2023)

ISSUE 20 SUMMER/AUTUMN 2023

School What a trip! The Cultural Learning Experience is back Mountain Aiglon’s right-sizing approach proves bigger isn’t always better Ideas On kindness: why it pays to be good – to yourself and to others People Power Rangers: the Aiglonians transforming the way we use energy

Size matters

Seth Barker Associate Director of Communications

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SHARING THE LOVE

As the school year ends, it’s sad to say goodbye to another (record!) graduating class. But I’ve been cheered to know that they aren’t leaving us – they are just becoming part of the Aiglon alumni community. And it’s been wonderful to hear from so many of you lately, telling us that you have been enjoying the magazine. I look forward to updating you on how the Class of 2023 are progressing in these very pages.

In this issue, we shine a light on some of the unseen but important stories from our community: things like the random acts of kindness that are baked-in to the Aiglon ethos, and which we cover on page 28; or the sustainable infrastructure projects being developed right here on site, such as the new Belvedere, which you can read about on page 06.

Elsewhere, on page 22, staff, students and alumni share their favourite memories of that much-loved aspect of school life – the CLE – while on page 34 we speak to the ‘power rangers’ of our alumni community who are working to solve one of the biggest challenges of climate change: energy. Finally, on page 16, we discuss how bigger isn’t always better, highlighting the benefits of Aiglon’s right-sizing approach to its current and future development.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other features in this issue, and I look forward to hearing from you at communications@aiglon.ch.

The end of this school year is a chance to reflect on all the good in our community.

Photography by Joe McGorty, illustration by James Olstein

ON THE COVER

Rakan Shunnar (Alpina, 2024), who says that kindness is integral to being part of the Aiglon community. You can read more on page 28.

Letters

Stories to share? Feedback? Suggestions? We love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch and join the Aiglon conversation.

Great job

I wanted you to know how impressive the magazine is. It is a collegiate-quality publication or better; incredibly polished. The quality of the articles is excellent. As someone who has written more than 200 corporate annual reports, I know what goes into producing these publications, and I think you guys are doing a great job.

Sarah Luke (Clairmont, 1975)

Changing times

I enjoy reading the magazine because it’s a link back to Aiglon that I left 60 years ago! Society has changed much in that time and the School I remember is now a very different place, as I saw when I attended the opening of the new Belvedere in February. When I was here as a student it was all boys, there was just one house (Clairmont), and the days started with early morning outdoor PE followed by a cold shower. So the magazine maps the changes and growth whilst still trying to hold onto John Corlette’s vision of a rounded education of the whole person.

Martin Freston (Clairmont, 1965)

Married bliss

In response to the Wedding Bells feature (Aiglon issue 19), Inge Chaldecott and I went to Aiglon in the 1970s and got

married in 1980 in Paris France – 42 years later are still hanging in there. I would need confirmation of this but I believe that we are the longest still-married Aiglon couple in the school’s history. We have visited Aiglon over the years and look back at our time there with fond memories.

Michel Martin (Delaware, 1975)

First couple

Having read the feature on Aiglon weddings, I was in touch with Mike Martin and Inge Chaldecott (above), saying that maybe we should contact the magazine. I was Maid of Honour at their wonderful wedding in Paris in 1980, and the year before I had married Patrick Roberts – not the teacher, but student. Patrick (known as Paddy) and I were students at Aiglon in the 1970s too. We married in June 1979 and were told by Aiglon that we were the first couple from the school to marry – Inge and Mike were the second. However, we didn’t stay together like Inge and Mike have, which is so wonderful. Patrick and I have two children, Luke and Sophie Roberts. Luke is married and lives in the Peak District in the UK, and is Head of Growth in Tech Marketing. He and his wife have two children, Eve (7) and Jesse (2).

Amanda Stocker (Clairmont, 1973)

www.aiglonlife.ch

email: communications@aiglon.ch

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Vaud’s local bank

ON NEW HORIZONS

ARLIER THIS YEAR, I found myself sitting in a box at Manchester City Football Club, watching a Premier League football match – something I’ve never done before. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it – but I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed it and how exciting the atmosphere was. (Though I must admit that having a heated seat helped.) And it got me thinking about the importance of seizing every opportunity you get to try something new.

By now, you’ll all probably know why I was there – firming up the details of our new partnership with Manchester City. We’ll have a full-time Manchester City-trained coach at Aiglon, some students will get the opportunity to train there, and we’re also due a visit from the Premier League trophy itself!

I’m so excited about this partnership. Not because I think we’re all going to end up being Premier League footballers – though I’m not ruling it out! –but because it’s an incredible opportunity for everyone. For those who already love football, it’s a great way to pursue it and take it further. And for those who don’t, it’s a chance to give it a go, have some fun – and, perhaps, discover a new passion.

And these passions are so important, in so many ways. Apart from the obvious benefit – it’s fun to do something you love – they contribute towards your wellbeing. They can be anything: sport, chess, visual arts or drama. Playing in a team or a band or being part of a drama group can lead to lifelong friendships. Different passions give you different sets of friends and all the diverse perspectives on life they can offer. And you acquire a skill that you’ll have for life. I love watching all our new skiers, most of whom are complete beginners, skiing competently down from the télécabine at the end of the season.

To find that passion, you’ve got to have the courage to try it out, go beyond your comfort zone and not be afraid to fail. That’s why our extra-curricular programmes at Aiglon are the perfect place for students to explore what they have a passion for.

Of course, we love it when our students excel. This year, for example, we are the SGIS Category A winners for boys’ and girls’ football, and our skiers competed at the schools championship in Italy.

But we also know that many students get huge amounts of joy from just participating without the pressure – and that’s just as important to us. Yes, it’s about developing your passions and skills and becoming an expert – but also finding what you love and, in the process, finding the people you love to do it with. And as I’ve discovered, it’s never too late to find a passion – sometimes in a place you never imagined!

Nicola Sparrow, School Director.

VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN

Photography Joe McGorty

When opportunity knocks, make sure you grab the chance with both hands.

To find that passion, you’ve got to have the courage to try it out, to go beyond your comfort zone and not be afraid to fail

WELCOME TO BELVEDERE

The new building combines the best of the old house with facilities that meet the needs of today’s –and tomorrow’s – Aiglonians.

Living areas

Home from home

The new living area has a homely feel to encourage warm and comfortable community life. There are a variety of spaces –with contemporary but hard-wearing finishes and furnishings – including a larger and more-flexible kitchen, movie area and space for peace and quiet. The specially designed roof floods the open-plan areas with light all year round.

Photography Joe McGorty

Belvedere dominates the north east corner of our campus in the best way – it is beautiful to look at and to look from

MR ANDY CROFT, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Dorm areas

Light and bright

With most rooms having a southerly aspect and balcony, the dorm rooms are bright and spacious, offering a high-quality finish to encourage modern and enjoyable living and studying, more in line with other houses on campus.

Clean living

The new bathrooms feature more high quality finishes, and have improved ratios in line with all new or modernised accommodation.

Down below

Good energy

We’re incredibly proud of the energy provision housed in the basement: using sustainably sourced fuel, it’s Aiglon’s first wood pellet heating system, designed to heat not only Belvedere but also surrounding buildings and houses – now and well into the future.

Integrated storage

As well as a games room with table tennis and pool tables, another feature of the basement is its enhanced ski and storage room. Spacious and designed entirely for purpose, its undergound access direct to the house means there is no need to traipse wet kit through the living areas.

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU

MAVERICK LIVES

Words Jo Caird

JESSICA CHRISTENSEN (née Rossi, Exeter, 2003) was 14 years old when she begged her parents to send her to boarding school. “I lived for the weekends and going on adventures,” she says. Horse riding, kayaking, camping – any activity that took her and her Dad out of the city and into the great outdoors just lit her up. After some thorough research and recommendations, Jessica’s mother suggested Aiglon. “I was obsessed with the thought that you could do all those things at a school.”

