Beyond King's (Vol. 9, Spring 2021) by King's Academy

Vol. 9 Spring 2021

IN THIS ISSUE 2

Editor’s Note

A Long Way from Home

Advancing the Mission, in Spite of a Pandemic

Learning in a Post-Pandemic World

InshallahWallahYallah: Farewell, Mr. John

Until We Meet Again!

It’s Not Rocket Science: Rami Hamati ’15, SpaceX Engineer

No Risk, No Return

King’s Theater Program Blossoms in the Woods

Taleed: King’s Alumni Launch Magazine for Arab Youth

Studying Palestine

Empathizing with Employees

Kareem Ayyad ’12 Knows What You Want

Rising Above It

Philanthropic Dreams

COVID-19 Spurs SEP to Develop an Online Element

Making Airwaves: Zeid Qabar ’13 and Farrah Matalka ’11

Extra, Extra! Students Launch King’s Global Times

King’s Uncovered

The Grass Is Greener in the Green Zone: Alumni Return to King’s as Faculty Assistants

Shh! King’s Hold First Virtual Silent Auction

Arabic Year: Yearning for Adventure

Giving Life to Life: Zouheir Al-Ghreiwati ’10

Daring to KARE

Introducing the J-Term

In a Word, King’s

King’s Leading Lady: Hayat Abu Samra ‘10

Thriving in the Face of Adversity: Hashem Yaish ’21

In Memory of Atef Abu Sarris, Smiling Down on Us from Heaven

In Memoriam: Jude Aswad ’11

King’s Remembers Founding Supporter Tawfiq Fakhouri

School News in Brief

Advancing Alumni

Class Notes

Advancement Update

EDITOR’S NOTE Spring 2021 Volume 9 Editor in Chief Vera Azar Writers Muna Al-Alul, Johanna Lee ’13 Designer Shadi Hasweh Contributors Peter Nilsson, Ahmed Khalayleh ’15

Resilience and grit are words we use frequently at King’s. These qualities are ones we try to impart to our students, and ones we try to model for them. If our community has proven anything this past year, it’s that we are resilient and gritty. And that we never give up. Our Middle School may have had to teach and learn online for the entire year, but they gave new meaning to the word innovation and turned online learning into an art (see pages 34-36). Our Upper Schoolers, along with faculty, staff and alumni, put up with tough hotel and cohort quarantines to savor the joys of in-person learning that came with the one-of-a-kind Green Zone that King’s created (see pages 6-9, 51-53, 62-65). Innovation at King’s was not limited to the Green Zone this year. From the J-term courses (see pages 60-61, 66-69) to the new course on Palestine (see pages 28-30), King’s continues to develop its curriculum to offer the best learning experiences for our students. And in this issue of Beyond King’s, Head of School Peter Nilsson considers learning beyond the pandemic (see pages 10-13). This issue of Beyond King’s also looks at two growing segments in our student body – Arabic Year students, mostly from the United States, and Chinese students (see pages 56-59, 3-5). We also share with you a growing number of great alumni stories – alumni starring in films, alumni launching magazines, alumni developing brain computer interfaces, and even alumni working in aerospace programs. Happy reading.

Vera Azar

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Photography Wasim Ayesh, Ahmed Khalayleh ’15, Jouna Hasan ’21, Roufei Shang ’21, Fathia Aulia ‘21 Front Cover Photograph by Farah Halabi Back Cover Photograph by Aseel AlManaseer Beyond King’s is published by the King’s Academy Department of Communications and Publications. P.O. Box 9, Madaba-Manja 16188 Jordan. tel +962 6 430 0230 ext. 1005 email beyondkings@kingsacademy.edu.jo www.kingsacademy.edu.jo © 2021 King’s Academy, Jordan. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without express written consent from the publisher.

A Long Way from Home Every year, a new cohort of students from all over China comes to attend King's Academy. What compels them to fly across the continent to attend a small boarding school in Jordan? BY AHMED KHALAYLEH '15

aking the leap to study on your own in a foreign country is no mean feat, especially if you know little to nothing about the region the school is located in. So how did these students hear about King’s Academy, and what made them take this leap of faith? In most cases, it is the school’s own alumni that are introducing new students and their families to King’s. When she was in the fourth grade, Yudian Zhao ’24 heard about King’s from a book her mother had given her. In that book, aptly named I Went to High School in Jordan at the Age of 13, Ning Bao ’14 records her four years’ experience studying at King’s. “After reading it, I decided I wanted to come here,” Zhao says. “I felt like it was a special school.” Duanduan Lin ‘20 introduced the school to Yiran Zhao ’21, as a place of “unique diversity, one that respects and appreciates other cultures.”

Ziqi Yu ’23, from Guangdong, heard about King’s Academy through a family friend whose daughter, Yuxuan Cao ’18 had attended the Academy. As they spoke highly of King’s, her parents decided it was a good idea to go, and enrolled her in Summer at King’s, and eventually, at King’s as a freshman. Another Guangdong native, Ruofei Shang ’21, says she had no knowledge of Jordan before coming to King’s. She didn’t know where the country was and could only read about it on Baidu – a Chinese search engine. “And here I am, four years later, with extensive knowledge of Jordan and its culture,” she says. Shang shares her own reasons for coming: “I did not want to live through the tedious academic life of Chinese public schools, where grades are the only thing that determine your future.” King’s Academy had a unique environment which presented Shang with the opportunity to prepare for her future by becoming a “more unique

Yiran Zhao ’21 performs for the Lunar New Year dinner

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candidate for universities, as a Chinese student studying in the Middle East.” King’s also became the place that allowed Shang to explore her interests and passions. “I was given the opportunity to fully develop my hobbies,” she says. “For my entire life, I thought I would become a doctor in the future,” but having left the pressure from school that she felt in China, she managed to find her “genuine interests in cultural studies and media and communications.” In her four years at King’s, Shang has taken part in musicals, visual arts, student leadership, and any other opportunity for growth that she could get her hands on. For Yudian Zhao, it was her “dream to study abroad” in addition to Bao’s book that pushed her to commit. She was also immediately welcomed into a group on WeChat — a Chinese messaging app — for King’s Chinese parents and students, which made her feel like she was already part of a community.

SETTLIN G IN Moving to a new country comes with its fair share of challenges, from language barriers to homesickness. But at King’s, it isn’t long before Chinese students start feeling at home. Between their peers and the King’s faculty, the Chinese students immediately feel a warm welcome upon their arrival at King’s. “The students are really friendly here, especially the Chinese students,” says Yudian Zhao. “Take Yiran Zhao, for example. She’s also from Hangzhou, and she had good chats with my mom. She became like an older sister for me, bringing gifts, taking care of me.” Others also find comfort in the faculty at King’s, and almost all name Japanese faculty member Ryuji Yamaguchi as a significant source of support. Yiran Zhao says, “he made us feel safe, and gave us the confidence to introduce and share our culture and history with local students.”

cooking for all four years and was able to make boba tea and serve it for weekend brunch. We would also decorate the entire dining hall with Chinese New Year decorations,” she adds. The celebration of Chinese culture extends beyond the festivities. “The school supports our ideas; I started a Chinese club with an Arab-American student who studies Chinese,” says Shang. She adds that she would host hot pot dinners at faculty apartments, inviting students from different countries. “I’ve also shared many of my recipes with students, faculty, and even the dining hall.”

H OM E A W A Y F R OM HO M E In spring 2020, as the COVID-19 epidemiological situation worldwide worsened and travel restrictions went into effect, many international students at King’s found themselves unable to return home for the summer. Most of these students were Chinese.

Ziqi Yu ’23 (right) at the Spring Dance Concert

For Yu, it was the opportunity to learn English in an American-style school, at which English is the language of instruction. “In a non-English speaking environment, it was boring to learn English, because it was all memorization — just words,” says Yu. 4

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For many students, this is especially true during the Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. “Every year, we would have a potluck dinner for the entire King’s community,” says Shang. “I have been

While their hopes of spending the summer with their families were dashed, those who remained on campus ended up having an unforgettable summer experience. Yu made close new friends whom she might not have spoken to during the school year, and discovered

a passion for a sport she had never heard of: volleyball. “Mr. Ryuji taught me how to play in one minute and said ‘okay, you’re good to play now!’ “Yu laughs.“ It’s really hard to describe what it felt like, but every time I think back to that memory, it feels like home.“

Yiran Zhao spoke of newfound friendships she made because of the Green Zone, and how staying on campus gave her the opportunity to focus on her own self-development. “I became more confident and outgoing while I’ve been in the Green Zone, and I’m grateful for that,” she says. “I had

the confidence to perform ukulele at an open mic and meet strangers while playing volleyball. I also explored dance, football, basketball and chess.” For others, particularly seniors, it was a chance to see friends one last time before graduating. “Although I could have been with family, I wanted to cherish the time I spent with my friends and classmates in Jordan,” Shang says. “I am well aware of the possibility that some of us might not see each other for years after graduating.” While graduation is right around the corner for Shang, Zhao, and the other seniors, the underclassmen look forward to more years of growth and discovery. They can all agree, however, that what started as a leap of faith to an unknown country has developed into a second home. For them, King’s has become a place that not only celebrated their culture, but also allowed them to explore who they are and who they want to be.

Ruofei Shang ’21 explores the graffiti and street art of Amman

T H E FALL G REEN ZONE Once the Green Zone was announced for the fall 2020 semester, students had to choose between staying at home and learning online or joining the campus "bubble." Most of the Chinese students decided on the latter, a decision they say was well worth it. For Yu, it was mainly the opportunity for in-person learning that made her join the Green Zone. “You feel freer in in-person classes, because you can naturally ask questions and talk in class,” she says. “Being online, you always have internet issues or you can’t hear the students, so you feel alone.”

Yudian Zhao ’24 prepares dumplings in celebration of the Lunar New Year

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Advancing the Mission, in Spite of a Pandemic BY VERA AZAR

hen Jordan went into a national lockdown in March 2020 and schools moved online, at King’s Academy we asked ourselves a question: When the world is pressured by a pandemic, how does an institution not compromise its mission, but advance it? This question has served as our compass and has inflected everything we have done over the past year.

That spring, we transformed our teaching and learning online, drawing from best practices already ingrained in our faculty. More teachers at King’s Academy teach for Global Online Academy (GOA) than almost any other school in the world. Our teachers distilled their knowledge into a guide to transitioning from onsite to online learning, which we used to shape our teaching as a school. In addition, we shared our practices with the teaching community around the world, leading

King’s staff line up for regular PCR testing on campus

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to the King’s Academy Guide for Teachers for a Smooth Transition from Onsite to Online Teaching being featured as a resource on the website of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). When, in keeping with Jordanian government recommendations, King’s opened the 2020-2021 academic year with social distancing measures, the reopening plan centered on two core objectives: protecting the health and safety of students and employees, and

providing the strongest possible learning experiences. Soon, however, the epidemiological situation in Jordan began to worsen and the government mandated that schools revert to online teaching. Since our Middle School only has a day program, it had to go online. But we saw a unique opportunity in our Upper School, an opportunity to do something no other school in Jordan — and few in the world — had done. To overcome the instability of pivoting between in-person and online learning, we decided to establish a campus Green Zone that created a safe environment by reducing travel to and from campus to a bare minimum, thereby significantly reducing risk of contact with the virus. King’s Academy was the only school in Jordan allowed to conduct in-person classes during the fall wave. In the Green Zone, students were able to enjoy an almost normal school experience that included Fall Festival fun

Excerpt from Board of Trustees Thank You Letter “The bubble was a real success last fall and during the first months of 2021 thanks to the community’s great sacrifices and commitment. Many teachers and staff members had to leave their own families for long periods to make this work. This has often taken an enormous toll on your time and pushed most of you to new limits — but you all rose to the challenge as true professionals. This Board cannot be more proud or more appreciative of each one of our stellar faculty, staff and leadership.”

Our fall Green Zone maintained the integrity of the boarding experience and provided our Upper School students with something exceedingly rare at this global moment: normalcy. While much of the world moved online, King’s Upper School students sustained the hands-on, collaborative,

project-based and seminar-style learning that characterizes highestquality education. At King’s we believe in the importance not only of academics, but also of character, teamwork and leadership development, and of building bridges across difference. In our Green Zone, athletic activities continued on our fields and gym. In dormitories, students from all backgrounds and geographies met and built stronger relationships than ever before. The success of our Fall Green Zone led the majority of our families — both weekday boarding and day — to sign up yet again for the Spring Green Zone. Unfortunately, the arrival and prevalence of the new and highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant of the COVID-19 virus in Jordan put a wrench in our plans. After a fairly seamless spring semester opening, cases began to appear on campus, and despite our best efforts, we determined in early March of this year that our wisest course was to stop in-person learning and to revert to remote learning. Nevertheless, the Green Zone experiment remains a reminder of what

can be, when enough dedicated people put their heads and hearts together and work tirelessly against all odds. And it is proof, once again, of King’s Academy’s unwavering efforts to live up to its mission.

Excerpt from a Message by a Grateful Parent “We thank you for creating so much joy and peace of mind by protecting our children from this virus last term. We thank you for going above and beyond to provide housing and food for all your staff who chose to join your initiative on campus to ensure a successful in-person learning experience is in place. To King’s Academy, I send my love and appreciation for all those who are working towards the success of this great institution.”

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Beyond King’s spoke to faculty, staff and students to learn more about their experiences living and working in the Green Zone THE STAFF EXPERIENCE Director of Operations Ola Bseiso There were two parts to preparing for the Green Zone, according to Director of Operations Ola Bseiso: getting employees mentally and emotionally ready to leave their families for a few months, and the logistics of setting up the Green Zone. After understanding the reasons for and importance of the zone, King’s staff needed little convincing; however, the logistical side was more work, says Bseiso. The aim of the GZ was to transition, over four or so weeks, through phases of preventive measures to stop potential spread of the virus, before eventually being free of restrictions: individual quarantine in hotels, dorm cohorts, masking and distancing, limited or no masking or distancing. Each phase came with its own logistical needs. Alongside students and faculty, staff also needed to move into the GZ. While there was room for around 50 staff to reside on campus, a further 80 moved into nearby rented villas — an extension of the campus “bubble” — and were bused to and fro each day. On campus, staff members were assigned to specific dorms and buildings, while housekeeping, maintenance, disinfection and other tasks had to be scheduled at precise times. “We got fogger machines to disinfect the classrooms. Every evening, staff would do walk-throughs, wiping down door and window handles, faucets etc. to make sure everything was disinfected.” Mealtimes were the most challenging aspect, however, says Bseiso, as 1000 meals had to be cooked, packaged and delivered within a short window of time to each of the 15 cohorts — all with different dietary 8

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At every mealtime, Dining Hall staff prepared 1000 individually packaged meals

requirements — in their dorms around campus. “Time was of the essence because they have school. We even created a hotline for people to call in case someone was missing a meal, and we had a backup golf cart ready with extra meals and supplies ready to zip over to them.” The dining hall needed to ensure that meals continued to follow their usual menus and offer a variety of options, despite being packaged individually for so many people. “You can’t just hand out sandwiches every day and say deal with it. We had to provide a healthy, sustainable meal.” However, the packaged meals presented another problem: trash.

With King’s being committed to environmental sustainability and over the years continuously finding ways to reduce waste, the operations department was determined to find a solution. “We provided a lot more recycling bins to sort and separate all the packaging from the meals,” says Bseiso. “I have to say that I am really proud of how the staff have stepped up. COVID-19 helped the operations department become more organized, communicate better with each other, take more responsibility and ownership of their work. These new systems and procedures are going to carry over to post-pandemic times.”

THE FACULTY EXPERIENCE Faculty Member Dana Al-Khundakji “At first I was reluctant to leave Amman,” says chemistry teacher Dana Al-Khundakji when asked to join the Green Zone. “But I’m a science teacher and I lead sustainability activities at school, so it’s very important for me to be with the kids — everything is handson and it’s more fun to be around them; they give me my energy. I had the opportunity to do all the activities I wanted to do with my students. Just being able to come to class and have the kids greet you, it makes a huge difference just interacting and joking with them.” “The part, professionally, that was hard, was when you have kids both at home and in class,” says Al-Khundakji of the hybrid teaching system. “It’s so hard to go back and forth and follow up online when you are moving around in your teaching space. That was the challenge.” Dean of the Faculty Lilli Audeh “In the fall semester Green Zone, faculty got a chance to teach in person and unmasked,” says Dean of the Faculty Lilli Audeh. “There was a sense of normalcy. The benefit of being on campus is you get to connect with your students and colleagues more. When you are able to see each other in person, in the dorms, walking outside, sitting in the dining hall. Those casual conversations are really nice — you can’t do that while off campus. You feel isolated and our off-campus community members do feel isolated.” That is why, explains Audeh, the school set up an off-campus faculty meeting place at a hotel in Amman for faculty, staff and even off-campus students to go. “Faculty can teach classes there, send packages back and forth between the school, or just have a change of scenery.”

With some adjustments, like a lot of outdoor dining, Green Zone students could still enjoy in-person time with friends

he could not leave on the weekends to be with his family. “I still found that the Green Zone was the best option,” he says. “It was a place to escape COVID-19 and live a normal life as much as possible, socially as well as educationally. We actually forgot about COVID-19 at some point. We forgot about the uncertainty, about wearing masks, disinfecting everything. When I left the GZ, the transition back to that was crazy.” “We were lucky to have such an opportunity when almost no one in the world was going to school in person,” says Al-Derzi. “As it’s my senior year, I wanted to spend every minute with friends and faculty on campus creating memories, knowing there won’t be more of that next year,” says Al-Derzi. “The challenge was being away from family and missing them, but King’s really did

help make it feel like home. Everyone got so much closer — bonds between students, faculty and staff became so much stronger. You basically live together for three months, so we were literally one big family. Even some students who were boarding for the first time got used to it and enjoyed it very much — and it was good practice for us seniors before going to college.” Many activities would not have taken place if there had not been a Green Zone, according to Al-Derzi. Students organized a fundraiser to furnish a senior lounge in the Student Union. They enjoyed a senior class pajama day, and had the opportunity to try on their graduation caps and gowns. One day, they threw a large zaffeh (Arabic folk dance) party. Another night, they held a senior dinner, coordinating many of the details and logistics themselves.

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Fanar Al-Derzi ’21, Student Leadership Council member For longtime weekday boarder Fanar Al-Derzi ’21, the only difference opting-in to the Green Zone was that

The Green Zone enabled theater students to perform together on stage

Learning in a Post-Pandemic World The pandemic has changed how schools operate — for now. What should we keep? BY PETER NILSSON

A visualization of social networks of characters in each of the books of the Old Testament, from the Digital Humanities course

istory’s record of watershed moments in human experience — when the lives of millions of people change significantly — may contain no moment so dramatic as the one we are living through right now. Seven and a half billion people in the world had plans, and in March 2020, nearly all of them changed. Unlike previous

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pandemics, global conflicts or technological innovations, no other experience affected the daily lives of so many people so suddenly. “Overnight,” says David Attenborough in a recently released documentary The Year Earth Changed, which chronicled the past year’s impact on the natural world, “our lives [were] put on pause.” Everywhere. While the pandemic brought great losses, it has also brought new life

and propelled innovation. The natural world flourished over the course of the past year — pollution plummeted and birth rates of endangered species climbed. Families grew closer together, and in broader social, economic and educational contexts around the world, our adoption of new and virtual technologies catapulted us into the future. In schools, this was particularly profound.

Nothing in the history of modern education has changed teaching and learning as suddenly and completely as this pandemic. When the 1918 influenza pandemic happened, many educational institutions in the world shut down, and there was little to replace them. In the present, however, technological, pedagogical and social changes proliferated. Facilitated by the unprecedented digital network infrastructure of our modern world, schools rapidly evolved to serve the moment. Now, as hope dawns for an end to the pandemic, what have we learned? What innovations from the past year should we keep? How can this moment lay the groundwork for our next stage of growth? The pandemic isn’t over, but as vaccines and other mitigation strategies return us to a more familiar, social setting, the ways we have changed can propel us toward an even better future. King’s Academy has always been built on powerful, authentic, character-driven and relational learning experiences. How our community-based learning looks has necessarily changed this year, but we can learn from this moment. Here are four lessons and principles from the pandemic that have affirmed and will continue to shape how King’s Academy progresses into the future.

Technology drives new forms of learning King’s Academy has been at the forefront of technological change in education since our school’s inception. As a founding member of Global Online Academy (GOA), King’s Academy first offered online courses as part of our program over a decade ago. Beyond GOA, technology in both STEM and humanities courses has been ubiquitous for some time now, including collaborative online tools that are part of the vocabulary of every teacher. More recently, our program has included courses and workshops in digital art and music, and this year our curriculum included a one-of-a-kind digital humanities course in which students used mathematical software to explore new ways of analyzing literature and history. The global lurch forward around us enabled even newer opportunities. As experts came online around the world, we brought them into our classrooms, school meetings and our two COVID symposia. When the pandemic recedes, a world trained in Zoom will be ready to share and collaborate anew. We can expect online campus visits from luminaries to continue, and we can also expect e-access to many more artists, experts and inspiring individuals.

