GLOBAL EXCHANGE Spring 2017
T H E A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E O F AT L A N TA I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
Global Exchange
LEARNING FOR ACTION AND IMPACT
Engineering in the Service of Others—Africa
ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2016-2017 CHRISTIAN FISCHER, CHAIR VERNA JENNINGS CLEVELAND, VICE-CHAIR SHELLEY GIBERSON, TREASURER WENDIE HAYLER, SECRETARY
MEMBERS SCOTT BRITTON
BARBARA QUIROGA
SUSIE COGAN
CLAIRE STERK
ROLAND JOHN
FRANK THOMAS
JEAN KHOURY
BENNY VARZI
ARNDREA KING
ADOLFO VILLAGOMEZ
BETH KYTLE CHANDLER ’98
CHIARA VISCONTI-PERVANAS '95
MIKE MCCARTHY
GINA VITIELLO
SUSAN MORRIS
EMILY WILLINGHAM
SUSANNAH PARKER
LAURA WINCHESTER
SHEFALI PATEL
JOYCE YAMAATO
EX OFFICIO KEVIN GLASS, HEADMASTER GERRY HULL, CHAIR EMERITUS OLGA PLAUT, TRUSTEE EMERITA, FOUNDER ROY PLAUT, CHAIR EMERITUS, FOUNDER MONIQUE SEEFRIED PH.D., CHAIR EMERITA DEB SUDBURY, CHAIR EMERITA
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 2016-2017 HEADMASTER KEVIN GLASS HEAD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL SANDY MACKENZIE HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CAMILLE DU AIME HEAD OF RESEARCH AND LEARNING DESIGN SHELLEY PAUL HEAD OF ADMISSION, FINANCIAL AID & MARKETING REID MIZELL HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT KENDYL MOSS HEAD OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCE PAUL SAEGER HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION YOLANDA RAMIREZ UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TAMBI TYLER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL KEVIN ONABIYI UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ALAIN POIRAUD LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL LYNDA SARELIUS EARLY LEARNING CENTER PRINCIPAL MARIA VOUTOS
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR CHERISE RANDLE MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS INTERN ELLENOR WHITFIELD '13
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT KATHRYN BANKS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AMY HOGAN ALUMNI & PARENTS OF ALUMNI COORDINATOR SANDY FERKO SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR NICOLE DANCZ '11
All material, except where specified, copyright Atlanta International School, 2017. All rights reserved.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F AT L A N TA I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
Global Exchange LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
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Message from the Headmaster
Learning for Action and Impact 6
Engineering in the Service of Others
9
Uniting Two Worlds Through Service
11
Alumni Spotlight: Amy O'Halloran '11
12 #MyFreedomDay 14 Personal Project 16 Honesty Through Sport: Ultimate Frisbee in the Slums of Brazil
Staying Connected 18 Class Notes
CO-EDITORS
ON THE COVER:
CHERISE RANDLE
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GRAHAM
ELLENOR WHITFIELD '13
BELTON '06. TAKEN IN SINSINA,
CONTRIBUTORS
MALI IN AUGUST 2010.
LAURA STIDHAM GRAHAM BELTON '06 SANDY FERKO AMY O'HALLORAN '11 JASPER RESCHAUER '18 SAURAV BHANDARY '12
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Message from the AIS BOARD CHAIR AND HEADMASTER
Dear AIS Community, Here at AIS we work to develop internationally-minded and critical-thinking innovators who successfully collaborate in our increasingly interconnected world and who are poised to shape the 21st century. An important part of the development of such innovators is our focus on Learning for Action & Impact, one of the five goals of our new strategic plan. Many of the student-driven, transdisciplinary programs currently being implemented utilize design thinking and project based learning, developing skills our students will use throughout their lives.