Once at Aiglon, Jessica grasped every opportunity, not just for outdoor adventuring but all sorts of other extracurricular activities too. “I went to the fifth form options fair and signed up for everything!” she says. From musical theatre productions and interhouse music competitions to school trips to the Ardèche and the Sinai Desert, “Aiglon connected me to the things I wanted to do and find the mavericks who were keen to share that experience with me. Aiglon gave me the platform and the landscape to be able to do that.”

It was this philosophy – Jessica calls it “the maverick’s way” – that inspired her to found Maverick’s Life Co, an active lifestyle education company specialising in holistic sciences linking

habitat and human health. Established in 2008, it now employs 20 people based as far afield as South Africa and the Philippines, and has offices in London, UK, and Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

“There was the time in lessons but then you had all these moments in between,” Jessica says – from showering in meltwater dripping from a refuge rooftop during an expedition, to riding camels in the Sinai Desert. “That’s what makes Aiglon so special as a school: yes, the academics are important, but it’s everything around that too. It’s very much what, today, I’d call a holistic approach.

“Today I specialise in holistic sciences: it’s not just what you do, it’s also what surrounds you and how that influences you. And I think Aiglon was very good at that.” Science didn’t necessarily come naturally to Jessica – “Unlike now, I just wasn’t ready for sitting down in front of books” – but a much-loved teacher, Mr Greenway, encouraged her interest in biology and supported her through her A-level course. “I didn’t do extraordinarily well but what I did retain I really liked,” she says. “And that built the foundation for what I’m doing now, connecting training and sports physiology with environmental engagement.”

The school also fostered an entrepreneurial spirit in Jessica that has stood her in good stead in her professional life. “Running the house tuck shop was where I started my first hustles,” she says with a laugh. “I decided to turn the Exeter common room into a tea room after interhouse football matches. We made loads of money for charity that year!”

She also put together a fully costed business plan to persuade the school to start offering horse riding as an option for expedition weekends. “Mr Clark thought he’d get rid of me by saying he’d consider it if I put together a proposal. I didn’t hand in my homework that week – but the proposal was excellent.” It worked, and Aiglon continued running the expedition for the next 10 years.

This knack for organising has come in handy, not just when it comes to running Maverick’s Life Co but in Jessica’s role as 2003 class representative and member of the class alumni committee. “Our reunions are regularly some of the highest-attended events,” she says with pride. And although she couldn’t have known it at the time, she says, when it comes to her sparkling career, “it all started with Aiglon”.

Photography Alexis Feuillet and Chany Jeanguenin

Jessica Christensen specialises in holistic sciences, a love of life instilled in her at Aiglon.

Diary

Save the date with our guide to key moments in the Aiglon year.

22-25 JUNE 2023

Class of 2013 reunion

Alumni from the Class of 2013 will be gathering in Villars between 22 and 25 June for a weekend of reminiscing and catching up, including a barbecue, campus tour, hike and lunch in Bretaye.

25-26 AUGUST 2023

New student arrival day

Aiglon will welcome more than 100 new families into the Aiglon community over the new student arrival weekend taking place on 25-26 August. Alumni and parents are the leading routes for new families to enrol – thank you for your support and for spreading the word!

JANUARY 2024

75th anniversary celebrations

Our 75th anniversary year kicks off on Founder’s Day, 8 January, with the launch of the Aiglon Archives accessible online, followed by our first event, a Villars ski weekend between 23-25 January. There will be a global programme of events throughout 2024, culminating in a campus celebration in the summer 2025.

For more information or to share events, contact communications@aiglon.ch

It’s not just what you do, it’s also what surrounds you and how that influences you

Active lifestyle Jessica chose the idyllic setting of Crans-Montana in Switzerland to establish her holistic science startup, hosting educational events, training sessions and workshops.

CRYPTO CLUB

Words

Speculate

to acccumulate? Leila Lal and Mr George ponder the best way to manage digital currencies.

IN JUST FOUR WEEKS LAST YEAR, Leila Lal (La Casa, 2028) made a profit of $60,000, selling bitcoin and buying dogecoin. And the first person she wanted to tell? Her teacher, Mr Jack George. “He was just as excited as I was!”

Leila enjoyed the thrill without the risk because the “profit” wasn’t real, but the product of a trading simulator app called CryptoParrot, which Mr George, Assistant Head (Discovery Years), had taught her to use at his Cryptocurrency Club. “The club is part of the Discovery Programme, a focus on learning beyond the curriculum, from foraging to rope work and knots to debating,” says Mr George.

“So Crypto Club is a way of learning about blockchain, but also about money, currency, banking, markets and stocks and shares. With crypto, you can make loads of money in a week. But why? Why have some currencies gone up and others down? What is money? Why does something have value? Gold, for example, is really just a lump of metal.”

“The blockchain is a record of all the transactions that have happened,” explains Leila. “No-one can change it, it’s just the facts – what has been bought and sold – so it’s completely trustworthy. When you make a transaction, you add to the blockchain and that’s good; it adds to the overall amount of money available. And money is basically a way of ensuring a fair trade for a purchase or a service.”

Leila says she has always saved her money, and in Crypto Club, too, she did not fritter her fake fortune.

“Basically, you buy when something is going up in value and sell when it’s going down. But you need to know how much to spend – if you only spend a little, you can only make a little – and you need to sell at the right time. I would wait until something had gone up six or seven per cent, not too much. It could go higher after that, but it could also go down.”

She admits it got very addictive. “I was checking it every hour at one point. I was very stressed and

Say Elon Musk buys $100,000 of dogecoin, I would too. My strategy was: listen to tips; go often; spend wisely

LEILA LAL

Megan Welford Photography Joe McGorty

Digital futures

Mr George says as governements around the world adopt cryptocurrencies, it’s important for students to reflect on the concept of money and who controls it.

excited. I had to stop myself just buying and selling for the sake of it, and I tried to use a rationale – like Mr George taught us. Say someone like Elon Musk buys $100,000 of dogecoin, I would also buy it. It means a lot of people will buy it, and they will sell it quickly after. My strategy was: listen to tips; go often; spend wisely.”

For Mr George, ensuring students have a good understanding of digital money is vital.

“Governments are adopting cryptocurrencies,” he says. “Australia has released a pilot digital dollar and the UK is looking into a flagship digital pound. I think it’s important for students to reflect on the concept of money and who controls it. Traditionally, banks have held your money. With cryptocurrency, you have your own digital wallet and the keys to manage it.”

The latest news from the Aiglon community and beyond.

Manchester City partnership

A unique footballing partnership between Aiglon and Manchester City Football Club will deliver world-class football education to students on campus. The new programme, which begins in the autumn term, will see students coached in City’s unique playing style, and will include a curriculum offering for students and after-school and holiday clinics for the wider community. According to School Director Nicola Sparrow: “Aiglon is the only school in Europe to have established this partnership with Manchester City. It is more than a transaction, but a real opportunity to develop a world-class football programme with the rigour and dedication to excellence that is at the heart of our approach.”

Orchard site underway

Building on the new orchard site building has been progressing, following March’s groundbreaking ceremony. A key part of the Campus Masterplan, the new building will create an innovative and sustainable assembly and dining space, and will enable students, staff and teachers to gather together as a community in one place. The project is due to be completed for the 2025/26 school year.

Graduation record

This year’s Graduation event saw the largest graduating class in Aiglon’s history. We were proud to welcome Andrejka Bernatova (Clairmont, 2001) – who you can read about on page 34 – as speaker, and we also presented the first Values in Action Awards to three leading alumni (see page 43).

Alumni in our midst

In welcoming alumna Lucy Jay-Kennedy (née Jegerlehner) back to campus as Aiglon’s new Director of Communications and Marketing, we are pleased to see that four alumni are currently employed at Aiglon across a range of areas: Alex Demishin in Alumni Relations; Lucy Harold as Clairmont Assistant Houseparent; and John Gerhardt in IT.

MAN CITY HOSPITALITY

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES | FINE DINING | RESTAURANTS | SPORTS BARS

Natural talent

This final coursework project for Year 10 GCSE art students explored “natural forms”, taking inspiration from naturally occurring phenomena such as sea life, corals, flowers or a forest floor. Students practiced with a small pot first, developing textures, learning how to join and manipulate clay and how to glaze their pots. They then developed sketches to plan their final outcome before arriving at their final creations.