At its heart, technology offers us the power of computation and the power of connectivity. Its computational power is what enables digital art, science, math and humanities work to flourish. It puts new tools in our hands to understand the world around us. These tools excite the mind to new opportunities and offer fresh insights into how we can progress as a global citizenry. However, while technology’s power to compute opens us to new subject matter, it may be technology’s power to connect that drives the most profound change. Our connectivity is what ultimately expands our capacity to build bridges across difference, to help students see the world through other people’s eyes, and to meet individuals who inspire them to grow and learn, whether these individuals are experts in their fields or peers at another school. The power of technology meaningfully advances student learning. But we must also be cautious. Novel inventions can be intoxicating, and one often hears the excited question, “How can we use technology in the classroom?” But this is the wrong question. Deeper and more compelling learning is served when we ask the question: “What are our learning objectives, and how can technology advance our objectives?” We must see

When students are known by their peers and by teachers, they build relationships that form a foundation for learning and life

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technology as the means to achieve an end, not the end in itself. A healthy skepticism avoids the all too frequent, blind adoption of trendy trinkets, and instead focuses our attention and energies on what leads to powerful learning. In this golden age of innovation, the world’s migration online has connected us with more diverse and distant relationships in ways that will only enrich the individual and community relationships that live at the heart of our own, local experience.

Driving the learning experience has also been a growing transition to a standards-driven, mastery-based approach to learning and teaching. As a member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, King’s Academy has been a pioneer in shaping feedback and assessment around student mastery. For five years, the Middle School has offered narrative feedback to students, focusing student learning not on grades, but on the skills, habits and mindsets needed for success. This has

to learning have further thrived. In particular, this past winter both the Middle and Upper Schools piloted a school-wide, two-week January term that built off successes from the Middle School model. For the last half of January, students from all grades enrolled in two-week electives based on diverse areas of interest. Courses were mostly asynchronous and remote — opportunities enabled by the pandemic — and students progressed in many of the classes through a series

J-Term courses: The pandemic has further demonstrated how powerful learning can be driven by passion and mastery based performance

Self-directed learning and teaching mastery have their breakout moment Technology and the pandemic have also amplified two other elements of King’s academic experience: student-driven learning and mastery learning. Our flexible curriculum opens extraordinary choice for students, who may enroll in subjects as diverse as neuroscience, art history and entrepreneurship, in addition to core disciplines like history, math, English, Arabic and science. Providing students with voice and choice in their academic trajectory enables them to discover and pursue passions, and to be driven by intrinsic motivation, which is a key driver of success in education and life. 12 BEYOND KING’S

played out in an extraordinary overrepresentation of our Middle School students in leadership positions during their high school years.

While technology’s power to compute opens us to new subject matter, it may be technology’s power to connect that drives the most profound change.

Now, during the pandemic, student choice and mastery approaches

of self-directed performance tasks. Overwhelmingly, students reported deep interest in the electives that they pursued. Research has shown time and again that autonomy and mastery stimulate intrinsic motivation in students. Now, the pandemic has driven progress toward providing greater degrees of choice-driven and mastery-focused learning. While there is a place for required curriculum, grades and standardized tests, they should not be understood as the ultimate aim of education. The pandemic has further demonstrated how powerful learning can be driven by passion and masterybased performance. In the future, these will grow as a deeper part of the student learning experience.

Relationships remain at the center There is something more essential, still, than the pedagogy of our learning. Almost exactly one year ago, as the pandemic was just settling in, our partner GOA posted results from their internal research declaring that “relationships are the foundation of online learning design.” They had found the greatest success as an organization when students felt known by and connected with their peers and their teachers. It was strong relationships that fostered the kind of engagement that leads to meaningful learning. This is the heart of the boarding school model. When students are known by their peers and by teachers in the classroom, on the playing field and in the dormitories, they build relationships that form a foundation for learning and life. The pandemic challenged this model. In the Upper School, the Green Zone ensured that close social ties between students and adults could be sustained. The Middle School, however, which was required to be online by nationwide decree, innovated to sustain the relationships characteristic of a King’s Academy education. The Middle School team created new and different forms of social engagement: tea and chats around subjects like music and art, shared movie screenings, non-academic workshops outside of class, and more. Despite being online all year, learning in the Middle School is slated to be on track with a standard year of academic progress, and the development of meaningful relationships outside of class undoubtedly played no small role in this success. Care and support from teachers pervades school life at King’s. Sit-down meals offer more contact opportunities, small advisory groups ensure that every student has a teacher who knows them, evening check-ins and study hall hours build relationships in the off-hours of the day, especially when residential faculty open their homes to students for late night snacks and gatherings. The friendships and relationships that form in the classroom, on the fields

and around campus are essential not only to the best learning experiences, but also to a strong social foundation for life.

Connecting past and future requires collaboration The pandemic has propelled innovation, but our greatest innovations both cast us into the future and ground us in the values of the past. Our greatest triumphs of imagination both excite us to new possibilities and remind us of ancient understandings. Modern modes of transportation have carried us around the world, and through them we learn to further cherish the closeness of family. Social media has connected us to billions of people, and through it we have also come to recognize the importance of empathy and respect, decency and dignity. The pandemic has propelled us into the possibilities of online learning, and it

has also reminded us of the foundational importance of physical presence and relationships. In the months and years to come, I look forward to strengthening these relationships, not only with students, but also with the broader King’s Academy community of alumni, parents and friends of the school. As early as this summer, the community can expect to hear from us about strategic planning efforts that will shape the next stage of King’s Academy’s growth and development. Leadership for a changing world — in arts, sciences, government, business and more — requires ongoing attention to our constantly evolving setting, and this requires partnership. Together, we can continue to ensure that our students learn deeply and grow into leaders capable of handling — and even shaping — whatever the future may hold.

Merry music-making in the office of the Head of School

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InshallahWallahYallah

Farewell, Mr. John A Former Student Reflects on John Leistler’s 14 Years at King’s BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

he first time Director of Human Resources and General Administration Mona Sami sat in a class of John Leistler’s, she did so from the floor. The AP Art History class was full that day with parents and advisors who were welcomed to sit in on classes with their children and advisees. It seemed every student had brought someone with them that day, adults crowding side by side across the floor and pressed along the walls. From 14

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her vantage point in the corner, Sami was enraptured. “I got up out of that class with tears in my eyes,” she told me. “The teaching and the interaction I saw in that class made me think if that had been a high school class for everybody, nobody would have not loved their high school education.” I was a student in that very same class. The first day of the course, we already had a homework assignment: look through the textbook and select one artwork which you are excited to

learn about, and one artwork which you are not. In class, Mr. John posed a challenge to us: while he could not promise that we would come to love or even like the artwork that we were not excited to study, he was certain that by the end of the year, we would come to respect the work and its place within the canon of art history. This is the Mr. John that any former student will recognize: the educator who not only inspires open-minded curiosity in his students, but also

curiosity rooted in compassion for the subjects of study and the process of learning. Faculty Assistant Hamzeh AlQudah ’10 recalled his lesson in selfcompassion: “I remember talking to Mr. John about a test on which I didn’t do so well despite the fact that I did my best. He then said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If doing your best isn’t enough, that’s how you know you have more to learn.’ This shifted my focus from being frustrated to being curious about what I need to learn next.” Mr. John joined King’s Academy in 2007, its first year. Invited by founding Headmaster Dr. Eric Widmer to serve as the first head of the Department of History and Social Studies, Mr. John moved to what was at the time a very different school: no grass, no trees and of course, no students. The skeletal campus held the promise — and the challenge — of creating a community from scratch. While all inaugural employees faced this trial, Mr. John was tasked with the unique issue of creating a history program in an academic culture that prizes sciences over humanities. “People told John, ‘You’re going to have a very rough job selling history in the Middle East, because people want to become engineers and doctors and they want math and science,’” Dean of the Faculty Lilli Audeh explained. “He managed to change that. He changed the culture of what history is at King’s. Students went on to study liberal arts because of John. He managed to change the mindset of people.”

Over his tenure at King’s, Mr. John has worn many hats — accessorizing his scores of neckties, which he matches to the day’s subject matter in his classes. In 2011, he was appointed dean of curriculum and instruction. The following year, he was designated as dean of the faculty. Last year, he took on the role of assistant head of school for teaching and learning. Throughout these appointments, Mr. John has continued to make space for teaching: from bringing the two -year AP Capstone course to King’s, to embracing the discussion-oriented Harkness Method, to filling in AP Literature courses — not his area of training — when a midyear emergency called the original teacher away from school. “He came into every situation with passion and excitement and positivity that was infectious,” said Dina Kuttab ’17, an alumna of the AP Capstone Seminar and Research course and a former advisee of Mr. John. “This was especially true when it came to his classes because he truly loves the process of teaching and learning in general and the topics that he teaches about in specific.”

Mr. John instilled within us, both students and King’s Academy as a whole, the courage to seek better learning and growth. - Hamzeh Al Qudah '10, former student and advisee of Mr. John and current faculty assistant at King's Academy

Mr. John’s inspiration is not limited to the classroom. For him, every moment can be a teachable one. Among Sami’s treasured memories of Mr. John is the career fairs they attended. “There would be times that we’d interview candidates and it’s very obvious that they’re not going to be a good fit at King’s. Then what’s on his schedule the next day? An appointment with exactly that candidate! John would say, ‘Well you know, they’re young and everyone deserves to know what they can do better in an interview next time.’”

Mr. John has shaped who I am as a human being and scholar. He taught me what it means to be curious about the way the world was, is, and could be. He also showed me the importance of human connection in school and work, and what it means to put our love and support for other people above our day-today work. - Dina Kuttab ’17

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For the candidates that ended up joining King’s, they found a source of professional development, support and mentorship in Mr. John. “Outside of working with students in the classroom, I would say that John’s biggest impact on the school has been the ongoing professional development of the faculty,” said Lilli. She told me that his selflessness with his time — developing and refining the faculty appraisal process, leading art museum tours for colleagues and alumni while on career fair trips, designing and leading a training curriculum for teaching fellows — is a reflection of his genuine passion and love for education. “You have to understand that John doesn’t put on a show — he really, really enjoys what he does,” she said.

Mr. John was the one who saw potential in me to become a teacher and he was the one who recruited me. I would not be where I am today as an educator without Mr. John's guidance and support in my life. Simply put, Mr. John is the teacher I hope every student gets to have at least once in their lifetime. - Ghassan Gammoh ’10, former student and advisee of Mr. John and King’s Academy faculty member from 2014– 2020.

One of Mr. John’s greatest strengths as an educator is his encouragement to revisit: to return to a subject, issue or question at a later point with a new perspective born by intervening learning and reflection. On the final day of my AP Art History course, Mr. John distributed our homework assignments from the first day. He asked us to revisit the artworks we had selected: had our perspective changed? Could we now place the artwork within the canon of history and recognize its significance? In what ways has our thinking about 16

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art, beauty and expression changed over the last eight months? One of the artworks central to the course is the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” (c. 1818). We see a man standing on a craggy precipice, overlooking a cloudy vista punctuated by mountain peaks. With his back facing the viewer, he invites the viewers to step into his shoes and take his place: to feel the breathless exhilaration of summiting, of conquering limitations physical, mental, and spiritual to reach new heights. And yet, even from our view at the top, we can see taller mountains in the distance — reminding us that always there is another peak, another apex to reach and beckoning us to once again set forth. Mr. John, as you reflect on your time at King’s, we hope you can look back upon all the summits you have reached,

Mr. John is a fundamental part of King's. That said, I know that wherever he goes, a big part of him will still be a Lion at heart — he has said so himself so many times. - Dario Pomar ’19, former student

and those you have helped students, colleagues and friends to reach as well. As you look out on this next adventure as the Wallace Wilson Visiting Scholar Fellow at Deerfield Academy, may your “Return from Bohemia” be one of upward momentum, joy and open to revisitation.

Until We Meet Again! After more than a decade at King’s Academy, longtime faculty depart — but will always be part of the King’s family BY MUNA AL-ALUL

FARAH ABU-JAZAR After 11 years at King’s Academy, Farah Abu-Jazar is embarking on a new adventure in the United States with her husband, Imad Zahr, and their children, Kareem and Maria. With her departure, Abu-Jazar leaves big shoes to fill at King’s. She has essentially been the “face and voice” of the school through her work as the administrative manager of the Office of Student Life (OSL). According to her colleagues, she has always been at the center of everything going on at school. “She is the one who is very much alert to the day-to-day temperature of the school,” says faculty member Ryuji Yamaguchi. “She is constantly aware of each person’s personal needs and the context, and is able to manage a lot of details at once. The institutional memory she holds is tremendous.” Yamaguchi describes her as a “connector.” As someone responsible for most interactions with parents and students on a day-to-day basis, AbuJazar enables everyone to be heard, and helps to build relationships and mediate between students and faculty, parents and faculty, or faculty and staff. “She managed the office, and in a lot of ways, me,” says former Deputy Head of School and Dean of Students Julianne Puente, who asked to join the OSL within a year of her joining King’s. Starting out as an administrative assistant, she soon took on the role of student life coordinator before becoming Puente’s executive

assistant and the OSL administrative manager. “She is incredibly organized, always works ahead of time, and can handle stressful situations,” says Puente. Managing the OSL was only one of Abu-Jazar’s duties. She was also the founding head of Janah House and was instrumental in building a strong culture in the new dorm, and adding her own personal touches, such as planting lemon trees all around it. Residing on campus, Abu-Jazar has consistently been a strong and supportive presence to both students and faculty alike — and as an Arab woman, born in Jordan and growing up in Saudi Arabia, she was able to infuse the residential life at

King’s with her understanding and love for her native culture and language. As co-head of the Petra Weekend team for four years, she ensured that students enjoyed every moment of their time at King’s, organizing activities, games, trips, meals and occasions, making sure every logistical detail was perfect, but above all else, ensuring it was done with a spirit of love and care for students. “She gives a lot of tough love to students, and is always the first to know when senior pranks are about to happen — she senses it,” laughs Yamaguchi, “but she is somebody who holds the structure together, she really is the face of the school.” SPRING 2021

IMAD ZAHR When Imad Zahr moved to Jordan and joined King’s Academy as a mathematics teacher in 2010, he wanted to reconnect with his roots. Growing up and working in the United States as a Palestinian-Jordanian, he took great pride in his native culture. Zahr, who has served as director of admissions and financial aid over the past four years, leaves King’s this summer to take on a new challenge as director of enrollment management and financial aid at Detroit Country Day School in Michigan. However, it is safe to say that in his 11 years at King’s, not only did he find the connections he was looking for, but he also helped nurture and grow the unique and diverse culture King’s is known for. Not long after he joined King’s, former Deputy Head of School and Dean of Students Julianne Puente recognized in Zahr qualities that would make him a perfect class dean. “You could tell he could talk to kids, he was patient that way, and he had a good analytical mind too,” says Puente. Zahr went on to be a class dean for 10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade for seven years. He also took on the position of director of Arabic Year in 2014, where his own multicultural background helped him develop the program based on an innate understanding of what motivates students to move to Jordan and study Arabic for a year, as well as what they are looking for in the experience. However, when the director of admissions position opened up in 2017, Puente encouraged Zahr to apply. “I thought he was a very good choice,” says Puente. “He brought an academic approach to that position, and understood the residential side. Having lived the school’s mission in a very profound way himself, he was able to communicate that well to families.” Senior Associate Dean of Admissions Reem Masri agrees that Zahr’s own experience has contributed a great deal to the Office of Admissions. “He took on the position at a very challenging time, but leaves with many successes,” she says. “His background 18 18

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and experience helped him understand many different perspectives, connect with families, and increase enrollment.” Since Zahr took on the position, the diversity and number of different nationalities represented at King’s have increased, explains Masri. Additionally, the school now has an almost equal ratio of female and male students, which had traditionally been a

challenge as a boarding school in the Middle East. Not to mention, says Masri, Zahr has been an incredible boss. “Imad created a fun and positive culture at the office,” says Masri. “He doesn’t give orders, but a lot of guidance. He always has a smile. He’s created harmony at the office, and made us love working with each other and him.”

NADA DAKHIL “Always put the kids first.” This is what Director of Wellness and Advising Nada Dakhil often reminds her team of school counselors when talking about the purpose at the core of the work they do. In 2010, Dakhil joined King’s as its sole school counselor. A decade later, she is the brilliant mind, caring heart and creative soul behind the development of a holistic school culture that puts the mental health and well-being of its students at the forefront of everything they do. “Nada is a huge proponent of the importance of proactive mental health awareness and measures, not just during times of crisis, but during everyday life as well,” says former Deputy Head of School and Dean of Students Julianne Puente. As a result, mental health and well-being has become part of the school’s lexicon. Over the years, Dakhil poured her heart into spearheading, with the help of her equally passionate team, many community-wide initiatives with a focus on prevention, well-being and connection that soon became part of the school’s fabric and traditions. Those include the sit-down lunch “conversation cards”, “Keef il 7al”, the Power of a Gesture, the Creative Outlets co-curricular, the J-Term class on emotional regulation, freshman seminars, sophomore life skills classes and senior lunches.

“Whether counseling students, teaching the freshman seminar, or consulting with colleagues, Nada always has a magical way of listening, validating, then reframing any challenge into a meaningful moment and a learning opportunity,” says Dean of the Middle School Zina Nasser. “Nada is an inspirational leader,” says School Counselor Mays Ghaith. “She lives an open heart and mind. She taught me the link between vulnerability and courage, and under her leadership, we found creative ways to care for the community.” She was the driving force behind the school-wide substance abuse prevention campaign, now in its fifth consecutive year, which raises awareness and provides prevention strategies to students, parents, faculty and staff. Most recently, with the pandemic taking an emotional toll on the community, Dakhil led her team in

developing the King’s Academy Resiliency Efforts KARE program (see page 62). “Nada always associates mental health with growing and flourishing, rather than seeing it as a weakness or shameful in the way that our culture stigmatizes it,” says School Counselor Sarah Nino. Giving back has also always been tremendously important to Dakhil, who, seeking to instill in students the importance of showing empathy and kindness to everyone, led community service initiatives such as renovating schools and building playgrounds for less privileged children. “Nada’s influence will continue to shape the wellness programs at King’s even after she departs,” says Nasser. “Her calm nature, positivity, creativity and relentless social activism for gratitude and well-being will be sorely missed!” SPRING 2021

It’s Not Rocket Science Rami Hamati ’15, SpaceX Engineer BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

fter submitting over four or five hundred job applications, Rami Hamati ’15 was getting nervous. His graduation from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) was rapidly approaching, and most of his peers had already lined up jobs, securing a sense of stability as the recently-declared COVID-19 pandemic spread alarm across the world. One night when getting ready to sleep, Hamati came across a job opening at SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer led by the prominent founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk. Hamati sent in an application from bed, with no expectations.

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To his surprise, he was notified that he was selected to interview. After a technical interview then a virtual presentation for the team, Hamati was told he would hear back in 48 hours. But it was only 48 minutes later that he was notified that his application would be moving forward. Hamati has always been fascinated by flight. As a child, he would build small rockets on his rooftop in Amman. While a student at King’s, he graduated to assembling RC (remote/radiocontrolled) planes that he would equip with cameras to take aerial shots of campus. “That was the closest thing I had to experiencing flight,” Hamati says of the RC planes. “It was a really humbling experience. We’re very grounded on

Earth, and sometimes it takes a small RC plane to get you up above to see the whole picture.” If the RC planes were a lesson in humility, then Hamati's current work must be a memento mori. At SpaceX, he works on mechanical ground support for rocket launches — essentially, designing and developing all systems that support the rocket prior to its launch. This spring, his team has been testing Starship, a fully-reusable rocket designed for transporting space crews, cargo and extraterrestrial tourists. “We’ve had several anomalies,” says Hamati of the Starship tests. “But this is a research and development program, so you expect that things would fail. It’s all about what you learn from the failures. This is something any

student at King’s should know: failure isn’t always the worst thing. You learn a lot from failures. Like the saying, ‘Fail a lot and fail often,’ because you get to learn more.” While Hamati appreciates the edifying nature of failure, he doesn’t allow himself to quit before reaching his goals. Following his graduation from King’s, he enrolled in a joint program in engineering between Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Columbia University in New York. During his first semester at Wesleyan, Hamati approached a professor at the fluid dynamics lab, requesting to join him in research while balancing a full academic load. Continuing his research at the lab throughout his three years at Wesleyan, Hamati published an article as second author by the time he transitioned to SEAS — a rare feat for an undergraduate. At Columbia, he shifted from a more academic focus to practical application, joining the Columbia Space Initiative and participating in rocket building competitions. Throughout his time at King’s Academy, college and in his job search, Hamati has never hesitated to ask others for help. His LinkedIn outbox is filled with requests to individuals working in aerospace for informational interviews and advice for breaking into the field. “If you have a dream or an idea that you want to pursue, you have to be patient, you have to be determined. Just keep pushing at it and one way or another the universe will reward you,” he says.

