Hong Kong International School
DRAGON The Alumni Magazine of HKIS
Alumni News
Resource Meets Need at “Crossroads” Alumni PROFILE
Jennifer Fong’s Chocolux Factory Faculty News
HKIS’ Dedicated Follower of Fashion
HKIS News
The Inspirational Nick Vujicic
Volume 12
Winter Edition 2009
Registration/Photo Booth
10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. • HS Entrance Receive your welcome gift at registration. First 100 alumni will receive the welcome gift. Please present photo ID to enter.
Guided Campus Tours
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • HS Entrance Led by Student Ambassadors, or self-tour with maps found at the registration desk.
Homecoming 2010 January 7, 2010
Homecoming Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. • HS Cafeteria
Collect your free lunch ticket on registration.
Alumni Association Reception 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. • HS Faculty Lounge
Join the Alumni Association and talk to fellow alumni about College and Career experiences. Students and alumni need you!
Tent Reunion – Meet Your Teachers and Counselors 3:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. • HS Plaza
Your teachers and counselors will be thrilled to hear your stories of life after HKIS. Take snap shots with faculty and alumni.
Rugby – Girls (Alumni vs. Current Team) 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. • Field Sign up online to play.
Rugby – Boys (Alumni vs. Current Team) 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. • Field Sign up online to play.
Alumni vs. Faculty Basketball 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. • HS Gym Sign up online to play.
Happy Hour Reception
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. • Cicada, 4 Shelley Street For enquiries, please email alumni@hkis.edu.hk Please be reminded that you will need a valid photo ID to enter the school premises.
Join us for happy hour in Soho and enter a draw to win an iPhone!!! Free appetizers for all alumni, faculty and staff. Your first drink courtesy of the Alumni Association Board. Stop by and mingle with fellow alumni.
Go online to fill out the registration form: www.hkis.edu.hk > Alumni > News & Events
Volume 12 • W inter Edition 20 09
DragonTales is published twice a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement of Hong Kong International School.
David Young Manager, O.I.A. Connie Chan Public Relations Manager
Contents 5
Leadership Updates
n Message from Head of School Richard W. Mueller
6
Alan Beaufoy Webmaster
Alumni News & Profiles n Resource Meets Need at “Crossroads”
n Jennifer and the Chocolux Factory
n A New President
n Alumni Challenge
James Manning Communications & Publications Manager Kathy Wong Development Coordinator Prudence Ng Administrative Assistant
DragonTales Editors Irene Loh/Christine Dutka James Manning
n 10-Year Reunion Class of ’99 – Hong Kong n 10-Year Reunion Class of ’99 – New York
Alumni Board President Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89
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Faculty News n HKIS’ Dedicated Follower of Fashion – Zella Talbot
Vice-President Joyce Yin ’89
n Farewell to Long-Serving Faculty and Staff
Treasurer Simon Lau ’80 Members Lincoln Chan ’88 Justin Hardman ’99 Ken Rohrs (faculty) Joyce Yin ’89 Natasha Khan ’03 Spencer Chiu ’93
32
HKIS News & Updates n Campus Development
E-Board Members David Christian ’69 David Kohl (former faculty) Advisors Robert Dorfman ’72 Kenneth Koo ’79
Designed and printed by Impressions Design & Print Ltd
38
Class Notes
n The Inspirational Nick Vujicic
ALL SCHOOL Austin Texas July 4th Weekend 2010 • July 2 to 5 In the tradition of Washington 2000, Portland 2002, San Francisco 2004, and Hong Kong 2007, plans for another all-school reunion are underway for Austin 2010. We are still in the planning stages now, but would like to extend an invitation to one and all, along with their families, to join us in Austin for a weekend filled with fun and memories of an important time in all of our lives. FOR DETAILS: * Sign up for Dragontrain or HKISReunion2010 at yahoogroups.com * email dragontrain@yahoogroups.com * Contact Richard Grayson at drograyson@yahoo.com * www.hkis.edu.hk > Alumni > News & Events To contact the organizers: Email Richard Grayson at drograyson@yahoo.com Or call David Kohl at 503.657.7351 Volunteers to help the reunion committee should email drograyson@yahoo.com.
leadership updates
Dear HKIS Alumni,
W
e started the new school year in August with 2,640 students, representing some forty different countries.
At Homecoming on January 7, you will have the opportunity to see a wide range of developments at HKIS, both in the educational area and recent upgrades to our campus. We have a host of other activities and events organized. Our teachers and students look forward to reconnecting with you. You well know that HKIS students and our community have always lived out our Christian values of compassion and care by participating in service activities to help others. I was pleased this October that HKIS students and the Alumni Association both raised funds for those affected by typhoons in the Philippines, the earthquakes in Indonesia, tsunami in Samoa, and floods in India. Thank you to everyone who donated. You will be pleased to learn that in November our Alumni Coordinator Irene Loh gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Zachary. Both mom and son are doing well. Irene will return to HKIS early next year. Our thanks to Christine Dutka who is standing in for Irene during her absence. Alumni are an integral part of both the heritage and heart of our school. We want to maintain and strengthen school links with you wherever you are in the world. If you can’t make it back for Homecoming, but plan on visiting Hong Kong soon, please include us in your itinerary. Christine (cdukta@hkis.edu.hk) would be delighted to assist you during your visit back to school. She is stationed in our Alumni Office on the 7th Floor of the Middle School. If you have new ideas on how we can improve contacts or ideas for new events and programs, please let us know by emailing alumni@hkis.edu.hk. Our doors are always open to you. The HKIS Annual Report and Report of Giving has been published. This 76-page report gives an overview of our work and activities during the last school year and plans for this year. For an electronic copy, visit www.hkis.edu.hk. An electronic copy can be viewed and/or downloaded in the Spotlight section on the front page. Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season, and do keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Richard W. Mueller Head of School
DragonTales
alumni news & profile
Resource Meets Need at
“Crossroads” Established almost by chance in 1995, the Crossroads Foundation has grown and diversified into an educational and service organization working in more than a hundred countries. DragonTales caught up with two of its founders, HKIS alumni brothers David and Josh Begbie...
T
he journey from Causeway Bay to the Crossroads Foundation headquarters in Tuen Mun is a journey of discovery. First, you realize just how big Hong Kong actually is; second, you get to discover a myriad of new tunnels, bridges and roads connecting Hong Kong with its northern New Territories. After an hour and 20 minutes of nonstop progress on the 962 from Causeway Bay, my bus passes the Gold Coast Shopping Mall on the left, which means it is time to get off. The mall is the landmark David “Biff” Begbie ’94 suggested I look for in order to find him. Following his instructions, I walk for 50 meters past the mall to a non-descript driveway on the right-hand-side of the road, distinguished only by a large Crossroads banner outside. Peering through the trees that line the drive, one can make out post-war, military-style barrack-like buildings. They look abandoned and rundown. Nevertheless, these buildings are home to the Begbie family and the headquarters of the Crossroads Foundation.
DragonTales
The Kai Tak operation
I walk up the driveway and follow signs to the reception, where I am welcomed by a Crossroads volunteer. She ushers me up a dimly lit corridor to a door marked ‘coffee shop.’ Inside I find all the delights of any self-respecting Starbucks – lattes, cappuccinos, brownies... There is a comforting, laidback feel to the place. Crossroads volunteers of all ages, ethnicities, shapes and sizes sip on cappuccinos, in between sorting, cleaning and packing goods to be distributed to the needy. I order a coffee and a voice says, “It’s on me.” Before I know it, money has been exchanged and I am sitting with David Begbie, who proceeds to tell me about the virtues of the Fairtrade coffee I am about to enjoy.
“Refreshments and toilets we could do, but we don’t sell any of our stock,” says David. “We give it away. Then we had this wonderful eureka moment. Crossroads could be an outlet where handicrafts made by the poor in the areas of the world we serve could be sold, here in Hong Kong. This is how the Global Handicrafts wing of Crossroads started. “Soon we had the largest fair trade shop in Hong Kong.” As with the other three areas under Crossroads’ umbrella – Global Distribution, Global Hand and Global X-perience – Global Handicrafts took root through a combination of luck and circumstance. So how did Crossroads begin?
“Our father is an accountant, our mother is in Public Relations. So we thought that’s convenient, using my parents’ skills and training, we could serve many,” says David. On returning to Hong Kong, the plan was to serve other NGOs through words and numbers in their free time, and also start a business from which to earn money to live and eat.
“These were hard times,” says David. “We ate congee and carrot sticks every night for dinner.”
This program started five years ago on the suggestion of a Government representative.
The Begbies asked the Hong Kong Tourist Association how they could attract tourists. They said that tourists require refreshments, washrooms and shops.
The Begbies initially thought of starting a charity. However, when they spoke to NGOs, they said they needed help in areas where their parents have skills.
However, the business did not earn money. In fact, it lost money. As a family, they ended up with just US$10 dollars to their name.
The coffee shop is part of Crossroads’ Global Handicrafts program, which offers a market for fair trade goods produced by people living in poverty. “Everything here is sold under fair trade principles,” he says.
“Crossroads had just moved into Gold Coast Headquarters,” remembers Josh Begbie ’96. “The representative suggested we be a showcase charity welcoming tourists and foreign dignitaries to show how Hong Kong cares for itself, and for the world.”
“We started to ask ourselves, what as a family could we do to help? The poverty was too near and too deep not to respond,” says David.
Begbie family
Genesis of Crossroads According to David, the Crossroads story starts when he and his brother were young. “We were privileged to travel with our parents to many countries. We spent time in the Philippines where we had the opportunity to work with people in need. We also spent time in eastern Europe, where we saw much need.”
However, the Begbie family had their needs taken care of in different ways that, apart from faith, they could not explain. For example, one day Mrs. Begbie was walking in the fields behind their house in Lantau looking for vegetables for supper. She returned home empty handed and discouraged. In an act of desperation, she prayed to God to help her feed her children. A little time later, there came a knock at the door and a most unconventional angel appeared. “This man had tattoos all over his body. He smoked and spluttered like a chimney,” says David. DragonTales
alumni news & profile
“But he happened to have done business with my father and owed him some money. He handed over cash that was exactly the money we needed at that time.” Another instance was when the Begbie house electricity bill could not be paid and they were about to be cut off. Miraculously, just in time, the family received an envelope, left outside the door, with the exact money to pay the bill. It was around this challenging, but faith building time that the idea for Crossroads came about.
“I remember the evening in 1995 well,” says David. “We got a call from a woman in China who our family had helped earlier. She said, ‘we’ve just had the worst flood in 100 years and two million people have lost everything, what can you do?’” “We looked at each other; we had nothing,” laughs David. “We offered our words and numbers, but she explained that it was freezing in China and the people there urgently needed clothing or they would die. Words and numbers can’t help this time.” The family did not know how they could help, but promised to try and started to look for a solution.
DragonTales
Outside the Fair Trade Shop
“The answer came during a hospital visit Mom made,” says Josh. “Thirsty, she went to the canteen where she overheard two staff members talking about surplus items they did not know what to do with. She said, ‘Excuse me, but I know one or two million needy people.”’ This encounter resulted in 19 cartons of clothing being sent to the relief effort in China. A few days later, the phone rang again. It was the woman from China, saying the quality of consignment was good, but the quantity was low. Could we send more supplies? “My Dad, being an accountant, agreed that
19 cartons of clothing between two million people were a bit thin on the ground,” laughs Josh. The second time the Begbies approached HKIS, which collected 72 boxes of supplies. The family thought they had made a good effort and were done. Then a businessperson gave them 136 boxes for China. Later the family got a call from the Head of Eddie Bauer clothing who said, “I hear you collect clothing.” “My Dad said, ‘Really, is that what we now do?’” The family secured many more boxes from
Sally and Malcolm Begbie
Former HKIS teaching assistant Christine Manville lends a helping hand
Military Hospital in Jordan
Kai Tak headquarters
Eddie Bauer. The supplies continued to arrive and soon the Begbie house was floorto-ceiling full of supplies destined for China. A lasting memory, says David, is of his parents sliding along their bedroom wall between boxes to get to their bed. Considering that all these supplies had been secured on an ad-hoc basis, the Begbies rightly felt that they were doing pretty well. “Well enough,” says Josh, “to register a charity: Crossroads International, in 1996.” They named it Crossroads because the charity connected two roads – a road of resource with a road of need. With the family home cram-packed with donated goods, and having registered as a
charity, Crossroads approached the Hong Kong Government to see if they could offer more space. The Government agreed to lease to Crossroads six rooms at the back of a former British Military Hospital in Jordan. At the time, the family thought they could never fill six rooms. However, within three months, Hong Kong had given ten tons of goods and they were bursting at the seams. “We took more and more space in the hospital, eventually filling almost three entire floors. Try as we might to contain the flow, we couldn’t. Hong Kong kept on giving,” says David.
It was now no longer just clothing people gave, it was everything. Banks gave their old computers, a wealthy family offered two apartments worth of nearly new furniture... and so the giving went on. This is how Crossroads expanded, by meeting resource with need. In its first four years, it grew 150,000 percent! This equaled 130 rooms full of stuff. David says they realized that Hong Kong is the ideal place for this type of charity. “Because Hong Kong people don’t do second hand.” When their lease on the hospital expired, the Government offered Crossroads a new lease at Kai Tak, Hong Kong’s old airport. DragonTales
alumni news & profile
With the UN’s encouragement, Crossroads started work on the website. The terms of reference for the site were to link businesses with goods, freight or finances to donate to the humanitarian aid world looking for help. They named the website Global Hand.
Dinner at Interlaken
“Incredibly, our neighbors at Kai Tak were paying HK$250,000 per month for rent, we paid just one Hong Kong dollar per year,” says Josh. Crossroads spent four fruitful years at Kai Tak, filling up the former baggage handling area and tarmac with shipments to send around the world. As their work grew, they noticed two trends: businesses from all over the world were contacting Crossroads with a vast range of goods, and charities from every corner of the globe were contacting them for aid. Nevertheless, an irony was that much of this aid could not be accessed or distributed. “It was simply not possible for us to travel the world to collect and transport these offers of aid to areas in need,” says David. “It then occurred to us that this is the Internet age, so there must be a humanitarian eBay or something out there that connects those with goods to donate to those in need,” says Josh. The family searched and searched, but drew a blank. All they found was other people looking for such a network. In their search, Crossroads met with the United Nations (UN) who confirmed that no such global matching network existed. The UN said they had known for ten years that this had been a hole in the humanitarian aid spectrum. They could not build such a site, but asked if Crossroads could. “If so, they would support us in anyway they could,” says David. 10 DragonTales
Crossroads spent two and a half years holding consultations and introducing humanitarian agencies to Global Hand. The website also gathered and helped develop standards for global aid. David says they now have a website that allows an automated matching process to take place, streamlining thousands of man-hours worth of phone calls. “Most important, it is saving lives.” The UN then asked if Global Hand could build a customized version of the Global Hand platform for the UN website, to manage the private sector partnerships with the UN. As this article went to press in December 2009, the English language version of the site was ready to go live on the UN’s website. This will be followed by six foreign language versions by mid-2010. “Visitors to ‘UN.org’ who enter the business partnership section will be using software powered by Global Hand, even though it will look and feel like the UN,” says Josh.
