Diamond Anniversary: 75 Stars of the Chapel Constellation Reveal their Richest Memories

7575

DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY: 75 STARS OF THE CHAPEL CONSTELLATION REVEAL THEIR RICHEST MEMORIES

Under the motto “Faith in Education”, Chapel has never shied away from the grandiose Mission of providing its students with a challenging but also caring academic environment. Students “learn to make conscious decisions, to take responsibility for their personal actions and for the needs of the community, respecting life and cultural diversity”. In its seventy-five years of existence, Chapel has educated thousands of young people, always guided by a single vision of education: “Engage. Challenge. Support. Care. Prepare students for life”.

As with any successful union, 75 years marks the diamond anniversary. Having been part of the Chapel family evokes a sense of honor and pride for those who have passed through here. Therefore, this commemorative edition of Inside Chapel is pleased to showcase to the public seventy-five stars who represent the most valued part of the school: its students. On the following pages, see how the values instilled by Chapel have marked the lives of each of them.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT SENSE OF BELONGING INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

ELIANA LOBO Class of 1974 She works at her own business, Lobo Language Access, and lives in Seattle, USA. “What impressed me most about Chapel was the gift of warmth (and quick!) acceptance into the community by others who knew what it was like to move to another country and culture and feel overwhelmed. It is something I try very hard to bring to my students. I am very proud to train refugees and immigrants as medical interpreters.”

KICKI LINNELL Class of 1978 She is retired and lives in Cascais, Portugal. “Chapel taught me about diversity, tolerance, and friendship. The friendships I’ve made there are so special that they transcend time and geography, and it’s something highly valued and respected by all alumni. I pursued my goals and achieved more. I raised three fantastic daughters.”

ADRIANA JOHNSON Left in 1987

Professor at UC-Irvine, where she works with Cultura Brasileira, lives in California, USA. “The years I studied at Chapel marked me deeply, mainly because of the sense of community and friendship that I still have. In my professional career, one thing that I am proud of and relates to Brazil is a book that I published in 2010, called Sentenciando Canudos: Subalternidade no Sertão do Brasil.”

CLAUDIA SPANGARO MARIACA Class of 1993 She lives in Florida, USA, where she is a city councilor in the city of Doral.”Chapel has always been family. It is a community of people from all over the world that you can count on. It was in high school that I met my husband, during 7th grade Art class with Ms. Carmen! We both have fond memories of friends and teachers, the Big 4 and Little 8 tournaments, graduations, and proms. Chapel didn’t just give us an education, it gave us a foundation for amazing friendships that remain strong after all these years and distance.”

LUIZ FABIO CAIRES Class of 2001

Lives in Dubai, where he worked as senior vice president of Expo Live at Expo 2020 Dubai. “Studying at Chapel was a really nice period in my life. It was an adaptation phase – I had lived in Puerto Rico and was returning to Brazil after four years. I think the school was a good home for me and helped me a lot during my return to my country. When I joined Chapel, I managed to find friendships that helped me to fit in again and to adjust to São Paulo. Participating in sports also contributed to creating a feeling of family.”

SCOTT IMBASTARI

Class of 1992 Works at the Hilton Hotel and lives in Orlando, Florida. “From Chapel, I have longtime friends from all over the world. My Facebook friends also include my old school teachers. I miss Chapel and I wish my children could experience an environment from Kindergarten to 12th as unforgettable as the one I had. Go Chapel!”

MARION MUEHLEN Class of 1978

She is an epidemiologist and lives in Portugal. “Chapel is so important in my life! I enrolled when I was 5 years old, in 1st grade, and stayed until I finished high school. It was a second home for me. The friendships I made have lasted to this day, our parents became best friends and our families grew up together. Chapel provided a protected environment in which to develop our personality and character, and the education was exceptional. The skills I developed there were also key to my later career, and without my proficiency in English, I would certainly not be where I am today. There were also so many fun activities like bake sales, international fairs, art shows, musicals, countless sports activities, Paiol Grande, Sunday Mass, Girl Scouts, and the list goes on... Thank you, Chapel, for being such a special part of me.” HENNA PAAKKONEN Class of 1992 Lives in Portugal, where she is senior vice president at Stora Enso. “Chapel provided me with an excellent foundation for living in a close-knit community and with friendships for life.”