In his last year at King’s, Hamati took one of his biggest leaps of faith: wanting to experience flight from the air, not just by remote control, he sent His Majesty King Abdullah II a letter requesting permission to join his crew on a helicopter ride. As with his SpaceX application, Hamati didn’t expect a response, but shortly received a call inviting him on board.

We’re very grounded on Earth, and sometimes it takes a small RC plane to get you up above to see the whole picture.

“From then, I learned that no matter what you need to just keep asking, and at some point you will reach where you want. I can say that I did — I’m living the dream right now.”

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No R

isk eturn

King’s Academy students compete in a global investment simulation competition

BY MUNA AL-ALUL

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uring the fall semester, a team of seven King’s Academy students competed in The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, an online investment simulation for upper school students and teachers that offers the opportunity to “explore the exciting world of stocks and strategies.” Over the course of around 10 weeks, Yanlin Li ’22, Yuru Wu ’22, Ziad El Hout ’23, Natheir AbuDahab ’21, Rakan Mouasher ’22, Yinzhe Liu ’24 and Jafar Fakhouri ’23, guided by King’s faculty member and alumnus Mohammad Sarhan ’12, worked together on trading stocks using different strategies to maximize returns and minimize risks. “This competition was a chance to practice my skills and knowledge,” says Yuru Wu ’22, who had learned a little about how to analyze the stock market from his father growing up and taken an introductory course on investment through the Global Online Academy (GOA), but had no practical experience with trading. The team started by examining a brief client profile and were tasked with meeting that client’s short- and long-term investment goals to try and win the client’s business. The team was equipped with an approved stock list (a selection of domestic and international equities) and the Wharton Investment Simulator, which allowed them to buy and sell stocks. Over the course of the competition, students developed an investment strategy, analyzed industries and companies, and built a portfolio using $100,000 in virtual cash. “My favorite part of the competition was researching the companies that we were looking into and brainstorming with team members about different decisions we were going to take,” says Natheir AbuDahab ’21, who had some previous experience investing money he earned from tutoring into the stock market, where he turned a large profit. Through the investment simulation, students learned about risk, diversification, company analysis, industry analysis and investing, as well as about teamwork, communication and the importance of working collaboratively.

“I really liked the experience,” says AbuDahab. “I learned more about how investments work on the real stock market and I made some friends along the way.” “The best part of the competition was the opportunity to meet people who share the same interest,” agrees Wu. “I never knew so many students were interested in the stock market. Some know more than I do, so I learned from them, while some knew less and the team helped them catch up on the knowledge.” According to Sarhan, the competition gave the students a reallife experience with equity markets. The team’s strategies included quantitative ones, such as calculating financial ratios that indicate the value of a certain stock, and qualitative ones. “They were analyzing the impact of COVID-19, the US presidential elections, and earning seasons among other global events, to derive evidencebased decisions,” explains Sarhan. “Although the money they used was virtual, their strategy was real. Not only were they looking at complex financial

ratios, but also thinking of factors that are not easily quantifiable such as market sentiments, fear and greed.” “We learned that, first, things usually don’t go as planned,” says Wu. “Our team needed to adapt swiftly to the changes and respond.” Despite a busy semester that prevented the students from spending as much time trading as they would have liked, Sarhan believes they did a great job. “Overall, their strategy did pay off as they made significant earnings within a very short period of time.” “What I found most impressive,” says Sarhan, “was their ability to synthesize complex information across different channels and use that information to guide their investment decisions in a professional manner.” “This has been an exciting and highly engaging activity and I hope that schools continue to offer opportunities to develop critical financial skills,” concludes Sarhan. “I hope that our students take this experience with them and start thinking of its applications not only in the investment world, but also in other avenues.” SPRING 2021

King’s Theater Program Blossoms in the Woods BY MUNA AL-ALUL

he fall semester was undoubtedly a challenging one for everyone as classes began in-person but physically-distanced before moving online, then gradually returning to inperson after a period of quarantine and the establishment of a safe campus Green Zone. Despite all of these transitions, King’s Academy theater students succeeding in presenting a series of performances during the last week of in-person classes before the winter break, all the more impressive for the challenges they overcame. 24

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“We auditioned and met with our cast masked and distanced, so much so that several cast members interacted with us through their computer screens from their various quarantined abodes around the globe,” says faculty member Alison Trattner, who directed the fall musical Into the Woods Jr.

After over a month of rehearsals, and missing the presence of many key technical people who could not join them in the Green Zone, the cast and crew set to work creating their own sets and costumes before the fall musical Into the Woods Jr. opened on November 24 for four nights in the Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium. “As a cast and crew, we pooled our skills and became a village: ingenious, thrifty, undaunted and thoroughly bonded,” says Trattner, who explains that the musical took on a far deeper meaning during this challenging year. “We knew that somehow, no matter what it took, we would tell you this story about sheer determination, selfdiscovery and catharsis that occur under challenging circumstances.”

This semester, theater students “took nothing less than an epic journey,” says Trattner. From not knowing whether they would ever see the inside of the auditorium, to two weeks of inspiring theatrical performances, King’s students proved that no matter what the obstacle, the “show will go on!” Into the Woods Jr. features famous storybook characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk) and Rapunzel and the Witch in a lyrically rich retelling of classic Brothers Grimm fables. The musical centers on a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse, and wind up changed forever. (Music Theatre International) SPRING 2021

Taleed King’s Alumni Launch Magazine for Arab Youth BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

s COVID-19 quarantines and lockdowns turned more and more people to their screens to find social fulfillment, two King’s alumni had an idea to launch an online magazine that would serve as a platform to connect Arab youth to their heritage. Co-founded by Raghda Obeidat ’20 and Zaid Zoubi ’20, Taleed is “by and for Arab youth.” Articles are published under three categories: opinions, culture and creatives, and each article is presented in both English and Arabic. Obeidat, a law student at the University of Jordan, and Zoubi, who has not yet declared his major at Pomona College in California, spoke with Beyond King’s about Taleed’s origins, its purpose and where they plan to take the magazine next.

How did the idea for Taleed come about?

Raghda Obeidat '20 (second from left) and Zaid Zoubi '20 (far right) pose in a photoshoot for the launch of Taleed

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Obeidat: It was in March of last year. Zaid randomly texted me around midnight, and he said, “Raghda I have this idea for a magazine. If I do it would you want to do it with me?” I said yes, but I didn’t think he was actually being serious! Zoubi: It’s related to Al-Majnoonah, the King’s Academy literary magazine, because I was editor-in-chief and Raghda was the English editor, so it was an activity that we were comfortable with. The idea for Taleed started before

quarantine, but quarantine was in our favor, because we had all that time to plan it and make it happen. We worked heavily on the magazine after graduation because of AP exams and finals, and we ended up launching in October. We were a team of 17, maybe 15 of which were King’s students or alumni as both writers and artists.

have an answer ourselves. Our aim is to share the voices of Arab youth by providing this platform. Obeidat: There’s a lot of self-hatred towards our Arab traditions and our Arab culture, which are often seen as not cool or not as cool as what’s Western. My experiences at King’s helped me embrace my Arab culture

Obeidat: We realized that there are a lot of nuances, even with the word “Arab” itself. What does it mean and how does it affect other people, like indigenous people in North Africa, Amazigh tribes and so on? Who are we excluding when we define “Arab” if our reach is the entire region?

In what ways are you hoping to grow the magazine in the future? Zoubi: When we started out, we had no idea how to start a magazine, but that ended up being a good thing: we didn’t know what we should do but we also didn’t know what we couldn’t do. So we’ve taken a very diverse approach: our vision stays the same — to produce quality content in English and Arabic that speaks to our youth — but we’re also trying to find new ways to explore that vision. We’re hoping to involve more video content in Arabic and to be able to print the magazine at some point.

Do you feel you have grown personally through the experience of founding and running Taleed? Artwork for Taleed by Wadea Tadros ’22

What sets Taleed apart from other magazines and online publications or communities? Obeidat: When we first started thinking about the idea of the magazine, Zaid and I talked a lot about how there’s this narrative that has been spun about who Arabs are and what the Arab identity is. Much of the talk and discussions that we’ve been hearing about have been shaped by the West and by stereotypes, though a lot of it is also shaped by the voices of diaspora and immigrants. But we haven’t seen a lot of work by Arab people living in Arab countries talking about what being Arab means to them. Zoubi: Taleed is also an attempt to recapture our own narrative. The world has become globalized to the extent that we don’t know what role our Arab identity plays in our day-to-day lives. We’re not in touch with our identity, and Taleed is an exploration of what that means. Raghda and I, we don’t

and explore it. That’s something that we wanted to capture with Taleed, even through the name itself, which means “something that is inherited or everlasting.”

Who is your target audience? Obeidat: Our target audience is young Arab people in general. Our goal isn’t just to stay local, with a Jordanian audience, we want our audience to be more regional, maybe even global. Zoubi: There’s a lot of value in being a Jordanian magazine, or based in Jordan, but we’re working to expand our content. We do address all Arabs around the world, also people who are interested in Arab culture and experiences even if they might not necessarily be Arab. Our second issue is focused on Pan-Arabism in the Middle East and North Africa. It’s been so interesting speaking with youth from North Africa.

Obeidat: At the beginning I was hesitant about us trying to aspire to too much, but Zaid was adamant about aiming high. I always try to be realistic and logical, but something important I’ve learned is that it doesn’t hurt to always reach for the stars! We’ve both realized that everything that happened — even mistakes we’ve made — are all part of the learning process. Zoubi: Having a mission and a direction was very important because we wouldn’t dwell too much on an obstacle. We just believed in the magazine. Raghda created the website, and we had no experience in website development — she just learned it on the spot. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and there’s no point in dwelling on how you’re better or worse at something. We had a huge team so we focused on everyone’s strengths and we could embrace them where they best fit. A lot of King’s alumni also helped us and we really want to thank them for their support. Read Taleed at taleedmagazine.com. SPRING 2021

Studying Palestine This year, King’s Academy

added an exciting — and one could argue, long overdue — new course to it offerings: Interdisciplinary Study of Palestine. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

Photos by Sami Al-Alul @samialalul

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aculty member Ethan Jerome’s plan to develop a course on Palestine had been in the works for a while, although at the outset it was not clear to him how it would look. He knew that he did not want to teach a course that only focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was talking to students, hearing their questions about Palestine, and realizing how much more they wanted to know that helped coalesce his ideas and led to the Interdisciplinary Study of Palestine course, which brings together the fields of history, politics, political economy, sociology, anthropology and legal studies. “Geographically we are near Palestine, and there are a lot of Palestinians in Jordan and at King’s who grow up learning about Palestine in their homes, but not necessarily in an academic way,” says Jerome. “So for that community it is important to have a course like this at King’s. My interest was in providing an opportunity for Palestinians to learn about where they are from, but also to set it up so anyone, not just Palestinians, can take the course and find a lot of value in it.” William Ballenger, head of the Department of History, Religion and Society, believes that “it is imperative that all King’s students study and engage with the region’s profound and rich history, which includes that of Palestine.” “I can say with a very high level of confidence that there is no other course in the world like this,” says Jerome. “It is a unique course that gives students a great opportunity to learn about Palestine in depth, and to learn about it from these different disciplines.” The idea of interdisciplinary study, explains Jerome, is an important aspect of the course. “The focus is always Palestine, but we go through these different lenses or different ways of researching and writing about it.” Students who are interested in law, history, or the diversity of thought in the social sciences have the opportunity through this course to look at how historians, political scientists and anthropologists research and write

about Palestine. “It is really a preparatory course for university,” says Jerome, noting that only seniors can take it. With that in mind, he encourages his students to think about the major they plan to take at university when they are considering topics for their final projects. “This is their chance to do whatever their major is,” says Jerome. “They study Palestine, but if they are interested in history or law, anthropology, political science or economy, that’s what the focus should be.” The course has certainly helped Ali Abu Ghosh ’21 feel academically prepared for college. Additionally, he says, the “sheer diversity of angles from which the course approaches Palestine” helped him develop an appreciation for multi-disciplinary learning. “Most importantly, the course explores everything. It is daring and willing to explore uncomfortable territory. We learn both about relations between Palestine and Israel and about internal divisions within Palestinian, Arab and even Jordanian communities which are often left unrecognized.” With “global citizenship” as one of the school’s Guiding Principles, Ballenger notes that the course is also helping to cultivate student empathy and understanding to that end. Yiran Zhao ’21 chose to take the course because she believes she has the

curiosity and responsibility as a King’s student to gain different perspectives and help drive change. “We are not solely learning about Palestine, but also mastering the skills of analyzing power dynamics and thinking critically, which will benefit us in college and beyond,” says Zhao. “Palestine is a regional issue and a global issue, even for those who are not Palestinian,” explains Jerome. “I think it is particularly important for students going to university abroad that they have a strong academic background about this issue.” “I would have loved to take this course,” says alumna Hannah Szeto ’19, co-founder of the student-led Town Hall meetings (see sidebar). “This course is special because most courses around Palestine tend to center around a Western narrative that doesn’t necessarily reflect the reality on the ground.” “It will also help students articulate their ideas on Palestine in a more academically rigorous way,” adds Szeto. “So that when they get to university and have these discussions with people with different preconceptions of the issue, they can debate in a more informed way and challenge common misconceptions about Palestine.” Jerome’s own connection to Palestine started in 1996 when he SPRING 2021

visited Palestine for the first time while studying in Egypt for his undergraduate degree. Since then, he has studied about Palestine — he has a master’s degree in Arab Studies and conducted his anthropology Ph.D. fieldwork in Palestine — lived in Palestine, and taught about Palestine, including undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, History and Politics of the Middle East, Arab-Israeli Conflict and Popular Culture and Media in the Middle East. “I’m very conscious however that I’m not Palestinian and that some students may wonder why a nonPalestinian is teaching about Palestine,” says Jerome. “What I bring to the course is the academic background and being connected to Palestine as a student, researcher and teacher for 25 years now.” He points to conversations he has had with many of the 53 students across all grades that signed up for his shorter two-week J-Term course: Palestine: Oral History, Memory and Remembering. “They came up to me and said they were unsure about taking it because I was teaching it, but said thank you, because basically I drew from all of these sources about Palestinian oral history and they learned a lot. I cannot speak on the experience of Palestinians, but I can provide sources of Palestinians speaking both academically and experientially about being Palestinians, and all the complexity of what that means.” This is a subject that needs wellinformed teachers with well-informed passion and knowledge above all else, according to alumnus and Town Hall meetings co-founder Dario Karim Pomar ’19. “The narrative that only Palestinians can teach about Palestine creates a dangerous precedent because it almost implies that only Palestinians can truly become invested in fighting for Palestinian rights,” says Pomar. “It is quite the opposite in reality — everyone, from everywhere, has to be involved in these efforts.” Since enrolling in the course, Abu Ghosh often finds himself making connections between the readings and personal stories he has heard. “I signed up for this course to learn about home, but it has ended up providing me with so much more.” 30

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Hearing Student Voices From the Students for Justice in Palestine club to the Town Hall meetings, student activism is alive and well on campus. In 2019, Dario Karim Pomar ’19 and Hannah Szeto ’20 established a “town hallstyle” discussion group. The aim of these meetings was to provide guided discussions on intellectually challenging topics such as the role of politics in education and, above all, to discuss issues related to Palestine. “It came as a result of prolonged conversations with fellow classmates and faculty members about the need for a formalized modern Palestinian history course,” says Pomar. “Hannah and I had often discussed what we felt was a definite hole in the curriculum. This shortcoming brushed over the very rich Palestinian cultural identity present within the King's community.” Pomar and Szeto discussed their concerns with faculty member Dr. Ethan Jerome, who gave them advice on how to bring up such topics with the community at large, leading them to settle on town hallstyle meetings. “The Town Hall meetings were a safe space free from judgment where people could flesh out their thoughts,” says Szeto. What resulted was an open discussion about King's role in creating a curriculum that better represented its student body and that accurately and unashamedly discussed political conflicts that hit close to home, according to Pomar. “The first meeting concluded with a consensus that the first step had to be creating a course on Palestine.” “I had thought about a course on Palestine previous to that Town Hall, but hadn’t put all the pieces together of what I wanted to

accomplish,” says Jerome of that first meeting. “When I met with Dario and Hannah before the meeting, all of their questions were telling me: look, students don’t know that much about Palestine, and they are Palestinian. We need a course on Palestine.” Jerome recalls how after the meeting and “all the pieces came together of these different units and how it would look, so that meeting really helped push me to come up with a unique course.” “I was thrilled to find out that this course actually came to fruition,” says Pomar. “If only I could still be at King’s in order to take the class!” Pomar believes it is important for students to have more of a say in what they are being taught — especially in a school like King’s where “the student body is largely extremely motivated and invested in their own education.” Szeto also believes alumni should have some say in what is offered in the curriculum. “If there is a clear appetite for a certain subject, especially if that subject directly concerns the Middle East and contemporary issues, we should take advantage of it and engage with it academically,” adds Szeto. “Where both student interest and teacher strength happen to align, the Department of History, Religion and Society happily embraces the role of matchmaker,” says William Ballenger, head of the department. “Dr. Jerome had recently completed his Ph.D. in the field, and with Palestine’s undisputed importance and contribution to our regional history, both past and present, creating this course was a no-brainer.”

Empathizing with Employees King’s launches an employee wellness program BY MUNA AL-ALUL

s the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. That thought is what has spurred on Noor Dajani, King’s Academy’s new employee wellness coordinator, as she developed the school’s first dedicated employee wellness program. An unavoidable consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, when you work at a boarding school like King’s Academy, is that the employee community, already busy caring for the students in their charge around the clock, must shoulder additional layers of work, stress and responsibility. King’s knew that it needed to find a way to ensure the well-being of its faculty and staff. “We saw the need for this position, as the school was establishing the Green Zone and employees were under so much stress and putting all their energy into taking care of students,” says Dajani, who had already been living on campus for a year as the spouse of a faculty member when she took on the job. “There was no one dedicated to making sure faculty and staff were well and taken care of, so the school felt that it was the right time to establish such a position and program.” Dajani is particularly qualified for the job, having over 12 years of coaching expertise in the spheres of fitness, health, nutrition and behavioral

psychology. She has launched her own dual exercise and mental health program to help people develop resilience, independence and confidence, and has collaborated on a book called Empowering Women through Healthy Living, published last year. “First I wanted to find out what employees want,” says Dajani. “I want the program to be led by them, for them to tell me what this community needs so I can fulfill those needs.” She began by sending out a survey, the results of which showed interest in a wellness program. Managing stress, increasing physical activity, improving sleep habits, weight management and healthy eating were the topics deemed most important by employees. Next, Dajani formed a committee of 10 people who, using the data from the survey, began to build a program, test ideas, and get feedback about activities and participation. In the first half of the year they had already began holding online yoga classes, inperson strength and fitness classes on campus, and workshops on resilience, mental health and nutrition. They also began producing weekly e-newsletters to share news about health topics and announcements about activities. Dajani is particularly proud of one activity: the month-long Winter Health Challenge, in which 37

employees signed up for the virtual app-based challenge that focused on building and maintaining healthy habits, with a point system and prizes to maintain positivity and momentum. During the faculty, staff and student hotel quarantine that preceded the spring semester Green Zone, Dajani organized two programs, one for staff and one for faculty, to address their physical and mental health and wellbeing during quarantine. As faculty were busy teaching during their hotel quarantine, Dajani organized a holistic asynchronous program that offered daily activities in quarantine including chess and soduku, yoga, high-intensity interval training, tai chi, meditation and breathing exercises. Meanwhile, quarantined staff had more time on their hands so they were provided with a program that included online exercise classes and sessions on topics such as positive thinking and nutrition. Dajani looks forward to more opportunities to help employees see their own health and wellbeing as a priority. “I see a lot of potential to change the mindset of what selfcare can look like and how we can incorporate ideas to make it easier. Everyone thinks they don’t have time, but if they consider this as a priority they’ll make time for it.” SPRING 2021

Kareem Ayyad ’12

KNOWS WHAT YOU WANT The founder and CEO of Cerebian is changing the way humans interact with technology. BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

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magine being able to communicate telepathically with a friend, or a police officer navigating a colleague through a dangerous situation without saying a word. Imagine your phone creating a playlist based on your mood, without needing to touch a screen. Imagine a teacher being able to monitor the attention levels, engagement and understanding of her students in real time without using invasive technology. Kareem Ayyad ‘12 is not only making all this possible — he’s already made it happen. Ayyad is the founder and CEO of Cerebian, a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), which, in his words, is “a wearable device that measures signals from the brain and translates them into commands, actions or insights.” Sensors along the jaw and head detect the intention to speak — rather than private thoughts themselves — as signals can be measured more than 80 milliseconds before any muscle movement to open the mouth occurs. Cerebian’s applications are practically endless. It can enable those without the ability to speak to communicate in spoken language, protect private conversations, augment the mouse and keyboard in computer gameplay, provide daily brain analytics, and more. Earlier this year, a pilot program was successfully conducted with Toronto law enforcement, who used the technology to safely and silently navigate tactical situations, and generate cognitive analytics for officers

on the front line. The device is now market-ready, and customers can begin to purchase it early this summer. Ayyad is eventually planning to license out the technology for use in smartphones, headsets, VR glasses and other possible devices. Just 27 years old, Ayyad created Cerebian largely by himself. Passionate about tech and the brain for as long as he can remember, Ayyad has honed his coding skills over the last 15 years, even while completing his law degree at City University London. Despite the seeming gulf between law and BCI development, Ayyad believes his legal study has hugely benefitted his work. “I believe that law is a frame of mind,” he says. “In law school, you learn the way of thinking, the analytical thinking, to approach a goal within a framework of rules, limitations or restrictions.”