Global X-perience Another area of Crossroads’ work started as a one-off initiative to celebrate the Foundation’s 10th Anniversary in November 2005. The family had wanted to do an activity that thanked the local community for their support. “We knew gala dinners in five star hotels were not our thing,” says David. “So we spent some time pondering what to do.” They decided to invite leaders from across the Hong Kong community to Crossroads to get a taste of what life is like for people in need. When the business leaders arrived at Crossroads, they were stripped of their be-
Josh Begbie
longings - watches, wallets, bags etc. – and given hammers, nails and basic materials to build a shelter. They then built and lived in their slums for 24 hours, doing simulation activities that helped them to ‘live a day the way a billion live a lifetime.’ “We had absolutely no idea how this exercise would be received,” says Josh. “However, one-by-one, as our VIP guests left
David talks to a group of students
Richard Branson listens to David’s instructions
the next day, they expressed enthusiasm for the exercise. Many said they had obtained a profound sense of understanding and empathy for the plight of the poor because of the simulation.” Quite a few wanted their staff to go through this experience. One hotel manager asked if he could invite all his staff to experience the exercise, and later he did.
David briefing Ban Ki-Moon
Global X-perience exercise
Not being the type to miss an opportunity, the Begbie family made experiential learning—now called Global X-perience—a new educational wing of Crossroads. Soon the brothers were devising new simulations around topics such as HIV, refugees, blindness, hunger, water etc.
work out how you can make this situation work, how you live here,” he says.
“Today we run more than 30 different experiential activities and have had more than 33,000 people come through the program, including many HKIS students,” says David. These simulations are the closest thing to actually going to the place to see the actual need. “When you go through the refugee simulation, your identity is taken from you and your choices are removed. You have to
“At the end of it people say to us that they now have a deep understanding about poverty. The experiences take them from an intellectual knowledge to an emotional knowledge, and that also changes how they think and act,” says Josh. “We have even seen NGOs start because of what people experience going through different simulations.” The icing on the cake for the brothers came at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2009 , when Crossroads invited world leaders to experience the refugee simulation, including UN General DragonTales
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alumni news & profile
“On any typical day, you will find 80 full time volunteers from about 20 countries serving here, together with a hundred or so part time volunteers from the community. These volunteers share in the work and Crossroads is a product of our collective success,” says David. Josh says it is important to note that he and his brother are each on their own individual journeys. “We are not here because Mom and Dad asked us to be. We are here because we want to be.” Ban Ki-Moon experiences a refugee simulation
Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and the English entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. “The privilege of offering this experience to people in a position to effect change is such an honor,” says David. The Crossroads Foundation has come far since 1995. This journey has been
one of opportunity and coincidence. But members of the Begbie family have been the visionaries and driving force steering the Foundation’s success. Nevertheless, Josh and David are reticent about ref lecting on their family’s achievement, saying that with their Mom and Dad they are just four people on this journey.
“We love the work we do here. It gives us a deep sense of joy.” n In recognition of their exemplary contribution to society and living out the ideals of the HKIS Mission Statement, The Bob Christian Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award 2009 was presented to David Begbie ’94 and Josh Begbie ’96 at the HKIS Graduation in June 2009.
The Bob Christian Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award We need your nominations! Do you know a Hong Kong International School alumnus or alumna who has contributed to the HKIS Community, the larger Hong Kong community, and/or the world in a way that exemplifies the first line of the HKIS Mission, “Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion, and our lives to service and global understanding”? If you do, please send us your nomination and a brief explanation before February 1, 2010. alumni@hkis.edu.hk
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What about an alumnus or alumna whose contribution exemplifies one or more of the HKIS Student Learning Results? u Academic Excellence
u Self-motivated Learning
u Spirituality
u Contributing to Society
u Character Development
u Chinese Culture
The Annual
Basketball Sportsmanship Award T
he HKIS 40th Annual Basketball Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend saw some exciting sporting action. Kadena High School won the boys’ competition, and Faith Academy won the girls’ competition. This is third year that an award was presented to the school team exhibiting the best sportsmanship. The idea came from our HKIS Alumni Association who wanted to recognize the spirit of building relationships within a framework of true sportsmanship at the tournament. The award was presented by Alumni Association Board member Justin Hardman ’99. The recipient of the award in both the boy and girl categories was Heep Yunn School.
Support the Alumni Scholarship in Memory of David F. Rittman In honor of the unique legacy that David Rittmann left to our school, HKIS named an Alumni Scholarship in his memory. The scholarship will go to a local student from Hong Kong chosen from our High Achievers Program or English Language Leadership Program. Through this scholarship, the memory of David will literally live on in the recipient. What better tribute to David, who spent a full life serving the Lord and making a difference in the lives of so many students? The Scholarship is open for donations. To direct a gift go to www.hkis.edu. hk, click on Giving Back and then Online Giving. Please select Alumni Scholarship in Memory of David F. Rittmann where it states “Please designate my gift to”. To learn more about the Annual Fund, review our Annual Report and Report of Giving online at www.hkis.edu.hk.
alumni news & profile
C
ombine a passion for creativity and chocolate, add to the mix a desire to have
a place to hang out with like-minded chocoholic friends, and you get a modern day twist on the chocolate store... or, Chocolux.
The idea to start Chocolux took shape five years ago when HKIS alumna Jennifer Fong ’91 looked for a place to gather with friends to enjoy quality western dessert. “Aside from hotels, we couldn’t find anywhere in Hong Kong to offer us chocoholics a relaxing place with comforting food and drinks,” she says. From their fruitless search, the three friends felt confident that they had identified an untapped niche in the local market for a quality chocolate concept store. They opened their first store – The Chocolux Bar – in Central in 2004. From the outset, they used quality, dark, French chocolate to create healthy, fresh chocolate 14 DragonTales
Jennifer and the Chocolux Factory If it is every child’s dream to own their own chocolate factory, Jennifer Fong ’91 is living proof that dreams come true. DragonTales finds out more...
products that were low in sugar and fat – a strategy that proved a success and found an instant customer base in the market. Chocolux went from strength-to-strength. “We didn’t even invest in marketing outside of our website; and most of our customers got to know us through word of mouth,” says Jennifer. This low-key approach worked well and within six months of opening the first store, Readers’ Choice magazine voted Chocolux one of the top dessert places in Hong Kong. This early success gave Jennifer and her business partners the confidence to open a second store in 2006 in Swire’s Pacific Place.
The French Connection... While the central theme of Chocolux is all things chocolate, the menu also includes French-faire food inspired by Jennifer’s time as a chef intern in a Paris restaurant. “We serve fresh crêpes and sandwiches, and offer set menus.” The Chocolux Bar in Central even serves alcoholic chocolate inspired creations, like the Creamy Chocolush and Crisp Chocotini – truly taking the enjoyment of chocolate to new highs.
Moelleux au Chocolat
Chocotini
Jennifer first became interested in chocolate as something more than a confectionery treat while studying a Grande Diploma Course in Cuisine and Patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. DragonTales
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alumni news & profile
I received has been critical in Chocolux as I work on the website, packaging design and decorating cakes. I started learning all this while at HKIS,” she says. “All of Chocolux’s production to supply our shops and corporate clients now takes place at the factory. We also offer cooking classes there at weekends and arrange themed classes for occasions like birthdays and Mother’s Day.” Jennifer on assignment for National Geographic
“I noticed the trend in Paris, and elsewhere in Europe, of people enjoying dark chocolate. Its popularity was being fueled by its health benefits,” says Jennifer. “It is an antioxidant and many doctors even recommend eating 100 grams of dark chocolate a day to lower cholesterol levels.” However, according to Jennifer one of the challenges in establishing the Chocolux brand in Hong Kong was that dark chocolate was new to the city. “Hong Kong people are used to sugarloaded snacks. This has meant that in promoting our brand we have incorporated the health benefits of dark chocolate. We want people to embrace dark chocolate as a lifestyle choice and to derive the health benefits.”
Jennifer’s Chocolate Factory The latest addition to the Chocolux business is the chocolate workshop and training school, which opened 18 months ago. Located in a former industrial building outside Aberdeen, it is to all intents and purposes Jennifer’s Chocolate Factory. Here she gets to explore her creative side, playing with different concoctions to create new chocolate-flavored masterpieces to adorn the counters of her two in-town stores. “I enjoy the creative aspect of the business the most, especially coming up with new recipes and designs for our chocolate creations.” She credits HKIS’ art programs with teaching her to think creatively. “The education 16 DragonTales
Jennifer attended HKIS from Grade 1 through 12. She says her most memorable experiences were high school Interim trips: In Grade 9, the jungles of Nepal and whitewater rafting; Grade 10, staying with the headhunters in Borneo and climbing Mount Kota Kinabalu; Grade 11, visiting Rajastan and the land of Maharajas. “It was a great idea to expose us at that age to these exotic places that were full of culture, but also poverty.” “We learned to really treasure our comfortable lifestyles here in Hong Kong. The bonding experience with fellow students and teachers was so memorable that to this day we still reminisce about it.” After HKIS, Jennifer attended the University of California studying fine arts, later moving to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Following this, she was at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She says the initial attraction to starting Chocolux was as much for it to be a place for friends to hang out, as it was to create a business. “But we soon discovered the amount of
work involved and the many challenges we had to figure out on our own.” Today Chocolux takes up all of her time: “I am constantly running in between our three sites. Typically, I am at the factory in the morning, then in town making sure everything is running smoothly, managing staff and chatting to customers. In the evening, I am often at the Bar in Central.” Away from the business, Jennifer lists windsurfing and photography as her two passions. “I have been a keen photographer for 20 years and especially enjoy photographic portraits of people in their natural environment, fashion and still life. Last year, she was hired by National Geographic Asia to star in an ad for the LG camera phone. “I was flown to Chiang Mai to photograph the Loi Krathong Festival.” As we spoke, Jennifer was looking forward to a trip to Sichuan where she would accompany professional photographers to capture the Province in film. “I still remember exhibiting my photos while at HKIS at the American Club and Fringe Club. I have never exhibited in Hong Kong since, though I hope to have the opportunity to do so one day.” She smiles, saying, “Of course most of my photographs these days are of cakes.” As we finished the interview, Jennifer became distracted by a woman waiting to the side – her next appointment. “Yes, lots to do!” n
Jennifer invites HKIS alumni, students, faculty and staff to enjoy a special 10% discount on boxes of chocolate truffles or jars of chocolate truffle. This offer is valid until January 15, 2010. You can collect your truffles from: Chocolux Cafe, Shop 3, B3, Three Pacific Place. Tel: 2918-9892 Chocolux Bar, 57 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 2858-8760 Those wanting to take advantage of this offer need only give their name and their phone number for the promotion to be valid. Learn more about Chocolux by visiting: www.chocoluxcafe.com
Catching up with
Derek Kwik In 2006, HKIS alumnus and extreme athlete Derek Kwik ’86 started to pen his first motivational book: Kwik Fix. For every month thereafter, when his friends asked “when is the book going to be published”, he confidently replied, “next month”.
Derek says the running joke among his friends is that Kwik Fix is a motivational book published by an unmotivated publisher. Written in 2006; published in 2009. “Go on, you can laugh,” he says. “I have been laughing for nearly three years, and crying.”
Personal achievement aside, at the heart of each of Derek’s endurance marathons has been a cause that means much to him: the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). He has run over 1,000 kilometers raising money for SPCA and donates any profits from his speeches to the organization. The proceeds from Kwik Fix will also go to benefit SPCA. He describes the book as “An inspirational book about Derek, Jamie (his beloved dog who passed away in 2006) and all those who have shared his life.”
Despite the delay in publication, no one would consider Derek anything other than driven, focused, motivated, and an inspiration to others. What’s more, “catching up” with him would prove to be quite difficult. Why? You would have to run across six deserts, two jungles, and a mountain. While not a professional athlete, he has logged over 7,000 kilometers in training and international competition. Derek is the first Chinese in the world to have run across the four most extreme deserts: the Gobi Desert (highest), the Atacama Desert (driest), the Sahara Desert (hottest) and the South Pole (coldest). Further, he balances this with a successful career in finance and motivational speaking to schools, corporations, and government and professional organizations. People find Derek’s experiences inspiring, and he loves sharing them with others, especially children. “I want young people to pick something they never thought they could do yesterday, and do it today. I spend my time helping others overcome their obstacles by sharing stories about how I overcame mine.”
“It is also a book about my epic adventures across some of the harshest and most inhospitable places on the planet.” “It is an encapsulation of all my emotions – my highest high, my lowest low and the priceless lessons that I have learned to assimilate into my daily living within an urban concrete jungle.” The book is available at retail outlets throughout Asia, and in North America in limited quantities. To obtain a copy you can also contact Rebecca Ngan, SPCA at rebecca.ngan@spca.org.hk. Upon receipt of a cash donation, a complimentary copy of KwikFix will be mailed to you. n DragonTales
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alumni news & profile
10 -Year Reunion Class of ’99•Hong Kong More than 50 members of the Class of 1999 gathered for the Hong Kong leg of the 10-year reunion. The evening kicked off with burgers and shakes at Shake ‘Em Buns, then moved on to post-dinner drinks at Kee Club. Thanks to everyone who came out – it was a great chance to catch up with old friends and exchange high school memories!