KEVIN GLASS Headmaster
These projects are framed by a meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, as students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information. In this issue of the Global Exchange we highlight student and alumni projects and experiences that feature real-world context, tasks and tools, and impact – projects that speak to students’ personal concerns, interests, and issues in their lives. As you enjoy these stories I’m sure you will share my pride in the passion and accomplishments of our students and alumni, and my excitement and anticipation of what they will go on to accomplish in the future. Sincerely,
Kevin Glass, Headmaster
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
“We are proud to celebrate the Learning For Action and Impact that takes place throughout our diverse community.” The Atlanta International School (AIS) is committed to preparing students who will shape the 21st century in their communities, both locally and globally. AIS aims to develop world-ready change leaders through our three pillars: a rigorous IB curriculum framework, world class language learning and an ‘inclusive multicultural community.’ Our IB framework provides a conceptual, inquiry-driven approach to acquiring knowledge and skills that requires learners to contextualize,
transfer and take action as a result of their learning. Our Strategic Plan refers to students’ real-world engagement, innovation and problem solving as ‘Learning for Action and Impact.’ We are proud to celebrate the ‘Learning for Action and Impact’ that takes place throughout our diverse community of students, faculty, staff, families, alumni, and alumni faculty. Here’s a look into some of our community’s engagement and impact this year. 5
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
ENGINEERING IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | GRAHAM BELTON ’06
“The difference between a physicist and an engineer is that physicists make discoveries whereas engineers make those discoveries work in the practical world,” Mr. Dindorf explained from the front of the room. In an attempt to inspire us all to study the sciences, Mr. Dindorf had unintentionally introduced me to the industry I would choose to work in one day. There, sitting in my eleventh grade High Level Physics class on the top of the main building, I was oblivious to how pivotal a point in my life I had just experienced. Sinsina, Mali AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Njinikom, Cameroon
Growing up I had wanted to be a pilot and in an effort to pursue this passion I elected to take a few flying classes while still in high school. Five classes to be exact. I then proceeded to get motion sickness in two of the five classes, and consequently threw up. I decided this may not be the career path for me. After graduating from AIS, I joined the class of 2010 at John Hopkins University. Like every American student, I took a variety of general classes in my first semester, one however stood out, a general engineering class. Unlike most of my peers, by the spring of my freshman year I had chosen my major—Civil Engineering. Freshman year is exciting for many reasons; your newly found independence, meeting new people, and for some individuals, the adventure of relocating. But maybe most exciting for me was getting the opportunity to meet people through college groups who shared my passion for traveling and service. Luckily, just two short years before I started college, a group of students had created a chapter for the nonprofit organization Engineers without Borders (EWB) at John Hopkins. This gave me the opportunity to do two things I love, traveling and engineering. My first trip with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) was to South Africa in the summer of 2008 prior to my sophomore year. Inspired by the tangible difference we were making to people’s lives and in love with traveling, I continued to journey back to South Africa twice more before completing my bachelor’s degree. There are a lucky few who graduate college knowing what they want to do and where they want to work, I however wasn’t one of them. I loved engineering but wasn’t ready to give up traveling quite yet. Growing up, my dad would relive his youth with stories about his time
Manantali Lake, Mali
Guinea, Mali
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LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT to return to Cameroon, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. The evolution that the community in Cameroon had gone through in my absence, a mere three short years, was stunning. Witnessing how the community had grown and was now fully utilizing the well was unbelievably gratifying. Something as simple as a well sounds elementary when talking in conjunction with society in the United States. But in Cameroon this was vital groundbreaking work. We were providing a water source that was safe, year round, to an entire community! Our 2016 trip’s main aim was to ‘finalize the engineering’ of the project.
Sinsina, Mali working with the Peace Corps in 1970s. So shortly after accepting my degree I boarded a plane to Mali and joined the Peace Corps. This proved to be as exciting as it was challenging—the way all true adventures in life should be. My tour of duty was for two years, with only brief breaks to visit my sister in France, and my parents back in the States. Between the engineering, socializing with peers, and working with the community, I had time to contemplate what I would be doing after my tour ended. My time with the Peace Corps not only made me fall further in love with engineering but also left me questioning it, hungry for more depth to the subject. Consequently, once I was home I decided to apply for my master’s, and in September of 2012, joined Georgia Tech’s Post-Graduates School, this time for structural engineering. As if by fate, I became aware that Georgia Tech also had an Engineers without Borders chapter—predictably I got involved. Their team was in the middle of a project based in Cameroon. The project started back in 2009 with the aim of bringing clean water to a community in the form of a communal pump and multiple taps, some public and some running into private homes. Unfortunately, the original well dug was a little too shallow. In the dry season (January) the well would dry out, leaving the community without clean water for over a month. A second well was dug but that too hit a few roadblocks. As you can imagine the local community was very invested in this project not only because of the length of it, but also because of the beneficial impact it would make on all their lives. Therefore, many of the locals were learning how to fix the pump in case of breaking and had gained a true understanding of the pumps construction. Education is a vital part of any Engineers without Borders project. For a project to be truly successful you can’t just introduce new technology, you also have to educate the community on how to maintain that technology. By the time I arrived in 2013 the team was in the process of fixing the second well, and thankfully by the end of the trip, we were able to test it and confirm that the well had been successfully decontaminated. A major win for the community! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join the team in their trip to Cameroon the next year due to a new job. So in 2016 when I got the chance AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
In 2017 I returned one last time with the team to ‘close’ the project and finally turn all maintenance and ownership over to the community. This project had a lot of bumps in the road and ended up taking much longer then was planned, but ended up being my favorite trip. I learned the most engineering skills on this trip, and it was the most complicated of all the projects I was a part of. The real silver lining to this project was that since we traveled to this community every year for nine years, the community had a real stake in the project, and consequently they were better trained in how to fix problems as they occur in the future. Which is truly what the aim of these projects are, to make communities in developing countries self-sustainable. In the end this whole project came together beautifully, from the pump and system itself, to how the community rallied around this project and were fully educated on the technology. AIS was such a large part of the person I have become and the way in which I search for career opportunities in my field. Traveling the world and watching how my passion for engineering can truly transform someone’s life in a developing country, makes my job rewarding in a way it would have never been if I had taken a standard corporate job. I would encourage all young people to seek out ways they can improve the world through their passion and career. It’s important to note that although all of the opportunities I took were international, that there are plenty of opportunities to improve the communities that surround you right now. After all, as Mahatma Gandhi says, “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Sinsina, Mali
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
UNITING TWO WORLDS THROUGH SERVICE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | SAURAV BHANDARY '12
Rows of chairs faced the teller windows ominously, as if the people waiting were spectators at a sports game. The people crowded in the chairs practiced their monologues under their breath, rocked back and forth nervously and shook their legs in agitation. It dawned on me that I was the only person who looked even vaguely relaxed. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never get a visa anyway so why worry about it. A man behind the desk belted “Saurav Bhandary.” I walked up to the official behind the glass and explained that I had been given a scholarship to join the class of 2012 at Atlanta International School (AIS) for the following year, and would like a visa to go live in America. He didn’t interrupt me while I spoke and when I finished he said, “okay” and handed me the paperwork. “WHAT!” I was in disbelief. Only five of nearly 300 people a day actually get visas. And just like that my life changed forever. I was born and raised in Nepal. I grew up in a large family, with an older sister, younger sister, mother, father and a very involved extended family. My parents who lived in the south of Nepal were farmers and had land near the Chitwan National Park, which was the first national park established in Nepal. Most land in southern Nepal is very fertile and devoted to agriculture. The landscape is filled with different colors throughout the year; corn in the summer, golden rice in the fall, blooming yellow mustard in the winter, and different sorts of vegetables sporadically in between. Civil war broke out in Nepal in 1996, however intense fighting and civic unrest continued well into 2006. Ten years of civil war in Nepal took well over 15,000 lives and I grew up right in the middle of it. I became accustomed to the fact that I always needed to worry about danger lurking around every corner.