KAREN MELDRUM MAIDEN SOYCHAK Left in 1980 Lives in Texas (USA), where she works in the credit and collection sector. “This school is my family. I went to reunions with Chapel friends in French Lick, Indiana, and many in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I love my Chapel family on Facebook. The years there were my best school years. My education in the United States doesn’t compare to my education at Chapel. We students from Chapel are everywhere!”

CULTURAL DIVERSITY INTERNATIONALISM INTERCULTURAL RESPECT

RENATA MANGIONE Class of 1993 Lives in São Paulo, where she teaches at an international school. “Chapel exposed me to a great multicultural environment. It provided me with several references that helped me better understand and respect people and their different cultures and drove me to want to make a difference in the world. It gave me structure and confidence to express myself, together with the capacity to think critically. Chapel gave me memories that I will forever hold in my heart.”

DIEGO DE MACEDO HIGGINS Class of 2000 He is head of New Programs at Latam-Facebook and lives in São Paulo. “I experienced at Chapel a very intense multicultural experience from an early age, sharing experiences with classmates from the most different origins and cultures. Many would arrive and others would leave due to family relocations. It was a permanent process of adaptation.”

DENNIS WANG Class of 2001 Businessman, lives in São Paulo. “Before anything else, I would like to say that I will be eternally grateful to my father, who gave me the opportunity to study at Chapel. I took three big things from there. The first is academic education. To this day I use logical reasoning frameworks that I developed in high school. The second is culture. The diversity of student and teacher nationalities, as well as the experience of having taken subjects such as English Literature, contributed greatly to having a cultural background and, especially, an open mind to different points of view and different ways of thinking. Lastly, great friends and memories. To this day, most of my closest friends are from Chapel. We made plenty of mistakes back in school and we still have a good laugh when we remember some of them.”

LEANDRO CAIRES TClass of 2003 Media/Entertainment Executive, lives in Dubai. “Today I benefit from the confidence and the social and leadership skills developed during my time at Chapel through my involvement in the diverse set of activities the school provided – such as sports teams and competitions, StuCo, theater, and music concerts (band).”

ANNE-MARIE BRIGHAM Class of 1986 Translator, lives in France. “Chapel has influenced my life enormously. Thanks to the international education and perspectives the school has given me inevitably led to a career at the BBC World Service, where I spent 20 years working on the network’s most international news service in London. More recently, I returned to France to care for my aging parents and to raise my daughter close to them. Here, quite naturally, I turned to my languages for work, doing translations for agencies such as the UN and Greenpeace.”

ROBERT MACODY LUND (CODY) Class of 1982 Business manager, lives in São Paulo. “Chapel was a unique and valuable experience that will never be repeated. Having such a diverse class (eighteen nationalities amongst 31 graduates) helped me learn empathy and respect for different points of view long before inclusion and diversity became a “thing”. Our class remains in touch to this day and we will celebrate our 40thyear reunion in Granada, Spain (where Jimmy Hughes lives) this September!“

BETH SANGALLI SEIDEL

Left in 1979 She lives in Peoria (Illinois, USA), where she is a lactation consultant in a hospital.“My time at Chapel taught me the value of learning about cultures and beliefs different from my own. This life lesson has served me well throughout my life, both personally and professionally. I have raised a family and work at a job where I can make a difference in people’s lives.”

PETER REBRIN Class of 1981 He is an insurance executive and lives in La Paz, Bolivia. ”Chapel taught me to have a global mindset.” LORRAINE ELSMORE Class of 1988 Works in mining technology and lives in Brisbane, Australia. “Chapel taught me that people are the same, no matter what their nationality, religion, or gender, and that the only thing that can flatten a person’s horizon is a narrow mind! In my life trajectory, I am proud to have contributed to strengthening commercial ties between Brazil and Australia, working at the Australian Consulate and later establishing ABRASSO, the AustraliaBrazil Association in Queensland, now with thousands of members.”