1. Aanya Datla

2. Aanya Datla

3. Santi Herrera Davila

4. Chloe Gazal

5. Filo Sardagna

Warm welcome

However you choose to get there and back, the Refuge de Solalex offers the warmest of welcomes to the Aigon community –all set against a truly stunning backdrop.

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN

REFUGE DE SOLALEX

Words Sarah Woodward

OUR GUESTS KICK OFF their walking boots, snowshoes or skis at the entrance and push open the door of the refuge knowing a warm welcome awaits,” says Martin Deburaux. “It’s very Swiss.” Martin has been Patron of the Refuge de Solalex, high on the alpine meadows above Villarssur-Ollon, since 2017. “We are isolated without really being very far away. Getting here is part of the fun.”

That fun can include a short drive or free bus ride through breathtaking scenery in summer, or a slightly more challenging three-kilometre hike up the 300m incline. In winter the road is closed to vehicles by snow, and the refuge suggests diners should work up an appetite by “hiking, ski touring, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing – or even handstand walking up to the refuge,” although Martin is not aware of any

takers of the last option so far. Tobogganing back down is an after-dinner option in winter, but he suggests the restaurant’s snowmobile as a more comfortable option. “We see lots of students, often with their families, as well as teachers from the school. And I can say many Aiglon students seem to prefer a ride on the snowmobile after a long dinner!”

Inside the restaurant, a log fire crackles and a stuffed chamois head stares down from the wall at diners. “We play folkloric music. It is wonderful for groups, and we often have classes from Aiglon – or even a whole house – who sometimes stay over in our dormitories.” Sleepover options include the recently opened Dormitory of the Goats in the meadow, where you can hear the bleats of your furry neighbours on the ground below.

In summer, there are plenty of hiking trails to walk off lunch, definitely necessary if it was one of Martin’s award-winning fondues. “We received two of the six Diplôme D’ors awarded at the Mondial de Fondue de Tartegnin in 2019 – one for our traditional moitié et moitié fondue, half Gruyère AOP and half Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP, the other for our blue cheese fondue. The moitié et moitié is particularly rustic in style – you can taste the meadow grass and then the creaminess of the milk.”

Other specialties at the refuge include a whole oven-baked Vacherin cheese and the Combe 23 raclette, baked à la minute on the wood-fired chimney and served with cured meats and homemade pickles – including Martin’s recommendation, courgettes with curry. In autumn, there is a special game menu, including pheasant with wild mushrooms and saddle of venison with grand veneur sauce, and sides including caramelised chestnuts and pears in red wine.

And to drink? “Our wine list is 100 per cent Swiss, with all the wine-producing regions of Switzerland represented. People can just pop in for a glass of nice wine and a sandwich of locally cured meats or a mushroom feuilleté. It is all about the typically Swiss ambience inside the Refuge.”

High above Villars, Martin Debraux’s restaurant has long been a much-loved feature of the Alpine landscape.

It’s very Swiss. We are isolated without really being far away. Getting here is part of the fun

Insider

VISIT

The Refuge de Solalex is open every day until early April and for the summer season from May to November. Phone: +41 (0)24 498 27 09 or mail info@refuge-solalex.ch.

ONLINE

ENJOY

Places on the restaurant’s 12-seater snowmobile are available for pre-booking.

Raclette with all the trimmings is served during evenings only, on reservation.

AT HOME

The online boutique has a selection of Swiss wines and a hamper of homemade preserves including courgettes with curry and a bottle of myrtle liqueur.

The raclette cheese Combe 23 and the Gruyère/Vacherin Fribourgeois mix for fondue are both available for takeaway at the Refuge.

STAY

As well as the refuge, with its two dormitories and one double room, Martin Deburaux is also Patron of the nearby Hôtel & Restaurant Miroir d’Argentine.

Whetheryou’reaglobalconglomerate oratinystartup,biggerisnotalways better.WhichiswhyatAiglon,thefocus isonright-sizingnotgrowth.

Words LucyJolin

PhotographyJoeMcGorty

On your bike

Mr Ben Bartlett, Belvedere houseparent and business and economics teacher.

comes down to identifying the right size for the student in that place, and at that time. For example, there’s a perception that smaller is always better when it comes to class sizes – but, says Mrs Sparrow, “exactly what we mean by the right size always depends on what kind of class it is.”

Take a history class of just four students: it won’t contain the variety of opinions that spark interesting discussion, and there aren’t enough people to do group work within the class. A history class of eight to ten students, however, will offer both. It’s small enough to ensure that nobody gets overlooked – and that everybody has to be involved. But in a maths class designed specifically for those who are finding the subject difficult or who are excelling, four is a great size, allowing each class member to get the individual help and attention they need.

Boarding houses, too, are deliberately different sizes to fit different people, meeting the needs of those who are much more at home in a small boarding house and those who prefer a larger one. And just like class sizes, it’s vital to consider each house’s individual needs, too. “That’s about making sure that the big houses have the personal level of supervision and care and relationships with staff that the small ones do,” says Mrs Sparrow. “And it’s making sure the small boarding houses can still win competitions –which they regularly do!”

Is bigger always better?

NOT HERE ON THE MOUNTAIN – OR, INDEED, in the wider world. From unwieldy, slow-moving global conglomerates to tiny startups expanding beyond their ability to deliver, being too big is becoming a big problem. And it’s the same with education. Which is why, at Aiglon, the focus is on ‘right-sizing’ – not untrammelled growth.

“We need to be big enough to provide opportunities – for diverse friendships, networking, to understand different cultures, to play in competitive sports teams or lead a Model United Nations (MUN) team at the General Council,” says School Director Mrs Nicola Sparrow. “But we also need to be small enough so that every student can know everyone else; that I know every student; and that we are a supportive community. And we need to be small enough for students to take part in multiple activities, and not be pigeonholed. Here, the MUN speaker can represent the school in football and write for the student newspaper, too.”

This ‘right-sizing’ attitude runs through every aspect of the school, from extra-curricular activities to class sizes to boarding houses. But how do you know what the right size is? Mrs Sparrow says it always

The Campus Masterplan has been key to this approach: it ensures that the school’s spaces are also the right size to encourage learning, growth mindset and healthy interaction outside school hours. The orchard site is the last opportunity we have to expand the school’s campus, so that provides a natural brake on growth. The old Belvedere building, for example, is being expertly repurposed to provide more teaching space, while new Belvedere was designed with right-sizing for boarders very much in mind. “We could have added more bedrooms and less social space – but it’s the quality of the experience that matters,” says Mrs Sparrow.

THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Mr Ben Bartlett, Belvedere houseparent and business and economics teacher, agrees. “Yes, this building could be bigger with more beds – and therefore, the school could make more money. But boarding is about relationships. It’s about knowing each individual student. I know the boys’ daily lives: what medication they are on, who’s got exams, how they’re doing both mentally and physically. As soon as you get any bigger, you lose that personal touch, and the quality of care starts to diminish.”

He’s a particular fan of how a right-sizing approach informed the design of Belvedere’s new, zoned social space. There’s plenty of room for gatherings of any

size, but these large spaces can then be easily broken up into smaller spaces, where all kinds of different groups can gather to do very different activities.

“There’s always an area you can go to do your thing. Just because someone is in that big space doesn’t mean it’s completely occupied. But when everyone sits down to eat together in the kitchen – which I think is really important – it’s small enough to feel buzzy and inclusive without being overcrowded. There’s a real energy when we all get together.”

That positive right-size energy is something that attracted Esra and Cem Sertoglu, parents to Alp Sertoglu (Delaware, 2025), to Aiglon. “Our son is immersed in both his house, which is around 50 kids, and his year group. He has a relationship with all of them, not just his close friends,” says Mr Sertoglu.

“That type of familiarity and sense of belonging is so important. Our notion of right-sizing is that the school should be big enough to be diverse and bring aboard varying points of view on life and studies. It should have a good balance of academic, social and sporty kids and not be dominated by any one segment. But there is also a cap to that – if you are too big, you lose the feeling of intimacy.”