Jaime Lo, Linda Lu, Jennifer Cheung
Kim Haslam, Jason Ing, Andrew Galbraith, Justin Hardman, KaiChin Chang
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Jessica Lam, Dwayne Chow, Lorraine Ou, Vanessa Herrera
Andrew Galbraith, Keili Rae Stremel, Evelyn Kuong
Sara Yin, Cindy Hah, Juliana Lee
Adrian Aw, Denise Gilmartin (nee Eng), Benjamin Gilmartin
Top Row: Jeremy Yip, Carlos Wong, Patrick Tong, Danny Chow, Kiwan (Kevin) Chung; Bottom Row: Dwayne chow, Sang Ok Kim, Eleanor Shing
Jeremy Lam, Jeremy Tan, Kiwan (Kevin) Chung, Austin Harvey, Kirstin Harvey, Vicky Ma
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alumni news & profile
Dan Williams, Blake Austin, Jessica Henck, George Liao, Anna Neunuebel, Nathan Ruhter, James Roy, Jennifer Lo, Charles Chen, Becky Markin, Katie Alexander and Frank Kwok in Central Park
-Year Reunion 10 Class of ’99 NEW YORK •
This past July, 40 members of the Class of ’99 gathered in New York City to celebrate the 10 years which had passed since their graduation from HKIS. Although the group was not able to reunite in Hong Kong, the weekend was spent reminiscing over memories from high school, while catching up on what everybody had been up to for the past 10 years. The activities of the weekend included catching up over drinks on Friday night at Puck Fair, enjoying the summertime NYC weather by taking a trip to Central Park Saturday afternoon, and of course, concluding the weekend with a Chinese banquet and karaoke on Saturday night. All in all, the weekend was a great success.
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Justin Petrancosta, Blake Austin, Michelle Cheung, James Roy
Mary Jane Sargent, Keleigh Montgomery
Frank Kwok, Blake Austin, Caroline Lee, Nathan Ruhter, Jessica Henck, Leslie Kwok, Michelle Cheung at Puck Fair
Leslie Kwok, Caroline Lee, Amanda Wagner Propst at Puck Fair
Paige Baker, Darcy Smith, Ashley Delamarter, Jessica Henck, Anna Neunuebel
Darcy Smith, Andre Weil, Patrick Barton
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alumni news & profile
It has been an important year for the Alumni Association, with long-serving President Ken Koo’ 79 stepping down and Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89 taking the helm. DragonTales spoke to Rohini about her memories of HKIS and strategy for the Association...
R
ohini Chotirmal ‘89 has had a relationship with HKIS for as long as she can remember. She attended the school from Grade 1 through Grade 12, as did her brother Manesh Balani ‘93 (he attended K-12). Now her son, Shane, attends HKIS and is in Grade 2. It is fitting that we interviewed Rohini where her association with HKIS began, in what is now HKIS’ Upper Primary Division. “I can just switch back to when I was a kid when I am here. The place is full of memories, little has changed.”
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She can still remember all of her teachers, especially her homeroom teachers. “They have all moved on now, except for Ken Rohrs of course...” Rohini attended HKIS from 1977 to 1989. With the exception of her graduating year, she spent her entire time at the Repulse Bay campus. The new High School in Tai Tam opened for the school year 1988-89 – Rohini’s final year. She remembers how the new school was not ready for the start of the school year in August. “Much of the place was still a building site, and there was not enough
space at Repulse Bay for us because HKIS had already admitted an additional 300 students.” The solution was to adopt a staggered school week: “I went to school three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until the High School was finished in October.” She remembers it as a fun and exciting time as her year was the first to attend a completely new school. Asked if there is one lasting impression of her time at HKIS? Rohini pauses, and
Left: Rohini, Shane and her husband Sammy
after some thought says, “The teachers. How they really cared for the kids. This still shines through today in how they want to keep in touch with students long after graduating.” “Just look at Jim Handrich’s Facebook page. He is perpetually in touch with his students. Why? What does he get out of it? He does it because he wants to,” says Rohini. “Out of all my friends who didn’t attend HKIS, I am the only one today who still talks about my teachers. But then, those friends didn’t have the loving and caring teachers I was privileged to have,” she smiles. “My teachers are such a big part of my life that when I got married, many even came to my wedding reception.” It is these memories and experiences that lie at the heart of why Rohini continues to give of her time to the school 20 years after graduating. For the past three years she has co-organized the Parent Faculty Organization’s World’s Fair. This is no mean feat – it takes up most of her time for the four months before the fair runs in April. Earlier this year, Rohini took on what is perhaps her biggest HKIS challenge to date, when she succeeded long-serving President Ken Koo ‘76 as HKIS Alumni Association President. And she ascends to
office with a mission, or as she describes it, her “Alumni Challenge.”
Alumni Challenge “As President I plan to increase awareness of the Alumni Association and its activities. We will go into the classroom to promote the Association to current students, and educate alumni about what it means to be alumni.” She believes there are so many things that alumni could get involved in at HKIS, but are never asked or just do not know about. “Many former students don’t even realize that they are alums, because they wrongly think graduating is the criterion of qualification.” Not so – the Alumni Association considers any student who attended HKIS for one semester or more to be alumni of the school.
and alumni. As a platform, it will connect HKIS and alumni for different purposes. For example, career counseling, mentoring, job referrals, internships, classroom help and speaking to younger students on spirituality, morals and values.
Under her leadership, the Alumni Association plans to increase alumni participation in school events and encourage more alumni to give back to the school.
Through the ARN, the Alumni Association will help connect alumni who can help each other.
“This [giving back] need not be a large endeavor on the part of alumni,” she says. It could involve submitting a class-note to DragonTales, or participating in the Alumni Resource Network (ARN).”
“We need to enrich and build up the network by promoting it better. The ARN would add value in maintaining a close relationship with HKIS and the Association.”
Rohini is confident that ARN will be something special for HKIS, its students
Rohini says being President is an exciting responsibility for her. The Alumni Association gives alumni a good opportunity to collaborate with the school to move it to further heights.
The friend I remember the most... “Bettina Virtusio was my classmate and very close friend at HKIS for many years. Latterly we both went to the same college in Los Angeles to study fashion and got our first apartment together when we graduated. We both met our husbands in college.” “We lost touch for some years after college, but we reconnected through Facebook. She is now in California, where I go every year, but I am yet to catch up with her. Next year I hope.”
Rohini (right) wth Anjali Bedi in June 1990
“I have a strong Board this year with a passion for the school. Four board members are alumni and current staff of HKIS, so we have an added advantage with their experience and their perspective.” “I ask all alumni to remember and celebrate our collective past and continue their HKIS journey for the enrichment of self and school.” n
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alumni news & profile
Alumni Challenge
“One of my goals this year is to get every single one of our Alumni to give back to HKIS in one way. It can be anywhere between something as small as submitting Class Notes or cheering on one of our sports teams at a tournament, to something as big as serving on a Board or organizing a reunion.” Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89 President of the Alumni Association Board
MARK WALLIS ’76 On serving on the Board of Managers and the Institutional Advancement Committee: “There are many reasons that I give my time and resources to HKIS as a member of the Board of Managers and Institutional Advancement Committee. But the most important reason is my belief in the Mission of the School and my desire to support it. HKIS grows as a result of the participation of many persons and it is a better place because of their contributions. There are opportunities everywhere to get involved.”
Left: Mark Wallis with family
RICHARD GRAYSON ’78
NATASHA KHAN ’03
On organizing next year’s school wide reunion in Austin, Texas:
On serving on the Alumni Association Board:
“The HKIS community is my hometown, not a little city North of Tulsa. No matter where I go in this world I am sure to meet a classmate, in my mind anyone who ever attended HKIS is a classmate, and even though I may have never met them before there is an instant connection.”
“I loved my years at HKIS and am happy that being part of the Alumni Association Board allows me to stay connected to the school. I hope that we can build a stronger alumni base going forward - it is always lovely to reconnect with old friends and teachers!”
“What do I get in return? I get the chance to be with people who ‘Get Me’ like no one else can.”
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ERIK WEIHENMAYER ’86
JASON PARK ’08
Celebrated athlete and traveler Erik Weihenmayer made special arrangements to visit HKIS as part of the Annual Fund’s Visiting Scholar Series. Erik is the only blind person to summit Mt. Everest, and one of the youngest people to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peaks of each continent.
On organizing the Homecoming 2010 rugby games:
Erik is an outstanding example to our children of strong character, commitment, achievement and teamwork. During his presentations, Erik candidly shared his trials and tribulations, and his successes and motivations. All those who listened came away humbled by Erik’s account of his painful journey into blindness as a child, and were inspired by how he overcame his disability.
“Ever since I was a wee little first grader I’ve been a part of the HKIS community. There was no way I was going to disconnect my ties with the school as the school gave me so much in terms of shaping me up to face college and eventually the real world. HKIS also introduced me to rugby (in 6th grade D grade rugby) and the rugby program helped me mature not only as a person but also as a leader on and off the field.”
ROHINI CHOTIRMAL ’89 On volunteering for the Parent Faculty Organization (PFO): “I get an immense amount of personal satisfaction giving back to my school. If, through my efforts as a volunteer for the PFO (Chair of World’s Fair), it can bring smiles to the faces of the children attending, that is satisfaction in itself. Not to mention the funds that are raised during the PFO events help support the education here at HKIS.”
“HKIS rugby has a proud tradition, and to play in the HKIS rugby alumni game is something I will look forward to every year. Last year I played in my first alumni rugby game. If I could get a full team of fifteen to come out for the game this year and play a proper fifteen a side match I’d be more than happy.”
Email alumni@hkis.edu.hk to submit Class Notes for the next DragonTales, or find out more about school events or ways to participate at HKIS.
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faculty profile
fashion Zella Talbot
HKIS’ Dedicated Follower of
Zella Talbot, Hong Kong International School’s (HKIS) longest serving high school teacher, talks to DragonTales about her life, the Fashion Show and service.
Z
ella Talbot has made a difference in the lives of countless students over the years. However, her journey toward teaching was not a foregone conclusion.
HKIS, and with no regrets. “I am glad I stayed, as here is where I met my husband and where my children have gone to school. HKIS is home for us in many ways.”
“I was studying History at college and knew I loved it, but I didn’t have a clear picture of what I would do after I graduated,” she says.
Over the past 26 years of teaching, Zella has had the opportunity to do what her Professor did for her – inspire young people. “As a teacher I have been privileged to touch the lives of many students and see their successes later on. I think that is more than anyone could ask for – money can’t buy this feeling.”
That all changed one day when her college Professor asked her if she had ever thought about teaching. She remembers being both surprised and moved that the Professor had noticed her. “It was a big class and she had somehow managed to focus in and see something in me that I had not seen in myself,” says Zella. “That led to me starting to understand something that I now know: why as a teacher you can inspire.” From that moment, Zella never looked back. She got her teaching degree, and as destiny would have it, joined HKIS in 1983. “I was adamant that this would be for only a year at the time,” she says. Yet twenty-six years on, Zella is still at
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As busy as she is as a teacher and Mom to her children, Christa and Micah, Zella still finds time for service, and lots of it. Over the past 13 years, she has been involved with the Foshan Orphanage in China, a girls’ scholarship program in China organized by the Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation, and service Interims in Hong Kong and Kolkata, India. She started the Service on Saturday program at HKIS in 1996, which today has grown to 21 groups and over 300 students who do service in Hong Kong. Zella, with her husband, fellow HKIS
“Yes, the SLRs do come through. Through managing the Fashion Show, which involves 100 students over 6 months of preparation, students grow in their character development as they learn the leadership skills necessary to pull off such a major production. Students care passionately about the quality of the show and do a lot of the work themselves, which demonstrates self-motivated learning. Finally, the funds contribute to real needs in our community.” – Zella Talbot
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faculty profile
teacher Marty Schmidt, developed the Humanities in Action course, which transformed the service ethos in the high school by guiding students to be better people through teaching them the joy of helping others through service. “A lot of kids are searching for their own identity, and through this course they learn about meaning and purpose in life. This is very important for the younger generation,” she says. However, arguably, Zella’s most successful service-inspired project is the Interact Fashion Show, both in terms of funds it has raised and in how it has affected the lives of the students who put the show together.
Fashion with a Conscience Zella says ten years ago when a fashion show was first proposed as an Interact fundraiser by President Joanne Chow, she thought that the idea, once tried, would not last. “I thought the production itself would be too time-consuming on the part of the student leaders and committee members. I didn’t think that future student leaders would be committed to this kind of work
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without having to make personal sacrifices involving their academic performance.” However, the first fashion show, ‘Divine’, was performed in 1999, earning HK$80,000 for UNICEF and Oxfam. And like Joanne, Interact leaders throughout the last ten years have felt that the sacrifice was well worth it, and the fashion show has become a tradition. Over the years, the fashion show has evolved into a major school production. Year after year student leaders have improved the quality of the performance, and the show has continued to receive an enthusiastic reception from both students and parents. In 2006, Interact President Eliott Suen stepped into the leadership role and introduced higher standards and greater professionalism. “The speed, timing and choreography were synchronized to a point unimaginable for a high school production. This new trend was the blueprint for future leaders to adapt to their own styles,” says Zella. ‘Nova’ in 2007, led by David Suen and
Soojin Kim, was part of the school’s 40th anniversary celebrations, and saw studentcreated designs introduced for the first time. This has grown to be an important aspect of the show and at ‘Vivre 2009’, 21 students participated in producing their own designs. The ultimate accolade came this year when a parent who had been a professional model for Vogue said that the level of performance in this show surpassed some of the ones he had participated in. “Each show took on a different character depending on who the leaders were, but the expectations of high quality continued,” says Zella. She believes it is the sense of ownership students feel for the production that motivates them to be involved in this sixmonth process. “As the faculty advisor, I have learned so much from the students in terms of self-motivation, perseverance and attention to detail.” “I believe that the show is an opportunity for our students to join together from all grade levels to create a high quality performance with a sense of purpose.” In the last ten years, the show has raised over HK$2 million and has contributed to various organizations, such as UNICEF, Oxfam, Hong Kong Down’s Syndrome Association, Rotary, Youth Outreach, Save the Children Fund, Free The Children, and Concordia Welfare Education Foundation. Zella says she is most proud that over the years the fashion show has contributed to many people’s needs in Hong Kong, China and the world. “Our donations to ‘Free The Children’ have built a total of four schools in Kenya and China. The proceeds from this year’s fashion show will allow more than 30 girls to attend and graduate from high school in Deqing, Guangdong Province. It has been these contributions that have sustained my commitment to the fashion show.”