RENATO TARTARELLI

Class of 2003 Lives in São Paulo, where he works as a senior trade marketing manager. “Chapel gave me global exposure to different cultures and nationalities, and this was fundamental for me to realize how essential relationships are in building bridges and caring for people.”

27

INSIDE CHAPEL

GLORIA GUTIÉRREZ Class of 1964 Retired and lives in Miami, Florida, USA. “In Cuba I attended a Catholic school run by Dominican nuns. Chapel brought back memories of the life I had just left. The nuns and my schoolmates facilitated this transition. I have very good memories. Thank you, Chapel!”

HELEN HAISHIH LIAU Class of 1991 Lives in São Paulo, where he manages family businesses. “Chapel allowed me to live in a multicultural environment, where I acquired knowledge of various subjects, sports, languages, and built friendships for life.”

MARSON CUNHA PINTO Class of 2000

Works with alternative investments and lives in Florida, USA. “My experience at Chapel allowed me to grow in a global environment, which prepared me for life anywhere in the world. The combination of top-notch education and strong family values has allowed me to succeed in an ever-evolving and highly competitive environment.”

RODRIGO FRANGIONI Class of 2015 He is a music producer and music designer, and lives in São Paulo. “When I entered college, I could clearly see how well Chapel had prepared me for the amount of work I encountered there. The environment of great diversity also did not cause me any difficulty in adapting, because from an early age I got used to living with different cultural aspects. After all, this is Chapel’s great brand.”

ACADEMIC QUALITY / IB FOR ALL TEACHING EXCELLENCE PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

IRENE LEI Class of 1986 Project manager, lives in Portugal. “I was lucky to have wonderful teachers who prepared me well in the short time I was at Chapel. Having colleagues from many different countries and backgrounds has also helped me to see and appreciate the world differently.” LINA DE MONTIGNY Class of 1983 Veterinarian, lives in Quebec, Canada. “Chapel allowed me to appreciate other cultures, always promoting an open mind. Its teaching quality also allowed me to attend two Ivy League universities, Cornell University and Brown University.”

RENATA MATARAZZO Class of 2014

Lives in São Paulo, where she is a news producer at TV Globo. “The IB program prepared me very well for college. It helped me to choose subjects that interested me the most and to be able to deal with the amount of work and the level of depth that the professors asked for.”

RAFAEL TAKASU Class of 2013 He is a software engineer and lives in California, USA. ”I would say that Chapel gave me a foundation to be a more complete person. Academically, I was able to focus on subjects that interested me more, such as physics and chemistry. I also had to learn about humanities, literature, and other subjects that helped me not only in college but in life. The IB, in general, was very good college preparation. I felt that at Columbia, even though I was among the best students in the United States, I had already learned many things that they were learning for the first time in their first year. In addition to academic teachings, I learned a lot from extracurricular activities such as soccer, the NHS, and StuCo, which taught me how to work as part of a team.” WALDO PEREZ-LESKOVAR Class of 1986 Lives in São Paulo, where he is the financial director of a publicly traded company. “Chapel gave me the academic and ethical foundation that allowed me to excel in my professional and personal life. In addition, I am very lucky, as my close friendship with many of my classmates from the Class of 1986 continues to this day.”

CRISTINA TIEMI NISHIMURA Class of 2004

Speech therapist, lives in São Paulo. “The work I do today is certainly a direct result of attending Chapel starting at age 4. As a speech therapist, I have helped my clients and students around the world to gain confidence in speaking in English, specifically targeting their pronunciation.”