Schools were closed all the time which as a child wasn’t all that bad news at the beginning, but it got old fast. Some schools were closed for days, months, sometimes even years. My parents decided that my sisters and I would have to move to Kathmandu if we were going to have a proper education. So off we went, moving seven hours away to live with my aunt, uncle and cousins. My parents were active members of a nonprofit organization and when Mrs. Shanta, a teacher at AIS, reached out to them to partner on building an IB school in Nepal they offered her their help. Due to the instability of the country however, the IB school didn’t work out but Mrs. Shanta encouraged my cousin and I to apply to AIS for an IB extension. In August of 2010 I moved to Atlanta by myself, leaving behind my language, culture and family. Ms. Shanta and her daughter Ms. Umi, a teacher at AIS, were my host family. With a low English proficiency and a lot of adjusting to do, I joined AIS in the eleventh grade. AIS introduced me to more than the English language, it introduced me to an entirely different way to learn, the IB curriculum. Through the IB I got to take classes I was very interested in at a high level. My favorite classes ended up being math and economics. 2010 was a good year to join the school, economics was added as an option in the humanities department. When the class first started however, I thought I had made a mistake, maybe economics wasn’t for me. When I requested that my teacher, Mr. Holcomb, transfer me, he asked me to trust him and wait a bit longer. He thought if I gave it a chance I could come to love economics. He couldn’t have been more right! I actually ended up majoring in economics at college.
Summer Camp Saurav and GPE developed for the local children in Meghauli, Nepal. (They only had electricity and no AC for 5 hours a day, in 100 degrees fahrenheit.) 9
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
Meghauli, Nepal Alongside class work the IB requires you to complete CAS hours (Creativity Activity and Service Hours) and familiar with the nonprofit work my parents did I felt comfortable with this task. I created a PingPong society, aimed at bringing people together through sport. It was an incredible success and I made lots of friends through the group. After graduating in 2012 from AIS I attended Birmingham Southern College and, although I loved my time there, I noticeably missed the extracurricular life I had developed at high school. In my first year I decided to create a college Ping-Pong society and it was a huge success. This served a lot of purposes for me, I made friends and I learned how to organize a group through the college, by getting to know the system and the people whose help I would need. After feeling like I had enough information to start another group, I began the process of bringing the Global Peace Exchange program to my school. At Florida State University they already had a successful chapter of the program so I set out creating a chapter for BSC. The idea sounded much simpler then it was; It was almost as time consuming as getting another degree! I had to convince not only the students who would travel to Nepal, to give up their time, but also get the college on board with my plan. Getting students to give up an hour a week to do Ping-pong was easy, the commitment level low and many of my peers signed up without questions. However, the commitment to Nepal was huge, a whole summer. Eventually though we got all the organization in place and prepared for our first trip to Nepal in the summer of 2013. This was the first time I had been home since leaving in 2010 to attend AIS. Going back to Nepal through the Global Peace Exchange Project was very much a personal journey. I had an opportunity to go back home along with my American friends, and give back to the community that has given me so much. I didn’t truly realize how different I had become until I was back. I had a whole new perspective that my family and Nepalese friends didn’t have. On the other hand, I also had a different perspective than my American friends. Through this project I watched both communities that I love become empathetic to each other’s worlds and learn about each other’s cultures. Some of the projects we worked on were teaching the local community English AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
and about global warming, giving away more than 4,000 reusable bags and more than 40 concrete dustbins. The most important thing we organized was a summer long camp for local children with focus on leadership, compassion, respect, health, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment. The aim of our trip was to educate and empower the community in Nepal. But I think the trip educated and empowered my American friends just as much. At AIS my passion for economics and service were born, and the idea that the two could be mixed was fully realized. My time in college further solidified for me how important merging my career with the service for others is to me. The Global Peace Exchange Project was particularly special because it helped me build a bridge between the life I had in Nepal and the life I have in America. It helped me show my family the world I am now a part of as well as showing my friends the world I came from. By learning about each other’s cultures we have grown more empathetic in our sometimes opposing opinions and ways of life. If everyone was given the opportunity to experience another culture like this, think how tolerant and empathetic our world could be.