Service and the Christian Connection Zella and Marty’s strong Christian faith has been fundamental for them in the service work they do: “In thinking of service we think of serving God as well. Our faith embodies all that and makes us stronger individuals, even when being challenged in certain areas.” She tells her students that in doing service there are huge sacrifices one has to make, and not to expect reward. Nevertheless, Zella’s commitment to service and helping others has been recognized. She received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary in 2005 in recognition of her fund raising efforts. And this year, Zella and Marty were jointly recognized by Concordia University and
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faculty profile
presented with the Partners in Ministry Award. Somewhat ironically, they could not fly to the US to be presented with their award because they had already committed to a service trip to China at the time of the presentation. “This recognition means a lot to us; it is nice to know that our work has been noticed. However, this is not why we do it. It’s always about helping young people and those less fortunate,” smiles Zella. Asked to name two students she would most like to recognize, Zella sits back and pauses for some time. “That’s such a tough question,” she laughs. After a few moments, she comes up with the name David Begbie: “He was on one of my Kolkata service trips and I always knew there was something special about David... he was so determined to care. It was during this trip that David told me he wanted to be “the voice for the voiceless”. “In fact, the Begbie family is my role model of a good Christian family. “They are glowing with love. There is so much warmth in that family. HKIS is very fortunate to have them.”
Students at the Foshan orphanage
Zella says a highlight of the Nova Fashion Show in 2006 was that David and Josh Begbie and their parents were awarded medallions for their years of service with Crossroads International. Zella pauses again in thought, and says another she would recognize is Joanne Chow who was the Interact President who first dreamt of a fashion show at HKIS. “If you met her as a leader you’d notice she
is a very quiet and unassuming character. For her to take the risk and say let’s try doing a Fashion Show was quite something,” says Zella. She says we have many leaders like Joanne that we could all learn from, if we give them a chance. “Even though the risk factor may be high, they can come up with some great ideas. No one would ever have thought that the Fashion Show would be still continuing today.” Joanne has inspired Zella to always look for different qualities in leaders and not just to go with the vocal, outgoing type, but also to look to the humble ones and the real risk takers. HKIS needs to be open to all these types of young individuals because they are the leaders of the future. For HKIS to be able to raise so much money through Joanne’s one idea to start a fashion show is truly remarkable.” As for the future, Zella has no life-changing plans, apart from keeping busy helping others. She believes, as her father taught her, that one should keep working to keep the mind active.
Scott Williamson (top), (left to right) Justin Turley, Sacha M, Rachel Fong
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“I want to keep busy. If I ever left HKIS, I am sure I would do something in the area of counseling, service or teaching. Perhaps one day we will go and work for Crossroads.” n
Farewell To
Long-serving Faculty and Staff
This year we said farewell to the following dedicated individuals who served ten or more years with the school. HKIS thanks them for their service and wishes them well in their future endeavors.
Lower Primary Leslie Fu Chinese Studies teacher August 1997 to July 2009
Upper Primary Gregory Lam Upper Primary Mandarin teacher August 1990 to July 2009
Gregory Lam
Sarala Carlson Upper Primary Grade 3 teacher August 1990 to July 2009
Sarala and Jim Carlson
Jim Carlson
Lisa Tam
Upper Primary Grade 5 teacher August 1990 to July 2009
Upper Primary Librarian August 1994 to July 2009
Gary Woodford
Kathy Davies
Upper Primary Associate Principal August 1992 to July 2009
Learning Specialist August 1998 to July 2009
Cara Barnes
Pansy Lai
Grade 5 teacher August 1994 to July 2009
Gary Woodford
Chinese Studies teacher February 1999 to July 2009
Middle School Susie Heinrich Middle School Associate Principal August 1996 to July 2009
Beverly Stevens Grade 8 teacher August 1998 to July 2009 Left: Middle School Associate Principal Susie Heinrich at work
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HKIS news & updates
Campus Development
New Middle School Building Further expansion and improvement work to both HKIS campuses is part of the HKIS Strategic Plan to ensure our educational goals are achievable. This school year HKIS saw the new Middle School building come on stream. Work on the new building progressed throughout last school year, and was completed in May 2009. The building was used by students for the first time in August 2009. The building has increased the number of classrooms in the Middle School by 15 and provided office space allowing school-wide functions for both campuses to be consolidated into one area. This consolidation has freed space at the Lower Primary School for student related activities as administrative departments have now relocated to the Middle School. Over the summer recess, work moved at breakneck speed to convert the 1st floor space of Lower Primary into parent assembly and counselor areas. Meanwhile, the playground area on the 7th Floor of Lower Primary has been renovated and new play equipment installed. In 2007, the innovative and environmentally friendly design of the new Middle School Building saw our architects, Nelson Chen Architects Ltd, awarded the Merit Award for Architecture for excellence in architectural design. The Alumni Office is in the Office of Institutional Advancement on the 7th floor of the new Middle School Building. We would love to see you the next time you are in the area!
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James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment The James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment was established in June 2007 by HKIS and alumni Desmond Chu ’91 and Kenneth Koo ’79, in honor of Associate Head of School James (Jim) A. Handrich. Jim retired in July 2007. Over his 24 years with HKIS, Jim served as the Elementary School Principal, High School Principal, Interim-Head of School, and Associate Head of School. The purpose of this Endowment is to help further the school’s Mission Statement and Student Learning Results, specifically the SLR’s of “Self Motivated Learning” and “Contributing to Society”.
Lower Primary’s New Playground Facilities Open Some of HKIS’ youngest students started the day listening to celebratory live rock music at the opening of Lower Primary’s refurbished 7th Floor playground on Monday, October 5. Some lucky students were selected to cut the ribbon, which officially signaled the opening of new play facilities that include slides, climbing frames, bikes and swings. Head of School Richard Mueller presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony with Lower Primary Principal Maya Nelson and art teacher Katie Flowers (pictured below). The excitement at having a new playground could be seen etched on the faces of all the children present. Break times will never be the same again! The new facilities complement HKIS’ Master Facilities Plan Phase II projects, which have included the renovation of Lower Primary entrance area, the Tai Tam field renovation, and the new Middle School building. These improvements are in keeping with HKIS’ commitment to excellence in education. Special thanks to Daniel Chan (pictured above) who, as Facilities Manager for Repulse Bay, has done so much to make the new playground a reality. n
This is the second year Head of School Richard Mueller and Kenneth Koo ’79 the endowment has been active in terms of supporting student service learning projects. The following four groups of seniors were awarded funds from the endowment of their senior projects. Bianca Ponziani – Me to We Organic T-shirt Drew Mehrmann and Rob Burroughs – Lose the Shoes Yvonne Yu and Olivia May – Art Service Project with Upper Primary Children Jeremy Wong and Rachel Chan – Music Therapy with the Elderly James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment Lead Donors: Kenneth ’79 and Helen Koo (parents of Emily ’06, Edward ’08, Ellen ’12) K H Koo Foundation Co Limited Desmond Chu ’91 Mark Kwok ’74 (parent of Gareth ’00, Robyn ’04) Kenneth and Linda Wang (parents of Jeffrey ’03, Jeremy ’03) Leanne Lu ’98 Jim Handrich K.S. and Feili Lo (parents of Katherine ’99, Alexander ’03, Elizabeth ’05, Nicholas ’12) Haitao and Hongwei Zhang (parents of Dora ’12) Peter and Daisy Wang (parents of Vanessa ’12) Moses and Angela Tsang (parents of Alexis ’00, Brietta ’04) To find out how to contribute to the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment email alumni@hkis.edu.hk or visit www.hkis.edu.hk and select Giving Back and then Online Giving.
HKIS news & updates
The Inspirational
NickVujicic On Thursday, November 5, motivational speaker Nick Vujicic delivered his message of courage and hope to Middle and High School students. DragonTales listened in...
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B
orn without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic was teased and bullied at school in Australia. At one point, he became depressed and even contemplated suicide. “I was born this way and no doctor can tell me why. I told my mom at age eight that I wanted to kill myself,” he said to a transfixed audience of Middle and High School students. “Do you believe that my parents loved me?” he asked. “Do you think they knew me better than anyone else does in the world? Sometimes when I cried, even all they could do was to hold me.” The turning point in Nick’s life came when he read about a man with extreme disabilities and how he coped and got on with life. Since that revelation, Nick has never looked back. Today, despite being limbless, Nick swims, surfs, and plays football and golf.
Don’t Give Up Nick cited Thomas Edison who tried 10,000 times to make the light bulb. “That means he failed 9,999 times. Imagine his wife: ‘What are you doing?’” Edison: ‘Making a light bulb.’ ‘What is that?’ Edison: ‘I don’t know!’
“We always have a choice – it is our attitude and reaction, not circumstance.” – Nick Vujicic
“She said thank you, no one has ever told me that they love me. No one has ever told me that I’m beautiful the way that I am.” “That girl changed my life. I went home and told my parents that I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Nick started to write to schools to ask to speak. Though his offers found so much rejection - 52 no’s in all before he got his first yes. “Do you know how many schools I’ve spoken for now? Over 400, and I have 21,000 invitations to speak and get 200 new invites every week,” he said. “My message to you is keep on trying. Do not give up. Take one day at a time.”
“I have no arms and no legs. It doesn’t matter really. So why then do we tease and bully people?”
“No one would say that he failed, rather he learned 9,999 times how NOT to make a light bulb.”
“You are not valued by how you look. You are just who you are. You’re beautiful,” he told students.
In his teens, Nick realized he wanted to be a motivational speaker. This realization was cemented into a life goal when aged 19 he spoke to 300 year-ten students: “I did not know if my presentation was going to be well-received, but within three minutes, half the girls were crying.”
He said if you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness would be temporary. “Money can’t heal your heart but love can, true love.”
“One girl started weeping because she was so touched. She put her hand up and asked if she could come up and hug me.”
Overcome Your Fears Nick told us fear is more of a disability than having no arms or no legs... “Courage is when you do it even if you’re afraid.” “My parents were told by doctors that I would never walk, but today I type, play golf and soccer, and I swim. I graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning,” he said. Photos by Kathy Wong
“When you fall down, you can get back up. I want to show you…”
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HKIS news & updates
He said just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Just because you don’t feel beautiful doesn’t mean you’re not. “You don’t need bigger biceps, smarter brains. I love you just the way you are.” “I can’t afford to give up. You can’t afford to give up. Even if your parents don’t understand and your friends can’t help, don’t give up. Hold on. One day at a time.” Nick’s message of encouragement, compassion and self-confidence made those present realize whatever the difficulties we face, these can be overcome. “You will find hope when you seek it with all your heart. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. Keep on asking. And the door will open.”
HKIS parent Julie Fried (left) and PFO President ZoeLynne Sursock (right)
With his Life Without Limbs Ministry, Nick travels the world, encouraging people to have confidence, to love, and to be proud of themselves. He has spoken to millions. His powerful messages of hope are delivered using humor, often at the expense of his disability, to extraordinary effect: “Overhead compartment on a plane,” he said as part of his presentation. “My friends put me up there. Not because they were being mean, rather I wanted to scare somebody. So they put me up and closed the door and I waited for a particular someone to arrive. He opens the door and I stick my head out and say boo! WHOO! He jumps back.” Nick has experienced a lot in his 26 years. “Some things I’ll tell you, you won’t believe. I have seen blind people seeing in ten seconds. I have seen deaf people hearing when they prayed. Whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the fact that it happened.” Pausing for a second, he asked, “How many feet do I have? One. How many people believe I have two?” 36 DragonTales
Don’t believe there’s no hope just because you can’t see hope. I have two feet. See? Can’t you see? Trust me it is there. It’s just lazy!” And he reveals his second foot.
Nick’s testimony honored the HKIS Mission Statement in that it served to “…dedicate our minds to inquiry, and our hearts to compassion.” Visit the Nick Vujicic – Life Without Limbs website www.lifewithoutlimbs.org to learn more. n HKIS thanks David & Julie Fried, the Parent Faculty Organization, and the Charles W. Dull Visiting Scholar Series for sponsoring Nick’s visit.
HKIS Boys are C
Hong Kong Football Champions
ongratulations to our boys’ football team and Coach Dave Perry on winning the Hong Kong Division 1 championship December 1 against King George V. It was an extremely well-played and exciting game, and it came down to a shootout. We can all be impressed with their sportsmanship.
This is the first time HKIS has won this top competition. It’s been a three year, sustained effort: the boys started in Division 3 three years ago and worked their way to the top. Thanks also to the many students, teachers, parents for their support, trekking all the way to Shek Kip Mei on the Kowloon side. Great school spirit!
C
ongratulations to Middle School Advance Strings students who won the Gold Prize at the 2009 Music Interflow competition in December. HKIS competed against 15 local schools, including Diocesan Girls’ School and Wah Yan College.
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Rick Hum ’69 rhumster@gmail.com
’73
Class Agent Lynn Barratt Frau arriva@telus.net Class Agent Scott Waterman scottkwaterman@yahoo.com Class Agent Judi Rower (Porter) jrower@hotmail.com
Amy Grove-Stephens ’75 arstephens@earthlink.net
’70 ’71 ’72
Class Agent needed! Volunteers please email alumni@hkis.edu.hk Class Agents Akinori Fukue fukue@wondernet.ne.jp and Wilfred Koo wk@givenchy.com.hk Class Agent Debbie Smiley ManaMW@gmail.com
’75
HKIS alumni sisters Amy Grove-Stephens ’75, Melissa Grove-Payne ’76, and Laurie Grove-Miller ’78 gathered together in London in October 09 to celebrate Melissa’s birthday. Rick and Gretchen Hum, Colorado Springs, CO, have been enjoying retirement camping in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This photo is taken in their Telluride, CO vacation, on their 33rd wedding anniversary. Their children are spread out around the world. Laura and her husband are serving in Homeland Security in NYC. Their son, Brian, and his wife are living in Germany (Ramstein AB) where he is flying C-130’s with the Air Force. Their youngest, Ashleigh, is a senior in High School. Rick has been volunteering with Kairos ministry in the prisons and providing pulpit supply in local churches.
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’74
Class Agent Christy Wendell christywendell@aol.com
’75
Class Agent Edmond Chen exc2404@hotmail.com
HKIS Alumni sisters (L-R) Amy Grove-Stephens ’75, Melissa Grove-Payne ’76, and Laurie Grove-Miller ’78 in London, October 2009
Amy serves as State Representative in the Colorado state legislature, Melissa just moved to London in July from Geneva with her husband Steve and daughter (13), and Laurie runs her own marketing firm in Sacramento, CA.