Imagine that when you go to sleep you can learn a new skill, you can have a meeting, you can do whatever you want in a virtual world.

Ayyad’s creative and tenacious approach served him well as he faced many barriers while developing Cerebian. To support his work, he took several jobs on the side in fields that would teach him different aspects of running a company, including business development, digital marketing and public relations. He worked almost non-stop, first honing his expertise in the domain of BCIs, then pivoting to develop Cerebian. Creating a functioning prototype took Ayyad under a year. The incredible speed with which Ayyad developed Cerebian suggests that huge changes in tech are coming — and soon. Cerebian’s main competitors, Facebook’s CTRL-Labs

and Elon Musk’s Neuralink (a device implanted into the user’s brain) expect to have working human prototypes in the next few years, while Cerebian will be available for customers this summer. If Cerebian’s consumer pilot and launch is successful, Ayyad will turn his focus in the next few years to his lifelong aspiration: creating a dream recorder. “Imagine that people who are dreaming can dream in the same world together — you get an extra eight hours in the day,” he says. “Imagine that when you go to sleep you can learn a new skill, you can have a meeting, you can do whatever you want in a virtual world. The science is there, it’s just a matter of the funds required and four to five years of work.”

A running current behind Ayyad’s work is his concern with prioritizing and protecting users, rather than treating them as a potential goldmine of private data. Because Cerebian measures the intention to speak rather than a person’s direct thoughts, privacy is maintained. Additionally, as a wearable device, Cerebian can be removed at any time. The FDA considers Cerebian to be an input device, similar to a mouse or keyboard, but with the power to revolutionize the way humans understand and use our own brains. “Computers are a superpower for us now,” he says. “The better this technology gets, the better humans will become.”

ABOVE IT This year, the Middle School community was determined to prove that no pandemic was going to dampen their King’s spirit. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

ne of the defining characteristics of the King’s Academy Middle School is its focus on building a tightknit community that cherishes and looks out for one another. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Middle School to move online after only two weeks of in-person classes, it was faced with a new challenge: how to build that quintessential Middle School culture when they couldn’t meet face-to-face? Having to transition so soon to online learning, the Middle School kicked into high gear to ensure that its seventh and eighth grade students would still have an engaging and creative educational experience that deepens their love of learning. In addition to adjusting schedules and teaching methodologies to become more flexible and cognizant of online learning challenges, another way it improved the online experience was by preparing learning packages — big boxes filled with books, art supplies, science lab equipment for at-home experimentation, and more — which

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were periodically delivered to each student at home. “We wanted to make it hands-on, we wanted our students to feel cared for,” says Dean of the Middle School Zina Nasser. The Middle School also had a whole grade of students who were new to King’s, and some new to Jordan, who had barely gotten to know each other or their teachers. “We knew we needed to find a way to build a culture, even online, and focus on relationship and community building to make those connections,” says Nasser, who was new to the Middle School herself, having only just taken the helm that year. With campus closed to the Middle Schoolers, group activities like advisory meetings, sit-down lunches, trips, workshops, Engage and Inspire sessions and sports were no longer in-person. According to humanities teacher George Morganis, this challenge needed a different approach. “The challenge for us is bringing those bonding and community-building moments that happen all the time in the hallways, between periods, at

advisory lunches, after school, and finding ways to make them relevant in an online context,” says Morganis. While some activities were simple enough to do online, other experiences couldn’t be easily replicated, so Middle School faculty set out to create new social opportunities to connect students with each other as well as with their teachers. One opportunity was a series of break-time Tea and Chat gatherings where students and teachers would meet up in Zoom breakout rooms to chat about local or world news, art and pop culture, or their favorite books and music. There were also weekly movie nights, weekend baking sessions, mobile game tournaments, and a host of new student-led clubs. Open to everyone — and with no roll call, grades or expectations — these online social occasions gave students a stressfree break to just have fun and connect with friends.

“It’s like chatting with friends at a café, but over Zoom instead,” says Dana AlOudat ’26, who believes it has been easier to bond with her classmates online compared with in-person school. “You can stay as long as you like to chat after school when you are online. You don’t get that opportunity a lot during normal school because you have to leave campus at the end of the day.” AlOudat also noticed that being online has given students the confidence to take more leadership

roles and initiate activities and clubs. One such student is Hassan AlMufleh ’26, who started a photography challenge that involves taking photographs based on a weekly theme. “Everyone is on their laptop all day and night,” says AlMufleh about why he started the challenge. “I wanted to give them a chance to get away from the screen.” Jumana Al Nobani ’26, Jawad Al Azzeh ’26 and Raiyah Hashim ’26 also came up with the idea of starting the Review Club. “The club is simply sharing something you love in a very fun way with others,” explains Al Nobani. “Whether a person reviews food, movies, songs, or an experience they enjoyed does not really matter, the most important thing is to share happiness with others.” To encourage more people to participate, the trio decided to present their reviews at virtual assembly each week. “Personally, this helped me grow in confidence and gave me the ability to speak in front of many people,” says Al Azzeh. The club has also given them the opportunity to get to know many of their classmates and teachers better as they talk to them about review topics. That is just one of the benefits of the club that Hashim hopes to keep up. “Being able to socialize with different people can make you learn a lot about yourself,” she says. Being part of a club also helped Aysen Koprulu ’26 come out of her shell and become more social. While exploring the culture, food, language and history of Turkey through the Turkish Club, she learned to communicate more freely with her SPRING 2021

friends, and to reach out to them when she needed help. Joining the Theater workshop also helped make Aya Abu Ghazaleh ’26’s first year at King’s a positive one. “Taking Theater made me feel more comfortable and act myself, have fun, meditate, and spread lots of positivity,” she says. The Middle School has long encouraged its students to take control of their learning, so continuing to do so while teaching virtually was a given. With that encouragement, many students found that online learning and student-led clubs and initiatives helped them develop independence in many areas. “This year online was difficult,” says Hashim. “But I think it was the greatest way to understand the concept of self-directed learning, and solving our own problems without an adult's guidance.” Saif Fanous ’26, a member of Beats on Zoom, an Engage club, agrees. “Not being able to show your work, ask questions, and interact physically was a big challenge since we couldn’t really ask for help every single time,” he says. “The club helped me learn to be more independent and responsible and to rely on myself rather than others.” At the same time, Fanous feels that his teachers’ support helped him face those challenges in a positive way, and that being part of the club contributed to making his first year at King’s a great one. “We weren’t just a community, we were a family,” he says. Leen Jumah ’25 and Maya Al Barakati ’25 are two students who 36

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proved that the Middle School’s efforts to build connections really do work. Although they have never met face-toface, the eighth graders, who are in the same advisory group, have become best friends after meeting online this year. “Those of us who have been friends since seventh grade are tightly knit since we’re a small group,” says Jumah, who is in her second year at King’s. “But new students are paired with old students they can connect to. My friend and I decided to call Maya as she was new, and we just clicked.” On a scale of one to 10, Al Barakati gives King’s an 11 for helping the Middle School community connect online. “Being completely new, the tea and chats have been really helpful,” she says. “You just come as a community and hang out. I feel like that helped me get to know my teachers and make friends.”

We weren’t just a community, we were a family.

Jumah appreciates how connecting online has also helped her to get to know her teachers better. “At school I would hang out with my friends during breaks, and teachers would be busy preparing for the next class, so you can’t talk to them as much,” she says. “Now I have more time to chat with my teachers, and they try to connect us all,

so it has been another support system for us.” According to Morganis, what has made online learning at the Middle School so successful this year is the flexibility and willingness of students and teachers to keep learning and growing together in new mediums. Mar Pizarro ’26, who is new to both King’s and Jordan this year, enjoyed combining her passion for art with activism in the Guerilla Art workshop. She also thinks that the Middle School “has done a really good job” this year. “First, for understanding that we aren’t going to get the same type of work done online that we would in regular school. Also, a lot of students get distracted easily online — our teachers have been more forgiving and understanding.” Class Dean Laila Demashqieh believes that the Middle Schoolers have been on an epic journey this year, and are the heroes of the tale. “They were able to rise above all the challenges they faced, with positivity, creativity and courage, and accomplish so much,” she says. “They saw what we were doing at the start of the year, creating opportunities for connection, and came up with so many of their own ideas to carry that forward.” By the end of the year, Nasser and Demashqieh were happy to see that the Middle School had achieved the level of wellness that they hoped for. “Despite many students and teachers never meeting in person, they still built those connections,” says Nasser. “We were able to transcend this pandemic. We were still able to develop that King’s spirit.”

PHILANTHROPIC

DREAMS Despite being quarantined in Amman, Yining Wang ’22 led his team to victory in the 2020 Public Benefit International Challenge for Youth (PBICY) Competition. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

SPRING 2021

ining Wang ’22 was just a young child when he accompanied his family on a trip to a remote mountain village in China. Wang’s uncle had asked him to bring his used books to give to children in the village. The children were so excited to receive the books that they were jumping for joy. That memory made a strong impression on Wang, and as he grew older it inspired him to do more to help others. A few years later, Wang attended a summer camp where each child was encouraged to have a dream that was “great, selfless and positive.” Inspired by his past experience, Wang knew that his dream was to be the “greatest philanthropist in the world.” On a quest to achieve that dream, in 2016 Wang established a volunteer initiative called Green Leaves and encouraged all of his classmates to join. Their first mission was to head to a local city park in Beijing and approach passersby to ask them to donate their used books. After some initial success, Wang widened his scope and cast his net further, asking neighborhood residence committees and other institutions to donate secondhand books and clothes. Over the last four years, Wang and the Green Leaves volunteers have collected around 25,000 secondhand books and over 10,000 items of used clothes that they donated to various schools, orphanages and villages around the country. Currently a junior at King’s Academy, Wang was back in China during the summer of 2020 waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic with his family. With time on his hands and looking for ways to make an impact, Wang decided to enter the annual Public Benefit International Challenge for Youth (PBICY) Competition. The PBICY Competition aims to build closer ties with Africa by challenging Chinese youth between the ages of 10 and 17 to come up with innovative ideas to solve societal problems. This year, under the theme “zero hunger, good health, quality education and gender equality,” 12 teams made it to the final round where 38

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Yining Wang '22 poses with kids at the Children's Garden Home and School during his service trip to Nairobi.

they pitched their proposals for projects that tackle issues such as medical care, clean water and gender equality. Forming a team with two fellow members of the Green Leaves volunteers, Yuling Li and Jiaxin Hu Wang developed a proposal inspired by a service trip he took in the summer of 2019 to Nairobi, Kenya where he worked as a volunteer teacher for three weeks at an orphanage called the Children’s Garden Home and School. “I went with an organization called TUNZA Africa International Volunteers — tunza means 'to take care of' in Swahili,” says Wang. “I taught the kids Chinese and Chinese poetry. They loved learning, but the conditions there aren’t good. They all have dreams to learn more and to get good jobs, but they don’t have the resources to make those dreams come true.”

Wang’s proposal aims to tackle female unemployment in Nairobi by providing vocational training to orphaned girls between the ages of 14 and 18 to furnish them with marketable skills. Women in Kenya are often limited to taking on traditional roles and jobs, explains Wang, so in addition to providing training on more basic skills, he also wants to help girls achieve their dreams to pursue less traditional jobs. By communicating with TUNZA Africa and the orphanage he had volunteered at over the summer, Wang was able to identify a number of basic and useful vocational skills. The orphanage also helped him identify girls with bigger dreams. “For example, a girl called Tina wants to be an excavator driver,” says Wang. “I never expected a dream like

SPRING 2019 Children at the Nairobi orphanage read in the mini library set up by Wang through his Green Leaves initiative.

In 2016, a young Wang sets up his first in-person collection point in a city park to call on the public to donate their secondhand books.

that, but that’s her dream! So we are going to send her to a center where she can gain those skills.” The project will offer training courses on basic skills such as sewing, cooking and computer skills — and also donate computers. Additionally, the project will support young women like Tina taking specialized courses at local training centers. Wang’s team also approached a lot of Chinese companies working in Kenya to ask them to help by offering jobs to the girls they train. Not only does each PBICY team have to develop a project proposal, they must also raise funds for it. The planned budget for the Green Leaves project was estimated at 29,000 RMB (US $4,250), but they ended up raising over double that amount, with 81,000 RMB (US $11,870). “Not only did we approach people close to us, family and friends, but as my father works at a bank and has a lot of clients in big companies, I asked him to take me to those companies to talk directly to them,” says Wang. “Some refused to see me but others were happy to meet with me, and 16 companies were willing to help in the end.” The proposal won Wang and his team first place in the PBICY Competition. The final stage of the competition took place in Beijing on August 15, 2020. Wang was at the

time completing a 14-day governmentmandated quarantine in a hotel in Amman in order to return to King’s for the start of the school year. Despite that, he managed to participate online in the final round of the competition and help his team take home the gold medal. “We only have three team members and I am the captain, so I was sorry not to be with my team in person at the final stage,” says Wang. “I tried my best to help them prepare and practice for the presentation and questions in the battle round. They did so well, I’m so proud of them. I also recorded a video of myself introducing our team and the project, so I was able to be there in that way.” In addition to their team being interviewed about their win by various local newspapers, the final stage of the

competition was covered live by the China Global Television Network (CGTN), which Wang hopes will raise even more attention and support for their project. The Green Leaves team will implement the project in Nairobi with the help of Wang’s mentors at TUNZA Africa, but in the meantime Wang plans to address more urgent issues that have surfaced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “To start with, I think we should help the Children’s Garden Home and School get through the pandemic,” says Wang. “They are lacking food and basic essentials because of COVID-19. We raised over double the project’s planned budget, so we can do a lot more to help them.”

Donated books collected by Wang's Green Leaves initiative are ready to send to recipients at rural Chinese schools.

SPRING 2021

COVID-19 Spurs SEP to Develop an Online Element In response to the cancellation of its inperson summer program due to COVID-19, the Summer Enrichment Program launched its first online program. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

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ast spring, as it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t going away anytime soon, plans for summer programs were being unavoidably cancelled all around the world, including — for the first time in its 15-year history — the King’s Academy Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). SEP is the school’s oldest-running community outreach program and usually takes place during the summer break. The program identifies talented students from around the country in grades six through eight who, for three consecutive summers, spend two weeks boarding at King’s while they develop their skills in English and information technology and participate in a range of extracurricular activities led by international volunteer teachers, King’s alumni and King’s students and faculty. In response to the cancellation, and with summer 2021 plans still uncertain, the SEP organizers knew that they had to find an alternative way to keep the program going. “It’s a long time to wait to connect with our SEP kids,” says SEP Director Salwa Manaja who had already begun thinking about virtual activities or events. Developing an online program had long been a goal of the SEP organizers as a way to stay connected with the SEP kids and to provide them with more learning resources to work on from one summer to the next. The COVID-19 pandemic just provided the incentive to put thoughts into actions. In November 2020, the school launched the first online version of SEP. Ten King’s students signed up as volunteer tutors, assisted by four King’s faculty members and longtime international SEP volunteer and former King’s faculty member, Tessa Fairbanks, who helped by developing the curriculum remotely from her home in South Africa. Accessibility was a major consideration, according to Manaja, as around 80 percent of SEP students live outside of Amman in towns and cities around the country, and many lack regular access to laptops or smartphones, or do not have stable internet connections.

Despite these challenges, which resulted in 10 students withdrawing due to technical difficulties, the online SEP pilot project launched with 30 eighth grade students — who had already participated in one summer of SEP — joining their volunteer tutors for lessons in English and math twice a week on Zoom and Google Classrooms. “It was impressive that most of last year’s class wanted to sign up for it and their consistent attendance showed that they were appreciative of the opportunity,” says King’s alumnus and faculty member Mohammad Al Quraan ’10, who had once been a SEP student himself. Each King’s student was responsible for guiding up to eight SEP students through the lesson material and assisting them with homework. For the first time, the online SEP offered lessons in math, with a curriculum designed by King’s alumna and faculty member — and longtime SEP volunteer — Shahd Al-Jawhari ’13.

By delivering an online program during the course of the year, we stay more connected and it gives the students more enthusiasm and confidence to apply to King’s as well.

“Although SEP students are usually very strong academically, we thought we’d try math lessons to improve their English vocabulary of math terms,” says Al-Jawhari, who believes that this could positively impact their scores when taking tests like the SAT or when applying to attend King’s. SEP has traditionally served as an early identification program for students from underprivileged areas in Jordan for possible admission into King’s, building on the school’s mission

to attract top scholars and ensure diversity within its student body. During the online SEP, students and their parents attended an online information session to learn about the school’s financial aid program and how to apply. “A lot of these kids have what it takes to excel at King’s, but they don’t think they can,” says Al Quraan. “By delivering an online program during the course of the year, we stay more connected and it gives the students more enthusiasm and confidence to apply to King’s as well.” “I was surprised how motivated my students were and also how much I enjoyed teaching them and interacting with them,” says first-time volunteer tutor Tala Hammad ’23, who worked with her SEP students on expanding their English vocabulary and conversational skills. Volunteer Wedad Al Rousan ’22 also enjoyed getting to know her students. “We had a lot of interests in common, which allowed me to understand them better and helped me know how to help each one individually as much as I could. In the end, we all learned from each other.” Although the online version cannot offer many aspects of the summer program, such as boarding, sports, arts, cultural and other in-person activities, Manaja believes SEP Online has provided a welcome opportunity for the SEP students to build bonds with each other and their volunteer tutors as well as immerse themselves in an interesting educational program. “Our aim was to connect with the kids, create this channel and get them comfortable with online technologies,” says Manaja, pleased with what she calls “a really good pilot project.” With many new aspects to this year’s program, as it adapts and evolves, undoubtedly one of the unique outcomes of SEP Online has been the opportunity for current King’s students to take on the role of teaching instead of adults. “It was a different way of doing it,” says Al-Jawhari. “Our students really stepped up, taking on these lessons and the challenges that teachers are faced with, and online too!” SPRING 2021

MAKING AIRWAVES Alumni Get Featured on Major News Programs

BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

Zeid Qabar '13 on AlMamlaka TV in September, 2020

Zeid Qabar ’13 and the Chocolate Factory

he first thing Zeid Qabar ’13 learned after joining Tops Chocolate is that truly everyone loves chocolate. Now managing partner, Qabar has come to realize that making chocolate is a lot more difficult than most people appreciate. After finishing his degree in mechanical engineering at Long Beach State College in California, Qabar returned to Jordan and joined Tops. While leaping from mechanical engineering to chocolate production

BEYOND KING’S

may seem counterintuitive, Qabar says his different perspective has been key to his success in leading the company. “Coming as a fresh mind, you can change a lot,” he says to Beyond King’s. “From my engineering degree, I became efficient in my thinking. I realized that everything is just a problem that can be solved.” Qabar’s biggest problem in growing the company has been to establish a niche not yet filled by other chocolate producers or importers. His solution? Make everyone’s favorite treat healthier.

Working with researchers at Petra University and the Higher Council for Research in Jordan, Tops developed the first sugar-free chocolate bars that contain the daily recommended value of key vitamins and minerals. Through research, Tops and its partners identified the vitamin and mineral deficiencies most common to the region, like vitamin D, due to the long clothes that people tend to wear, and vitamin B12, which can be found in meat, fish, and other expensive food sources that many people can’t afford.

AlMamlaka TV toured the factory and interviewed Qabar in September, highlighting the success of the local company in carving out space for itself in a market with major producers — like Galaxy and Cadbury — by creating its own market of health-conscious consumers.

If you want to be a boss, you can’t just go and boss people around.

Qabar attributes his success as managing partner to a style of management that respects all workers equally — a lesson rooted in his days at King’s. “If you want to be a boss, you can’t just go and boss people around,” he says. “King’s was so diverse, you had people from all social classes and backgrounds. Through King’s, I started learning how to deal with and understand people. This has been key in my business and my life.”

Farrah Matalka ’11 Gives Herself to Philanthropy What’s in a name? For Farrah Matalka ’11, a name can hold the promise of a better future. In 2018, after returning to Jordan from a leadership program in Bali, Matalka founded Wahab Alfarrah, Giving Joy, a charity initiative that aims to spread joy throughout Jordan by supporting those in need. Since then, Matalka has been featured on Ro’ya TV, Mamlaka TV, Cosmopolitan Middle East, TEDx, Al-Ghad, and other news and culture programs and publications about her work. The roots of Matalka’s philanthropy stem from a school trip she took to Ghana while at King’s Academy. “Before that trip, I felt like everything was a right,” she recalls. “It was a right for me to be educated, it was a right for me to go to school. But after being in

Ghana, I realized that these were privileges, because the children we taught there had to work hard for them.”