Meghauli, Nepal
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
ALUMNI Q&A:
AMY O'HALLORAN ’11 1. What were you most passionate about/most inspired by from your time at AIS that helped shape your college years and/or career? I was most inspired by the critical thinking and debate that was fostered in all of my classes. My teachers challenged my classmates and I to think outside of the box in every class, no matter the subject. Whether discussing a piece of literature in English or French, debating a key historical figure's decision in History, or even exploring a new form of Theatre, I learned how to recognize, communicate, and discuss problems and possible solutions both within the context of class, but also more generally in life. This led to some very lively debates with my peers, both inside and outside of class, on real problems the world was confronting. This ultimately fostered my passion for politics and international affairs, and led to my studying it at university and pursuing a career in it. 2. What lead you to choose specifically International Relations and Affairs at GWU? As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, I was lucky to have had international roots from the time I was born. Secondly, I was very fortunate to have been able to attend an international school and travel internationally as much as I did. Finally, I would say it was a combination of my high school Model United Nations experience and the 2008 Presidential Election that really peaked my interest in international affairs and politics. We weren't usually allowed to watch TV during the week, but my parents would let me watch CNN when I ate dinner, where I was engrossed in the primary election (and subsequently the general election) coverage. I learned a lot about the US political system during that year, but I also was able to see the impact the election (and similar elections around the world) had on the international community. I was drawn specifically to The George Washington University (GWU) and the Elliott School of International Affairs after my visit to Washington, D.C. as part of the Grade 10 trip. The combination of GWU's ranking as a top 10 international affairs school and its location in the heart of Washington, D.C. meant I would be able to learn both inside and outside the classroom through internships and other professional experiences throughout the school year, something I wouldn't be able to do as easily if I wasn't in Washington, D.C. for college. 3. What was it like working at the White House? It was quite simply an extraordinary experience. I was able to work for and work with individuals who I had only ever read about and studied in class. I was fortunate enough to have supervisors who trusted me to take on additional responsibilities, lead meetings and attend events on their behalf, and engage in high level brainstorming and strategy development. It was a challenging, very fast paced professional experience that pushed me further than I had ever been before, but in a way that was so rewarding and motivating. Moreover, I was very lucky to have been able to continue this work throughout the remainder of the Obama-Biden Administration as an Advance Associate, where I traveled locally and domestically in support of the work President Obama and Mrs. Obama were doing, including to places such as the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and the United Nations General Assembly Meetings in NYC. I was a
witness to history, and for that I will always be very grateful. 4. What do you hope for the future in your career? My interests in this field are broad and numerous, so I'm still working on finding what specifically it is that I want to focus on. I know I want to stay in the world of international affairs and politics, and want to keep an open mind for the next great opportunity that will allow me to continue in this field. 5. What is your favorite AIS memory? Undoubtedly, my three trips to THIMUN in January 2009, 2010, and 2011. It was an honor to get to travel to a conference in Holland where 4,000 high school students attempted to find solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems. Not only did I get to share these experiences with my friends and two of my sisters, but I made connections with students from around the world that have lasted throughout college and into my career. 6. What advice would you give current AIS students, now that you can reflect back on your time here? Work hard, and never underestimate what you are capable of. Set goals for yourself (both personal and professional/academic), and know what you're going to need to get where you want to go. The IB is a rigorous academic program, but if you work diligently, you'll reap the benefits and rewards for a long time after you graduate. With that, you should never underestimate yourself and what you are capable of. Try your hand at whatever interests you, even if it is scary to think you might fail or not be good at it. Some of the best experiences of my life so far, including the White House, have been things I applied to without knowing if I would be good enough or could get into, and I'm so grateful I always had the courage to try! Editor’s Note: Amy O'Halloran graduated from the Atlanta International School in 2011, and then moved toWashington, D.C. to attend The GeorgeWashington University. After graduating in 2015 with a B.A in International Affairs, she worked at the White House for the Obama Administration. She currently works at the U.S. Department of State.
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy and Amanda Lucidon 11
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
CAS: Against Human Trafficking by Ellenor Whitfield Graphics by Cherise Randle
33,000
Twitter posts used the #MyFreedomDay hashtag
Freedom Project stories had
4,000,000 page views
2,600+
people posted #MyFreedomDay messages on Instagram
people told us what freedom means to them.