’76
Where are They Now?
’69
’68
class notes
Class Agent Brad Doyle bdoyle@jbdoyld.com
Scott Lazenby ’72
Martha Collard nee Goudey ’76
Scott successfully defended his dissertation for a PhD in Public Administration & Policy from Portland State University on July 14.
Martha@red-doors.com www.red-doors.com Martha recently founded a new company
in Hong Kong called Red Doors – Unlocking Futures to help teens and adults in transition make conscious career decisions based on a greater understanding of self. The program helps narrow career options and curriculum choices thus providing a clear direction for moving forward. Moving along a path is a consistent theme as she is also the only labyrinth builder in Asia. Labyrinths are an ancient walking meditation tool that is recently undergoing a resurgence of popularity in North America and Europe.
(L-R) Sheryl Bomsta lives in Montpelier, Idaho; Tamara Mehta in London, and Sandra Walters in Hong Kong
Back Row (L-R) Atul (Tamara’s husband); Sheryl Bomsta ’69; Mom Vikki; Tamara Mehta ’77; Sandra Walters (faculty ’70-’73); Rick (Sandra’s husband) Front Row (L-R) Jayesh & Kaeden (Tamara’s sons, 10 & 8 years old) and Todd Walters (Sandra’s son, ’91)
eryl Scarbrough Bomsta ’69 also made the trip to London to make it a really special occasion. Our mother, Vikki Scarbrough, who is nearly 90 years old, was also in attendance. A surprise appearance by Sandra’s son, Todd Walters ’91 from Morristown, NJ made the party even more special. Certainly a birthday to cherish!
Tom Burkard ’77 burkard@ygbc.org News? Well, it’s been 21 years since my wife Christine and I moved to Japan, and we are still here in Yokohama. What have I been doing all this time you might ask? Firstly, serving as a Christian missionary. Now that’s a far cry from what my lifestyle during my senior year at HKIS was like. But let’s just say God got a hold of my life during my university years, and I’ve been on a different track ever since.
Class Agent Jill Hedenstad hksbalum@yahoo.com
Secondly, raising a family. My eldest daughter, Stephanie, is a senior at Faith
’77
Currently Martha resides in Aberdeen with her two children, Elise, 14 and Dylan, 12. She keeps busy running a scout troop in Stanley and recently swam in the second fastest ladies’ relay team in the Clean Half Ocean 15km swim from Stanley across Tai Tam and then to Deep Water Bay in support of Project Kaisei. You can contact her at Martha@red-doors.com
Tamara (Tami) Mehta (Scarborough) ’77 TamaraMehta@hotmail.com My sisters and I recently gathered in London, England for a landmark birthday celebration. Sandra Scarbrough Walters (ex-HKIS faculty), Tamara Scarbrough Mehta ’77 and Tamara’s son, Jayesh all share the same birthday so we always try to be together each year on September 1st. This year was Tamara’s 50th so sister Sh
L-R Jeremy (16), Heidi (11), Christine (??), Tom (51), Tiffany (15). Stephanie (18) was not present
Academy in Manila and plans on moving to a foreign country, the USA, next year to attend university. All four of my kids were born in Japan as second generation third culture kids. My son, Jeremy, who turned 16 this year, is working his first part time job in an Italian restaurant, has a one track mind, SURFING, and is saving his money for a surf trip to Australia in February 2010. Tiffany, 15, is slim and tall and is just embarking on her modeling career. Heidi will be graduating from the local Japanese elementary public school next spring, loves basketball and growing taller by the day. We’re also in our 5th year of opening our business helping kids and adults who struggle with ADD/ADHD and the like. It’s kind of ironic that I’d be doing this, as I struggled with ADD issues as a kid, and most people would say I still do, as does my son. But God has a way of taking our weaknesses and using them for the betterment of others. So, what’s on the horizon for us? Well, we’re planning on moving, not out of Japan, but to Okinawa, in time to put our kids in the Okinawa International Christian School next fall. For those of you who don’t know, Okinawa lies about half way between Tokyo and Hong Kong. Okinawa is to Japan what Hawaii is to the USA, so we’re excited about the move and the opportunities it offers.
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Class Agents Richard Grayson drograyson@yahoo.com and Richard Eichelberger reichelberger@verizon.net
Cecilia Wang Biggs ’78 cbiggs@lone-star.net
’79
I am living in Austin, Texas with my wonderful husband Ken who owns Lone Star Internet, Inc., an internet application and design company in downtown Austin. I am a stay home mom raising our daughters Summer (16) and Sierra (12). Over the years I have remained in touch with several HKIS Alumni such as Ann Marie Garvey ’78, Lisa Gouse, and Jeppe Gustin ’78. Then recently in the past year, through Facebook it has been so much fun getting back in touch with Kelly Prechtl, Paula Madison, Carol Ann Patterson ’78, James Barnett ’78, Danny O’Keefe ’78 and Mark Shostrom ’74. Hope this coming new year is a blessed one for all. Class Agent Ken Koo kkoo@tccgroup.com
part time sailing (something I learned in HK) and enjoying Australia. I would love to connect with any alumni in the area and now it’s much more likely that I’ll make it to Homecoming one of these years.
’80
’78
class notes
Class Agents Patrick Pang pepang@aol.com and Jonathon Lutz jonathanlutz@stanfordalumni.org
Sabrina Francis Hodgett ’80 Foreverski@aol.com
Sabrina Francis Hodgett ’80 with husband Marty and boys Clayton and Arthur at Macy’s Tree in Union Square, San Francisco, Xmas ’08
Lyn Dupuy Gilmore ’79 kuningan2@yahoo.com
Due to my husband’s job we recently left Houston, TX and now live in Perth, Western Australia. I’m working part time in project management for a software company and the other This is me with my gorgeous pal Bubs the Wombat and her keeper at Caversham Park in Perth
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’81
Arthur (8) and Clayton (10) at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris july ’09
Class Agents Anna Agell aagell@gwi.net and Karen Staniek-Gerhardt staniekgerhardt@arcor.de
Through the wonder of Facebook I have recently reconnected with many of my old friends from HKIS. Virtually as soon as I typed in HKIS Alumni ’82 I was in contact with Alison McKinnell King and Sheila Baker Gujral, both of whom I had not seen since my last days of school in Hong Kong. I started at HKIS in 1972 as a 2nd Grader and left at the end of 1979, halfway through Grade 10 when I returned to Australia to finish my last two years of High School. Seven years later I went back to Hong Kong and started my career in advertising. I met my future husband there, another expat from Australia, and now more than 20 years later we are living a couple of hours south of Sydney in the countryside with our two wonderful children. I have been back to Hong Kong many times over the years, it will always be my second home despite so many changes and little resemblance to the Hong Kong of the 70’s. In 2007 we took our children to show them ‘our’ Hong Kong. The highlight for all of us was taking the No 6 bus from Central to Stanley and pointing out all the sights including where we lived in Repulse Bay and where I went to school. It was so nostalgic for me telling them stories from my childhood that when we finally arrived in Stanley quite a few other passengers on the bus told me how much they had enjoyed the journey with us!
sheilamcneila@hotmail.com
Now being in constant correspondence with so many from all over the world – from the Class of ’79 (my sister Jane McGregor’s graduating year) through to the Class of ’84 it’s as if we’d been communicating all this time. I guess people really don’t change that much, just our circumstances do!”
I recently found Anna McGregor Massey on Facebook. I’ve been looking for her for decades and finally found her. I talked her into giving us an update:
I also heard from Lauren Tarr Baldwin ’82. By the time you are reading this, she will have achieved a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the Vermont
’82
Just back from my first visit back to Hong Kong in 15 years and while the place has certainly grown the good news is that it is still just as easy to get around on the buses and ferries and MTR as it always was. It was a great nostalgia trip going back through Repulse Bay and Stanley and seeing all the old HKIS haunts. And the Chinese food at the American Restaurant was still excellent! Just wish I’d had enough time to look up old classmates and take a tour around the new campus.
Anna McGregor Massey ’82
Class Agent Sheila Baker Gujral sheilamcneila@hotmail.com
Sheila Baker Gujral ’82
Class Agent Brett Rossuck KitchenCowboy@aol.com
Alysia Lee ’83
there are any former HKIS-ers who’d like to get in touch, I can be reached at amy. kretkowski@gmail.com.
’84
’83
College of Fine Arts. She is scheduled for graduation in January of 2010. Congratulations, Lauren!
Class Agents James Hamel jaham1@yahoo.com and Patricia Bossany Gordon gordonsinasia@yahoo.com
aone@netvigator.com
George Chang ’84 May Ho-Chang ’84
This year is passing very quickly with my elder daughter, Padma (6) moving onto Grade 1 in a local school and my younger daughter, Tara (2), at a playschool. I am
chang_home@yahoo.com We moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to Shanghai, China this past summer for George’s work. He is now General Manager Sourcing in China for GE Aviation. It is our 1st global assignment, our 4th move for the family, and our 13th wedding anniversary in October. We flew out from Detroit on August 17 and celebrated George’s birthday in mid-air between Detroit and Shanghai inside the Northwest cabin. He was given a bottle of champagne to mark the event!
Alysia with her husband Boon Han LIM and their daughters, Padma (6) and Tara (2)
huahua-Beagle mix is enjoying a squirrel and cat free zone in China. We have been reconnecting with friends in Asia and we look forward to meeting more HKIS alums in Shanghai.
Gerard Ko ’84 koscger@yahoo.com Just a brief update after returning to Hong Kong from Canada, happily married to Grace Chan in 2003, and now parents of daughter Alicia who just turned one. Busy completing a commercial project in Central named Stanley 11. The website is www.stanley11.com but will undergo further amendments. Still treasure the fond memories at HKIS and teachers. Surprised to see a good number of former classmates connected to Facebook.
Debbie (Kessler) Wynne-Parry ’84 wynneparry@ozemail.com.au The Wynne-Parry’s continue to enjoy life in Sydney, Australia and the “joys of parenthood”!
still working in my family brokerage business. Throughout the whole summer, I was involved in my new home renovation. Finally in early September, we have moved to our new flat in Stubbs Road. Just after we moved, Padma unfortunately contracted H1N1 out of the blue. She was then prescribed Tamiflu for 5 days and had to rest at home for the whole week. We are more or less settled now finally in October.
Amy Kretkowski (Weinberg) ’83 amy.kretkowski@gmail.com After 18 years in television production, I made a major career change – and went to law school at the tender age of 41. This past December, I graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law. My husband and I (and our magnificent mutt, Gabe) moved to the DC area in January 2009. The following month, I began a two-year clerkship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The work is very interesting and highly rewarding – and a far cry from my reality tv days. So far so good. If
Debbie with her husband, Todd, and their two sons Connor (13) and Ethan (8) May and George with their daughters, Lauren (5th grade) and Emily (1st grade)
Our daughters are attending Concordia International School of Shanghai which was founded by Dr. David Rittmann. Another connection is that our 5th grader Lauren’s home room teacher Mr. David W. Chaveriat is a veteran and recent transplant from HKIS. A small world indeed! Emily is attending 1st grade and Brownie the Chi-
Tara is turning 16 at the end of the year and finishing Year 10, Conor is 13 and finishing his first year of High School (Year 7) and Ethan is 8, Year 2. Todd and I went to the States in May (sans kids) to visit family, in particular to celebrate his Mum’s 80th. On the way to Michigan, I spend time with my brother, Mark Kessler ’87 and sister, Melinda Kessler Fordyce ’89 and their spouses. DragonTales
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Melinda and her husband, Alex, welcomed baby daughter, Zoie Jane, in August and November brought baby boy Henry Grayson Scott Kessler to Mark & Erika – their first child! In August, the whole family flew up to KL to surprise my Dad for his birthday. For those of you who remember the fabulous roof garden at Woodland Heights (which he still has), you should check out the pad in KL – wow!
’85
class notes
Class Agents Lori Delahunty dscvrme@hotmail.com and Michael Taylor martinplayer@rogers.com
M. Deborah Clark Craven ’85 debcraven@talktalk.net I moved from Hong Kong at the end of 8th grade and moved to Medway, Ohio. There I attended Tecumseh High School and went on to Dension University I (also in Ohio) where I received a BA in English and Studio Art. In 1986, I moved to England and there I married Paul Craven. I have two children, Luke who is 13 and Laura who is 7. I live in a small village called Charlton which is near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England. Over the years, I was a sales representative
Debbie and her family in Kuala Lumpur, a surprise visit for her Dad’s birthday
In October, Tara travelled to Paris with 21 of her classmates for a 3-week intensive language programme – not to be outdone, Todd and I took the boys to Fiji for a few days. Whilst there, we took a little excursion on the Sugar Cane Train and visited a local village – imagine my surprise when I noticed the HKIS logo on the billboard. Kids from the school have been visiting there for the last 15 years as part of the Interim programme… I was so proud! :-) I have really enjoyed re-connecting with so many of my old school mates over Facebook in the last few months (talk about your guilty pleasures)! My daughter is always horrified when her friends try to “friend” me – don’t worry, I always say no. We are looking forward to a big family trip to the US in July 2010 – scoping out future Universities for Tara and visiting family – although, this time I am insistent on a little R&R in Hawaii on the way home. Maybe we can build in a little reunion in San Francisco around that time – Yum Cha in Chinatown, or Margaritas on the deck at Sam’s??? Anyone?? 42 DragonTales
Deborah with her husband, Paul and their two children, Luke (13) and Laura (7)
for the American Life Insurance Company (three years) and the Yellow Pages Directory (7 Years). I then completed a teaching degree so I could then work at a local high school first teaching English and then teaching in the special needs department. I now am the Area Co-coordinator for a Language School, which involves finding
Heather McAndrews ’85 hmcandrews@hotmail.com I have been living in London the last 11 years and, sadly, had lost touch with all my HKIS classmates from when I lived in Hong Kong in 1979-1982. A few months ago, I was having lunch with two London friends, both of whom had coincidentally lived in Hong Kong in their twenties. As they were catching-up on the news of their mutual friends from Hong Kong, one said to the other that Wendy Hsu was coming to visit her soon. The name immediately registered with me, but I doubted whether the “Wendy Hsu” they referred to possibly could have been the same “Wendy Hsu” who had been my close friend years ago. I asked if they knew where Wendy had gone to school and, sure enough, their “Wendy Hsu” had gone to HKIS. I confirmed that she graduated in 1985 and the mystery was solved! About a week later, Wendy arrived in London and was staying with our mutual friend. Our friend had not men-
tioned anything about me, but merely said that a mystery guest would be joining them that day. I was a bit nervous if Wendy would remember me at all given that it had been over 25 years since I had last seen her, and felt that we were putting her on the spot a bit to recognise me with zero frame of reference. To my great delight and surprise, Wendy not only remembered me, but remembered the names of my siblings (Davin & Cynthia) and even our pets! That’s quite a memory! We since have seen each other a couple times during her trips to London and have really enjoyed catching-up on old times and hearing the latest on HKIS friends. It’s been fantastic to reconnect after so many years!
host families in my area to host/teach English to French students when they visit for their two week vacation. As well as organizing host families, I also host and teach English to foreign students staying in my home.