SUSAN PRESBA-MORRIS Class of 1976 Speech therapist and educational consultant, lives in California, USA. “Brazil was not my choice at 15 when I left high school in California, but little did I know how fundamental Chapel would be in my life. I lived in Brazil for another year after graduation. I have fondly recalled my years at Chapel in my career as an educator. I shared my love for Brazil and the education I received from the school staff. I met so many good and wonderful friends during my school years. I am happy to see Chapel continue to maintain its high standards of education, community, and religious strength.”

PATRICIA PASQUAL ADOLFS Class of 2002 University counselor, lives in São Paulo. “My international education allowed me to discover what I wanted to work with: international education!” SERENA SAFFOURI Class of 1988 Event Manager, lives in Cambridge, UK. “Chapel has given me amazing lifelong friends and a great base for my university years.”

THOMAS KOVACS Class of 1977 Lives in Toronto, Canada, where, at age 50, he left his corporate career as a systems analyst to become a musician. “Many Chapel students, myself included, have experienced the rich atmosphere of the theater program. It was of exceptional quality. I was fortunate enough to have been given some prominent acting roles in the program, and with those, I began to explore my instincts as an artist and build on them. Now, many years later, the many lessons I learned in the theater program are serving me well in my new role as a full-time musician/artist. For me, it’s such a delicious feeling to have a room full of enthusiastic applause for something I love to do. That makes me proud.”

JULIA ANN SCHMITT Class of 2018 Early childhood education teacher, lives in São Paulo. “My experiences at Chapel continue to influence my life today in many ways. I study at a great university here in Brazil, I still keep in touch with the friends I made, and I have great memories of my time at Chapel. My teachers have become great inspirations when choosing a career in education and are still a reference when I think about the teacher I want to be.” JULIO T. BADI Class of 2001 Lives in New York, where he works with investments. “Specifically, on the professional side, I would say that the discipline required to complete the full IB program in the final two years at Chapel ended up preparing me well for university. Also, for my career, in which having discipline is essential for success and a longlasting career in trading. On the personal side, I see Chapel’s influence to this day through my friendships. It doesn’t matter if your friends at Chapel went on to other universities, careers, or countries, the bond remains.”

PATTY JONES (PATRICIA CAROLAN) Class of 1967

Now retired, she worked in the Human Resources area and lives in Michigan, USA. “I had an excellent education, not only through the academic studies and moral guidance of the Sisters, but also through long-time friends from that time. My five children have been an inspiration to me to become a more caring person and achieve personal goals.”

DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

VIVIAN MUEHLEN Class of 1977 Works with IT distribution and lives in California, USA. “I owe thanks to Chapel for teaching me the three languages I speak to this day. Also, for the fantastic friendships I’ve made and still enjoy. Something I’m proud of in my career is having created a product to help mothers breastfeed their babies.”

REMO JACUZZI Class of 1976 Lives in Arkansas, USA, where he is COO of Jason International Inc. “Chapel was instrumental in establishing my personal values and professional development. To this day, I miss the Chapel days and am grateful for their decisive contribution to my life. Not only did I manage to develop a highly brilliant career, but I also had a real group of friends. To this day, I maintain a very close relationship with my friends from the class of 1976.”

STELLA GRINBERG Class of 2001 She is a doctor and psychologist and lives in São Paulo. “Chapel, in addition to academic teaching, taught me to have perseverance, believe in myself, and go after all my dreams! That, plus much more! Eternal Gratitude!”

LORRAINE RIGGS TAFT Class of 1965

Retired teacher, lives in Maine, USA. “I received a solid educational foundation during my four years at Chapel High School. The small classes and the dedicated and talented teachers all contributed to building my passion for learning. I was well prepared for college and earned a Masters in Education and Administration and then advanced studies in Special Education. The friends I made at Chapel are lifelong friends. Being part of the international community has broadened my appreciation of differences, inspired an interest in other cultures, and made me a better member of the community and an advocate for others.”

RENATA DANIELA DE ALBUQUERQUE CURY Class of 1995

She is a writer and lives in São Paulo. “Chapel awakened my writing skills.”