#MyFreedomDay reached more than
160
million timelines
“Oh I know someone, who knew someone, who did…” is how every incredible story about one person’s initiative making a real difference in the world inevitably begins. The protagonist always nameless, an acquaintance of some distant relative. Who and where are these amazing people? The answer, here at AIS. An inspiring story of how a select few people’s initiative to better the world, ignited a global movement. Our story begins in 2011 when a group of students realized the prevalence of human trafficking in Atlanta. Don’t be deceived by the extensive suburban neighborhoods and tight knit southern communities. Atlanta is a city with one of the busiest airports in the USA, bringing business’ and job growth with it. But it also brings something much darker, human trafficking.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
3,500
A conversation about slavery hardly seems appropriate in the context of our “so called civilized world” as Woody Harrelson refers to it when asked ‘what freedom means to him’. Modern day slavery, now rebranded as human trafficking is not just prevalent here in Atlanta though, it is a global epidemic. The 2016 Global Slavery Index says there are more than 45.8 million people trapped in slavery, and the UN predicts human traffickers earn more than $150 billion every year from enslaving people. These shocking facts sparked a movement at AIS, when students from all across the world came together determined to move us closer to ending human trafficking, globally. Emilia Castillo a senior at AIS stated, “Young people have a lot of power to make big changes.” The student led CAS group started by focusing on raising awareness in their immediate community, meeting once a week during lunch. It soon became apparent that if they could make such a beneficial impact in their
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
Freedom Project videos were watched more than 5,000,000 times
Hundreds of schools from around the world posted with #MyFreedomDay
On March 14, the #MyFreedomDay hashtag trended in Nigeria, the UAE, The Philippines, the UK and the US, and Tweets came from more than 100 countries
Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com immediate community, they could replicate this success around the globe. After all, “If not us, who else is going to stand up and fight for these people’s rights” said AIS student Charlotte Jones. When an AIS family moved to Hong Kong in 2014 and started at the Hong Kong International School, the group's initiative went global. Now partnering the two schools, both worked on ways to raise awareness in both countries and were soon creating real change. In Georgia the group began awareness conversations that led to lobbying a change in Georgia law that previously allowed victims of human trafficking to be punished by law.
of celebrities and hundreds of other schools, that got involved, the world answered the question, “What does Freedom, mean to you?” “Being able to engage with thousands of students all over the world was a privilege, and really exemplified the power of young people’s voices.” said Kitty McCarthy, another AIS student involved in the event.
Then in 2016, when CNN International partnered with the group for CNN’s Freedom Project, the organization finally had a global platform to alert the world to this obscene industry. With the help 13
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
Personal Project: Class of '19 by Ellenor Whitfield
"Knowledge isn't enough; you need to apply it to make an impact." YANNIE TAN: The devastation of climate change motivated Yannie
to research how to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in polluted urban areas.Yannie developed an environmentally beneficial packet (phytoplankton packet) consisting of two hydrophobic and porous materials. The packet allows phytoplankton’s to photosynthesize, absorbing the carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen, to ultimately reduce pollution in the environment. The experiments positive results allowed Yannie to further research ways to help the environment by reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions through phytoplankton. After this initial success, she hopes to gain more visibility for the packet by creating a larger sized model of the product and raising more awareness of this pressing issue.
“All art has the same purpose and that is to create meaning.” TRAVIS HARPER: After writing a couple of songs and being heavily
involved in the Arts, Travis decided to create a song and music video for his personal project. He used this opportunity to discuss domestic violence. After analyzing and researching the craft of creating a song, Travis created a song called ‘No Matter’. He hopes that this song not only enlightens people to the issues surrounding domestic violence but serves as a reminder to victims of domestic violence that they are not alone.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
"AIS gives you the opportunity to interact with professionals that are breaking ground in their industry, bringing your passion to life." SOFIA EIDIZADEH: Sofia decided to take the Personal Project as an
opportunity to research the mathematics behind the Islamic art that fills her home. Intrigued by the idea that math can inspire art, she explored the subject by composing a series of art pieces that were heavily influenced by Islamic beliefs. As part of her research for the project Sofia contacted an expert in the field, Eric Broug, the author of ‘Islamic Design Workbook’ to originally ask questions. However by the end of the project, he was so impressed with her deconstruction of the material that he asked her if she would attempt to explain it to his daughter, as he had not been able to simplify it enough for her.
“It’s important that humans understand how their actions can impact, negatively or positively, the lives of all living things.” KATIE ROSE KETZES: Katie’s aim for her personal project was to
investigate how Greyhounds transition from a life of dog racing to being domestic pets. All her research focused on one particular organization, Second Chance Greyhounds. To further understand this organization, Katie conducted interviews and attended fundraising events. She was able to document her experience by taking many photos and videos, which are all compiled in a short film.
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
“Personal Project helps students stay intrinsically motivated and allows them to see the applications of their passion in the world around them.”
“The Personal Project forces you to go through this whole process and complete something that you may not have thought you could possibly do.”
JAMES WEICHERT: Knowing that he had a good technical foundation
NADERA HERBERT-BEY: After trying to learn Japanese each summer
for creating video games, James decided to focus on his passion, ‘the way humans and machines interact with one another and how design can improve that relationship’. Using gamification theories, James created an educational video game for 1st grade students, which reiterates material they would have learnt at school earlier that day in all four core subjects: math, language arts, science and social studies. Recognizing the unique opportunity that AIS and Garden Hills had with their distinct language barrier, James decided to make the game playable in both English and Spanish. Thus helping kids who find it hard to participate in class, due to language barriers, to practice key educational lessons at home.