RIGHT SIZE, BUT DREAM BIG

Mrs Sertoglu adds that Aiglon’s size helps to foster a homely atmosphere. “The houseparents are very hands-on: their attention is not split between too many kids. The size of the classrooms is perfect. And when we had the first parent meeting, in the Fall, I was surprised how well they have gotten to know our son.” And they’ve seen the benefits of a right-size approach many years on: it was Aiglon alumni their own age, who graduated three decades ago, that first brought the school to their attention. “The right-size characteristic has helped with the quality of the bonds we see from alumni who graduated many years ago,” says Mr Sertoglu. “Observing their feelings towards the school, and the relationships they had from their time there, made us feel that the school, right now, is the right size.”

And as a not-for-profit school, Aiglon can lean into its right size, as there is no pressure from shareholders to expand. “When we were doing our research, Aiglon’s not-for-profit status stood out,” says Mr Sertoglu. “The peer schools that one would consider as an alternative to Aiglon are privately owned for-profit enterprises. For me, the intersection of education and profit is always a bit problematic.” But this status also means that a sound financial footing is essential, and resources must be used extremely carefully to enhance the student experience.

In an exciting new initiative, Aiglon has just entered a partnership with Manchester City Football Club. Because of the school’s smaller size, every student will get to benefit from the experience: a coach will visit the school and Aiglon students will train at the club. But that’s one area where Aiglon firmly believes that bigger might actually be better – energy, enthusiasm and vision. Why not partner up with one of the biggest football clubs in the world? Why not send senior speakers to the Model United Nations? Why not keep moving forward, always thinking about improving the experience for every single student?

“We are a small school, but we certainly punch above our weight,” says Mrs Sparrow. “That’s because we’re the right size – and we think and dream big!”

Left: Lisa Liu (La Casa, 2030). Right Casper Bonnier (Belvedere, 2025).

There’soneareawhereAiglon firmlybelievesbiggermight actuallybebetter:energy, enthusiasmandvision

CULTURE TRIP

No tents. No hiking boots. No ice picks. Welcome to the Cultural Learning Experience

(CLE) – an Aiglon tradition as venerable as the mountain kind.

Words Kat Brown

ESPITE THE STUNNING SETTING ON THE BANKS OF Lake Lugano in Ticino, Switzerland’s southernmost canton, French teacher Mr Tom Chamberlain was nervous. The air was thick with concentration and delicious aromas. Year 9, usually a hard-to-impress bunch, were completely engaged in a lakeside risotto cookery lesson.

So why the nerves? “I stupidly said I would eat a sample of what each group had made – and I thought, ‘This is going to kill me’,” groans Mr Chamberlain. “Actually, it was really nice!”

As well as making great food, the experience also created magical memories, he says. “It was a simple dish, but they had to focus on the ingredients, which were typical of the Italianate region we were in. So, the students were getting a good flavour of that area in terms of colour, taste, feel and look. That will stay with them.”

It’s the perfect example of the Cultural Learning Experience (CLE) in action. For more than 70 years, the CLE – previously the Cultural Long Expedition – has given students the chance to see the world through adventure, learning and experience, whether that’s juniors exploring German-speaking Switzerland or building their teamwork with a trip to Paris led by the legendary Lisiane Lefèvre, or seniors making a difference on more diverse adventures of a lifetime.

BROADENING HORIZONS

Today’s CLEs take in cultural experiences across Europe, encouraging responsible and sustainable travel among students as well as giving them a deeper knowledge of the world around them. Not that it’s always been plain-sailing: many recall logistical issues, such as the fraught staff member who struggled to check in a young prince whose full name wouldn’t fit on the EasyJet boarding card. “His friends gave him a nice round of applause when we finally boarded and said, ‘Oh Your Highness, welcome to your seats!’”

One teacher who perhaps knows more about the trips than most is geography teacher Mrs Caroline Rhyner. In her 25 years at Aiglon, she has seen it all. “We used to stay in central and western Europe, so the youngest pupils stayed in Switzerland and the oldest ones would go to some of the capitals,” she remembers. “Now our horizons are broad.”

I stupidly said I would eat a sample of what each group had made – and I thought, ‘This is going to kill me’. Actually it was really nice

Sustainable goals

The CLE is designed to take advantage of Switzerland’s position in the centre of Europe, allowing students to visit other European cultural hubs. In recent years, this has meant a lot of short-haul flights, but the school is working to prioritise low-carbon transport – with only two CLE trips last year taking flights. The goal is to reduce this even further and have all CLE explorations take place using ground-based transport such as trains.

These opportunities allow children to explore countries both new and familiar in ways they might not in the course of ordinary family life. Mrs Rhyner remembers a summer resident of Paris being stunned to learn that there was a river in his city. “You can take them somewhere that they may be familiar with, but often because of the nature of being a school trip you’re taking them to see and do things that you wouldn’t otherwise,” she says. “Family holidays don’t usually include a cooking course! We’re doing things that are different, and those are the richest experiences.”

Change has come with the digital age (“Today, when you organise a trip, you can do the whole thing sitting at your desk with a computer,” says Mrs Rhyner) and Aiglon’s increasing size. In the 1990s, a CLE might involve 12 students; today up to 30 Aiglonians, travelling in small groups, may set off down the mountain. Increased connection has also opened up further opportunities through the alumni network (one recent non-CLE trip to Cambodia, for example, saw a group of lucky seniors staying at an eco-lodge owned by Aiglon parents, enabling them to see sustainable tourism in practise).

Nina Ritter (Clairmont, 1978) remembers political upheaval being a feature of her CLEs. “It was the time of the Bader-Meinhof and there were a lot of political kidnappings,” she remembers. “Usually on school trips we were supposed to wear our full kit, including these capes which we all hated! We were visiting Dijon and got a reprieve for a short while because the school realised wearing them could make us a mark.

In typical teenage fashion, Nina and her co-conspirators spotted an opportunity. “I don’t know what we were thinking, but a bunch of us took advantage of this and stuffed them into a garbage can inside the hotel, in the hopes of getting rid of them for good. We were on the bus, leaving the hotel, when a woman ran out carrying about 10 in her arms shrieking, ‘You’ve forgotten your capes!’”

LASTING MEMORIES

For Vanessa Kouri (Le Cerf, 2023), arriving at Aiglon during the pandemic gave her opportunities that were lacking at her former day school – even though CLEs were off limits for most of her school career. “We’ve been really lucky to be at Aiglon. My previous school in New York didn’t open up again until November 2021,” she says. “I think that the school did a great

job of providing us with opportunities. We went on shorter trips in Switzerland, but once we were through the pandemic, we were all really excited to go on CLEs again.”

Her first trip, to Budapest, was a chance for her to learn about somewhere that she’d heard about a lot but never visited. “The reason I wanted to go in the first place was because my half-sister is Hungarian, and Jewish as well,” she says. “I knew that there was a huge history involved, and I heard it was beautiful, but I really didn’t know anything about it.”

Being seniors gave her group the best of both worlds, she says: a rigorous tour of a new place and, later, the opportunity to explore more independently in small groups after lunch and in the evenings. “It gave us a chance to explore things with our friends and walk around, maybe shopping if we wanted to – a bit more freedom than I had in the past.”

Sadly, due to impending exams, Kouri’s first CLE will also be her last, but it’s certainly ignited a spark for travel. “I really felt really lucky to be able to see Budapest,” she says. “I learned more about the culture and the people there by seeing it, and by being in the different neighbourhoods.”

It’s clear that CLEs give lasting memories to students and teachers alike. Mrs Rhyner, who retired this June, has packed her CLE bag for the last time, but the trips have left their mark. “If you ask my children, they’ve been subjected to family holidays that are more like cultural long exes,” she laughs. “What it’s taught me, and I hope my students have learned, is how much you can pack into a trip. You come away with a very strong sense of having experienced a place and what is available.”

I really felt lucky to be able to see Budapest. I learned more about the culture and the people there by seeing it, and by being in the different neighbourhoods

ON KINDNESS

Clever or kind: which would you rather be? At Aiglon there can only be one answer. We’d rather be kind. Why? Because kindness underpins almost every other human good.