Joy is about teaching people to give back to the community, being kind, practicing gratitude and wellness.

As of today, Giving Joy has helped hundreds of struggling individuals and underserved children find greater financial stability in their lives in order to set the foundation for a happier future. The funds raised by the initiative

cover a wide range of causes: food costs, rental fees, healthcare bills, educational expenses and more. To Matalka, “joy” is more than just the meaning of her name. “Joy is about teaching people to give back to the community, being kind, practicing gratitude and wellness,” she says. Her Joy Planner, a daily journal she designed, embodies her definition of joy: it gives readers a space to reflect, practice gratitude and establish goals, and proceeds go to educational funds for children. Matalka hopes to see her initiative grow beyond Jordan’s borders, with the practice of joyful giving becoming a worldwide phenomenon. “You don’t need to give much,” she says. “Every little bit adds up to making a huge difference.” SPRING 2021

Extra, Extra! Students Launch King’s Global Times Students from different grades, nationalities and backgrounds share their love for languages in a new multilingual publication. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

t is a common occurrence, around the King’s Academy campus, to hear snippets of many different languages being spoken — after all, King’s students represent some 40 different nationalities. However, with a curriculum based mainly in English and Arabic, it is not often that students have the opportunity to read and write in other languages at school unless they are studying one of the foreign languages — Chinese, French, German or Spanish — offered at King’s. As someone who speaks four languages herself, Nadine Kurdi ’22 observed that each year the foreign language courses, which are optional, would shrink in class size, and that saddened her. “Knowing four languages personally helps me so much with communicating with others and understanding the cultures [behind those languages],” says Kurdi. “When you speak the language, you get access to that culture in a way you wouldn’t otherwise.” That thought is what motivated Kurdi to launch King’s first multilingual newspaper, King’s Global Times (KGT). “I wanted to encourage others to learn more languages. What better way to do 44

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so than by encouraging people to read and write in that language.” With no prior journalism experience, Kurdi began by studying two of King’s student publications, The Rexonian newspaper and Al Majnooneh literary and art review, which feature student work in English and Arabic. After brainstorming ideas and logistics with the Round Square Office, Kurdi reached out to students to invite applications for editors, with nine students signing up — four Chinese, one Korean, one Romanian and two French editors, as well as two to work on design and layout. Reema Zubaidi ’21 had always wanted to be part of a school newspaper initiative, so she immediately responded to Kurdi’s request for editors, taking on the position of co-editor in chief. “I was involved in so many aspects of the newspaper, such as design, themes and editing — I loved every part of working on KGT,” says Zubaidi. Getting King’s Global Times up and running faced a few hiccups, explains Kurdi. She invited the whole student body to submit articles in the language of their choice — except English and Arabic — but received few responses initially. “Many students were hesitant to submit articles or lacked confidence,” says Tara Abu Ghazaleh ’22, one of the French editors. “However, with our encouragement we were able to recruit students to write for the newspaper.” Kurdi decided to assign her editors to write articles as well. “It was actually nicer for the editors, and more productive, to contribute their own work and not just edit,” she says. The KGT team also discussed whether the first issue should follow a theme, but concluded that a theme would limit the creativity of the writers. It would be enough of a challenge for some of them to write an article in a different language. “We wanted them to write about whatever they liked in the language of their choice, as long as they provided an English translation for it,” says Kurdi. Fajer Saraireh ’22 joined the KGT team as a Chinese editor as she felt it would be a good way to improve her

Row 1: Round Square and Community Service Coordinator Khaila Al Sawalha, Nadine Kurdi ’22, Fajer Saraireh ’22 Row 2: Yinzhe Liu ’24, Reema Zubaidi ’21, Tara Abu Ghazaleh ’22 Row 3: Langqing Xie ’22, Samira AlBattah ’22, Wedad AlRousan ’22 Row 4: Seunghyeok Lee ’24, Yanlin Li ’22, Kristina Kantarzis ’22

written Chinese skills, having studied the language for four years. “One of the challenges was understanding what the writer wants to say and editing it to make it clearer for the reader,” says Saraireh. The first issue of King’s Global Times was published in April and included a variety of articles and poetry written in Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish and Romanian, printed side-by-side with their translations. Article topics ranged from how the spring semester Green Zone ended — a subject fresh on everyone’s minds at the time, to mental health, the benefits of gene editing, the pros and cons of social media, the history of Chinese script, and the importance of vaccines. It also included a cartoon strip, horoscopes and word games in different languages that can be played online through the digital edition. An additional section provided QR codes linking to nine songs in different languages, each selected by one of the editors. “I really enjoyed the section with music,” says Kurdi. “It is a more fun

and interactive way of presenting songs instead of just writing the names. It reaches into cultures, listening to songs from different places.” Kurdi believes that a simple lack of communication and relatable topics creates a divide between students at school. Groups inevitably form among students from the same background or who speak the same language. “I would love to break the divide. A good start to a conversation is: I read your article, or, I listened to your song choice, let’s talk about it.” The King’s community cherishes the differences among its students, says Abu Ghazaleh, and KGT is a celebration of that diversity and culture. “KGT is a milestone for our community,” she says. “It amplifies our sense of ‘global citizenship’ and acknowledges students’ voices through different languages.” Zubaidi says the moment that really made her “ecstatic” was when she saw the newspaper coming together. “I saw our ideas becoming reality, and how our voices as students matter.”

SPRING 2021

Investigative Journalism Students Take a Closer Look at Life at King’s BY MUNA AL-ALUL

ife at King’s Academy came under the magnifying glass last winter when students turned detective to investigate a number of issues around campus as part of a project on investigative journalism for their Arabic Art of Nonfiction course. “We wanted to select subjects that were relevant to students’ dayto-day lives and study them from every angle,” says Head of Arabic Dr. Mohammad Al-Ashkar about how his students, working in teams, chose the topics they wanted to investigate. The psychological effect of the Green Zone “bubble,” how lack of sleep affects 48

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academic achievement, policy changes at the Learning Center, and cleanliness in the dorms were some of the topics chosen by the student journalists. “Students at King’s always have questions and these questions are not always answered,” says Sarah Anabtawi ’21 on why she and teammate Salina Haddadin ’21 felt it was important to investigate the topic of an insect outbreak in one of the dorms, to be able to give students those answers. “They deserve answers so they know that the situation [we wrote about] is under control.” Investigations also help to clarify student and faculty perspectives and

explain the issues without bias, according to Raseel Haddadin ’21 who worked with Saja Al Majali ’21 to uncover the reasons behind recent policy changes at the Learning Center. “It was a recent event that had just occurred and everyone was talking about it,” says Haddadin. “We felt it was important to hear multiple perspectives on the issue so people can understand why these new policies were adopted.” Yasmeen Smadi ’21 and Noor Alrai ’21, who examined the impact of exercise, or lack thereof, on community members during lockdown, tried to interview as wide a range of community members as possible for their

researching more about the topic and coming up with a conclusion.” The process also taught students that they had to leave their biases and predispositions at the door when investigating a topic. “We have to listen to multiple different perspectives and understand the story as a whole before coming to ience r e p x E a conclusion or making ubble roach B p p e a h s l’ T o assumptions,” says Al se: the scho dents both d The Ca e in m a Majali. “We had to be i '21 ex on stu Al-Zu’b and its effect d a careful with our wording m h 1 and A olating ubble,” is '2 b i “ e in b r e o s n so as not to lead people s , a lHu n Zone feel it c e the bubble e e y r il Jana A G m a e f on and give them a s h bble. ay from nts cho lishing t e with to estab outside the bu bubble and aw ver, most stude to sacrifice tim their certain impression of the d e e inside an le: Those in th pressure. How and are willing want to enjoy situation, good or bad.” d ne iors li n n n a e o Bubb s s s g d e in n r Although sometimes ease st ’t enjoy learn l experience, a uence r q c e in s n d o n c a n a the investigations ssary sa they do ducation is a nece line learning ha nd it because have a better e took the students y a s home s. On g at a desk a n m io o t r f a it family to at King’s. e m out of their comfort n and li g onli rs sittin r ing as last yea e: Those learnin s its challenges of the long hou more challeng ents, zone, particularly Onlin ut it ha ealth because nline learning nd online stud b , ic when tackling m e eo and al h na of the p impact on ment rid classes mak tween in-perso k. sensitive issues or r n fo e ic b negative workload. Hy heir attention b rt end of the st have the optio ould interviewing their t d w to o increase have to divide hey get the sh were grateful rom family, all ring own teachers, the f t le s d l r d b e e d e b e t de u la bu o ts f lu e is c n teach h x e t g e d students found in u in lt t e e s nts yf ne of b and onli sion: All stude pite the stress udents generall d. Solutions they enjoyed Conclu ucation. Des ble. Online st extra workloa the process bub the n ed in-perso to opt in to the xhausted from e. of researching, e c continue sses and were e their experien interviewing, and la v c o r hybrid found to imp connecting the dots could be to come up with a conclusion. In addition to journalistic skills, the projects also taught the students other practical skills, according to AlAshkar. “The aim was to tackle issues relevant to our school and community, but because of the pandemic not tools and rules they learned about while all students in the class could be on studying the investigative journalism campus,” he explains. unit in class. Communication, research, “Working as a team on this kind of inquiry, investigative styles of writing, project, when some were on-campus and interviewing techniques were just We learned that even and others online, taught the students some of the skills they developed. Students also had the opportunity people who have different how to problem-solve and cooperate to talk to professionals in the field, such backgrounds might have with each other.” While some of the interviewees as former Minister of State for Media similar thoughts regarding were easily accessible to students on Affairs and Government Spokesperson Jumana Ghunaimat, who was invited a specific topic, and the campus as they were also residing in the campus Green Zone, others to speak to the class about having been opposite was also true. were at home, sometimes in different the first woman in the Middle East to countries. The student investigators serve as the editor-in-chief of an Arabic had to make sure that all voices had daily, Al-Ghad. the opportunity to be heard. “Planning our investigation was

investigation. “Getting people from different backgrounds to answer our questions is important, as diversity helps contribute more realistic conclusions,” says Smadi. The projects gave the students the opportunity to put into practice the

Alrai about the process they followed. “We then carried out the interviews and gathered different opinions and thoughts. We had to think them through and analyze trends or similar opinions. This led us to

the first and most important step,” says SPRING 2021

“There is a wide open world for them to investigate despite being in the Green Zone,” says Al-Ashkar, who believes a project like this builds character and confidence. “You have to put yourself out there to get your story.” To ensure their reporting was fair and impartial, the students tried to interview a broad range of community members while investigating their topics, such as students from different grades, male and female, faculty and staff members, alumni and professionals in various fields. “We enjoyed hearing all the different perspectives, and how different yet valid they all were,” says Raseel Haddadin. Alrai agrees. “We learned that even people who have different backgrounds might have similar thoughts regarding

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a specific topic, and the opposite was also true.” The more they learned throughout the course of their investigations, the more their own perceptions about their topics, and even school, changed, the students discovered. “The investigation opened us up to new perspectives that we never expected,” says Smadi. “I became more aware of how sensitive some topics can be and why it is hard to share them with students,” says Anabtawi. “Our perception of how the school handled the [situation] changed throughout the investigation as we learned more about the process from the school’s perspective.” At the conclusion of their investigations, students summarized their findings in a final report. A consensus among all students was that, in the interests of fairness and factual reporting, no voice should be omitted. “We wanted the reader to have the chance to see everyone’s opinions and make their own assumptions and minds up,” says Raseel Haddadin. Anabtawi agrees. “All the opinions were important, and all thoughts deserved to be heard.”

The Grass is Greener in the Green Zone Alumni Return to King’s as Faculty Assistants BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

“

t was one of those magical moments where the universe is planning and you’re planning and you actually cross paths. It rarely happens in life but it happened for me.” Hamzeh Al-Qudah ’10 speaks from his apartment on the King’s Academy campus, where he has been living and working since the end of October. As part of the first graduating class of King’s (and of the Summer Enrichment Program [SEP]),

Al-Qudah had been planning for years to return to campus to give back to the place “where I grew up.” At the beginning of October, 2020, he got his chance. The school announced it was actively recruiting alumni for a new on-campus position to support faculty during the Green Zone. Announced on September 24, the Green Zone established a campus safe zone by inviting all faculty, Upper School students and some essential

staff to move onto campus, which was “sealed” from outside interaction, effectively preventing the virus from permeating campus. The Green Zone allowed campus residents to breathe a mask-free sigh of relief following the cohort quarantine and social distancing stages, which had been put in place to ensure that the virus was eliminated from within the campus walls. However, faculty found they were tasked with an

SPRING 2021

overwhelming number of additional duties during the cohort quarantine. “It was like school was 100 percent,” says Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning John Leistler. “The faculty was burned out.” Enter the faculty assistants. Five alumni joined the fall Green Zone, quarantining for two weeks before jumping into action Halloween weekend. Another two alumni joined in the spring Green Zone. Each faculty assistant was assigned to work with two departments — academic or administrative — as well as to assist with co-curriculars and the Learning Center and to carry out dorm and weekend duties.

It’s not a workplace, it’s a second home to me.

The main task required of the faculty assistants was simple: find small, immediate ways to relieve the pressure on faculty. Being separated from family for an extended period during a global pandemic is stressful, and part of the charge of the faculty

assistants is to serve as “moral support” for any members of the community who seem disengaged, stressed or anxious, explains Leistler.

Education up close Most of the faculty assistants saw the position as a good opportunity to explore education as a potential career path, before committing to a more demanding role. “Being a faculty assistant is a good way to dip your toes into what it’s like to work at a school,” says Ahmed Khalayleh ’15, who is coteaching a course with Head of School Peter Nilsson and working with the Department of Communications. Ever since tutoring Chinese students at Williams College in Massachusetts, Khalayleh has been interested in teaching, but wanted a chance to see how a school works behind the scenes. After graduating from college in May 2020 with a degree in electrical engineering, Jamal Hourani ’16 faced an uncertain future as the world was in pandemic turmoil. Hourani wasn’t as sure as Khalayleh whether he wanted a career in education, but he still has learned a lot about how a school runs, which has changed the way he looks back at his King’s experience. He recalls watching two math teachers discussing a class activity in the

teacher’s lounge. “I thought it was amazing because I never noticed that teachers would collaborate to come up with new or more efficient ways of teaching. I didn’t realize that teachers learn from each other,” Hourani says.

Coming back to give back Of the eight faculty assistants, three had already returned to campus to assist with the Summer Enrichment Program. “The interviews had one wonderful thing in common: they all spoke movingly about how they want to give back to King’s,” says Leistler. Zena Abu Elezam ’18 is one of the former SEP counselors. She is juggling her on-campus responsibilities while remotely completing coursework for her business information technology degree at Princess Sumaya University for Technology. “When I came to King’s, I was a completely different person. The school helped me in many ways, so I always wanted to give back.” Al-Qudah is emphatic that “King’s shaped who I am. King’s allowed me and empowered me to think of what I want, what I want to be and how to get there.” For Al-Qudah, returning to King’s was not a question of if, but when. While the COVID-19 pandemic derailed some of his plans — trapping him in Turkey for three months after Jordan’s borders were closed during

Left to right: Hamzeh Al-Qudah ’10, Jamal Hourani ’16, Rajaa’ Al Borqan ’14, Ahmed Khalayleh ’15, Zena Abu Elezam ’18, Laura Jonsson ’16

BEYOND KING’S

what was supposed to be a one-week trip — being part of making the Green Zone successful “makes the work worth it.” While every other school in Jordan was online, King’s was able to keep its in-person classes and activities due to the work of community members like the faculty assistants.

King's allowed me and empowered me to think of what I want, what I want to be and how to get there.

Same home, new school The youngest of the faculty assistants, Abu Elezam is still friends with several of the seniors who were freshmen during her final year at King’s. While she enjoys continuing to get to know students in her new role, she has especially come to love connecting with other members of the King’s community. “Most of the teachers and many people in administration live on campus, you get to know the entire family and you form bonds. It’s not a workplace, it’s a second home to me,” she says. Laura Jonsson ’16, meanwhile, is finding ways to rekindle her hobbies at King’s. While studying human biology at Stanford University, Jonsson took art classes that she wasn’t able to take at King’s due to her twice-daily Arabic classes. Now, she’s co-teaching 3D Studio Art I and II, coordinating with the lead teacher who lives off campus. “It’s really fun to be in a space I had wanted to be in as a student, but didn’t have the capacity to take at the time,” Jonsson says.

Zena Abu Elezam ’18 (middle)

them that he knows how they feel. “The students get so excited when I tell them I was a student here,” he says. “It’s like there’s someone in the faculty who understands where they’re coming from and what they’re going through.” For Khalayleh, this connection with the students is crucial to the King’s

experience. While speaking to Beyond King’s, a student yelled a cheerful greeting out to Khalayleh across the square. “That’s one of the reasons I came back!” Khalayleh laughs. “It’s the kids. I’m really feeling the joys of teaching here and it’s something that I want to continue.”

The alumni perspective When Hourani was a student at King’s, he faced “a lot of difficulties,” including a language barrier, time management issues and the university application process. As a faculty assistant, Hourani is able to relate to the students, assuring

Laura Jonsson ’16 and Jamal Hourani ’16

SPRING 2021

By Leen Shadid ’22

“Refuge” By Othman El-Tayeh ’20

Shh!

King’s Holds First Virtual Silent Auction BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

“The Dancer” By Tuleen Naser ’22

BEYOND KING’S

he Advancement Office at King’s Academy is centered on building lasting human connections with the school. As operations moved online this spring following government measures against COVID-19, the team has had to find creative ways to maintain relations from a distance. Enter the first-ever Virtual Silent Auction. The brainchild of Advancement Events Manager Sara’a Malkawi and planned in conjunction with the Department, of Art, Design and Technology, the Virtual Silent Auction fundraised for the Student Scholarship Fund while showcasing the talent of King’s students and alumni. Running from April 7–12, the auction placed six artworks for sale. Over the week, bids were “silently” cast through an online form that was open to bidders across the world. By the closing bid, all the artworks had been sold, with some generating fierce competition. Bidders were not only located in Jordan, but also in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. All of the proceeds of the auction were directed to the Student Scholarship Fund, which supports scholarships for King’s students from Jordan and around the world. The six artworks consist of three sculptures, two prints and one piece of

embroidery. The artists are alumni from the Class of 2016 through students of the Class of 2022, and they prepared the sold artworks during their time at King’s. Since the school’s founding, art has been a graduation requirement for every student. “Art plays a vital role in the development of the individual’s character and is a great reflection of one’s culture and creativity,” explains Chief Advancement Officer Rami Abi Jomaa. “Through this auction, we want to highlight the creativity of our students and alumni and at the same time support student scholarships.” The response to the auction was resoundingly positive, with members of the community calling the initiative “brilliant,” “great news,” and “a creative idea.” One prospective parent who was touring the King’s campus the day after the auction launched had King’s in mind for one of their children but not the other, who is more interested in exploring art. Hearing about the virtual auction, the parent and student were happily surprised to learn about the emphasis King’s places on its arts program, and they are now looking at King’s in a new light. While the Virtual Silent Auction was launched in response to the constraints of the global pandemic, Abi Jomaa aims to make it an annual event, perhaps with in-person bidding once conditions permit.

“Ruba” By Zaid Abduljawad ’20

By Monya Twaissi ’16

By Luay Alhasan ’17

SPRING 2021

Arabic Yearning for Adventure? Students from around the world explain why they love the Arabic Year program at King’s Academy. BY MUNA AL-ALUL

BEYOND KING’S

he founding of King’s Academy was based on a vision that its students would help to build bridges of understanding between the Middle East and the rest of the world. Arabic Year, one of the school’s earliest established programs, provides international students with an opportunity to get to know the real Jordan and the real Middle East. At the same time, the school’s Arab students are introduced to different outlooks on life through their international peers. As noted by His Majesty King Abdullah II, the school’s founder: “At King’s, [students] quickly discover how the differences between us enrich our experiences and broaden our horizons.” With over 100 international students having enrolled in Arabic Year to date, and 80 percent of those students continuing to study Arabic or the Middle East after they leave, King’s and Arabic Year certainly seem to be succeeding in building those bridges. Beyond King’s spoke with Arabic Year alumni to learn more about what made their Arabic Year experiences so memorable.

Learning Arabic

“One of my favorite parts about learning Arabic was demystifying Arabic writing,” said Isabella Drzala ’18, who attended AY in 2018 for her gap year after graduating from The Pingry School in New Jersey. “I loved how Arabic text went, in my mind, from being foreign and merely pretty to actual words and letters. AY gave me a good basis to communicate with others.”