RICARDO F. F. PONTES Class of 1990 He is a chemical engineer and lives in São Paulo. “Chapel taught me from a very early age to be responsible for my decisions regarding my professional future. It also presented me, in my later years, with many options to pursue and the possible outcomes for each option. The level of education was adequate for the choices made and I was very satisfied with that.”

FRIENDSHIPS FOR LIFE CHAPEL FAMILY LASTING CONTACTS

AGNES ROY

Class of 1986

Business Woman, lives in São Paulo. “Chapel has given me some of my best friends for life, an extended family!”

DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

CHRISTIAN DUFFY DE ABREU

Class of 2014 Lives in New York, where he runs an education and technology company. “Chapel will always be a part of my life. I was baptized at Chapel and my mother got married at Chapel. Almost every memory I have of my childhood took place there. That’s why I think of Chapel as a vehicle that guided my growth. By that, I say that the same Christian, at another school, would have become someone else completely. It’s even funny because a lot of who I am, whether through hobbies or personality, can be related to some aspect of living that Chapel facilitated. So, I just have to thank: my friends, whom I consider brothers and sisters; my teachers, to whom I still ask for help (and I always ask for help – hahaha); and my family, who lived through it all with me.” MARGIE ROSTWOROWSKI Class of 1974

Works with import and export, and lives in Rome, Italy. “Great years of my life! Twelve years of Chapel taught me the value of lasting friendships (friends I haven’t seen in years, but who I talk to, or am in contact with, make it feel like fifty years never passed!).”

35

INSIDE CHAPEL

DAVI AN Class of 2018 Research Assistant at Pathology Dynamics Lab, lives in Georgia, USA. “Chapel’s biggest influence on my life was people. As the school is relatively small, you can get to know the teachers and students very well. Therefore, each interaction with someone carries much more weight, as you will see and interact with them several other times in your day-to-day routine. I remember several conversations, situations, and stories with my friends at Chapel that influence me to this day. In the end, the character of all the people I met at school contributed to making me who I am and that affects the decisions I make today.”

FLÁVIA RIBEIRO DA SILVA-BENSON Class of 1996 President and General Counsel of Lighthouse Distributor Services and founder of Dovetail Mortgage, LLC, lives in Massachusetts, USA. “Chapel opened my horizons and provided an incredibly diverse student body and student life. We’ve all kept in touch over the years, actually even doing business together internationally. I am proud, regarding my trajectory, of having successfully built three startups and being part of The Born to Run Foundation, Inc.” MUNIR ABDOUNI Class of 1991

He is a civil engineer and lives in Beirut, Lebanon. “I miss my friends and teachers so much. It was the best time of my life.”

ALEXANDRA BARNES COLEMAN Class of 1986

Works in sales and lives in Massachusetts, USA. “I made my most lasting friendships at Chapel.”

MARCELO CHUNG Class of 2010 Airplane pilot, lives in Massachusetts, USA. “What I appreciate most about Chapel School is the strong relationship I maintain with my peers to this day and the realization that I am always learning.”

MARINA BARRA RIGGIO Class of 1980

She is a Realtor at Coldwell Banker and lives in North Carolina, USA. “Chapel has influenced my life through the forming of long-lasting friendships with students and faculty/administration. I also had the pleasure and privilege of helping to plan several Chapel reunions.”

DARIO SARTORI Class of 1984 Dentist, lives in New York, USA. “Memories for a lifetime are what I take from Chapel.”

FABIANA VAN ARSDELL

Class of 1994 Works with book publishing if lives in New Jersey, USA. “Chapel gave me lifelong friendships, not just with students but also with teachers. In my professional career, I had the honor of working with Barbra Streisand on her book My Passion For Design.”

CHRIS MOORE Class of 1979 Works in the real estate market and lives in Maryland, USA. “I have great memories of strong friendships from Chapel.”