“Once it is built, the water well will help lots of people have an easier life because they will have access to clean water.” LILY TURNER: When the Thirst Project gave a presentation at the
Atlanta International School, Lily knew she wanted to be involved. Determined to combine her passion for running with bringing her community together, Lily decided to host an event at Atlanta International School to raise money for the Thirst Project. She created a 100 mile relay race event that lasted all day, giving everyone the opportunity to donate to the cause and complete a lap of the track, whenever they wanted. She has raised enough money to fund the building of a water well in Swaziland, which will impact an entire community's life, giving them safe access to clean water.
throughout middle school and struggling to retain the language, Nadera used the personal project as an opportunity to improve the learning method. She not only became more proficient in the language but also took the opportunity to research the difference between Latin based languages and character based languages. She then wrote and illustrated a children’s book, in Japanese, demonstrating her understanding of the language. Using this book as proof of her competancy in the langauge, Nadera has secured a place at a summer lanuage camp in Japan. Nadera has also been selected to attend the Young Global Scholars program at Yale University this summer.
“AIS prepares you mentally to be an active learner and an active listener. To go out into the world and find opportunities to develop and create solutions." VALENTIN STELEA: Inspired by an encounter with a homeless man,
who approached him asking for money to buy food, Valentin decided to research statistics on food waste and hunger in both his local and global community. Shocked by the realization that 40% of food in the United States is thrown away, and 1 in 5 people in Georgia go to bed hungry each night, Valentin decided that these two problems could be solved with one solution. He created a networking software that local food banks and food sources, such as restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets, can use to log excess food and notify local food banks to collect. Thus reducing food waste and helping feed the hungry simultaneously. Valentin’s project was even recognized and has earned him the Governor's Scholarship. 15
LEARNING FOR ACTION & IMPACT
Honesty Through Sport: Ultimate Frisbee in the Slums of Brazil by Jasper Reschauer ’18
“Sport can no longer be considered a luxury within any society but is rather an important investment in the present and future, particularly in developing countries.” UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP)
There are countless charities aimed at helping the children in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. However, few well known major charities reach the isolated communities outside of urban areas, whose lives are impacted even further by the crushing poverty.Yet, luckily for these remote communities, there are a select group of smaller nonprofit organizations that do what they can to offer similar support as their International counterparts. This summer in Brazil, miles away from the Olympic Village and the cheering crowds of the 2016 Olympics, I came across such an organization. Founded by a French nun who originally set out to visit the little town of São Domingos do Prata, and ended up staying for life to help children in the slums. The Monique Leclercq Foundation brings the opportunities of music, art, warm meals, and athletic activities to the underprivileged youth who live in these remote communities. The foundation was originally brought to my attention through my grandmother who lives in Brazil. Over lunch with her, she mentioned the fantastic work the foundation was doing. She was unaware at the time that I was in the middle of putting together my yearlong tenth grade personal project. I was interested in organizing an Ultimate Frisbee Summer Camp to underprivileged kids in Brazil as my project, but needed to partner with a nonprofit that already had a platform on which I could launch this idea. This organization sounded like a perfect charity to partner with, so I immediately contacted them. The idea was well received by the foundation and I was asked to give the children a trial day of what we would do in the summer camp to gauge interest among them. The kids, unaware of the sport, as ultimate Frisbee AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
isn’t common in Brazil, showed a lot of potential and really enjoyed interacting with each other on the field. Unlike other sports, Ultimate Frisbee relies on the sportsmanship of the players, as the game has no referees and instead is self-governed by both teams. Therefore, Ultimate Frisbee does not just promote teamwork but also honesty. The Monique Leclercq Foundation was looking for a sport that instilled honesty-based values, or as they referred to it, Spirit of the Game. This lesson was vital for some children; whose upbringing lacked this important lesson. During the full day I spent with these children, I got to know them and learned about their individual situations. The stereotype that is fueled through pop culture (movies like City of God), depicting kids who grow up in slums as bound to become thugs or hustlers, is a misconception. These children are just like the ones who surround me at AIS, they are young bright students, athletes and artists, who need only support to flourish. They are children who deserve a brighter future than the one that currently awaits them. Seeing first-hand the tremendous lengths that the members of the Monique Leclercq Foundation go to in order to make these kid’s lives better is something truly amazing, and something in which I’d very much like to take part. Editors Note: Jasper Reschauer is a junior at the Atlanta International School, who was introduced to Ultimate Frisbee in middle school.Today he plays for the AISVarsity Ultimate Frisbee team.This summer, he and a friend will mentor over 120 youth in a slum near his grandmother’s hometown, in Brazil.
júbilo adore warmth
gracieux
merci pride
appreciate value beloved
we
love our
honor
gnädig
believe alabanza
Thank you
beloved esteem liebe grateful adore amor devoted
Gracias
gütig amour
joie cherish fond danke valor benevolence
kindness
treasure
respeto applaud regard
believe kindness
love apprécier affinité
donors
prize
revere
benign grateful applaud generosity
cortés wertschätzung chérir dear sincerity propósito dévoué dando Großzügigkeit pride geben
gracious générosité family happy fierté güte alegría
joy
Thanks for Helping Every Eagle Soar!