Words Clare Thorp Photography Joe McGorty

Previous spread

Left: Rakan Shunnar (Alpina, 2024).

Right: Mrs Laura Hamilton, Assistant Head (IB).

This page, right: Mia Gentzburger (Clairmont, 2024).

MIA GENTZBURGER (CLAIRMONT, 2024) is having a bad day, she tries her best not to let it show. But there’s one person who can always sense something is wrong. “My roommate Rachel is my best friend and she will always see if I’m in a bad mood, even when I try not to show it. She’ll go down to the local grocery store and buy all of my favourite foods for me.” It’s a small act of kindness, but one that can totally turn Mia’s day around.

It works both ways, too. “Even if it’s just opening a door for someone, or a quick hello in the halls, or helping clean up the library cafe, I’ll always try to do little things that can make other people feel better,” she says. Then there was the time a friend won the Guiding Principle Award, then immediately tripped up and broke it. “I had previously won the award, and I may have given him mine and pretended it was a spare. At Aiglon you’re taught by example. We have so many students here who are so kind and respectful to each other that it influences everyone. It’s a domino effect.”

That’s the thing about kindness – it’s surprisingly powerful. Armchair philosophers might debate whether it’s better to be clever or kind, but there really is only one answer, at least at Aiglon. “I think it has more significance than your studies and your exams and everything else,” says Mia. Mrs Laura Hamilton, Assistant Head (IB) and Head of Environmental Systems and Societies agrees. “Kindness is vitally important,” she says. “It’s probably the most important human characteristic. It tops everything.”

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Indeed, those tiny moments can make the difference between a bad day and a good one. “It can’t really be underestimated,” says Mrs Hamilton. “If you’re feeling rubbish and somebody lets you enter a parking space or pays for your coffee, that will really brighten your day.”

“We don’t explicitly teach kindness – instead it’s modelled in our interactions with each other, teachers and students,” says Mrs Hamilton. “We do have very high expectations of how to speak to and treat each other. That behaviour is embedded in the way we interact, and I see examples of people being kind to each other every single day.”

So while kindness might not officially be on the curriculum, it’s nurtured whenever possible: through random acts of kindness days; volunteering sessions at food banks; and an elderly lunch, where students serve elderly members of the community. “It gives students opportunities to show kindness to people that they wouldn’t normally interact with,” says Mrs Hamilton.

Students have also spent time at local Ukrainian refugee centres. “We bring toys and candies and try to help this community that is obviously struggling,” says Mia. “We will play with the kids for an hour and do scavenger hunts, which they enjoy. It reminds us that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.”

For a supposedly “soft” characteristic, kindness can have a huge impact. “The practice of kindness brings many benefits,” says psychologist Cristina Milani, founder of non-profit organisation Gentletude and former president of the World Kindness Movement. “On a social level it widens the circle of acquaintances, because it is contagious, and people seek positivity. On an individual level, kind and compassionate people are usually more successful than those who are not. Not to mention that kindness improves mood – inner calmness and clarity of thought are achieved.”

“WE HAVE SO MANY STUDENTS HERE WHO ARE SO KIND AND RESPECTFUL TO EACH OTHER THAT IT INFLUENCES EVERYONE – IT’S A DOMINO EFFECT”

Mia Gentzburger

“BEING KIND TO OTHERS COMES BACK AROUND AND MAKES US FEEL GOOD, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO TREAT OURSELVES AS WE WOULD TREAT A BEST FRIEND”

Mrs Kellie McGill

Then there are the many health benefits. “Practising kindness reduces anxiety and depressive states, and also improves the quality of sleep,” says Milani. “It strengthens the immune system, increases energy, lowers the heart rate, balances levels of the stressreducing hormone cortisol and increases levels of serotonin, the happiness hormone.” Being kind to others has also been shown to boost levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine, as well as oxytocin –“the love hormone” – which can reduce inflammation in the body and lower blood pressure. So that warm and fuzzy feeling you get after doing a good deed isn’t a coincidence. “Kindness is an innate mechanism that we all have and it is driven by empathy, but for various reasons we do not always use it or at least not at its full potential,” says Milani.

JUST BE KIND

For Rakan Shunnar (Alpina, 2024), practising kindness is a natural instinct. “I like to be of service whenever I can be; I feel that just being there for people allows me to feel a part of something,” says Rakan. “But I know for a fact that there are days where I’m just exhausted, and it takes that extra effort.”

It’s an effort that’s worth it, though. “I think to belong in a society like Aiglon, you really need to be actively engaging in kindness. This school, this environment, is not going to be for you if you’re not willing to really put any effort into doing good things for other people or for yourself.”

For Rakan, some of the most significant acts of kindness he’s experienced are when people take the time to really notice what he needs. “I was not having a good day and a bunch of my friends sat me down. They said, ‘You’re not okay, we can sense it and we want to talk to you.’ There are people who were willing to look at me and say, ‘There’s something going on with him’. That’s very comforting for me.”

As Associate Director of Counselling, Mrs Kellie McGill sees kindness – or a lack of it – as the root cause of many issues. “One of the biggest things I hear in counselling sessions is students having unkind experiences leading to low self-worth,” she says. Mrs McGill has a sign in her office that reads:

‘Just Be Kind’. “Everything always comes back to that. I think if everyone had that belief, it would be transformational. Kindness should be the basis of our everyday interactions. I think we go a lot further when things are based in kindness.”

It’s just as important to call out moments of unkindness. “If you do see someone being unkind or teasing someone a bit too much, you will always communicate that,” says Mia. “Especially within the houses, because these people are like your little family and if one person’s in a scuffle with another, you will sit down and talk to them.”

Being kind to others is one thing; being kind to ourselves is another. “The students feel a lot of pressure to succeed,” says Mrs McGill. “They’re often very critical of themselves. Sometimes all the self-care we talk about gets pushed aside when deadlines are tight and it is actually needed the most. Being kind to others comes back around and makes us feel good but we also need to treat ourselves as we would treat a best friend.”

In a recent Respect Week, part of a series of focus weeks that are focused on each of Aiglon’s Guiding Principle pathways, there was a focus on kindness for self. “In our tutor groups we all drew around our hand, and every student wrote something complimentary on each of the spaces in the fingers on their classmate’s posters,” says Laura. “That student was then able to see five lovely things that had been written about them.”

Self-kindness is something Rakan is trying to get better at. “I’ve been told by other people I need to practise what I preach,” he says. “I know I cannot be kind to anyone else if I’m not being good to myself. That could be taking care of my physical wellbeing and just trying my best to understand myself so that I can understand other people.”

Mrs Hamilton says nurturing kindness doesn’t just make the school a nicer place to be – it’s also setting students up for the future. “At the end of the day, we’re developing responsible citizens – who will make the world a better place eventually,” she says. “Kindness can really be the antidote to a lot of the problems that we are facing at the minute.”

It’s also about recognising that you don’t need to be ruthless to achieve great things – kindness will get you just as far, if not further. “I think the value that Aiglon places on its students being kind to each other, and students and staff being kind to each other, is what makes for such a successful school,” says Rakan. “This social dynamic that we have here is crucial to the academic success that we have.”

Left: Mrs Kellie McGill, Associate Director of Counselling.

Solvingclimatechange won’ttakeamiracle superheroes,–butitwillneedjustliketheseAiglonians.

WORDS BY PETE WATTS

ASK

entrepreneur Shekhar Kanabar (Belvedere, 1998) to define his focus on sustainability, and he’s quick to point to a speech made by Barack Obama to the UN in 2014. “As one of America’s governors has said, ‘We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and the last generation that can do something about it,” said Obama. Those words have become a driving force for Shekhar, CEO of Synarge Group in Tanzania. He is part of a revolution in energy production – just one of the many Aiglonians who are changing the world in the field of sustainable energy.

“I don’t think we have a choice but to adapt to ecological solutions. Our very survival depends upon it,” says Shekhar. So, when he joined Synarge, he saw it as his chance to put into action the guiding principles he absorbed at Aiglon – “that ethos of doing good and going out into the world to be impactful responsible global citizens and make a positive difference”.

