HEAD OF SCHOOL
This spring we have lots to celebrate at ASIJ. As you’ll see in the following pages, things are getting a little more normal and traditions, such as the high school’s Spring Musical, have returned to campus. In this issue we also celebrate two acclaimed ASIJ authors, Erika Krouse ’87 and Asako Serizawa ’92 who share their own stories and the impact that their time at ASIJ had on their eventual careers. It is telling that for both women, the experiences and the challenge to think differently they encountered at ASIJ were transformational. Some of those signature programs such as Japan Seminar continue to inspire students today and we continue to develop what we hope are impactful and authentic opportunities for our students. The business challenge featured on page 18 is just one example and this year students are pitched their business ideas to executives from retailer UNIQLO and the Japan-America Society, with broadcaster NHK World filming the process. No doubt this experience will stay with those involved long after the event and this is just one example of how our Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ryosuke Suzuki, continues to connect ASIJ with organizations in the community to provide students with real world connections to their learning. One student I have had the pleasure of working with closely is Conner Takehana ’22. Conner took on a leadership role to help shepherd what turned into a set of new policies pertaining to sustainability from their conception to their recent approval by ASIJ’s Board of Directors. You can read more about the creation and content of the policies, and hear from Conner himself on page 24.
Message
You’ll see many mentions of our Alumni Council in these pages in conjunction with several new initiatives from the Advancement Office, not least our inaugural Alumni Impact Award. The recipients this year, the Thirteen Sisters, couldn’t embody ASIJ’s mission and values any more clearly. Their lasting impact on their alma mater moved their fellow alumni to nominate and select them for this honor and ASIJ is proud to recognize their contributions. I am heartened to see that with the reinvigoration of our Alumni Council and the creation of new subcommittees, many alumni are stepping up to become engaged and support the School. Thank you to all those who served on previous iterations of the Alumni Council and paved the way for the current team. Looking ahead to our 120th Anniversary next year, I hope that there will be opportunities for our community to reconnect in person—both on and off campus—as we celebrate many generations of Mustangs past, present and future, and their positive impact on the world. With warm regards,
Jim Hardin Head of School
THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING/SUMMER 2022
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