17
STAYING Connected
Alumni CLASS NOTES 1994
1999
TREVOR HIGGINS ’94 is living in Dublin,
MARUSHKA BLAND ’99 is Director of
Ireland, with his wife and two children where he runs a parent coaching practice called Clouds Away; he does some of his counseling online and on skype - so if you have a "terrible two year old" or a frustrating teenage child, look him up. He writes, "This is my own business-- a marriage of my psychology & coaching qualifications with 20 years of experience working with families."
1995 PAUL GRETHER ’95 works for the
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Metro) managing operations for the Cincinnati Streetcar (tram). The streetcar project took most of his time and energy in 2016, and on Sept 9 the system opened to the public - after many years of construction, healthy doses of politics, and a lot of hard work. He was able to attend the bi-annual Innotrans conference in Berlin in September, the largest rail conference in the world. Remember his fascination with train travel when he was a student here?
Payments Marketing at Whole Foods in Texas. "Whole Kids Foundation received more than $100,000 over the holidays to further the non-profit's work improving children's nutrition wellness when WF teamed with Blackhawk Network, a leading global stored value and payments provider." "Since its inception in 2011, WKF has invested $18,000,000 in programs serving 4,000,000 children in the US, Canada, and the UK." said Marushka, "This gives customers a way to stretch their dollars with every gift card purchase, allowing them to give back without spending more." PHIL NOVAK ’99 lives in Toronto with
his wife Kathy and is working for Gensler Architecture (which has an Atlanta office) as a graphic designer with a focus on wayfinding signage systems and environmental graphics. On the side, he is still taking photographs.
2003
have been back in Atlanta from DC for 4 years now. Wife Ellen is from DC and she's working as a realtor right now. They met while Tyler was in grad school. They have a 6 year old girl, Chloe, and a 3 year old boy, Matthew. He's been a business consultant for most of his career and just accepted a new job at Coke. He also records and releases his own music on small labels, and enjoys painting and skateboarding with his kids.
then moved to Austin, Texas, to work with a firm called Dimensional Fund Advisors, a mutual fund company that was started by David Booth who gave his name to University of Chicago's business school.
EVA IMBSWEILER ’06 has been accepted
into the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute which will provide her with a two-year teaching residency with a mentor teacher and then a master’s degree. GEORGE WEEKS ’06 is still in London.
George has recently become a recruitment consultant for Switch Consulting, a specialist retail recruiting company. He recruits retail managers from store managers to CEOs.
1998 TALI PADAN ’98 is living in Belgium where
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Spring 2017
ALEX CHERIYAN ’04 married Prachee and
2006
TYLER HIGGINS ’95, his wife and children
she is director of Mellem Education, an organization that specializes in providing workshops and training in conflict management, intercultural communication, and leadership training for both the public non-profit sector and the private enterprise sector. Tali has a MA in Interactive Communications and an MA in Intercultural Conflict Management. Combining these skills, she has developed workshops and training programs for academic institutions as well as workplaces.
2004
2008 MEGAN DOYLE ’08 has completed law
school and will be assistant public defender for Northshore Defenders in Louisiana. CAMILLE STABLER ’ 03 and Merritt Kain
welcome daughter Mandela Ruth (Della Ruth) Kain, grand daughter to Layne and John Stabler.
MERLIN FABIAN ’08 was married this
past year and is working as a narcotics detective for the Norcross, Georgia Police Department.
STAYING Connected ANDY GUTIERREZ ’08 completed BSc in
Architecture at Cornell U; at graduation he was awarded for having completed the best thesis of the year by the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. In January 2015, he was awarded a funded Master of Science in Computer Graphics (the Masters was an applied computer science research position where the design process within the context of emerging technologies was re-thought and software for design was developed – his thesis for this degree was a 3D drawing application using pen and touch for Microsoft Surface devices. He started an internet company last year – Comake – which is a collaboration platform that helps designers and creators keep track of their inspirations, ideas, reasoning, and workflow
IVANA LUCIC ’11 completed a year in Bali
where she was working as intermittent editor in chief for Brilio, SE Asia's leading digital media agency. She is now living in Melbourne and pursuing writing.
2012
2009 JOEL KERN, friend of the Class of ’09, is
back in New Orleans, having finished at UGA. He is doing multi-disciplinary design work for a start-up company called KREWE, an independent eyewear company.
2010 IAN HILL ’10 moved back to San Francisco
from Los Angeles and became an account manager with FETCH – he runs mobile marketing campaigns to help clients acquire new users for their mobile apps. MATHILDE PETITPRE ’10 graduated from
UGA and spent a year in Spain. She is now a certified ESOL teacher and working at Little DaVinci School in Atlanta teaching English and French, but expects to be overseas next year.
2011 MANON AUDIBERT ’11 has been promoted
to e-commerce content manager at Billy Reid.
RYAN KRISTENSEN ’11, upon completing
a dual degree program as Emory and GA Tech, will become a process engineer and a candidate in the intensive Essentials of Leadership program at Certainteed-Saint Gobain in Atlanta – he will be in St Charles, Louisiana for a while at first.