SPORTS ART CLUBS

THAIS TAKANO Class of 2014 Graphic designer, lives in São Paulo. “My best memory is, without a doubt, the friends I have to this day. We grew up together and I know we’ll get old together too. It’s funny to see how each one went their own way, but nothing changes when we meet. From the routine at Chapel, my best memories come from the NRs and, without a doubt, from the WOC Trip to Paraty. Honestly, I really miss the International Festivals. I take with me a lot of learning from Chapel, especially what I learned in the art classes, and today I see the importance of bringing purpose to everything I do/create. So much so that I work with concept creation. I can say that Chapel played a big role in shaping who I am today.”

GERALDINE BOURQUARD MCGOWAN

Class of 1990 She has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and lives in South Carolina, USA. “I completed the full IB diploma and was fortunate to have wonderful professors preparing and inspiring my academic journey: Ms. Termaat, Ms. Rideg, Ms. May, Monsieur Jeukins, Ms. Schneider, and Mr. Gahagan, just to name a few. My years at Chapel School taught me to work hard, balance my time efficiently, and enjoy my friendships. I don’t think my kids were as fortunate in their school years as I was with my high school experiences and memories at Chapel. I value the academic foundations and the professors who later helped shape the person

I am today.

Go Trojans!!!”

JOÃO PAULO AMARAL Class of 2005 Environmental manager, lives in Germany. “I played every possible and imaginable sport that existed at Chapel: soccer, basketball, indoor soccer, softball, and even volleyball, as soon as this sport started being offered there. I participated in tournaments and I think that was a strong contribution to always maintaining a very active lifestyle. The community service experience was also very influential in my being openminded about building my career.”

MÔNICA LOPES Class of 2001

Lives in São Paulo, where she is marketing director for Nespresso in Brazil. “Encouraging physical activities is one of Chapel’s strengths. There was not only a fantastic structure, but also the encouragement of sports for both girls and boys, something that I think had a great impact on my personal and professional education.”

ANDRÉIA SADI Left in 2000 Journalist at Globonews, lives in Brasília. “I loved the volleyball games at Chapel, they were really good. I also enjoyed the school events, but the International Festival was unbeatable, I loved it! Especially the Arab tent, where my mother and aunts Sonia, Sil, and Violet served great food. I also remember the Greek tent, because Aunt Eliane Mitropoulos always impressed.”

RODNEY BIRCH Class of 1981 Works with software licensing for large banks and lives in Arizona, USA. “We won the Big 4 basketball tournament at Chapel in 1980, my junior year. It was an amazing experience to play with a great group of guys. The things I’m most proud of in life are my wonderful wife and six children.”

CAROLINE KURZWEIL Class of 2012

Businesswoman, works with market intelligence and lives in São Paulo. “I believe that an important way in which Chapel influenced my life was by introducing me to skills that I still use in my career today. Whether it’s soccer games, Model UN presentations, StuCo actions, Drama Club plays, or World is Our Classroom trips, in short, all of this has contributed to me becoming a team player today, enjoying speaking and presenting in public, being able to organize different demands, and also have experience in connecting with other cultures. Besides, of course, the critical and analytical senses that the IB program develops (especially IB History), which helped me to analyze and solve problems until today.”

GIANCARLO HANNUD Class of 2001

Lives in São Paulo, where he is an independent art curator. “Chapel was an environment that fostered my interest in art. For example, the inauguration at the school of the Tomie Ohtake panel was a remarkable moment for me. I also fondly remember the different editions of the Chapel Art Show.”

GIOVANNI TURRA Class of 2015

He is a musician, serves as an international marketing leader and lives in Georgia, USA. “Chapel contributed in different ways to my development. As a musician, I played at religious masses and other events, such as the International Festival, and this helped me to understand more about how sound propagates in large spaces. In addition, some classes like IB Arts and English Literature helped to improve my artistic perception.”

SUSANA A. MULHALL DE TOLEDO Class of 1960

She is an artisan and lives in São Paulo. “What impressed me the most at Chapel were sports, especially basketball.”