Morgen (Tilling) Gillis ’85 morgen_t_gillis@yahoo.com Our last update had us in Singapore. After 5 wonderful years there we were transferred back to the U.S. in 2007. We settled in to Avon, CT where our oldest, Ian, finished his high school years at Loomis Chaffee. He is now a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University studying computer science. Sean entered into 8th grade at Avon public schools and after his 9th grade year decided that he wanted to attend Loomis Chaffee like his older brother – only as a boarder.
I look forward to hearing more from classmates. I am hoping to join Duncan on some of his European business trips so: Karen Staniek – I may be looking you up soon! Sandra Torgersen – are you still in Paris? Anna Agell – still in Maine? Hopefully on one of our stays at the lake house we can meet up!
Phillip Prodger ’85 prodger@quahog.org I have been enjoying my new job as Curator of Photography at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, just outside Boston. My book, “Darwin’s Camera: Art and Photography in the Theory of Evolution” has just been published by Oxford University Press, and has been getting good reviews!
Valerie Chen Gildersleeve ’85 gr8gildersleeves@hughes.net
This is a photo of my family. From left to right it is myself, my step-mother- Angela Tilling, my husband, Duncan, my eldest son, Ian (18) and my youngest son, Sean (16)
This was prompted by a job change for my husband, Duncan. He accepted a new and challenging opportunity that will have us moving to Baltimore, MD by early next year. So, Duncan and I have started the transition to being empty nesters! After having spent our home leaves during our Singapore stint at Lake Winnepesaukee, NH, we decided to purchase a lake house there so that we will always have a home base. Our summers are spent there and we were very lucky this year to have a Tilling reunion. My brothers Mack and Mattie (and family), as well as my stepmother joined us there in July for some fun on the lake. On a sad note, my father, Ed Tilling, passed away in September of ’09 so though not there in person was there in our thoughts.
Hope everyone is doing well! I married my husband Jon Gildersleeve after graduating from vet school 1993. We moved into a country setting with 5 acres since my husband grew up in an orchard environment. We have chickens for eggs, pigmy goats for lawn mowing, rabbits, fishes, cats and dogs. We welcomed the birth of our first child Nathan in April 1998, then Samantha was born August 2002. Marshal was born August 2008.
My husband Jon, with Marshal (1), our youngest
Time sure flies when you have kids. It sometimes is super hectic trying to juggle working part time, house work (blah), kids’ homework, sports, and a baby!!! I am gloriously happy, however, and never knew the joys of parenting until we had our own child. Between all that I was able to obtain accreditation for veterinary acupuncture for small animals. It is so ironic how I grew up with Chinese medicine and basic knowledge of using herbs and acupuncture but never dreamed of using it professionally until 16 years later on animals! It’s more gratifying and fulfilling than my previous interest in the exotic animals (birds, reptiles, small mammals) because so many of them fall seriously ill because of the owner’s ignorance in maintaining them! I continually marvel at the effects of how placing a small needle in specific areas and taking herbs can make such a difference! Keep in touch every one!
J. Michael Taylor ’85 martinplayer@rogers.com Hello Dragon Tales! My family and I are living in Toronto, Canada, and all is well. Our kids, Audrey (13) and Isabel (11), both attend French schools here in Toronto, and they’re looking forward to our first overseas trip next spring. Suzanne and I will be taking them to India to visit a cousin serving with the Canadian Armed Forces – we hope to spend 3 weeks traipsing about the subcontinent with his family.
Our three children: Nathan (11), Samantha (7), and Marshal (1)
I am currently working with Diageo (Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Baileys, Crown Royal, Red Stripe, Smirnoff, etc.), DragonTales
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class notes
I’ve been keeping in touch with Chad Forrest ’85, and he is doing well. Chad and his wife Hae Kyeong, are based in Beijing, where he recently met several prestigious female members of the Korean National Golfing Team. Much to the golfers’ surprise, he was fluent enough in Korean to carry on a conversation with them about their touring schedule. That’s our Chad: ever the charmer, and the perfect Asian ambassador (I think he’s now fluent in at least four Asian languages – not including “street” Cantonese...). Suzanne and I were able to join Phillip Prodger ’85 in Providence, RI, two weeks ago at his wedding. His wife, April, is stunningly beautiful, with wits and charm to match. Diana Lu ’86 was also there to help represent HKIS. We missed Jayce Henderson ’85 who was unable to make the trek from Vancouver due to the fact that she is pregnant with her first child. I did have the chance to catch up with her on the phone recently, and she sounds well. Congratulations to her and her husband Mike. David Jones ’85 stays in regular touch with me, sharing photos of his beautiful twin girls, Natalie and Kaela. Dave and his wife Debbie live in L.A. where they both squeeze a bit of work in between surf outings, and other sun-baked family boondoggles. Or at least that’s the way it looks from the photos. David recently connected with Stephanie Baum ’85 and Lanchi Venator ’85, and I think the three of them are working on a NYC mini-reunion sometime this winter. Keep us all posted, guys – as they say, build it and they will come! A huge congratulations goes out to Helen Best ’86 and her partner Cindy Beil, who are the proud parents of baby Michael Riley Best. Michael was born this past August in Seattle, WA, and I hope to be able to meet the young Best lad soon. His uncle, Sean, would have been over the moon with pride. 44 DragonTales
Finally, I’m fortunate to have several HKIS alumni friends living here in Toronto. We get together with Rob Paterson ’85 and his family quite regularly. Lynne Carpenter ’84, Kailee Knowles ’85 and Linda Malloy ’85 also feel lucky to call Toronto home, and we do our best to stay in touch, despite our very busy lives. All my best to the Class of ’85. Just think, next year we’re 25 years old!!!! Cheers!! Michael.
’86
where I manage the Customer Operations team in Canada. I love my job and don’t complain too loudly about the perks that come with it!
Class Agent Christine Wong yellow.nyc@gmail.com
Russ Needels ’86 russneedels@att.net, 972-775-1347 I attended HKIS ’79-’85 (5th-11th) I just relocated to Dallas (well, South suburb called Midlothian). After graduating in ’91 (seems like eons ago) I worked as a starving artist (literally.. I was assistant art director for a small magazine making peanuts). From there I moved into software sales. Sounds like a huge leap.. I know but software and computers have always been a passion even as far back as HKIS when we were doing basic programming on PDP11’s. It still energizes me to work on a $1M+ deal. A lot of satisfaction from seeing a solution bringing value to a customer and to look back and say I contributed. I guess the feeling of a legacy and sense of accomplishment. I’m still working for QAD over the last 5 years. I say still because the software business is very transient. If you want a career in technology sales, you better be willing to switch companies at least 5-8 times in your career. My brother Bill Needels ’84 went on to get his undergrad from Stephen F Austin and his masters from Texas A&M University in computer science. He is working at Aministaff for the last several years as an
IT Analyst and programmer. Up until this year, my job travels have been US (except for the annual performance trips which took me and my wife to locations like Mexico, Hawaii and even Thailand). However, this year my job has a new global role where I have traveled twice to Shanghai and a couple of times to Amsterdam. Hopefully I will get a chance to see HK in December. Two best getaways I have found so far are Banff in Canada (skiing) and Phucket, Thailand (a place called the Banyan Tree.. rated #1 by Cond Naste for the spa and rooms). Also recommend hiking the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon if you get a chance (really peaceful). Hope everyone is well. I got a chance to see Rich Surrency ’86 in Singapore when I hit Thailand a couple years ago. He has a great family. Funny thing is I swear I saw his name on a limo pick-up sign in Shanghai recently but missed him.
Mingson Chou ’86 m_chou888@yahoo.com
Hello, everyone! Don’t even know where I last left off, but it’s been ages since I sent in an entry for the newsletter. At any rate, the past several years I have moved around a lot – Taipei to Hong Kong to Shanghai to Beijing – always working in film and TV production. Ultimately, through a truly fortuitous set of circumstances, I landed a job as Manager of Beijing Operations for NBC Olympics and worked with them for an entire year-and-a-half leading up to the Beijing Olympics. I am so grateful to have had the rare and meaningful opportunity to participate in such an historic event! The
’87
I already had the thrill of meeting up with Amy Ng ’86 and Melody Fong ’88 with her husband and baby, and come Games time, might be able to meet up with Christine Wong ’86 as well! Write me at m_chou888@yahoo.com or call me at (778)918-0479 (cell). Will plan a visit across the U.S. before I return to the Far East again next year and hope to see as many people as I can! Class Agent Jeffrey Tsai jeffreytsai@mac.com
Bobby Kwan ’87 bobbyk@netvigator.com Recently had met up with Rob Gvozden ’87, in Shanghai; he is currently studying Mandarin in town and we had caught up and met over dinner and drinks on several occasions. The most surprising encounter happened towards the end of October 2009 when I was introduced to a person in a social gathering in Shanghai; while chatting, turned out that he was also a fellow schoolmate from HKIS, Paul Tan ’85 who is currently working in Hong Kong. I have no idea that some of my friends in Shanghai are also friends with Paul; is a small world after all.
and the SF public school system. Keeps us all very busy. Here are some fall pictures from Sonoma where my parents are now (they finally left HK after 30 years). It’s nice to have them close – only 40 minutes away. Come visit!
Lincoln Chan ’88
Class Agents Angela Stich Easterwood angeast@msn.com Jennifer Fresco jennifer.fresco@custom-accessories.com and Michael Thompson homelesspaguy@yahoo.com
lincolnchan80@hotmail.com
’89
I am now living in Vancouver for 10 months, working as Vancouver Bureau Production Manager for NBC for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics (and Paralympics). I will return to Beijing next May or so, where my parents and little sister still live. This is the first time I’ve lived in North America in 15 years, so the reverse culture shock is still reverberating in my slightly confused brain. If anyone is in the area, please get in touch with me!
Class Agents Debby Tuck deb70@yahoo.com Molly Giss molly_wadhwani@scualum.com and Prescille Chu Cernosia prescillechu@hotmail.com
’88
whole production team even won a Sports Emmy Award for “Outstanding Technical Team Remote” (“remote” means a shoot which is not done in the home studio); that’s a not-particularly-flattering photo of me with my Emmy (it even has my name on it, hee hee).
HK Ladies ’89
Michael Wu ’88 and his wife Katie hosted a dinner for the members of the Class of 1988 at their home. Benny ChuChen, Joon Young Park, Lincoln Chan(me), Taki Malliris, Andrea Wong, Vanessa Chien, Rebecca Chien ’92, Hans Lombardo and Melody Fong. Joon Young Park and his family will be leaving HK for London this month
Molly Giss Wadhwani ’88 mollyw@gmail.com David and I are still in San Francisco. Last September we moved to a new house and next September we will gut it...Lots of work ahead, but I think it will be a fun project! Maya (6) and Anna (2) are doing great – Maya started Kindergarten and Anna is in a tot program and they both love being in school! David still works at Adobe and I still do volunteer work for the Academy of Sciences Anna and Maya, taken this fall at my parents’ place in Sonoma
The HK ladies of ’89 meet for a mini Reunion with Pauline Chan ’89, visiting from the US. L-R: Cynthia Shek, Pauline Chan Lewis, Rohini Balani Chotirmal, Joanne Schmidtt, Christine Cheng & Deborah Ng
Darren Prodger ’89 darren@darrenprodger.com After spending a couple of years living in Worcester, MA my family and I moved back to Upstate NY at the end of May. My wife, Kim, is a Professor of Chemistry at Skidmore College and I am primarily a stay-at-home dad taking care of our 2 year old son, Elias. When I get time I still make pots (www.darrenprodger.com) but teaching has been put on the back burner for now. I missed last year’s reunion in San Francisco, but have been having fun catching up with everyone’s lives on Facebook. It’s funny to discover the weird connections that exist between my friends from HKIS and friends I have made since those days. It is indeed a Small World. I have included a photo of my family that DragonTales
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class notes
to 60 men. So, daily I am trying to strike the balance between teaching to this passion of mine, and keeping my day job of Mom, which I also love! My address is: 2015 Crist Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024 408.829.1807.
Belinda Bradley Faulkner ’89 belinda@toeverytribe.com “Mark and I just celebrated our 18th anniversary. And our daughters, Bradley and Erin, are just about to turn 6 and 4, respectively. We’ve been living in southernmost Texas for the past 3 years, preparing to move to Papua New Guinea as long-term missionaries. was taken this past summer outside the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Kim and I got married in that spot when we eloped in 2007.
Susan COLEMAN Olesek ’89 swanolesek@yahoo.com http://www.susanolesek.com I am happily balancing a new career and raising three great boys with my husband in Los Altos, CA. The children are 5, 9, and 12 and grow all the time into better and better company with different challenges, and joys. I love being their mom. I started taking a few gasps of adult air in the last few years as my boys have gotten older and into school. How I’ve missed being with adults too!
I am certified to teach a psychological and spiritual system called the Enneagram which is like a roadmap for understanding why people behave the way they do in the world. I teach from my home, at churches, schools, and this month at a Texas prison 46 DragonTales
We’re with an organization called To Every Tribe Ministries (http://www.facebook.com/l/fc1ae;www.toeverytribe.com) and we have a projected departure date of January 20, 2010. We’re hoping to make it there in time for a language & culture course that starts in late January. It will include 8 weeks in the classroom and 5 weeks in a village... by ourselves...living in a hut...cooking on a fire...the whole gig. It’s exciting, but scary, to think about. After that, we plan to live and work in the highlands of PNG. So if you happen to be passing through Goroka, PNG, please stop by for a visit – we can always throw another mat on the floor! I’m on Facebook as Belinda Bradley Faulkner and my email is belinda@toeverytribe.com. Let me hear from you!”