LOUISE FORBES ’13 graduated from
Nottingham Trent University in May 2016, with a BA in Criminology. She was awarded a prize for 'Significant Contribution to the Wider Community'. This led her to work with the Nottingham Police for 6 months researching how to prevent Islamophobic hate crimes. She now lives in Sheffield. CONNOR HAGAN ’13 will become an
associate at LEK Consulting in Boston after he graduates from Boston College this spring; he will be on the private equity team, helping clients decide if a potential acquisition is a good decision.
MAX HUNT ’08 is working in NYC as a
healthcare consultant where he has been for almost 3 years. He's traveling a lot, mostly to the West coast and Europe.
University of Maryland to pursue her graduate degree.
MARIN LUCIC ’13 has moved to Shanghai BRIAN CASSEE ’12 graduated in Policy
Science from LUC (Leiden University College The Hague) in February 2017. His thesis topic was “Evolution of the Transatlantic Capitalist Class and the Encompassing Community/Network in the Post Cold War Era.” Right after his graduation Brian went to Pakistan and Bangkok, Thailand and is now diving and doing volunteer work near Phuket, Thailand. He will continue his travels in a month from now to Indonesia and Bali. Here’s a picture with his dad after the ceremony. SYDNEY PROCTOR ’12 graduated from
UGA with a BSc in Public Health. She is currently working as a research associate at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. She is the lead research associate for a study committed to improving family planning methods for disenfranchised communities in addition to helping expand online access to resources in LGBTQ+ and Native Hawaiian communities. She travels regularly for family planning conferences and expects to pursue a Masters in Public Health.
and is becoming fluent in Chinese in hopes of transferring to the local university in Shanghai. He is teaching chess and also working for Madeleine Albright. ELLENOR WHITFIELD ’13 graduated with
a 1st from Nottingham Trent University, in Communication and Promotion. She then interned at the Walgreens Boot Alliance head office, before moving back to Dubai for 6 months. She is now working at AIS while getting her US citizenship and preparing for the LSATs.
2014 MITCHELL CASSEE ’14 is doing really well
at The Hotelschool The Hague and recently returned from Valencia Spain, where he did an internship for 5 months.
2013 LEAH BRACEY ’13 is preparing to
graduate this spring from Bard College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. Her thesis explores the effects of studentteacher interactions on student academic achievement and subjective well-being. She has been honored with numerous academic and community awards both domestic and international. In the fall she will attend 19
2890 North Fulton Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Our Mission To meet the challenges and opportunities of our interdependent, fast-changing world as responsible citizens, young people require flexible intellectual competence, self-discipline, and a global outlook. To achieve these goals, they need rigorous academic preparation and a passion to become the best they can be. To thrive in and contribute to this world, they must have a solid sense of self and respect for others—as individuals, as members of a group, as citizens of their nations, and as members of the global community. Extraordinary individuals will be called upon to shape the 21st century. The mission of Atlanta International School (AIS) is to develop such individuals. To fulfill this mission, AIS commits itself to the following goals: --to sustain and grow the exemplary level of teaching and learning that has earned it a world wide reputation for excellent standards in international and multilingual education within the framework of the International Baccalaureate; --to develop each child fully by helping each one to live our core values: the joy of learning and purposeful effort as well as mutual respect and understanding in a diverse setting; --to maintain an optimal size and composition of faculty and students to maximize the opportunities for learning and shared understanding that are necessary for a healthy community;
The joy of learning and purposeful effort We want our students to experience joy in their intellectual, physical,social, and emotional development. At AIS we will create a safe, stimulating educational environment, promoting the wonder and curiosity that motivate a student to explore learning in and beyond the classroom throughout life. We believe that achievement derives from sustained, purposeful effort and that our potential is best developed by learning to think critically, debate confidently, and push our limits. Ours is a community that nurtures and celebrates disciplined and myriad intelligences, and we approach teaching with the expectation that every student will be successful. Mutual respect and understanding in a diverse community We believe that every human being is valuable and deserves respect. We further believe that respect springs from understanding and that the best way to understand others is by learning to see the world from other points of view. Since each language reflects the values, history, and way of thinking of those who use it, learning another language is a particularly effective means of understanding and respecting others. We believe that a cohesive community of students, faculty, staff, and parents from many backgrounds— socio-economic, ethnic, racial, linguistic, national, and religious—provides an ideal setting for the development of respect and understanding and helps prepare students to thrive in a diverse, interdependent world.
--to help shape and improve local and global communities through the committed participation of its multilingual students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.
AIS Non-Discrimination Statement
Our Core Values
Atlanta International School practices a full non-discriminatory policy in all school-administered programs and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender preference in all of its admissions, educational and employment policies, programs, and practices.
What We Believe Is Fundamentally Important We believe that encouraging each student to discover the intrinsic joy of learning and purposeful effort will help each one to set and achieve high academic standards. Furthermore, we believe it is vital to nurture mutual respect and understanding among all members of our community. Together we cultivate a spirited sense of hope in human potential. We believe the diversity of our community provides an extraordinary opportunity to enable our students to communicate, create, and collaborate in order to build a peaceful future.