TIME FOR TRANSITION

He is not alone. Andrejka Bernatova (Clairmont, 2001) is another Aiglonian who came to love the great outdoors during her time at Aiglon – perhaps no surprise given her origins. Born in communist Czechoslovakia, she still remembers the mandate to wear a mask to protect her lungs against the smoke pumped into the air by coal-fired factories. She spent two years at Aiglon before eventually settling in the United States, where she began to work in the energy industry, covering everything from oil and gas to solar and shale.

Based in Texas, Andrejka moved back into renewable energy three years ago, founding ESGEN as a vehicle to invest in green energy solutions, including carbon capture, hydrogen and geothermal energy. She believes this transition can happen efficiently in co-operation between the traditional and new energy companies.

“I come into the space from a perspective that this is not about old energy and new energy, because you need the old energy ‘tool kit’ people to evolve into new energy,” she says. “Hydrogen, solar, wind, geothermal and carbon capture are big projects –you are talking about moving dangerous products, so safety is very important, land relationships are important, government relationships are important, you need to deal with the field guy and the scientist, and you have to be entrepreneurial. That means the tool kit for transitional energy is exactly the same as the one that is used in traditional oil and gas.”

FOUNDER INNOVATOR LEADER

ANDREJKA BERNATOVA

INVESTOR ENTREPRENEUR EXECUTIVE

For Pier Francesco Rimbotti (Alpina, 1979), it was a first visit as a chemical engineering undergraduate at Imperial College London – though he admits he didn’t completely understand what chemical engineering involved – that was his epiphany. “As soon as I saw the refinery, I knew this wasn’t for me,” he recalls with a smile. “At around the same time, I was in the US and saw one of the first renewable projects. So my passion for renewable energy really started as a teenager.”

After spending the first portion of his career working for Procter & Gamble and then McKinsey, Pier Francesco switched streams in 1994 to pursue his fascination for renewable energy as founder and CEO of Infrastrutture Group. Over three decades, he has proven himself to be a pioneer in the wind, solar, biomethane and hydro industries, developing projects in Europe, Asia and South America. His company was one of the first to joint venture with institutional investors to deliver a renewable project, and was the first non-Japanese company to win a public tender in Japan.

In 2015, he wrote an article about the importance of renewable energy to reduce the likelihood of wars fought over energy. “One of the answers is for countries to become autonomous,” he now says. “Being autonomous for Europe means increasing renewables. It does not mean aligning with other countries to provide your energy, it means becoming more independent, so you are not relying on countries that are not part of the same democratic order that we believe in.”

DIFFERENT AIMS

In Tanzania, Shekhar is a passionate advocate of sustainability, but he is aware that the only direct influence he has is on his own company and personal behaviour. The previous generation was focused on financial survival, he says, but Shekhar has different aims. “I was given the mandate to take over one aspect of the business to drive it forward and diversify the group’s activities. My interest focused on sustainability, specifically into recycling of batteries, converting waste to energy and serving a wider spectrum within the industry,” he explains.

“I hope I can impact others around me, not just in Tanzania but the wider region,” he says. “But I cannot control how others choose to run the business; I can only focus on how I apply my values to my business and create long-term synergies. We can recycle sustainably because the technology is available. We have state-ofthe-art machines, we have the right people and systems, and we have very high standards to continue to adhere to.”

A sustainable business needs to be a profitable one, and that’s an attitude shared by Andrejka. While her focus might predominantly now be on renewable energy, she says with a grin that she has been in Texas long enough to understand the importance of profitability as an impetus for innovation. “We need real business nous,” she says. “It’s scaling time, and that’s what people find very challenging. But large commercial funds, mega funds and the end consumers are now investing in this space and that investment will seek a cost-effective solution.

“I am not a proponent of just doing something that translates into returns. I believe the solutions are starting to look

PIER FRANCESCO RIMBOTTI

As CEO of ESGEN, Andrejka spearheads the transition to a sustainable future. Using ‘Disruptive Decarbonisation’, ESGEN plans to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon future, and fundamentally change the current energy landscape.

“Look to the future, be innovative, be the first,” says Pier Francesco, founder and CEO of Infrastrutture. Since the 1960s, the company has become a pioneer power producer in renewables, turning energy challenges into sustainable opportunities.

interesting from a cost and investment perspective, which will ultimately translate into large scale adoption of clean energy products and services, leading to trillions of dollars a year of investment into this undeniably important sector.”

All three Aiglonians believe that changing consumer habits is among the factors causing this increase in investment in renewable or transitional forms of energy. As Pier Francesco says, although the science hasn’t changed, the public’s attitude toward it has, and most people now acknowledge that “once-in-a-decade” extreme weather events are now happening every year. Climate change is suddenly very real and dramatic.

Another factor in Europe has been the social and economic shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Andrejka spent a couple of months in Europe in 2022 to see first-hand the growth in renewable energy prompted by the war. She notes that most homes in her native Czech Republic are now designed to eliminate waste and support self-sufficiency. It’s an attitude that she believes will spread as wasted energy becomes as unfashionable as smoking. This self-sufficient approach is being reproduced on a national scale, as European countries embrace energy independence by investing in renewables.

CO-OPERATE AND EVOLVE

Andrejka believes that oil and gas will remain part of the future, but sees first-hand in Texas far greater emphasis on efficiencies and carbon capture. “I do believe there will be continued optimisation of traditional energy,” she says. “I spend time in San Francisco where people talk about the environment, but the giants in Texas are spending billions of dollars to make those advances, cleaning the gas and oil and making it more efficient. They are also the people investing in hydrogen and the electrification of the grid.”

She is at the intersection of these two energy worlds and is excited about the way both industries are co-operating to evolve. And after 30 years working in the renewable energy sector, Pier Francesco is finally seeing the sort of growth he believes is necessary to deliver energy security while limiting the consequences of climate change. He notes that this isn’t just a European thing. In two years, China has massively increased its renewable energy capacity, producing enough to power all of Italy. This gave China some rest room in the Ukraine crisis not to overly depend on Russia. He applauds ongoing research into electrification, hydrogen and nuclear, but thinks that wind, solar and hydro are the areas that will experience most growth in the immediate future.

“Renewables can address almost all of our energy needs,” he says. “It is currently 35 per cent, but it can get to 70 per cent. Storage is an essential part of this solution, but I don’t see this as a huge technical problem. The technology is there, and we are on the cost reduction curve. A lithium-ion battery is five per cent the cost it was 10 years ago, and it is still decreasing. There are other incredibly interesting technologies coming to the market and natural selection will fish out the best ones.”

SHEKHAR KANABAR

The future... ... is here. “Renewables can address almost all of our energy needs,” says Pier Francesco Rimbotti.

Shekhar wants his family business, Synarge, to be one of the conglomeratesleading in Tanzania and East Africa, venturing into businesses that have social impact and drive positive change through job creation, renewable energy and technology.

by James Olstein

New chapters

Class notes

My daughter is graduating from high school this year and it has me thinking of all the fun times I had at Aiglon. In addition to my daughter, I have a 16-yearold son. My husband, Matthew, and I moved from San Francisco to the Seattle area 18 years ago to be close to his family. Since leaving UC Berkeley, I have worked in Program Management and Engineering Operations at a series of wireless tech startups in the Bay Area. While I am mourning our kids moving out, my husband and I are very excited to travel even more and possibly work from European locations.

Kara (Kaufman) Wood (Exeter, 1991)

Ski reunions

Aiglon hosted an alumni, friends and family reunion in March for a long weekend of skiing at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There was a wide range of classes represented, from 1974 to 2022, and we were honored that then Aiglon Board Director, Elizabeth van de Grampel (Clairmont, 1980) was there. We would also like to thank Tom Meadowcroft (Alpina, 1978) for the generous contribution of his wines. Aiglon is in the planning stages of hosting an alumni ski reunion in Villars in January 2024.

Nicholas Besobrasow (Belvedere, 1977)

A legal mind

I am still practicing law in Charlotte, NC, and have recently joined the American Arbitration Association National Panel of Arbitrators.