Bettina Virtusio ’89 I have in the past few years been able to reconnect with classmates – and it is amazing to see where everyone is and seeing the grown up persons we have become.
I think back on our last few years in High school as a ‘freeze-frame’ period. The pictures of the time, the memories, remain close to my thoughts. What a great time to have had that experience to grow up in Hong Kong: at that period, with the diversity and various cultures! I reflect and value being raised with western education, with Asian values, in a British Colony in Asia. Today, I reside and work in Southern California with my husband and our 5 year old daughter and soon to be 3 year old son. My children understand and speak Cantonese – ironic, because neither my husband, nor I do. Food continues to be a passion – we were fortunate and spoiled with all the great restaurants in Hong Kong. – however with children– it has been reduced to favourite sushi bars, CPKs, Chili’s, dim sum, and numerous Cantonese Cafes that serve yummy Chinese comfort foods, and bottomless Milk Tea/Thai Tea/Iced Lemon Tea beverages. I look forward to reading this version of Dragontales, and seeing everyone’s photos. Finally, I thank Rohini for keeping many of us connected!!! I hope all have a fantastic and blessed holiday season ahead.
Bonnie Tucker ’89 I have been living in Tampa Florida for the past 6 years working as a veterinarian. But I will be moving back to Hong Kong in December to start up a veterinary hospital in Junk bay. If you are still living or visiting out there we should meet up :)”
Christine Cheng ’89 Christine Cheng is still working as the personal assistant to director of Cheoy Lee Ship Yard and has recently moved her base to London.
involved with our kids’ schools by being involved in volunteering, PTO and SAC. We have also moved across town. Jennifer ’89 and Heidi ’92 with their families, in front of the White House
She spends her year travelling to Nice, Monte Carlo as well as Ft. Lauderdale and Australia for boat shows.
Clockwise starting at front left: Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89, Joanne Schmitt ’89, Stevie Wong ’89, Joyce Yin ’89, Cynthia Shek ’89, Christine Cheng ’89
She has recently contacted an old friend – Serena Robinson ’89, who is also in London. When time allows, she travels frequently to HK for gatherings with old HKIS chums. Catching up with Stephen Wong ’89 who dropped in from NYC, together with Joanne Schmitt ’89, Joyce Yin ’89, Rohini Balani ’89 and Cynthia Shek ’89 over a Korean dinner proved to be a much savoured experience. On May 30th 2009, Pauline Chan Lewis ’89 was in HK for work, and the girls got together for an afternoon tea at the Conrad organised by Rohini. She looks forward to many more HKIS gatherings big and small in the future!
Jennifer Boblet Rushing ’89
Julie’s daughter Morgan (8) and son Logan (11)
visit my sister (Heidi Boblet Werkema ’92) and her family and do some WA. D.C sightseeing which was amazing! We also were so happy to have Eric Muther ’89 and his wife Nicole come visit this year and we had a great time reminiscing and talking with them. We loved seeing them and are still kicking ourselves because we forgot to take even ONE picture while we were together!!!
Jennifer Bostwick ’89 I have been living in Atlanta for the past 9 years teaching at Woodward Academy. I am currently teaching first grade.
Julie Noethlich Carslon ’89 Hi to everyone! Hope this issue finds you all happy and healthy! My husband and I have had a very busy past year. My husband won the County Commissioner seat after leaving his 9 years on City Council. I have taken time off from our family accounting business this year to be more
We live in Washington State and have lived here since 1988 when we left HK. My husband Rod, works for Microsoft and altho he did get laid off in May in the 2nd round of massive layoffs he was re-hired by another group by July. I stay home with our 4 kids ages 10,9,7 & 2 and I also home school them. We don’t really do a lot of traveling but this last May we were able to go to Virginia to
Our son is 11 and is in middle school now. He plays golf and basketball, surfs, is on Student Council, plays the electric guitar and the saxophone. Our daughter is 8, surfs, plays softball, dances, sings
and is our ultimate drama queen. We are so proud of them. They are both so smart and really good kids, despite their parents!!! I really enjoyed our 20 year reunion that we shared with the Class of ’88 held in San Francisco last year. It was great to reconnect with old friends. Thank you again to the reunion committee! You all are wonderful! I recently spent time with Tanya McGuiness Beck ’89 and will be spending time with Tania Hickson Phillips ’89 the week of Thanksgiving. Most others I stay in touch with via Facebook or phone calls. If anyone comes to Florida let me know. I would love to meet up with you!!!
Christine Hanchett ’89 After 10 years in Boulder, Colorado, I moved out to San Jose, California to work in the technology industry. I’m still working in high-tech marketing at Sun Microsystems, but who knows what the future will bring as my company is currently being acquired by Oracle. I love my job and get to travel often, in the last several months having traveled to the UAE, Poland, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Panama. Still working on scoring a trip back to Asia!
Julie with Tanya McGuiness Beck ’89
I don’t have any kids but have two “fur DragonTales
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class notes
kids” – my rescue mutts, and two birds. I got divorced this year after 5 years of marriage and am having a great time traveling, spending time with wonderful friends, and recently have taken up road cycling.
Pauline CHAN Lewis ’89 pauline@oovoodesign.com It is hard to believe that 20 years have gone by since high school graduation! Since then, I’ve lived in 7 different cities, including Singapore and now, Washington DC. I started my own wholesale handbag company a little over five years ago and have a lot of fun keeping it going. My husband, Drew, and I love to travel - last year, we roamed around from Kenya to Cambodia. I guess the “international” part of me is strongly embedded! The last two years have been about re-connecting with friends from HKIS. Thanks to Facebook, I’ve been back in touch with dozens of HKIS alumni. It has been (and continues to be) an enriching experience for me – I love getting glimpses into fellow HKIS friends’ lives and “seeing” their kids grow up via photo updates! This culminated at our 20th HS Reunion in San Francisco, CA last year (thanks to Angela STICH Easterwood, Kerry FORD and Vu WILLIAMS for organizing!) – SO MUCH FUN! If you are ever in the DC area for work or play, please let me know so that we can meet up for a drink!
Angela Stich Easterwood ’89 angeast@msn.com Hi everyone! It is always so great to catch up with everyone through Dragon Tales.
My husband, Kevin, and I are living in Frisco, Texas. I’ve been in the Dallas area since 1995 (my parents are here now). Here is a picture of our three girls: Emma is 8 years old, Aubrey is 16 months, and Lauren is almost 7 years old. They keep us busy with volleyball, soccer, basketball and girl scouts – and lots of “girl drama”! My brother, Michael Stich ’90, is living in Walton, KY with his wife Elaine and their four children. If anyone is in the Dallas area, let me know!!
Matt Abernathy ’89 I’m a singer songwriter currently recording in Southern Utah’s St. George. Heavily involved with the music scene locally. I’m back in school.
Riz Farooqi ’89 www.kinglychee.com www.startfromscratchrecords.com.hk Have been back TA-ing at HKIS in Reception Two (Kindergarten) for the past 6 years and after finishing up my Master’s in Education at the University of Phoenix this past January, I’ve been extremely lucky to have a school (that brought me up) and community that have given me an amazing opportunity to actually TEACH first grade! This past school year has been an unbelievable experience so far and continues to be an exciting time every morning when I wake up and get to see my kids again! Aside from that, the past 10 years I’ve been playing in a hardcore band in Hong Kong called King Ly Chee. We’ve toured throughout Asia plenty of times and have released two full length records. In December we’re going to embark on a 12 date tour of China playing 12 different cities! INSANELY excited about this!!!
surviving this terrible economy we’re going through right now, just gearing up for the “busy season” starting January to April. I hang out with Tiffany Hsin Wakeham and her family (husband, and twins), and Akiko Niihara ’87, from HKIS on weekends. I’m going to Japan and will probably meet up with Maki Takahashi ’90 (now Kondo, married name) and spend some time with her and her daughters.
Michael Thompson ’89 Just started my 10th season in the NBA, and 3rd with the Charlotte Bobcats. Love being back in the Carolinas and have met up with a few area HKIS alums in the past year or so. Free tickets to any alums who come through the area this season! My daughter Madeleine just turned 4 and is enjoying preschool. She got to meet Darren Prodger’s son Elias back in June during a trip to upstate New York. Future Dragons? I hope so.
Anjali Bedi ’89 Seema, Amar and I are good. Seema is now in 3rd grade and Amar is in 1st grade. I cannot believe how quickly they are growing up! I woud love to be in touch with any Alums in the Los Angeles area.
Anjali with her kids, Seema and Amar
Early 2010 we’re going to be releasing our third album.
Hui-Chu Mou ’89
Angela’s three girls- Emma (8), Aubrey (16 months), and Lauren (almost 7)
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I’m in Chicago for training now, until November 20, then off to Japan from November 23 – December 8, so just been being a bit of a busy body. I’m with the same job I started 2 years ago in public accounting,
Seema and Amar with Anjali’s Mom
Charles Eaton ’89
’90
I’ve been in non-profit management for 15 years now, and I currently serve as the head of business development and fundraising for the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, a healthcare association working to reduce the number of infections in hospitals around the globe. I’ve been married for seven years and have a step-daughter, Lindsay, who is 17; a stepson, Dylan, who is 15; and my two boys, Mason and Shane, who are 2 years and 6 months old respectively. I live in Northern Virginia and spend most of my time just managing my large family, which is a pretty good second job. Class Agent Betty Chung chungby@aol.com
Betty Chung ’90 chungby@aol.com “Hi Class of 1990! Next year is our 20th reunion and pre-planning is underway. We plan to send all communication about the reunion via e-mail. Therefore please get in touch with me by email (chungbyc@aol. com) or via Facebook or find the “HKIS Class of 1990” Facebook Group page. We plan to send out a survey regarding details for the reunion by the end of November- if you did not receive one, please contact me. Additional volunteers to the reunion planning committee are welcome!
over $35,000 for The Last Well. Our climb also followed a week of service activities such as sports camps for the children of Arusha, Tanzania, working alongside MANNA Worldwide. In August, my job at USAID sent me to Islamabad, Pakistan for a month – a lovely country, I’d like to go back when the area is more stabilized! Then in October, I spent a much needed week of R&R on a beach in Mexico with a pina colada in my hand. ha ha! Wishing you all a very merry holiday season and I look forward to seeing you in 2010!
Tynlee Tandberg ’90 tynleetandberg@yahoo.com
VA. The kids are blossoming and growing and amaze me every day. Nikolas, my 7 year old, is swimming; he swam his first 50 yard backstroke last weekend. Following his Mum’s footsteps! 3 year old Mia is a girl through and through with her Cinderella costume and ballet moves! Maybe we’ll see some of you in 2010 for the reunion!
Sunil Hemnani ’90 sunil@menash.com 2009 has been an incredible year so far, especially with Ritu and I adding to our beautiful girls an amazing little boy on May 21st. It is amazing how life has changed with the new dynamic of ages (Anoushka 6, Nadia 2-1/2, and Tarun just 5 months), and the privilege of being stewards of these precious lives.
I don’t have a picture yet, unfortunately, but have just finished the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25 in Washington DC, (for the second time, but one hour faster!) So...I thought that was noteworthy. Am still living in Oslo, Norway though....with my two little girls and my Norwegian husband.
Suzanna Lee ’90 hksslmspt@yahoo.com I can’t believe that our 20th reunion is fast approaching... I can’t believe I’m that
Sunil with his wife Ritu and their three children, Anoushka (6), Nadia (2-1/2), and Tarun (5 months)
L-R: Rohini Balani ’89 and family, Dave Young ’89 and family, Sunil Hamnani ’90 and family
Hope everyone had a great 2009 – I successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 meters/19,330 feet) on July 1st to raise awareness for The Last Well, a faith based non-profit organization whose goal is to provide clean water for the entire nation of Liberia. I summited with a team of 23 people from my church and we raised
Suzanna with her husband, Michael Bishop and their two children, Nikolas Lee-Bishop (7) and Mia Lee-Bishop (3)
old! Nothing “big” in the grand scheme of things happening here, just “big” things in our little world. My Dad retired this year after 30plus years with Dow! I’m still working part time as a Physical Therapist at a physician owned clinic here in Richmond,
Was great to meet up with Dave Young ’89 and family after quite a few years, Rohini Balani ’89 and family joined us for a great evening with the kids. Hong Kong has always been home, will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Looking forward to the 20 year reunion – should be a blast! DragonTales
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Class Agents Angela Teng angelateng@yahoo.com Christine “Rio” Gaxiola Sikes christinegaxiola@yahoo.com and Desmond Chu deschu@163.net
Sabina Wong ’91 sabinawong@yahoo.com Sabina, who married Jeremy Sutch 7 years ago, still lives in HK running her swimwear brand, Sabina Swims Swimwear. She has 2 kids – 4 ½ and 3 – whom she travels the world with extensively!
dition to our family. Austin was born in April. We moved from the city last year to Hinsdale, IL – a small suburb of Chicago to get closer to Josephine’s parents and give the kids a little more room to run around. I’m working as a director of IT for United Stationers where I recently found out that one of my peers in IT – Anoop (Andy) Bhojwani ’95 sits in the office next door to me. It just goes to show how small the world really is!
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class notes
Class Agents Amy Ruhter aruhter@iesabroad.org and Timothy Gregg timgregg@hotmail.com
Sandra Grant ’93 tidbleger@embarqmail.com I will be graduating from the University North Carolina Charlotte this May with my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. I hope to someday come back overseas and teach at the same schools I attended. I am a veteran Petty Officer, in the United States Navy. I served 4 years active duty between 1996 and 2000.
Also took part in a 24 hour, 383 km Fleche. There were 8 teams total, all starting in different locations and all converging 24 hours later at a crepe shop in San Francisco. The rules are simple. There must be between 3 and 5 riders per team. All riders must finish the course. No sleep. You are completely self-supported. Capped off the year by participating in a 4 person relay team for the Furnace Creek 508 (dubbed “The Toughest 48 Hours In Sport”). This is a 48 hour, 508 mile bike race through the Mojave Desert and Death Valley. We fought 40-50 mph headwinds and 100+ degree heat with over 30,000 feet of climbing. We finished in just over 38 hours. We were told that, due to the horrendous conditions, this was one of the most difficult years to date. Nearly half of the field DNF’d (“Did Not Finish”). Probably the single most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Next year, some friends of mine and I want to do a 4 man relay 500 mile race on our fixed gear bikes, a Fleche on our fixed gears, and I hope to make a run at the Furnace Creek 508 as a solo entrant or 2 person fixed gear relay.