Living the culture and history Taher Vahanvaty ’23 digs in to a traditional Arabic meal at Kan Zaman

Alesia Radzyminski ’21, from Chapin School in New York, who attended AY in 2018-2019, found learning Arabic challenging at the start but soon got a grip on the material. “I completely fell in love with the intertwined challenges and beauty of Arabic,” she says. “Learning Arabic was the most rewarding feeling because I could apply everything I had done in class to the outside world and really see the ways in which language enables deeper cultural understanding.”

For some students, the pull of Arabic Year is the opportunity to learn an ‘exotic’ new language, while for others with ties to the Middle East or Arab roots, connecting with those roots by learning the language is what appeals to them. “I didn’t know very much about the Middle East before coming,” said Taher Vahanvaty ’23, from the United States, who joined Arabic Year in 2019, and who enjoyed his experience so much that he decided to stay on at King’s for the remainder of high school. “AY is rigorous and it takes someone who is passionate about learning, but that is also why it is great because everyone with you is also excited about Arabic and is trying hard.”

AY offers an authentic cultural immersion experience where, in addition to learning about Arab culture and history through lessons and over 20 different trips around the country and region, students interact daily with fellow students and teachers, many of whom are locals, and who often welcome them into the fold of their families. “Some of my fondest memories include traditional Friday lunches with friends’ families,” says Radzyminski. “Also the AY spring break trip to Morocco was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had.” Josie Wender ’22, also from Chapin School, agrees. “I loved the trips — Petra, Wadi Rum, Salt, the Citadel, so many places — they built upon my knowledge of the culture,” she says. “On one trip to Salt, we just walked around the markets and went into museums; we were using Arabic and speaking to people and it was so much fun.” “The trips were very memorable,” concurs Katharina Von Maltzahn ’21 from Chapin School. “My favorite cultural experience though was learning how to cook Middle Eastern food through a cooking lesson in Amman.” “My trip highlights were Wadi Rum and Dana Nature Reserve,” says Louisa Pilhatsch ’19 from Germany, who attended AY on a gap year in 2019. “Seeing the gigantic canyons, with their rough edges, the orange sand,

Katharina Van Maltzahn ’21 hikes in Dana Nature Reserve

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camels and the sunrise — Wadi Rum just enraptures every visitor. Going to Dana right after, you wouldn’t believe you’re in the same country. We climbed lots of mountains and enjoyed a fabulous view over a green valley. Our tour guide made the experience complete. He was a Bedouin and, in half Arabic half English, he explained to us what it is like to grow up being a Bedouin in this area.”

already calling me by my name and invited me for tea in their apartments.” “A standout moment for me was when we went to the Dead Sea and struck up a conversation with a resort staff member,” recalls Vahanvaty. “After five minutes, he was inviting us on his golf cart and giving us a tour. I realized then how friendly Jordanians are and the importance of being able to converse in Arabic and make connections no matter how small.”

Making lifelong friends The biggest worry when moving to a new country and going to a new school, notes Pilhatsch, is making friends. New students soon find that the warm residential environment at King’s makes that easy.

The warmth of Jordanian hospitality Jordan is famous for its hospitality. From the moment they arrive, visitors are made to feel part of the family, King’s AY students say. “I felt incredibly welcome at King’s,” says Von Maltzahn. “From the moment I stepped on campus, all the students and teachers embraced me into the community and made sure that I felt comfortable in my new environment.” “On my first day at King’s, staff, faculty and proctors were everywhere: showing you the way, helping you carry the luggage or just warmly welcoming you with a smile,” Pilhatsch also noted. “I was amazed by how faculty was

AY students unwind at Ajloun Nature Reserve

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An AY class stops for a meal in downtown Amman

“Within the first few days I realized there is no way you won't make any new friendships,” says Pilhatsch. “Since the student body is so international there is so much to find out and ask about. Today, I count friends from all over the world.” Drzala says she is sure that the friendships formed during her year at King’s will last a lifetime. She also values the opportunity to get to know people from a different culture. “Whenever I meet Arabs around the world now, it is instantly easier to relate to one another once they find out that I lived in Jordan.” Von Maltzahn also appreciated being able to get to know students outside of her AY group. “I was placed in various classes with no other AY students, which was so helpful because it allowed me to dive straight into socializing and getting to know people. I loved meeting new people and made really interesting new friends.”

Seeing the world through a new lens For Von Maltzahn, AY gave her the opportunity to venture outside of her comfort zone and travel abroad to expand her outlook on the world. “I found that AY was the best fit for my interests and passions. I wanted to learn Arabic and was also very interested in Middle Eastern history and culture. AY helped me better understand the Arab world through conversations with the diverse student body and teachers and being able to travel around Jordan.” Radzyminski feels similarly about her AY experience. “My time in Jordan changed my worldview completely. I became much more interested and invested in advocacy for the Arab and Muslim communities in the United States, and now have an Arabic Club at my school where I show my peers the beauty of a culture that I am very much attached to.” “Having always been interested in international news and affairs, I wanted to experience the Middle East for myself,” explains Drzala. “I wanted to form my own opinions and judgements rather than learning about the Middle East through the news. AY has definitely changed my outlook on life. I have become more decisive as a person, I’m not as reluctant to put myself out there, and I’ve become more confident in my own abilities.”

Alesia Radzyminski ’21, Isabella Drzala ’18 and Katharina Van Maltzahn ’21 take a nature walk in Ajloun

Feeling safe and welcome Jordan has been repeatedly ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, and for that reason, along with its famed hospitality, it is often listed among the top tourism hotspots. “Though I had never been to Jordan before, I instantly felt safe and looked after and was stunned by the genuine and deep-rooted hospitality that I witnessed,” says Radzyminski. Drzala wholeheartedly agrees: “I always felt safe. If anything, I felt safer in Jordan than at home. As a female, I was never catcalled or shouted at nor did I have to face any other forms of harassment that many women do in their daily lives.” Wender already had a positive perception of the Middle East before coming to Jordan as her parents had visited the region and loved it. She knew, however, that many people

Hiwar and Hot Tea After graduating from high school in her hometown of Bonn, Germany, Louisa Pilhatsch ’19 was looking for a gap year experience that would fulfil her dream of learning Arabic and traveling the Middle East when she stumbled upon Arabic Year at King’s Academy. Read what Pilhatsch has to say about her AY experience. “Hearing personal stories when my Arab friends talked about political and social issues in the Middle East has been crucial to my better understanding certain situations in the Arab world today. I lived with Jordanians, Palestinians, Saudis and many more nationalities who were happy to share with me what it means for them to be Arab. I was encouraged to approach faculty or students to hear and discuss their perspectives over hot tea and Jordanian snacks during our weekly Hiwar (discussion).

didn’t share her viewpoint. “When I told people I was coming to Jordan, they’d ask if it was safe, mainly because of negative media portrayals of the Middle East. I’d tell them: ‘Yes! It’s safe. Just go, you’ll be fine. You will not regret it’.”

Louisa Pilhatsch ’19 explores the ancient Roman city of Jerash

Topics included Arab fashion, the question of honor, the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, or the various forms of the dabkeh dance. This program has taught me to become more open-minded to a new culture, different lifestyles and new perspectives. AY really offers what it promises: a cultural experience and Arabic fluency. Despite how people worried after telling them where I was going, I have never felt so safe anywhere than being a student at King’s Academy. The community did such a great job in always trying to make us foreign students feel at home and taken care of. Jordan is one of the safest places you can be. If you are searching for a lifechanging experience in a foreign culture, if you dream of going on a new adventure that will broaden your horizons and shape you as a person, don’t let this once-in-alifetime opportunity pass you by. Read more about Pilhatsch’s Arabic Year experience and other students’ testimonials on our website.

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Zouheir Al-Ghreiwati '10 Brings Regeneration to the Classroom BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

n 2016, Zouheir Al-Ghreiwati ’10 left a state strategy consulting position in a swanky Manhattan office and moved to a remote sustainability institute in Panama, where the closest neighboring village of 500 people was a two-hour hike away. Leaving the concrete jungle for a real one came with some challenges. Al-Ghreiwati would toil 10 laborious hours per day planting and harvesting vegetables, hauling barrels of molasses to the distillery and repairing the water pipes from the local creek that tended to break during strong rainstorms. He loved it.

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“I learned a lot about hands-on entrepreneurship,” he says. “That’s not big tech start-ups in fancy SoHo buildings raising hundreds of dollars. It’s working directly with farmers, with firsthand producers, with food waste — it’s just a lot closer to nature.” Wanting to share this hands-on knowledge and raise awareness about human impacts on the environment, Al-Ghreiwati moved to Colombia, where he rented out a natural reserve to lead nature-based educational experiences for school and university students. With the students, he would plant local crops, survey local water consumption, learn about math

through pollen collection — “just using nature as the classroom,” he explains. The excitement and environmental consciousness generated among the students made Al-Ghreiwati realize that similar educational experiences should be made available to youth everywhere. He assembled a small team and set to work developing a curriculum based on global education profiles: snapshots of pedagogical practices around the world for grades 1 to 12, and the biological, neurological and emotional changes associated with youth development at every age. After testing several different curriculum structures, the team decided to

Regeneration Comes to the Middle School

structure their curriculum around the 17 UN Global Goals (formerly known as the Sustainable Development Goals). Al-Ghreiwati’s ultimate aim is to introduce the curriculum into grade schools around the world as a new subject called Regeneration. While “sustainability” is more of a current buzzword in climate protection, AlGhreiwati says that the idea doesn’t go far enough. “‘Sustain’ means ‘keeping the same,’ so whatever you take, you give back,” he explains. “But we passed the point of sustainability years ago, because our rhythms of consumption and the deterioration of what is left of our ecosystems cannot continue to provide what we are extracting. ‘Regeneration’ means ‘giving life to life,’ or being able to revitalize.” Regeneration isn’t only limited to environmental issues, Al-Ghreiwati says. “It’s about gender equality, it’s about economic redistribution, it’s about reimagining our food systems and connecting people to water and electricity.” While the goals of Regeneration are lofty, Al-Ghreiwati tailors the curriculum to the locality of each implementing school, making the lessons accessible and relatable to the students. “Tending to these global adversities has to come from an intercultural perspective,” he explains. “No one action can regenerate across the entire world; it has to be localized to the ecosystem, the economy, the health system and so on.”

The curriculum has been successfully implemented in schools across Latin America, though the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some governmental contracts to be temporarily put on hold. In January, AlGhreiwati led a two-week course for the Middle School at King’s Academy (see sidebar) and he is in the process of translating the curriculum from Spanish to English for use in public, private and homeschooling systems around the world. Regeneration has been enthusiastically received by students who “are hungry for global action,” says Al-Ghreiwati. But he wouldn’t call himself optimistic or even pessimistic about the future, because that duality doesn’t leave room for nuance or for other possibilities. “I believe in responsibility. If I am doing my responsibility and I trust that other people are doing their responsibility too, that is how a change of order is going to be not only birthed, but resilient,” he says. Al-Ghreiwati encourages people of all ages who want to learn more about global regeneration or to get involved to start at home. They should research local issues and groups working for change. If no groups or spaces exist that are working on issues of importance, then they have the responsibility to begin the work themselves. “Toni Morrison once said, ‘If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it,’” quotes Al-Ghreiwati.

In January, Regeneration was offered as a course during the Middle School J-Term, a two-week virtual minimester in which students chose one of five subjects to pursue. Al-Ghreiwati led the course on water supply and sanitation, adjusting the curriculum to address issues specific to Jordan. Regeneration was a natural fit for the Middle School, says Lauren Howard, a math teacher and the lead coordinator of the Middle School J-Term. “As a guiding principle, Love of Learning is one of the school’s core values, and the Middle School places huge focus on it,” says Howard. “We are able to do that because we don’t give kids grades or scores, so they’re just learning in order to learn and in order to develop themselves as people. This is the focus of Regeneration as well: it’s to better prepare kids to enter the world as more mindful adults.” Al-Ghreiwati hopes that students carry their sense of playfulness and creativity into their adulthood, which the open-ended curriculum of Regeneration encourages. “Watching kids play, they play without having an outcome,” he says. “This is really different from an adult mindset; the adult is usually doing something to reach a goal.” Play- and learning-oriented teaching allows students to take charge of their education. For their final project, students selected a local issue that they wanted to raise awareness about or solve. One student wrote a poem about Jordan’s endangered white oryx, another conducted an experiment on how music can affect the health of plants, and another invented a biodegradable toothpaste. “It was so amazing for our kids to see an alumnus doing this work, and I think it broadened their perspectives as to what is possible after graduating from King’s Academy,” says Howard.

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DARING TO KARE HOW THE KING’S ACADEMY COMMUNITY MET 2020 HEAD-ON

With the effects of COVID-19 in full swing, last summer King’s Academy mobilized to implement a program of resiliency and care to support quarantined community members and prepare for the start of a radically different school year BY MUNA AL-ALUL

BEYOND KING’S

ast summer, King’s Academy was challenged by the same questions every educational institution around the world was asking itself: with little information on how long the COVID-19 pandemic would last, how would schools open in the fall? Would students remain home and learn online? Would they come back to school but wear masks and maintain physical distancing? How would King’s international students get back to Jordan if the airports were still closed? Despite so many questions and constantly changing scenarios, King’s decided, based on Jordan’s stable epidemiological condition at the time, to open school in person with physical distancing measures for added safety. While the school prepared its campus and classes for these measures, plans were put in motion to help students and faculty abroad return to Jordan. The next hurdle was that everyone arriving to the country would have to go directly to a hotel for 14 days to wait out the government-mandated period of quarantine. Their departure from the hotel would coincide with the return of local boarding students moving to campus, where they would all spend another week, at least, of “cohort quarantine” within their dormitories before transitioning to a physically-distanced school life on campus.

Outside the hotel, the KARE team holds up giant banners to surprise quarantined students and faculty looking out of their windows

“Even before we knew what the school’s opening plans were, we knew, as a theme, that this would be the year of resilience,” says Wellness and Advising Director Nada Dakhil. “We had international kids coming, some completely new to King’s and Jordan, who we would not see or talk to in person for three weeks. This was not a small thing.” The school knew that it had to mobilize quickly to ensure the wellbeing of its quarantining students and faculty, and help them — from a distance — navigate the many new challenges and transitions. What ensued was a whole-school effort to develop an all-encompassing program to support students in quarantine, providing for their minute-to-minute and day-to-day physical, social and emotional needs.

Quarantined students and faculty are in good spirits as they finally head to campus

“We knew we needed to build a special program to understand resilience better and practice it, and there’s no time to teach it slowly, it’s sink or swim,” says Dakhil. The result was the development of the King’s Academy Resiliency Efforts (KARE) program. The KARE program was designed for the very specific circumstances of helping students stay healthy and well in quarantine and beyond, while also providing an orientation opportunity. “It was not easy to create a program from scratch in such a limited time,” says faculty member and Senior Class Dean Maram Haddad. “It was an all-community effort, not just a few people, it was everyone from faculty, purchasing and operational staff, to doctors, nurses and drivers. The commitment was incredible.” The program included three main tools: a printed guide and journal, a special package with essentials for quarantine wellness and activities and a digital platform. “We put this [resilience] philosophy into action by designing a four-week online program and delivery effort,

Luggage is disinfected as it arrives on campus

starting with daily orientation sessions the week before they came,” explains Dakhil. “When you can’t see someone in person and give a hug, words of consolation, or give them a program or a book, you need to deliver it in packages and online. We needed to get over the idea that these are inferior tools; they can be awesome tools to connect.” The KARE team had to put themselves in the shoes of those in quarantine and think about what they would need in their hotel room for two weeks, as once they arrived they could not leave their rooms and deliveries would not be allowed for the duration. “Everything in the program was based on research: how to sit, eat, move, create, be hopeful and encourage yourself when in confinement — it was holistic,” says Dakhil. “It took us all of June, July and August, working nonstop day and night to make this program work,” says school counselor Sarah Nino.

Hundreds of KARE packages are ready for delivery

When students and faculty arrived to the hotel, they found two boxes waiting for them. One was more practical, filled with essentials such as toiletries, cleaning and laundry supplies, a universal outlet plug, healthy snacks, herbal teas and more. The second was the “wellness box” and was filled with supplies to support the activities scheduled for each day of hotel stay. “The vision of it is huge,” says Nino. “The small details are unbelievable, from logistics to purchasing, sterilizing, packing the boxes, designing the whole program, and thinking of all the little things people might need without having ever done something like this before. The KARE package was like a two-week event; everyday they would open the box to discover something in it to do.” The KARE guide provided a suggested schedule of activities and “events” for students to engage in throughout the day. Meals were provided at set times by the hotel, and SPRING 2021

KARE events were organized around them. Divided into categories — motivate, connect, create, challenge, move, watch and play, and explore — the program provided daily opportunities for arts and crafts, exercise, meeting other students and faculty, sessions with a nutritionist or the counselors on different topics, short and fun challenges or brain teasers, touring the school campus virtually, and much more. While most events were optional, some were mandatory, such as daily check-ins and sessions during which students met or reconnected with members of the King’s community, from advisors, dorm parents and deans, to proctors and members of the Student Leadership Council (SLC), who played a major role in the program. “Through KARE, we got to know the international students and enjoyed spending time together doing activities like check-ups, challenges, social sessions, watch parties, and music and game nights,” says SLC member Fanar Al Derzi ’21. “Quarantine can make people feel isolated and increase stress and anxiety. With KARE we learned that coping with stress in a healthy way will make us stronger.”

The winner of a quarantine challenge sends his prize (cake) to another student he feels deserved it

Mask decorating and clay sculpting were just two of the KARE CREATE activities

“The SLC did a great job making it easy to meet new people and also made quarantine fun,” says Arabic Year student Ela Hebeka ’23, a sophomore at Chapin School in New York, who joined King’s for the fall semester. “It was frightening initially just thinking about staying alone for two weeks, especially as it was my first time being away from my family. The KARE community really helped with that; everyone in the group was always open to talk and always super kind and caring.” KARE made a big difference in combatting loneliness, agrees Aya Abdallat ’22. “I found myself experiencing various emotions, like happiness that I had finally made it to my destination but sadness about not being able to see my family. From the very beginning, KARE was there for us. I was able to meet many students who I wouldn’t have met till I arrived on campus or maybe not at all.” Quarantined faculty members also appreciated having the support of the KARE program. “It’s never easy to be in quarantine on your own, but you can choose to make the best of it or to be miserable for two weeks,” says faculty member Lana Abu Khader. “So I challenged myself to do at least one thing from the package every day.” 64

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One day in quarantine, Abu Khader decided to use craft supplies in the box to show gratitude to the hotel staff for their care by decorating her door with a thank you note, and shared a photo with the others during an art session. That action set off a ripple effect; by the next day almost everyone had decorated their doors with thank you notes too. The hotel staff were so touched that they created a thank you video in response. Cohort quarantine began in the fourth week, which in typical years would have been the first week of school starting with in-person orientation and move-in day for boarding students. Because King’s was starting the school year with new physical distancing measures, it was the first time it had to provide orientation to everyone — new and returning students and faculty — and virtually in order to avoid large gatherings. Again, a school-wide effort was mobilized to provide the new virtual program of orientation. Orientation and the KARE program helped ease the transition of both new and returning students starting school — returning students hadn’t been on campus in six months. Quarantined students were welcomed to campus with a red carpet, music, balloons and banners; although faculty and

staff wore masks and had to remain at a distance, it was an emotional moment to see one another in person for the first time. And when local students moved in, there was more celebration and balloons, but it was all hands on deck as parents were asked for the first time not to stay to help their children move in to limit crowds and interactions. Instead, new students were paired with returning students who, along with faculty and staff, helped them move in. “We needed parents — who were dropping off their kids with tons of luggage and emotions — to trust us, that they would be ok,” says Dakhil. “We even gave them a little thank you package on their way out, to acknowledge the hardship and for not succumbing to emotions. Safety first!” Although students were in cohort quarantine, meaning they were limited to socializing with others residing within the same dorm wing while remaining masked and distanced, they were also busy with online orientation and the start of classes, so the KARE program evolved again in week four to provide a dose of entertainment and help build connections.

What ensued was a whole-school effort to develop an all-encompassing program to support students in quarantine, providing for their minute-to-minute and day-to-day physical, social and emotional needs.

“We called it King’s Academy Resiliency Efforts because we knew it would need a lot of effort and stamina,” concludes Dakhil. “It’s the whole community in this struggle together and showing them care and love and thinking of their deeper needs and trying to provide the resources to meet them.”

It’s all hands on deck as the KARE team prepares for international students’ arrival

“We held the quarantine version of Madaba Games,” says Nino. Every day KARE would post one of 13 total challenges, from singing to acting, cooking to origami, arts and crafts to sports. A huge box was delivered to each dorm with everything needed for the activity, which the dorm heads would distribute among their cohorts. Students could participate in person within their cohorts or online, and send photos and videos of their efforts to be judged. “Everyone got involved, it really built team spirit,” adds Nino. After ensuring a strong, spirited start to the year, and as classes got underway, the first iteration of the KARE program ended — over the coming weeks late-arriving students would continue to be welcomed by KARE. However, the spirit and overall philosophy of KARE continued to be in effect throughout the year as new situations and transitions arose, such as a shift back to online learning and the eventual establishment of the Green Zone (see page 6).