Ted Pearce (Alpina, 1968)

Together again

Blink... and it’s been 20 years. As clichéd as it sounds, nothing can prepare you for the lightning speed at which time passes after graduation. But without a doubt, the best part is when you all come back together, and it seems like no time has passed at all. We can’t wait for the next one, with a Class of 2003 that only gets better with age. A big thanks to our class committee and everyone who attends.

Class of 2003 committee: Jessica Christensen, Giovanni Mariggi, Carlos de Haya and Sinan Aksoy

A world of art

Professionally, I split my time between mentoring and art – which is displayed in private homes, hotels, hospitals, offices, theatres, movie sets and outdoor murals. have had exhibitions in Paris, London, Geneva, the Middle East, California and the Caribbean, and I look forward to having my work shown at the Venice Biennale 2024.

Alma Fakhre (Clairmont/Exeter, 1980)

Together down under

The Aiglon Reunion Down Under was held at the Sydney Opera House in February, with about 30 Aiglonians in attendance. As well as welcoming current staff member Luke Steward, we were particularly excited to see Narsis Kazemi and husband Mehra, all the way from Perth, and Alexia McIntyre from Melbourne. It was also great to welcome Sasha O’Reilly (2019) who attended for the first time.

We are all very much looking forward to February 2024 in Sydney when we are part of Aiglon’s 75th anniversary celebrations!

Robin Mycock (Alpina/Belvedere, 1969)

Back on the slopes

Chip Jackson and I returned to the slopes at Bretaye for three days of skiing in early March. Neither of us had skied for almost 10 years, so finding our legs took several easy runs. In spite of less-than-ideal conditions, we really enjoyed our time in familiar surroundings. Our very short stay did not allow for a visit to the school, but we have plans for a longer stay in 2024.

I continue to reside in Toronto, but as my sister and I own a flat in London I plan to be there several times a year. When the family is not using the flat, we offer it to friends which would include Aiglon alumni. For further information, please contact either donaldbell944@gmail.com or barbara@maddison.org.

Donald Bell (Alpina, 1971)

Flying high

Still flying worldwide back on the 747-400. Hopefully can retire in a few years. I go around the world at least once a month to cities like Anchorage, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Turkmenbashi, Amsterdam, Miami , Quito, to name just a few.

Thomas Byron (Delaware, 1981)

Name: Tijana Suvacarova

House: Clairmont

Year of leaving: 2015

What’s hot: After I graduated from Duke University in 2019, I moved to New York and started with a due diligence company, working on big investment deals and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). I really enjoyed it, so I decided to pursue a law degree at Fordham University, where I’m currently in my second year.

What’s next: Last summer, I interned in Estee Lauder’s M&A department. It was so interesting to see what goes into that process: how the negotiations and due diligence take place, from initial research to making an offer, then moving on to the transaction part. I can certainly see myself doing something like that in the future: working in M&A for big beauty companies. I’m planning to work in New York once I graduate and pass the bar exam. Then I’d like to move to London. I’d love to live in Europe in the future, too. But I’ll see where the road takes me!

A way with Wordsworth

We’re pleased to report that Peter Wordsworth (1966) – direct descendant of 19th-century poet William Wordsworth – is alive and well in West Northamptonshire, UK. Peter still recalls the great scarlet-fever outbreak in Belvedere and the house having to remain in isolation for some three weeks. After his early working life in Australia in mining and farming, Peter returned to England to work in marketing and advertising in the textile industry; he also pursued his interest in carpentry and artisanal cabinet making. A countryman at heart, in 2016, he and wife Joan moved from Quenington, Gloucestershire to Crick to be closer to one of his two daughters and her family.

Written by Erik Friedl

What’s Aiglon: I’m very close to my family, and that’s something Aiglon certainly fostered. Once you’re away from them, you realise how much they mean to you. But Aiglon was the best four years of my life. When I arrived, I was very shy and barely spoke any English. It was being on the basketball team that helped me to open up: I had a team, I felt connected. I grew so much at Aiglon. If I had stayed in Serbia, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Now, I have four or five very close friends from Aiglon and we keep in touch daily. But I also have friends in New York who went to Aiglon – even though we weren’t friends at school, we’re friends here, because of that shared experience. There’s only one thing I regret and that’s taking it for granted. It’s hard to be grateful for being in the beauty of the mountains every minute of every day. So, if you’re there right now, be grateful for every moment!

Tributes

Ahmed Egal (Alpina, 1972)

We were very sorry to recently learn of the passing, from a sudden heart attack, of Ahmed Egal in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Son of Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal (who served as Prime Minister of the Somali Republic in the 1960s and later as President of Somaliland from 1993 to 2002), Ahmed was a merchant banker and worked in international finance in Abu Dhabi, London and Saudi Arabia. He had earned a BA in Economics at Warwick University and an MA from University of London. He was married but didn’t have children.

Tribute by Erik Friedl

The whole Aiglon community has come together to mark the passing of Quinten, one of our much-loved students.

In his role as house captain of St Louis, Quinten Brenninkmeijer once attended a disciplinary for a fellow student with a history of disruption, who was struggling with the academic demands of Aiglon. After that, Quinten made time in his busy schedule to attend prep with this student. He sat with him, helped him and supported him. Nobody asked him to do it, and he sought no recognition for it. It was just how Quinten was. He had the brilliant quality of spotting those who needed help, and finding ways to help them.

He brought a special brand of humour and spirit to so many St Louis events. He loved to share the stories and the music of the many countries he had a connection with: South and Central America and the Bahamas in particular. His Spotify playlists at Sunday evening BBQs were gloriously eclectic.

At Christmas, Quinten and his brother Christopher would always be the first to put on a Santa hat, turn up the cheesy Christmas songs and get as many people involved in decorating the St Louis tree as possible. And while many were tricked by his English accent, there were two things that gave away his Dutch heart: when surprised, he always responded with a loud and hearty “NEE?!” Plus, his late-night cheese toasties always came with vast quantities of mayonnaise.

As a prefect, Quinten led by example: he was always dressed impeccably and on time for morning meditations and meetings. Around school, he stood up for the values of Aiglon. He wasn’t afraid to call out things that were not right, but always with a forgiving smile on his face. As House Captain, he was keen to find ways of improving St Louis, to check in with students who needed help and praise what his peers accomplished. He will be much missed by all at Aiglon.

Michael Rohan (Alpina, 1966)

Michael S. Rohan of Alexandria, VA died in November at the age of 76. Aiglon was a very important chapter in his life, and he would recall the camaraderie, skiing trips, and various expeditions with great fondness. Among his possessions was a letter, written in June of 1965, by Headmaster John Corlette, which said: “He has just put up an excellent performance in the school play, in fact his effort was quite outstanding.” He attended the American University in Paris and then the University of Maryland in 1970. Upon graduation, he accepted a position with the Government Services Administration, where he worked until his retirement.

Tribute by Diane O’Donoghue

Quinten Brenninkmeijer (St Louis, Class of 2023)

VALUES IN ACTION

New awards celebrate Aiglonians who are making a difference.

Words Lucy Jolin

Courage in the face of extreme adversity; determination to leave the Earth a better place than you found it; using your hard-won expertise to change lives. These are the qualities shown by the winners of the Aiglon Values in Action Awards 2023. They honour those graduates who are contributing to their community or wider society in the areas of challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity, and service, and who demonstrate continuous commitment and application of the school’s guiding principles in their life after Aiglon.

People like Ben Freeth (Belvedere, 1987), who works as an activist in Zimbabwe

supporting dispossessed farmers and hoping to help Zimbabwe regain its capacity for food production.

Then there’s plastic surgeon Dr Dilip Madnani (Belvedere, 1992), who donates his time and expertise to Operation International and frequently travels to countries including Uganda and Myanmar to perform life-changing surgeries for people in underprivileged communities.

Finally, Rajlakshmi Patil (Clairmont, 2021), is founder of the DY Patil Climate Action Lab, a community within DY Patil University committed to preventing the harmful effects of climate change – from organising beach and river clean-ups to planting trees. And her Charity Soccer League raises funds to improve medical amenities for paediatric patients in India.