FABIANA SAAD Class of 2003 She is a businesswoman and social entrepreneur, and lives in São Paulo. “The pleasure of helping others and the need to do so in an unequal society, such as the Brazilian one, are feelings that are rooted in everyone who passes through Chapel. Furthermore, the practice of sports showed me how important teamwork is, a lesson that I certainly apply in my professional activities today.”

GIOVANA FAKHOURY Class of 2002 Works with Marketing and lives in Paris, France. “The values I learned at Chapel have stayed with me all my life: loving and caring for each other, the importance of family, morality, openness to others and the world, and much more. Some of the childhood friends I made at Chapel are still my best friends to this day, and they are like an extension of my family, who I can count on no matter what. The quality of education I received at Chapel gives me a much broader view of the world and instilled in me a constant need to delve deeper into different topics, learning new things every day.”

MORAL VALUES ETHICS CONSTANT LEARNING

CAROLINA MARIA RUSSOHOLDING

Class of 1999 Technical Sales Manager for SKF, lives in Winchester, Virginia, USA. “Studying at Chapel made me want the same experiences for my children, so they are now in a Catholic school as well.”

ERIC COUSINEAU Class of 1969 He is retired and lives in Alberta, Canada. “Life at Chapel taught me honor, respect, and the value of hard work. I am honored to have raised four wonderful boys.” ARTHUR NASINBENE Class of 2015

JULIETA BEVERIDO Class of 2002 She is a finance director and lives in Texas, USA. “Chapel School has influenced my life in many ways. Among them are: building lasting friendships for life; the importance of valuing academic life and striving to be the best you can be; respecting your peers and teachers while building the skill set for future work groups in life; and, finally, the importance of always giving thanks and giving back. These important things helped shape my success and for that, I will be forever grateful. Thank you, Chapel.” Bachelor of International Relations, lives in New York, and is pursuing a Masters in Sports Business, “I have a collection of Chapel memories. I played basketball during my time at school and it’s impossible not to remember with immeasurable nostalgia the after-school games. When I think of the community that was Chapel, I fondly remember those moments. On the academic side, I chose to study International Relations because of the Geography classes and my participation in the MUN (Model United Nations). The influence Chapel had on my life goes far beyond that though. This school taught me a lot about community, about commitment, and, without a doubt, I developed at Chapel many of the values that made me who I am.”

GONZALO ALVAREZ Class of 2017 Graduated in Business Administration, he is currently an intern at The Kraft Heinz Company, in Madrid, Spain. “Chapel taught me basic values, both work and social, of friendship and personal relationships. It taught me how to act in the face of the unknown and how to make the best of the lessons that life offers us. It also taught me to think differently. I learned that not belonging to a pattern only makes us more special.”

DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

LETITIA HIGGINS SMITH Class of 1972 Businesswoman and social scientist, lives in São Paulo. “I believe Chapel contributed a lot to my happiness and childhood, reinforcing the moral values I was taught at home and, most importantly, helping to teach me to think and analyze rather than just memorize.”

DOLORES ARONOVICH AGUERO Class of 1986 Lives in Ceará, where she is a professor of English Literature at the Federal University of Ceará. “I have only good memories from Chapel. There was a lot of freedom in the classroom for us to express ourselves, and that was incredible. Many of the things I’ve achieved, like learning to make arguments and to think, came from my formative years at Chapel.”

43

INSIDE CHAPEL

JULIANA NAJM Class of 2014 She is a business administrator and lives in São Paulo. “Chapel was my home for fifteen years. It gave me lifelong friends, happy years, and taught me many things that are now the moral basis of many of my decisions. The lessons, experiences, and friendships I made during all this time taught me about companionship, loyalty, character, and most importantly, how to live life in a light way. I keep these fifteen years with much love and affection in my memory.”

NICOLAS CEVA BABIKIAN Class of 2015Photographer, lives in São Paulo.“My best memory of Chapel is of the community as a whole. It showed me that there is always a way to help others. It could be with donations, giving your time or attention, or even taking pictures. No matter what, there’s always a way. It also taught me that a sense of community is very important for the rest of my life.”