“When you see kids impacted as they have been this year by COVID-19, there is no doubt you have to mobilize. Everyone working on KARE was super passionate about this project — helping our students is what fuels us.”

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INTRODUCING THE J-TERM In a year of many changes and “firsts,” last winter King’s Academy added another first to its academic repertoire: the January Term. BY MUNA AL-ALUL “

f there was ever a time to try something new, I think it was 2020, because of COVID-19,” says faculty member and January Term coordinator Mohammad Al-Quraan ’10. A two-week online “minimester” that takes place before the start of the spring semester, J-Term saw both Upper and Middle School students enroll in a variety of short online courses designed and led by King’s faculty that allow students to explore exciting new topics. A short winter term is an increasingly common practice at international universities and boarding schools, according to Al-Quraan, as it offers passion-driven electives that diversify students’ academic interests and opportunities. With 35 courses on a wide range of topics to choose from, J-Term aims to inspire a love of learning and a desire for independent intellectual exploration in students, encouraging engagement, research and critical thinking. J-Term also provides faculty members with the opportunity to do something new by designing and developing courses on subjects they would not normally teach about. “January term was a great experience because it allowed me to teach about something that I am passionate about but that does not always fit into my courses,” says faculty member Ruby Moore-Bloom. According to head of the Department of Art, Design and Technology Judith Goltz, J-Term allowed her to challenge herself by offering a course she had never taught before: Digital Music. “It inspired me to practice skills that I learned many years ago and challenged me to push myself to learn new things as well.” Preparing and completing an entire course online asynchronously was also a new challenge for Al-Quraan, as well as for his students. “Online education isn’t going away after COVID. J-Term was a good step towards giving students some of the practice they need in learning how to be resourceful and responsible with online education.”

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Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Michael Kussaim enjoyed seeing his students exercise true independent learning. “Another advantage was that I could focus more on what the students were creating for me, rather than on preparing the lessons, since I’d already done that ahead of time.” Every course offered a unique structure and topics. Some were centered around learning a skill or exploring a topic, and each course engaged students using a variety of methods, such as through discussions, creating videos, podcasts, artwork or written assignments. Students showed great enthusiasm for J-Term, according to Al-Quraan, who noted that within a day of registration opening, most courses had already reached capacity. “It’s rewarding for me as a teacher to see the students engaged and enjoying it; some really went above and beyond in their work,” says Al-Quraan. Beyond King’s reached out to faculty members and students to learn more about some of the J-Term courses offered this year.

Beyond the Cosmos’ Frontiers Faculty member and Director of Observatory Abdallah Abu Shihadeh offered this course to ignite students’ passion for learning more about the universe. Students had to think critically and creatively by exploring and debating topics such as dark matter, dark energy, the multiverse, the big

bang theory, time travel, and the existence of black holes and wormholes using scientific research and technology. “[The course] fed students’ curiosity and helped them think more deeply about our universe as well as the beauty and simplicity of Planet Earth,” says Abu Shihadeh. “Students were really enthusiastic, and they got creative producing artwork and works of fiction to reflect on what they learned.” “Mr. Abdallah’s course was truly an out-of-this-world experience that we students will cherish forever,” says Raya Helmi ’22. “It promoted a sense of engagement in ways that I’ve never seen before as a second-year student at King’s.”

The Arabian Nights' Entertainments in the Past, Present and Future Faculty member Charlotte Madere offered this course to teach students about the history of familiar narratives — such as “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” — while grappling with literature's role in colonial histories by examining the first English translation of “Alf Laylah wa-Laylah” (“1001 Nights”). “I had a lot of fun with this course, experimenting with different mediums and perspectives to see what my own modern-day adaptation of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” would look like,” says Lina Obeidat ’23. “Through the adaptations we looked at, it was interesting to explore ideas like the West’s depiction of the East, what that meant for us in the past as well as our modern day.”

Unmasking Vaccines “In the year of COVID-19, PCR testing and lockdowns, everyone is looking for a way back to normalcy,” says faculty member Michael Kussaim on why he chose to offer this course. “There are many misconceptions when it comes to vaccines. Allowing students to learn more about vaccines helps them develop their own opinions and allows them to make an educated decision when taking them.” “I liked that we learned about vaccines through different sources,” says Sarah Masadeh ’21. “We didn't only read articles, we watched videos, debates and vlogs, which made the learning process a lot more enjoyable.”

Throughline This course takes its name from an NPR podcast by the same name, and involves “going back in time to understand the present.” According to history teacher Ruby Moore-Bloom, “Students love learning about current events but often lack the historical context to fully understand the situation.” Students listened to Throughline episodes on a wide variety of topics including politics, race and zombies! They analyzed the podcast episodes prior to recording their own podcasts, applying the same approach to a modern-day issue of their choice.

Digital Music This course offered students the opportunity to create their own music, explains Judith Goltz. Students learned the basics of creating and editing digital music using a webbased platform called SoundTrap, including how to layer and create loops, build beats, record and edit tracks, and mixing. They then had to complete four digital music projects. “Digital music is becoming increasingly important as a distinguished art form, especially in the era of COVID-19,” says Goltz. “Many students with no prior musical training were surprised to learn how accessible beat-making is.”

Emotional First Aid for Teens and Pre-Adults, within Our Current Context In times of crisis, the frequency and intensity of mental health needs heighten, which exacerbates the existing lack SPRING 2021

of mental health awareness and services available, according to Director of Wellness and Advising Nada Dakhil, who, alongside School Counselor Sarah Nino, gave this course. “One way around these challenges is to improve everyone’s ability to provide themselves with emotional first aid, and to assess when the situation requires more specialized interventions — just like the model of physical first aid!” says Dakhil. The course included units on empathy and active listening, anxiety and panic attacks, mental health stigmas, grief and COVID. “EFA was by far my favorite out of all the J-Term courses I took,” says Mariam Hadi ’24. “I had creative independence and freedom. It didn't feel like work in the slightest.”

do, such as bringing art and cultural programs to audiences through festivals, exhibits and film screenings. Students developed proposals for a creative business they chose, and recorded videos to pitch their business. “Art gives meaning to our lives and helps us understand our world; it allows us to be open to new ideas and experiences,” says Fanar Al Derzi ’21. “Every person on earth does something connected to art every day without noticing, as it’s everywhere.”

Mathematics through History

As Seen in the Movies Faculty member Ryan Taylor offered this course in which students investigated questions related to their favorite movies. “The last decade has seen an explosion of blockbuster movies, and as such we have seen a lot of crazy and amazing scenes,” says Taylor. Can a car go through a window of the Burj Khalifa and land safely in the building next door? Who is a better non-powered superhero, Batman or Iron Man? Students were tasked with exploring questions such as if a stunt scene from a movie was actually possible, and for their final project they scrutinized a movie or show to develop their own question about a certain scenario, investigating it, then explaining their answer. “As Seen in Movies was an extremely enjoyable course; we got to discuss math, morals, debates, and even our own questions,” says Omar Tahabsem ’24.

In this course, faculty member and alumna Shahd Al-Jawhari ’13 posed the infamous question: “Who has the time to come up with this stuff?” Aiming to inspire in students a curiosity about the development of mathematical concepts, students explore how early math and number systems emerged in different parts of the world over different time periods, as well as the lives of some of the most important mathematicians in history. “Math classes are traditionally dry and focused on formulas and algebra, but telling a story about the Pythagorean Brotherhood and their unusual rituals changes the tone of the class, says Al-Jawhari. “Learning the history of how mathematics emerged is a great way to inspire mathematicians to continue to be curious, which drives all mathematical discoveries, including those that we see today.”

The Evolution of Things

Introduction to Arts Management Faculty member Tania Banna offered this course to show students that their artistic skills could expand beyond the borders of performance. The course introduced students to the business side of the arts, providing an overview of careers in arts management and the work that arts managers 68

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In this course, Al-Quraan invited students to study, analyze and learn how and why everyday objects have come into existence and how they evolved over time, focusing on the recent history of the past few decades. “Technology changes so quickly around us; understanding some of the past trends and how they’re moving is very intriguing to think about, especially when trying to make educated predictions about what future technology will look like,” says Al-Quraan.

J-Term at the Middle School Although short-term courses and projects are nothing new for King’s middle schoolers, who at the end of every semester take part in minimesters — multidisciplinary research and projects that demonstrate what they have learned over the course of the semester — J-Term offered a range of fascinating new course options. Students took five courses each: two of the five electives offered by King’s faculty, in addition to two courses provided by Global Online Academy (GOA), an online educational initiative of which King’s is a founding member. For their fifth course, students signed up for Regeneration, a course about sustainable development led by King’s alumnus Zouheir Ghreiwati ’10 (see article on page 60).

The Learning Brain This GOA course posed the question: “How well do students understand their own brains?” Students were introduced to methods for approaching their own learning, both in the classroom and when studying outside of class. “Students learned about the brain and about different learning styles, and they gained insight into how they best learned,” says faculty member and Middle School J-Term coordinator Lauren Howard. “It was a fascinating metacognitive experience for our kids.”

personalized wellness toolkit packed with life hacks to serve them throughout their time in school and beyond. They identified their strengths, learned how to use them when faced with challenges and explored strategies to change the way they think to affect how they feel and act. Reflecting on the course, one eighth grader commented: “It made me discover myself on the inside; it gave me the opportunity to open up.”

CREST Bronze Award Projects Faculty member Gamze Pultz led this course that prepares middle school students for the UK-based CREST Bronze Awards. CREST is the British Science Association's scheme for STEM project work that inspires young people to think and behave like scientists and engineers. For her CREST project, Tara Baloula ’26 investigated which organic oils and chemicals would make the best acne product for teenagers. “I learned how to find a scientific solution to any problem and how to calculate and explain my results,” she says. “It helped me in real life situations too because I created an acne product, which led to my own hand sanitizer business and I started to sell hand sanitizer!”

Building Utopia

Growth, Grit and Gratitude In this GOA course, framed around the three concepts of growth, grit and gratitude, students designed a

Students taking this course, led by faculty members Aileen Eisenberg and Whiting Tennis, delved into the concept of “utopia” to explore the fundamental questions of how societies are — and should be — organized. “We wanted to provide students with an intellectual sandbox to explore the concept of an ideal society,” note Eisenberg and Tennis. “This course allowed students to question whether a perfect society could exist and which organizing principles they would want to prioritize if they were to build one.

IN A WORD,

KING’S The Class of 2020 Found New Ways to Connect during Lockdown BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

Senior spring is always a bittersweet period of growth, transition and goodbyes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2020 was unable to celebrate their hard work, friendships and future as a class. Yet through new avenues online, the seniors found ways to cherish one another and their King’s experience. The Class of 2020 embodied the King’s Academy ethos of creating bridges across difference and distance, and rising to challenges by turning them into opportunities for growth and connection.

arch 12, 2020 was a turning point for the senior class, King’s Academy and the population of Jordan. That Thursday started out like any other, though a relaxed attitude permeated the King’s Academy campus as students, teachers and staff looked forward to the coming Spring Break. The senior class pulled off an elaborate, fun prank: sneaking hundreds of plastic balls into the Student Union, creating a ball pit that even then-Dean of Students Julianne Puente jumped into. As students and faculty walked to the Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium

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for School Meeting, a noticeable shift filled the air. A massive dust storm was rolling in, turning the sky a deep orange. Early dismissal was announced. Increasing wind blew grains of sand into open eyes and mouths, making the few community members who happened to have a face mask put it on — in retrospect, a portent of what was to come. That Thursday was the last that the 2019-2020 King’s Academy community would share together. On March 14, the government announced that schools, borders and airports were to be closed, and public gatherings banned in an effort to prevent the

spread of COVID-19. The King’s campus closed to non-residents, and all aspects of student life moved online — including pivotal moments in the senior spring experience such as prom and graduation. Suddenly isolated from their peers and friends when the country moved to implement a total lockdown, a group of seniors virtually got together to find a way to celebrate the climax of their time at King’s. And thus, “Seniors vs. 2020” was born. “During my time at King’s, I’ve always felt this anticipation at the back of my mind as I approach my senior year of high school,” says Ayesh Awad

in the first episode of “Seniors vs. 2020,” a five-part short video series made by and for the Class of 2020. “We made a series for the senior year that we didn’t really experience. Something to look back on in five, 10 or even 20 years.” Each of the episodes approaches a different aspect of the senior experience: from memories of the first days at King’s, to the emotional toll of the college process and navigating decision results, to faculty members reminiscing about what made this class special. The 14 seniors involved in the project reached out to every member

of the senior class in interviews conducted by Zoom, highlights of which are featured in the YouTube series. In the final episode, “Last Day?”, students were asked to describe their King’s experience in one word. The 98 words and phrases (including a few repeated selections) are reprinted on this page. You can view the video by scanning the QR code below.

Seniors vs. 2020 committee Ayesh Awad Haya AlMajali Tala Alshathry Noredeen Al-Zu’bi Ahmad Al-Zu’bi Jad Bataha Tala Fakhoury Suhaib Hamadeh Seokhyeon Hong Salam Karadsheh Banah Khamis Zeid Mustafa Ghayda Obeidat Hannah Szeto

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BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

BY MUNA AL-ALUL 72

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n August 26, 2020, 160 cars pulled into the Abdali Boulevard parking lot, vacant except for a large screen at one end. Turning their radios to a specified channel, riders could tune in to the first-ever Amman International Film Festival (AIFF). Premiering that night was the short Jordanian film Huda, starring King’s Academy’s own Hayat Abu Samra ’10. Huda tells the story of a young woman who is pressured into marrying an abusive partner. The film, which won the Black Iris Award for Best Short Film, packs heavy social commentary in its scant 12-minute runtime. It wasn’t Abu Samra’s first time behind the camera: she also starred in a short student film and a short silent film. Abu Samra has been acting her whole life. She recalls “being so young and reenacting everything I saw on screen.” Growing up with a lot of American movies and a lack of internationally-renowned films in Arabic led her to believe that English was necessary for pursuing a career in cinema. Her extensive training in school and dedicated acting and theater programs were conducted

entirely in English, creating a language barrier for her in Huda, as she had grown accustomed to acting in English rather than Arabic. “I want to tell stories that people who grow up here can actually relate to, can actually see themselves in,” says Abu Samra. “Stories that don’t force people to keep looking outside for things that are relatable: our language, our relationship with our language and how complicated that is, our history and our culture.” A political science graduate from Swarthmore College, Abu Samra wants to achieve social, political and cultural activism through art. While she initially believed that acting was “all or nothing,” she came to realize through her Master of Arts in Art and Public Policy at New York University that art and activism are not mutually exclusive — they are mutually reinforcing. “I think by default every artist is somewhat of an activist because all art comes from real life,” says Abu Samra. “Art and especially acting are much more relatable and human ways to get your message across and to tell stories that create empathy for people, and I think that’s a big part of being an activist.”

All these things that define me — 'she’s Jordanian, a woman, a Muslim' — all these things completely disappeared when I was acting.

Abu Samra aims to take on roles that, “as global and universal as they can be, ultimately are really made for the local community.” Through working on films by, about and for local communities, Abu Samra is able to craft “three-dimensional” portraits of people, rather than the oftenstereotypical portrayals of the region by international filmmakers.

It was during her postgraduate gap year at Deerfield Academy that Abu Samra realized the power of acting to pull down walls of misconception and craft stories with universal resonance. “It was hard being the international postgrad student while everyone else was off at college,” she says of her Deerfield experience. “Acting was the one thing that I felt very confident in and that took away all my insecurities. All these things that define me — ‘she’s Jordanian, a woman, a Muslim’ — all these things completely disappeared when I was acting.” In taking away these labels, Abu Samra is able to explore a wide variety of characters: from domestic abuse survivor, to breast cancer patient, to a young woman on the Autism spectrum. Over her years in acting, Abu Samra has honed her method for developing characters in roles far beyond her lived reality. “First I understand who this character is, outside of myself,” she explains. “What her story is, what her motives are — completely dissecting the character as she is and as she’s written.” Next, she begins researching by finding data related to the role (for example, what the side effects of

chemotherapy are) and supplementing her research by talking to actual people who have been through the same or similar experiences as the character. “From there, I put all this information in a box inside my heart and my head and I go back to the script,” says Abu Samra. “I find ways to relate to the character: places where you might not have gone through the same exact experience or situation, but how the person is feeling can be relatable, whether it’s loss or something else.” Abu Samra’s character development is earning her recognition within Jordan’s burgeoning local cinema scene: in addition to the AIFF award presented to Huda, the short student film Hayat, starring Abu Samra, won the Jury and Audience prizes in the Royal Film Commission’s Jordanian Short Film Competition. With these achievements already under her belt, Abu Samra’s future in cinema looks bright. Even so, her goals for the future are modest, reflecting her lifelong commitment to storytelling. “I just continue to hope that I can build a bigger platform to connect with people to tell stories,” she says. “And that I would love to do through acting and through writing.”

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IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY His Arabic declamation touched on a topic Hashem Yaish ’21 is all too familiar with: thriving in the face of whatever challenge life throws your way BY MUNA AL-ALUL

Hashem Yaish '21 and his family host an off-campus Senior Jacket Party for seniors who could not join their peers on campus during the Green Zone.

hen Hashem Yaish ’21 orated his Arabic declamation, its powerful message of perseverance in the face of adversity struck a chord in many throughout the King’s Academy community who found that they could relate to it in their own personal way. 74

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What was particularly impressive about Yaish’s declamation was that the delivery of it, in classical or fusha Arabic, was in itself a manifestation of that message. When Yaish joined King’s in the eighth grade, coming from another English curriculum-based school, he could barely read or write in Arabic, let alone speak in fusha.

Five years later, with the support and encouragement of his teachers including Mu’nis Mhiedat, his Arabic teacher this year, Yaish was able to embrace the opportunity and push through one of his own personal adversities in order to deliver a message — in Arabic — that was in equal parts motivational and inspiring.

While advanced-level Arabic students must write their own declamations, intermediate-level students like Yaish can select a prewritten text to make their own; however, that comes with its own challenges. “It was quite difficult to read and find an appropriate text, but I focused on finding a piece of writing that I could connect to and understand, so that I could clearly convey a strong positive message through my reading of it,” says Yaish. Although he admits the process of learning to pronounce every word correctly and to keep practicing it was “quite laborious and time consuming,” the effort was in keeping with his message. “It is generally about trying things and excelling despite those difficulties, and how a person can rise above any obstacle he or she is presented with,” explains Yaish. If overcoming language difficulties wasn’t reason enough, there was another reason why Yaish’s declamation resonated so deeply with his audience. His message was profoundly personal to him in another way. “I am disabled and face challenges in my everyday life,” explains Yaish, who has cerebral palsy (CP). “Luckily, I have a very supportive family and people around me to help me deal with and overcome those challenges.” Yaish credits his time at King’s for helping him to become far more independent than he had been at his previous school, where he had been assigned the assistance of a scribe to help him write assignments and during exams. At King’s he was encouraged not to use a scribe, instead receiving academic assistance through the Learning Center. Being a student at King’s also helped Yaish develop his passion for diplomacy and international relations, which he was able to explore through his participation in the King’s Academy Model United Nations (KAMUN) conferences and co-curricular program. “One of my brothers was really invested in MUN and I wanted to emulate him ever since I was a young

child and one way to do that was through MUN,” says Yaish. “Although I was originally inspired by my brother to begin my MUN journey, I’ve had my own unique experience.” Yaish started out as a delegate, and rose in the KAMUN ranks to become a chairperson, a president, and this year headed the Mini-KAMUN where he was responsible for teaching Middle School students all about the MUN, its values, principles, concepts and ideas they are unfamiliar with. “I learned about a variety of global issues, but more importantly I learned values and principles like cooperation, teamwork, compromise and how to lead by example through KAMUN,” explains Yaish. “So, I’m passing on the knowledge and information I’ve learned to them.” Teaching younger students is something Yaish has become invested in after spending his summer break engaged in a community service initiative that involved teaching English language and conversation skills and important life skills to disadvantaged children. “I really wanted to connect with and help children who don’t have the opportunity or time to attend good schools,” says Yaish. “Although it was a difficult thing to do, teaching them, I really felt that they became more excited and enthusiastic to learn because of the time I spent with them.” With his passion for social justice issues and for serving his community, Yaish has found a good fit in

Georgetown University, which he will start attending in the fall. As part of the university application process, Yaish wrote a series of essays in which he discussed his disability, his involvement in MUN, and other community service initiatives. “Writing the essays was a rather interesting opportunity for me to reflect on what I’ve done and the challenges that I’ve overcome,” says Yaish. “It also allowed me to share my voice on some important issues relating to people with disabilities and how I don’t necessarily believe that having a disability gives you a disadvantage. Rather, you should use your disability as a driving force to ensure that you excel and thrive in whatever you do.” Yaish is excited to embark on his next chapter at university, where he wants to study subjects that will teach him more about politics and international relations, and help him find ways to work on resolving important global crises and issues. “I really want to find a way in which I can better the world,” he says. In the meantime, reflecting on his final year at King’s that, due to the pandemic, has been a bittersweet experience for him and his fellow seniors, Yaish has some advice for younger students. “Appreciate and cherish each moment you spend with your friends and teachers, and really try to think positively and optimistically about your time at King’s and any experience or activity you are involved in.”