Grateful thanks to our judges: Sandro Corsini (Delaware, 1975), Gerdt Kernkamp (Delaware, 1984), Celia Rogge (Clairmont/Chantecler, 1989), Nicole Eisen (Clairmont, 1996), Dmitri Dogaev (Belvedere, 2000), Sara Al-Tamimi (Le Cerf, 2012), Alex Demishin (Alpina, 2016) and Sylvia Ang (Le Cerf, 2020).

Nominations for next year’s awards are now open. If you know someone you’d like to nominate, please visit www.aiglon.ch/alumni

Illustration James Olstein

Rajlakshmi Patil (Clairmont, 2021)

Ben Freeth (Belvedere, 1987)

Dr Dilip Mandani (Belvedere, 1992)

An opportunity to have free access to tailor-made learning content bringing real-world problems into the classroom, mentoring by students at the world's top universities, and a platform to connect with students from all over the world, from the most prestigious institutions to schools in refugee camps.

A $200,000 global environmental sustainability competition for the best teenage environmental ideas

theearthprize.org

Stephen Okoth - 2023 Mentor of the Year Aiglon College 2021 graduate

Team Adorbsies - 2022 Winners Summit Education, Vietnam

Team AgriPod - 2023 Runners-up Leicester Grammar School, UK

RECREATION

Spike and dig

Aiglon has always had a volleyball team, as you can see from the archive picture (right). But there has been a resurgence of interest in recent times, and the sport has really taken off. The current crop are proud to pick up the torch handed down to them, and have high hopes for the future, starting with the challenge of schools competitions.

Do you have an image of your time at Aiglon you would like us to recreate?

Email your suggestions to communications@aiglon.ch

Photography Joe McGorty

Where the current crop of Aiglonians demonstrate that while Aiglon may have changed, it hasn’t changed quite as much as you might think...

THE WRITE STUFF

banned. “We were never allowed to say it when we were there, because talking about it makes you think about it more, and a huge part of coping with chronic pain is distracting yourself.”

So, you won’t see the word in Sofi’s book either –instead she’s replaced it with the word “kites”. As she explains in the book: “The hurting, burning, tingling –they are all ‘kites’ bound to your body by a string-like nerve. Everything you feel, imagine them as kites of different shapes and colours.”

Sofi enjoys writing poems and short stories – but this was by far her biggest writing project to date. “It was a very long process, it took two and a half years,” she says. “I spent a lot of time writing during the holidays. It was a hugely therapeutic experience though, and it really helped me to get all of my ideas out, so I never forget them.”

t’s said that everyone has a book in them – but few of us manage to get that book written and published before graduation. Few of us, however, have Sofi Fateh’s determination – or motivation.

Aged 12, a sudden illness left Sofi (Le Cerf, 2023) bedbound for a year. Following her recovery, she suffered from persistent chronic pain, which was eventually treated with an intensive two-month programme at the Paediatric Pain Rehabilitation Centre at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Everything I learned to get better has really stuck with me,” she says. “And a huge part of my rehab was getting back to normal things like writing, so I ended up making a lot of notes.”

Feeling grateful for the help she received – and aware that not everyone has access to the same support – she wanted to share her coping strategies with others. “When I was in hospital, I looked everywhere for books specifically aimed at teenagers dealing with chronic pain and couldn’t find anything, so I had the idea to make my own,” she says. “I wanted to make something for teenagers like me, something that I would have loved to have had.”

Sofi’s book And Kites explores practical coping mechanisms, such as distraction, physical exercise, relaxation and cognitive behavioural therapy, and includes step-by-step guides and practical exercises.

“The book is not about me, it’s about how to cope with chronic pain.

But because of my personal experience, I know what living with chronic pain feels like.

I continue to have it but I’m fully functional. I go to school, I do sports, and it’s really amazing how your body can just adapt to living with something like that.”

The book’s name came about because, as part of Sofi’s rehabilitation programme, the word “pain” was

POSITIVE RESPONSE

She had the help of an editor and a graphic designer, but all the content comes from her. “Everything I wrote was from my own experience. I did back it up with some research, but it is all things I learned and that worked for me.”

One of the biggest challenges was getting the tone right. “It was important to me that it wasn’t a chore to read, because when you’re doing all these things to get better, it’s hard work. It’s really, really difficult. I wanted to keep it very relatable and accessible, like a friend talking to you. I also had to find a balance between telling readers that I understand what they’re going through and trying not to come off as patronising.”

Since publishing the guide online, the response from friends, family and fellow students has been “very, very positive”, and plans for a print version and for London’s Great Ormond Street to publish the book on their website are both in progress. Sofi hopes to publish a second edition in two years, which will feature her own illustrations, along with extra chapters – including a section to help parents of children with chronic pain.

But for now, she’s just proud of what she’s achieved. “I poured so much of myself into this book. I put in so much effort, so much time and so much love into it. I really wanted to make it great.”

Download the book at www.andkites.org

And Kites

Sofi’s book, a handbook that explores how experience can inform your current emotional wellbeing, guides readers through engaging exercises and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Words Clare Thorp Photography Joe McGorty

When it comes to understanding what chronic pain is like and how to cope, Sofi Fateh has written the book on it.

The hurting, burning, tingling – imagine them as ‘kites’ of different shapes and colours, bound to your body by a string-like nerve

Or, says Konoha, try to find a quiet moment with someone special at the Asakusa temple, a famous date spot for young people. Here you can rent a kimono for the day, eat street food and find out your fortune. “It’s just one dollar to take a card that tells you how your luck, life and your career will be. If it’s not good, you hang it up on a board to cleanse it out.”

TOKYO

Words Megan Welford Illustration James Olstein

s one of the most densely populated metropolitan area in the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking a visit to Tokyo is all about sensory overload. But, according to locals Shogo Asaji (Belvedere, 1983) and Konoha Shimizu (Clairmont, 2024), there are still quieter, more intimate moments to be had – ones which can reveal a different side of the Japanese capital.

Take the Golden Gai area for example. “It has these funny narrow streets, with tiny drinking establishments that can fit no more than ten people,” says Shogo. “Each one is unique and reflects the personality of the bartender. There’s intense competition, so they’ll each offer a unique cocktail, or chat or jokes, and they might have a small kitchen to cook you up something simple like noodles or fried chicken. It’s a great way to spend an evening, going from bar to bar.”

Of course, 21st century Tokyo is never far away, especially since many of its old buildings were destroyed in the Second World War. Thirty million residents now live the most modern of lives, perfectly represented by the mall district of Shibuya. This is the site of the famous crosswalks where, when the lights change, hundreds of people swarm across the roads. “The biggest mall is 109, right in the middle, and it’s a great place to buy clothes,” says Konoha. “Brands like Moussy and Azul each have their own shop. Revealing clothes are not for us Japanese, so we like long skirts and unique textures.”

Shopping is hungry business, so break for okonomiyaki, Konoha says, a kind of savoury pancake with shredded cabbage and minced pork that you fry yourself and eat out of the pan. But Shogo suggests pushing the boat out and aiming big, recommending kaiseki in the district of Ginza – a traditional, multi-course meal that needs more than two hours to do justice to. “It’s a gourmet experience,” he says. “Somewhere like Tokyo Shiba Tofuya Ukai – set in a traditional Japanese garden with a koi pond – has a menu that depends on what was good at the fish market that morning, but will have six or seven courses including sushi, sashimi, tofu, chicken, rice or noodles and a range of appetisers. The best thing about Tokyo is the food.”

Both agree that there’s one place that can’t be missed – over the Rainbow Bridge, lit up in different colours at night, to purpose-built pleasure island Odaiba. “Everyone goes there to play,” says Konoha. “You have a pretty view of Mount Fuji; there are ferris wheels, arcades with slot machines, badminton and basketball, shooting games and hot springs. The air smells woody, and of the charcoal used to cook kushiyaki meat skewers and takoyaki –ball-shaped savoury cakes with octopus. It’s the perfect Tokyo experience.”

Aiglonians past and present give us the inside track on Japan’s ultramodern yet traditional capital.

A CLEAR WAY FORWARD

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Egon Vorfeld (Delaware, 1985)

Alumni Parent (2018)

vorfeld@ gg.com

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