Peggy Chung ’93 In 2008, Peggy Chung co-founded HEREKEKE, a nonprofit arts organization in Northern New Mexico for local youth and Artists, as well as an international Visiting Artist and Residency program.
Sabina and her kids on the steps of the Duomo in Amalfi, Italy April 2009
Class Agents Iain McGlashan imcglashan@mac.com and Timothy Chen timchen55@gmail.com
Christopher Lok ’92 lokch@yahoo.com My wife Josephine and son Evan (now 3) recently celebrated the arrival of a new ad50 DragonTales
Sandy Tseng ’93 My first collection of poems, Sediment, was just published by Four Way Books (October 2009). I’m currently teaching at Metropolitan State College of Denver. This is a picture of me and my three beautiful kids!! (L-R) Donald-Henry (14), HenryLawrence (2), and Allyiah-Caitlin (7)
Jason Pierce ’93 Have ridden 10 double centuries (200 mile bike rides) in the past year. Three of those were part of the California Triple Crown Stage Race series (3 doubles, 600 miles, 45,000+ vertical feet) and three were completed on my fixed gear bike (one gear, direct drive, no coasting).
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She sees Michelle Wang (who’s in NYC), Antonio Ng (who just had a baby girl Raya), Kevin Tranbarger, Rebecca & Vanessa Chien. Visit her website at www. sabinaswims.com !
Class Agents Michal Pemper mpemper@hotmail.com Norman Ho romanic@singnet.com.sg and Tiffany Bissey tbissey@gmail.com
Erin Tarbuck (nee Affleck) ’94 afflek@futurewest.ca I am still living in Vancouver with my fam-
’95
Class Agent David Cheng dcheng23@hotmail.com
Nicole Shen ’95 Erin with her husband and their three children
nicoleyshen@gmail.com
ily (now five of us) – our daughter Rowan was born this summer, also with a full head of red hair.
Hey Everyone!
Hannah.Soule@bloomingdales.com Greetings from New York City! Just kind of a fun update: I recently put together an event for Bloomingdale’s with the Countess LuAnn de Lesseps from The Real Housewives of New York City on Bravo. We had such a strong RSVP response that Bravo decided to film the event for an episode of the show! They tell me it should air in late February or early March.
The cast of The Real Housewives of New York City at my event
For those of you who know me personally, you’ll understand why it was crazy for Bravo to mike me during the filming. Hopefully my mouth won’t get me into too much trouble this time around! Although I did manage to work HKIS into one of the conversations with one of the housewives when we were speaking about schools abroad. Fingers crossed it won’t make the cutting room floor.
I love what I do and get to see so many new cities because of my work! I feel really lucky to be doing something I am so passionate about. I am also very happy to say that I have a baby girl who is now 14 months old! Her name is Brigitta and she is the joy of my life. I am planning on moving back to Hong Kong in the next year or two so hopefully can catch up with more people from HKIS once I am back in town. I am excited about the move too. I love being in California and want to eventually come back here, but right now I want Brigitta to experience HK culture and life just like her Mommy! That is all for now. Please feel free to stay in touch with me!
Genevieve Barber (nee Handler) ’95 Genevieve@birchallpr.com 2009 was a busy year for me. I was married on September 19, 2009. It was a beautiful and warm day (by Canadian autumn standards, anyway). We went to Iceland for our honeymoon, an incredible experience.
A lot of time was spent exploring remote hiking trails and incredible natural landmarks. We nearly got lost in a lava field, but other than that survived relatively unscathed. We were even lucky to experience the northern lights dancing and crackling outside our hotel. Currently my husband Jamie and I are living in Toronto, Canada where I am an Account Director at a Public Relations Firm.
’96
Hannah Soule ’94
I currently live in Irvine, Orange County and have been living in California since 1999 when I moved here. I am the owner of a hospitality design firm called Futura Interiors and established the company back in 2003. We design mainly hotels worldwide and I am always traveling back and forth between California, HK and China.
’97
I am currently on leave, but will return to teaching next fall. We are entertaining the idea of a move to London, where my husband is seeking work with the organizing committee for the 2012 Olympics. In the meantime, we continue with our crazy renovation and a busy life with three children under five.
So much has happened in my life since I graduated from HKIS. I cannot believe that it has been 14 years since I graduated. Time passes by so quickly!
Class Agents Fahd Hakim fbh04@aol.com Jennifer Doman jdoman@deloitte.com and Sara Dallaire Sara.dallaire@gmail.com Class Agents Lisa Tan lisa@lisatan.com Meghan Heidmann (Smith) meghanheidmann@gmail.com Tim Lo lo_tim@hotmail.com and Victor Yeung yeesung@gmail.com
Sophia (Sayers) Gilsdorf ’97 sophiagilsdorf@gmail.com Our daughter, Ivi Kalleni, was welcomed into the world this past September. She is named after my late mother, a former HKIS teacher. Her big brother, James, turned two this summer, and he is a great helper. We are still living on Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina where my husband, DragonTales
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Ben, is stationed. I am a stay-at-home mom, and most days I love it!
Meghan SMITH Heidmann ’97 meghanheidmann@gmail.com
’98
I have been married to my husband Chris for 4 years now. We are living in Colorado Springs, Colorado with our two daughters. Kathryn Grace (Katie) just turned 3 and we welcomed Mackenzie Rose into the world May 5, 2009. I am a stay-athome-mom now and am loving every single minute of it! Class Agent Cheryl Yip cheryl_yip@yahoo.com
tendance, some of them HKIS graduates (Mike Winn & his wife Nicole ’98, Ryan Cuddyre ’98, & Katie Alexander ’99). We spend a lot of time traveling both domestically and internationally, and our next big trip will be a two week honeymoon in Africa over the holiday’s! When we’re at home we like to spend our time on the boat and entertaining friends. If anyone finds themself in the Richmond/DC area, shoot me a note!
Yolanda Stanton (Chin) ’98 yolandaychin@gmail.com I just graduated with an MBA from UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management this past June. I now work in corporate Human Resources at Parsons Corporation as a Team Leader.
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class notes
Class Agent Theresa Cheng theresakcheng@gmail.com
Rosalia Brown-Arora ’00 rosalia.brown@gmail.com On June 27th, 2009 I married Sal Arora, graduate of South Island School in Hong Kong. We met here in Atlanta in 2007 and got engaged in November of 2008. We had two beautiful ceremonies, both Hindu and Catholic, and many international friends and family came to celebrate with us including my girls from HKIS!
Walter Arnold ’98 walt.arnold@gmail.com This is the first time I’ve written in, and a lots happened over the last 10+ years! After getting two undergraduate degrees at William and Mary (BBA – Finance & BA – Government), I moved to Richmond, Virginia and started working at Altria (Philip Morris). I later completed a MBA in Strategic Leadership at the University of Richmond, and am currently working in the Marketing department at Altria.
Hindu Wedding Ceremony (from left to right) Jennifer Lin ’00, Candice Luk ’00, Sonu Daryanani ’00, Tao Fei ’00, Rosalia BrownArora ’00, Dana Park ’00, Kim Reyes ’00, Lauren Assi ’00 & Mary Pashalidis ’00
My brother, David Brown ’03, lives and works in Chicago and served as a groomsman in the wedding. My mom, Mary Lou Ramos Brown, HKIS faculty ’99-’00, lives in Atlanta now and was of tremendous help to me in planning the wedding. Sonu Daryanani ’00, Dana Park ’00, and Mary Pashalidis ’00 were bridesmaids.
’01
The best news to report is that I just got married this past February to Georgia Fisher! It was a beautiful wedding on the beach in Akumal, Mexico. We had friends and family from around the world in at-
’99
I also got married this past August to Randall Stanton, who I met while working at American Express. Our wedding ceremony was at a winery in Sonoma. I’ve included a picture from our wedding day. We now reside happily in Pasadena, California.
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Class Agents Eleanor Shing eleanor.shing@gmail.com George Liao gliao@hotmail.com and Kevin Chung kiwan99@hotmail.com
Class Agents David Munho Choi m.david.choi@gmail.com Lauren Tanner laurentanner@gmail.com and Michelle Emma James m.james1@ugrad.unimelb.edu.au
Carmen Fong ’01 hongkongfong@gmail.com I’m writing in from Okemos, Michigan. I am currently (and finally) in my first year at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. This is after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in Fine Arts, traveling to
Vietnam to volunteer at Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, returning to the States and teaching art, coaching volleyball, working in a biology lab, becoming an EMT and driving an ambulance, and being a medical assistant in a neurology office. I still do art.
Caroline hosting the Afternoon Drive, live in the CJIQ studios
the Afternoon Drive on 88.3 CJIQ FM, a new rock station, she is now hosting Static Hype, an electronica show with her boyfriend Danny (who she met in the program). Most recently, she was hired as a talk show producer on the city’s news and talk station, 570 news.
Software Engineering, working for Fujifilm E-Systems, Kayex, Xerox, and most recently at UPS Logistics Technologies. I started at UPSLT in late September and have relocated to the Baltimore, Maryland area. I really do enjoy my work and have my two high school mentors, David Elliott and Richard Friedericks, for encouraging me in this direction.
She spends her free time with great friends and family, including her nephews Daniel (3), and Andrew (1).
Ryan Meader ’04
Matt Tanaka ’05 Laura Wilcox ’05 ljwilcox@gmail.com
Class Agents Candace Ho caho@UDel.Edu Kristen Chin kwchin@gmail.com and Timothy Chang changs@natim.com.hk Class Agent Dixon Pak dickson2go@gmail.com
Caroline Lucas ’04
Bradford Evans ’05
Care.Lucas@gmail.com
bre7368@rit.edu
Care Lucas is living in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Last year she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication, and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. While she was there, she volunteered as a DJ, and was eventually Program Director of the on-campus radio station. She is currently finishing a specialty program in Radio Broadcasting at Conestoga College. She spent the summer of 2009 hosting
I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in May of 2009 and finished my final two courses over the summer. I’m still waiting on them to mail the diploma, but I’m told it will be in the next few weeks. The program is really 4+1 (of work experience) and I finished it in just slightly over 4 years. I’ve held several jobs in my chosen field of
Matt and Laura are engaged! Matt popped the question in June and they will be married in Seattle on July 31st, 2010
’06
Class Agents Amy Easton amybynet@hotmail.com and Nicholas Wong nixx1985@gmail.com
In between working and studying, I found a wonderful woman that I married in May of ’09 (a busy month!). Janie and I are really enjoying life together as we settle into our new home.
’07
Class Agents Andrew Chan chanandrew@gmail.com Angela Ho angela.kf.ho@gmail.com and Bob Pan bobzpan@gmail.com
I spent most of the last year training as an infantry officer at Fort Benning, Georgia. In October I deployed to west Baghdad, Iraq from Fort Lewis, Washington as part of 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. I will be here until October 2010.
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’04
’03
’02
I am on the left in picture, with the white coat, and beside me is my sister Claire Fong ’03.
ryan_meader@yahoo.com
Class Agents needed! Volunteers, please email alumni@hkis.edu.hk Class Agents Anjali Daryanani anjalidaryanani22@gmail.com Chris Chipman cchipman@elon.edu and David Suen davidsuen.hk@gmail.com DragonTales
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class notes
Class Agent Arun Govada mp.govada@gmail.com
Register Now! http://www.hkis.edu.hk/newmember.php
Class Agents Drew Mehrmann drewmehrmann@hotmail.com and Sharon Chan sharon_chan@duke.edu
FACULTY Dennis Wetjen Karen and I are currently living in La Mesa, (San Diego area) CA. Karen is currently teaching Kindergarten at Pilgrim Lutheran School and I teach grades 4-7 science and computers at Christ Lutheran School. We taught in Rome for two years after leaving HKIS in 2002. We have led several school group tours to Italy and still love to travel.
We need you to keep us up-to-date on your current whereabouts. Please login to review your current personal details and provide updates where necessary by using the Alumni Registration & Update Form to fill in as many fields as possible.
James Penha Since retiring from JIS, Dr. Penha has been teaching IB English quite legally despite his advanced years at Sekolah Tiara Bangsa – ACS (International) School just down the jalan tol in East Jakarta. His collection of poems, No Bones to Carry, was published in 2008 and a little volume of his adaptations of Indonesian folk tales is due early next year.
Phil Woodall
Please also help circulate to Alums you may know that have been out of touch. The HKIS Alumni Office needs you to help find these Lost Alums! You can also write directly to alumni@hkis.edu.hk and tell us about your recent developments in life. We will include your submission in our next edition of the Alumni Magazine, DragonTales. Once registered, the Alumni office will keep in regular contact and update you on Alumni news, events and school developments. If you have new contact details, keep us informed and up to date.
Phil Woodall, who was Middle School Principal from 1992-1995, along with his family, visited with Richard Mueller on campus in October
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Please help your Alumni Office!
What is it? The Alumni Resource Network is designed to leverage the knowledge, skills and connections within the Alumni Association to benefit alumni and the HKIS Community as a whole.
What is the Alumni Association?
Alumni Resource Network (ARN)
Anyone that attended HKIS for more than one semester, as well as former faculty and staff, is a member of the Alumni Association. HKIS employs at least one full-time person dedicated to Alumni Relations, and that person liaises with the Alumni Association Board, which is comprised of alumni who volunteer their time.
Who is ARN for? Every alumnus/alumna who registers, regardless of geographic location or graduating class.
What does the ARN do? u Connects alumni to get guest speakers into
classrooms u Connects seniors and recent grads with fellow alumni
experienced in fields of interest for career counseling u Helps provide educational guidance – “What kind of
education do I need to get the job I want?” u Helps provide college advice – “Is this school right for me?” u Connects alumni seeking internships with alumni who may be able to offer
placements u Connects job-seeking alumni with alumni working in relevant companies for job
referrals
How might it look? u Journalist speaking to High School broadcast journalism class u Senior emailing alumnus/alumna currently attending a university that they are
considering
How do we get connected? u Through the Alumni Office.
What can I expect? u Updated online registration and search system. u To be connected to other alumni to whom you might be of service. u To be connected to other alumni who might be of service to you.
If you have questions about the ARN please email them to alumni@hkis.edu.hk.
Save the Date Saturday, May 15
Metropolis 2010 HKIS Celebration Gala