Yaish takes the stage at KAMUN to address delegates

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In Memory of Atef Abu Sarris, Smiling Down on Us from Heaven BY MUNA AL-ALUL

is warm smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his innate kindness touched hearts wherever Atef Abu Sarris went. His sudden passing in February, after a short but brave fight against cancer, was a shock to the King’s Academy community. For the past 14 years, he was no less to this community — his second family — than a father, a brother, a friend, a mentor, a colleague, a teacher, and simply, a pure-hearted human being. Abu Sarris was one of the founding fathers of King’s, heading the Arabic section of the Department of Communication, Rhetoric and Literary Arts (CRLA) in 2007, its first year. 76

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During the search for an Arabic teacher, Dean of Academic Affairs Mazen Jarrar recalls Founding Headmaster Eric Widmer’s excitement about the “great and wonderful teacher” he had just interviewed. “That was the impression everyone meeting him received and continued to have of him,” says Jarrar. Abu Sarris had spent 12 years teaching Arabic at schools in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, before returning to Jordan to work at schools in Amman including Amman National School and Rawdat Al-Maaref Schools and College (RAMS), where he was head of the Arabic department. English teacher and longtime friend and colleague Sharifa Rawi-Sukhun

first met Abu Sarris in 1990, when they worked at RAMS together. “He was consistently his cheerful and kindhearted self,” remembers RawiSukhun. “Sometimes I’d recite one verse of poetry in the faculty lounge and ask him about the next one I’d forgotten, and he would immediately rebound with the correct verse. Atef gave a lot of himself, not only to his students and colleagues, but to anyone who asked for his help. In his love of literature, and teaching of it, Atef was both constant and consistent. When I think of Atef, I feel he is still with us, through his words, his anecdotes, and his everlasting smile.” Abu Sarris was not only a peer but a mentor to his colleagues, according to

Arabic teacher Mu’nis Mhiedat. “Ustaz Atef was a model of kindness with everyone he knew, from teachers, to students and colleagues. He loved people, and endeavored never to have conflict with anyone, always encouraging us and showing appreciation of our work, and guiding us with the depth of his experience and knowledge. We would share our accomplishments with him, and consult him when we struggled, and always found in him what we needed.” Dean of the Faculty Lili Audeh recalls the kindness with which Abu Sarris treated her son Adam Abadilah ’17 when he taught him in grade 11: “Adam always said Ustaz Atef was one of the kindest and most loving teachers he had. He taught so much more than Arabic. He taught him the meaning of presence, because whenever Atef spoke with you he listened with his entire being. He was true to his name. Atef means ‘the one who gives affection and compassion.’ Zuhaira Salman, faculty member in the Department of History, Religion and Society, remembers how welcoming Abu Sarris was on her first day at King’s: “I remember the first time I met him: it was a warm, sunny day, his smile made it even warmer! Mr. Atef lived his life as a strong believer, full of certainty and tranquility. He taught me that the key to the best teaching is to have a strong, warm relationship with students. He was very approachable which allowed him to build strong connections with his students. He once told me, ‘grades are meant to encourage students’ growth, not to be a tool to make them suffer.’” Abu Sarris implanted in his students an appreciation of the Arabic language, and a love for their roots. His extensive knowledge of the language and its literature served to inspire and motivate them. He was often the first to encourage and embolden his students to aim higher and step outside their comfort zone: to write and publish their work, to enter competitions, to act in the annual Arabic play that he directed with such humor and enthusiasm, or to orate at the declamations, the winners of which he took such pleasure and pride announcing each year.

...‫أصبحت فينا‬ ‫ واليوم‬،‫كنت معنا‬ َ َ ،‫باألمس‬ ...‫جلي ا‬ ً ‫ واليوم ت رُس ُم ه لنا‬،‫شدنا الط ريق‬ ًّ ‫واضحا‬ ُ ‫ كنت ت ر‬،‫باألمس‬ ...‫ واليوم ن ِمت ق ر َير العين مطمئ ًنا‬...ً‫قفت شامخا‬ َ ‫ و‬،‫باألمس‬ ‫ددت َيدك ل ُت َ ن‬ ...ً‫ واليوم ُم ّد ْت أعم الُك ْحب ًال موصوال‬...‫ساعدا‬ ّ ‫ َم‬،‫باألمس‬ ...‫فت ب أبواب كينغز ُوغ فرات ِه ا‬ َ ‫ ُط‬،‫باألمس‬ ...‫واليوم ُجزيت – بإذن اهلل – غ فر َة جنةِ الخلد‬ ‫بما‬ .‫عملت وع ّل مت و ّقدمت‬ َ ...‫باألمس كانت أنفا ُسك ودعواتُك تضيف َع َب قاً إلى المكان‬ ُ ‫واليوم جاء هذا ا‬ :‫لمرض الخبيث ليحقق ق وله تع الى‬ َّ ِ‫وت إ َِّل ب ِ ِإذْ ن‬ "ً‫الل ِ ك ِ َتابًا ُم َؤ َّج ًل‬ َ ‫" َو َم ا كَا َن ل ِ َن ْف ٍس َأنْ تَ ُم‬ ...‫سنفتقدك أستاذ عاطف‬

Arabic teacher Hani Olayyan shared these poignant words: “When they said: Everyone’s name is his destiny, they were not wrong. Your name is ‘compassion,’ how could you not be? You had compassion for the young, for the old — you extended a helping hand to everyone who knocked at your door. No one left disappointed, they all found their way, through you. Perhaps your smile — yes, your smile alone — was sufficient to impart to them the hope and positive energy you had to share.”

Mohammad AlAshkar, head of CRLA – Arabic, captured the love, appreciation and sorrow felt by the whole community in verses he composed to bid Abu Sarris farewell. (Read poem above.) To say that Atef Abu Sarris will be deeply missed is an understatement. He will always remain in the hearts and memories of his King’s Academy family. A memorial ceremony will take place at King’s to remember and honor him, when conditions allow.

Students Remember Atef Abu Sarris “He had a big heart and always cared about his students. His classes were always full of fun and laughter, but at the same time after each lesson we would know more about language, life and culture.” — Sarah Anabtawi ’21 “Ustaz Atef’s classes weren’t just Arabic language, we learned about manners, ethics and religion. We were excited to go to every class, we looked forward to going to his classes just to see him.” — Fawzi Al Jawhari ’20 “The loveliest thing about Ustaz Atef was his smile, whether it was in the classroom or the hallway or anywhere else, when you saw his smile it would make you happy.” — Ayesh Awad ’20

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IN MEMORIAM JUDE ASWAD ’11 Faculty and friends remember the spirited alumna, who passed in September 2020.

“

ude was such a personality when at King's. She was just so lovable and fun! Jude was one of the kids you could laugh with, because she could laugh at herself. She was the first student I suspended — ON DAY ONE! She stepped over the threshold in the boy’s dorm and home she went for two days. At the end of the first year she and I put her discipline letter in the time capsule, both of us writing a little message on the letter. Jude's message said, 'I was framed!' My note proclaimed her going down in history as King's first suspension and that she was guilty as charged! That's the kind of humor you could have with Jude — she was that kind of kid. Jude was special, and despite some of her challenges, we all knew how worth any effort she was. Her smile would get you ever time. She was beloved and I'm going to miss her energy and wit.” Wendy Bradley, former dean of students 78

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“A month and a half into the first semester of the first year of King's Academy (October 2007), a few members of the faculty took a safari trip to Kenya; John Leistler and myself included. In the wild Serengeti, we all broke into song: a rendition of the Beatles' 'Hey Jude' that we dedicated to our favorite firecracker. As uneventful as this 'story' is, it's important to note that Jude wasn't physically present with us on the trip — it just shows the impact she has. Of the 100 students that we had met in less than two months, Jude is the one who stood out. Yes, some of it was due to her mischievous ways, but she stood out because she was endearing, charismatic and we loved her; she was one we wanted to talk with and talk about because she was special. If Jude is anything, she is unforgettable. It's no secret that Jude and I hung out a lot, and that I loved her with all my heart. Although I am completely heartbroken, I will celebrate the light and infectious laughter she brought and the twinkle in her eye, because Jude was always an ambassador of celebration and joy. Soar high my Jude. I love you.” Zeina Othman, Jude’s advisor “Heaven is made for sweet young souls like you Jude. You are a friend, you are family and your presence is deeply missed. I only pray that you’re at peace in every way that you deserve.” Hayat Abu Samra ’10

“Jude was always a force to be reckoned with. You knew when she walked in the room as she had such a unique and special presence that we all absolutely loved growing up. She will be deeply missed.” Layla Al-Naif ’11 “Rest in peace, angel! You were so loved; your smile literally lit up the room! Love you always.” Farrah Matalka ’11

King’s Remembers Founding Supporter Tawfiq Fakhouri BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

n November, King’s Academy lost a founding donor, loyal supporter and King’s grandparent with the passing of Tawfiq Fakhouri, the founder of Al Eqbal Real Estate Development and former executive chairman of Bank of Jordan. Born to a modest family in Jaba’, a town northeast of Jerusalem, Fakhouri and his family were forcibly displaced, preventing Fakhouri from finishing his higher education. Yet Fakhouri carved his path to success through ambition, hard work and persistence. An avid philanthropist, Fakhouri invested time, counsel and funding to a variety of organizations, initiatives and activities — including King’s Academy.

Fakhouri’s generous gifts to King’s over the years have helped the school to become the reputable institution it is today and have opened the gates of King’s to bright students from across the region. Fakhouri and his family have deep ties to King’s Academy. His children and their spouses, Shaker and Suha Fakhouri and Samer and Maram Fakhouri, have contributed extensively to fundraising activities and school developments. King’s is especially proud that the family has named the Tawfiq Fakhouri courtyard on campus. Five of Fakhouri’s grandchildren have attended or are currently attending King’s: Ayah Fakhouri ’19, Tala Fakhouri ’20, Sarah Fakhouri ’22, Jafar Fakhouri ’23 and Nimat Fakhouri ’25.

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SCHOOL NEWS in brief KING’S STUDENT LEADS MASK DISTRIBUTION CAMPAIGN In February, as students nationwide got the go-ahead to begin to return to in-person learning, King’s student Sara Shibli ’23 led a community service initiative to distribute masks to public school students. Shibli contacted public and private institutions to ask for donations of masks and succeeded in collecting almost 3,000 single-use and reusable masks. The masks were distributed in cooperation with the King’s Round Square Office to three public schools in Madaba.

JORDAN’S YOUTH TACKLE LOCAL ISSUES AT SIXTH JMP In March, King’s hosted the sixth annual Jordan Model Parliament (JMP) conference. One hundred and twenty students representing 15 public and private schools around the kingdom participated in the virtual event, discussing and proposing solutions to some of the country’s most pressing issues. HE Nadia Al Saeed, the CEO of Bank al Etihad, addressed participants as the conference’s keynote speaker at the opening session. Filmmakers and co-founders of At Films Ala Hamdan and Tareq Baddar were guest speakers at the closing session.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT SHEDS LIGHT ON COMMUNITY IN CRISIS Tara Abu Ghazaleh ’22, in coordination with the Round Square Office, organized a virtual community engagement event in April for students to learn more about people living with intellectual disabilities. Talking to employees and members of the Sana for Special Needs organization, students and faculty learned about the aims of the organization and spoke directly with individuals with intellectual disabilities about their lives, interests and challenges they face, particularly during the pandemic.

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COHESION, SOLIDARITY EMPHASIZED AT KAMUN 2021 The King’s Academy Model United Nations (KAMUN) 2021 conference took place virtually this March, with over 200 local and international delegates including delegates from schools in Australia, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This conference was held under the theme “Cohesion in Crisis.” According to Secretary General Ali Abu Ghosh ’21, with all of the uncertainty of the past year due to the pandemic, the secretariat wanted to emphasize that by working together as one cohesive unit, students can overcome any barriers imposed upon them. The honorary guest speaker for the closing ceremony was American writer, activist and political commentator Phyllis Bennis, a key figure in the academic study of the United Nations, IsraelPalestine and the Middle East.

NASA EXPERT TALKS INNOVATION In April, King’s hosted a webinar titled “A Future with Innovation” with guest speaker Dr. Omar Hatamleh, the head of technology integration at NASA. Students, faculty and parents attended the webinar, which shone light on how the exponential increase in the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has social and economic impacts on people, organizations and jobs. During the webinar, Dr. Hatamleh — who has worked at NASA for 25 years and has authored the book Between Brains about the impact of AI and technology on the future of jobs, ethics, technologies and economies — explained these impacts. He also discussed how to increase creativity and innovation, and how to prepare ourselves for an unpredictable future.

KING’S MOURNS LOSS OF MOHAMMAD AL-JARRAH, WHO KEPT CAMPUS RUNNING In January, King’s Academy lost a dear member of its family, Facilities and Grounds Team Leader Mohammad Al-Jarrah. Al-Jarrah joined King’s in 2007, quickly becoming known among staff, faculty and students as a friendly community member, always ready to help others. Al-Jarrah worked with each campus zone’s supervisors, training and empowering staff, demonstrating how to take responsibility of their work and always going above and beyond in everything he did for his colleagues, the students and the school.

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Advancing Alumni The Advancement Office has been hard at work this year to develop new avenues for alumni connection and engagement with the school. BY JOHANNA LEE ’13

BEYOND KING’S

APPlying the Alumni Network In February, the Advancement Office, in partnership with the King’s Academy Alumni Association (KAAA), launched two mobile applications to encourage alumni interconnection and networking and to provide career services and mentoring. “We as a school have a long-lasting relationship with our alumni,” explains Rami Abi Jomaa, chief advancement officer at King’s. “These alumni apps are one of several avenues that build up our alumni relations program in order to nurture this lifelong relationship and network for our alumni.” The applications, available for mobile download and desktop access, provide access to two different platforms. The King’s Academy Community Platform allows alumni to connect with one another through its social network and mentoring program. Alumni can create and join closed groups by location, topic and class year; message one another; share photos and post job openings at their organizations. The mentorship tool matches alumni in similar fields or with similar interests, allowing alumni to share their knowledge, guidance and connections with one another. The other application, Localized, is a career services platform that provides alumni with exclusive access to career-seeking and building advice, virtual job fairs and webinars led by industry experts. “One thing that’s great about Localized is that it’s focused more on the Middle Eastern aspect,” says Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Officer Atithya Ghai. Localized connects King’s alumni with industry experts and hiring employers across the Middle East and beyond, and provides content in both Arabic and English. Thanks to the KAAA Board and other alumni who have generously given their time, both apps went through a quality assurance and testing process prior to being fully launched. “The point of these apps is community-building, affinitybuilding, and making sure that alumni still feel connected to their alma mater years after graduating,” explains Ghai.

“We want alumni to know that we at King’s want to care for them through career services, having events on campus and around the world, and making them feel like King’s is still home for them.”

Find out more To learn more about the alumni platforms and register online, visit: https://www.kingsacademy.edu.jo/ alumni/portals.

Did you know? Class rings are traditionally worn on the fourth finger of the right hand. If the wearer is still a student, they should wear the ring with the school insignia facing inward. Upon graduation, the wearer can turn the insignia to face outward.

King’s Bling During their time at King’s, students receive several mementos that can be cherished for many years after their graduation, including their freshman time capsule letter, art class creations, senior jackets and graduation caps and gowns. The school is adding another keepsake for alumni to remember and celebrate their connection to the school and to one another: a class ring. The rings are made of silver and feature the lion insignia and school name in English and Arabic. Each ring will have the year of graduation engraved on the inner band. Alumni can order their class ring by visiting the Advancement Office or sending an email to alumni@kingsacademy.edu. jo and specifying their class year and ring size. A portion of the ring sales will go towards supporting student scholarships.

Alumni Cards The benefits of a King’s Academy education last a lifetime. With the new alumni membership cards, these benefits are more tangible than ever. The cards offer exclusive perks to all KAAA members, like access to campus, the library and gym and will serve, in the near future, as a loyalty card at various retailers, restaurants and service providers in Jordan. Alumni should upload a passport-style photo online (https:// www.kingsacademy.edu.jo/alumni/ id-form) to register for their card, which can be picked up at the Advancement Office. SPRING 2021

CLASS NOTES 2010 HAYAT ABU SAMRA As always, Hayat is wearing many hats: production assistant at Pan East Media, language consultant at The Public Theater, president of the King’s Academy Alumni Association, and the star of several local productions! To read more about Hayat’s work in film and theater see page 72. ZOUHEIR AL GHREIWATI From his base in New York City, Zouheir runs the educational venture regenÜrate, which is working to create a new school course called “Regeneration.” Designed for grades 1–12, Regeneration is based on the UN Global Goals. Learn more about Regeneration — and its implementation at King’s — on page 60. DANA ALJAWAMIS Still working at the Royal Hashemite Court in Amman, Dana has switched from strategic communications and media planning to working in national investments development and industries productivity enhancement. GHASSAN GAMMOH After King’s sadly bid adieu to Ghassan, who taught at the school for six years, he joined the Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah as a consultant, and Al Hussein Technical University as an English Instructor. TAMARA JABER Tamara graduated from medical school in 2016 and is currently in her third year as a resident at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Jordan Hospital. While she’s been busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at work, she found time to celebrate her marriage in August 2020 — congratulations and thank you for your service!

The beautiful bride Tamara Jaber ’10 on her wedding day, August 6, 2020

BEYOND KING’S

JAMES “NICK” LEE After working in research at Tufts University and Boston Children’s Hospital, Nick enrolled in Tufts University School of Medicine. He will complete his MD in 2024. HAYA MUASHER Haya is continuing to forge her way in an exciting career in fashion! After working for Dolce & Gabbana, she joined Startupbootcamp FashionTech in Milan as their head of media relations. SANAD QARRAIN After graduating from King’s, Sanad attended the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration. After working for a few years, he went on to pursue an MBA at London Business School, from where he graduated in 2020. HAMZEH QUDAH A member of King’s first graduating class, Hamzeh joined the American University of Madaba’s inaugural graduating class. There, he studied risk management. After graduating, he worked for a year in the financial sector before switching to nonprofit work, including with the European Union, USAID, INTERSOS and Jordan’s Ministry of the Interior. Hamzeh returned to King’s in fall 2020 as a faculty assistant in the Green Zone. Read more about his experience there on page 51. RINAD SALAITA Rinad is currently pursuing her MA degree in Global Human Development at Georgetown University. She got married in November — best wishes to the happy couple!

2011 MALIK AL-JABORI After working in Iraq for three years as a legal consultant for a number of international companies, and as a legal expert in the Iraqi Prime Minister Advisory Committee, Malik established a legal consultancy firm in London in 2019. He is also currently pursuing a Ph.D. in commercial law from the University of Hull in the UK. RAJA BADR-EL-DIN Raja and his wife recently moved from Maui, Hawaii to Santa Cruz, California. They are continuing to grow their furniture and home decor studio, JOHI: https://www.hellojohi.com. FARAH KASIH Advancing further into digital entrepreneurship, Farah is the technical liaison and digital business sector office at Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship. She is working on the Youth, Technology and Jobs Project. FARRAH MATALKA When she’s not continuing her work with PwC Amman as a data analyst, Farrah is working on Giving Joy, the charity initiative she founded in 2018. Learn about her work to spread joy throughout Jordan on page 42. MOHAMMAD ORAN Mohammad is the founder of consumer services company, Sweepy Technologies Inc. He is based in Amman.

Congratulations to Rinad Salaita ’10 and her husband on their lovely wedding!

ABDULKAREEM SHERAIF In 2016, Abdulkareem completed his master’s degree in comparative politics at LSE. He now works at Elixer, a Jeddah-based consulting firm owned and managed by McKinsey.

2012 KHALOOK AL-YASSIN Khalook has been steadily advancing his way up the business ladder, culminating with his onboarding at YouTube in 2018 as a strategic partner manager. In March, Khalook was the first alumnus to be featured in the King’s Alumni Talks series on the Localized platform (read more about Localized on page 82). Khalook shared some advice with alumni tuning into the talk. “There are two things” to advance your career, he said. “One, you have to be as consistent as you can in trying to find opportunities. You have to figure out your own way and push for more and more opportunities. [It required] a lot of networking and meeting different people and understanding different skill sets from different people and putting myself into deep ends with specific projects and learning on the road. Be open to learning and be open to different opportunities. Another thing is to always ask for help. There are people who are older than you that will know more and that have done more. Just keep asking for advice.” Reflecting on his favorite memories from King’s, Khalook said: “Being part of the football team gave me the best memories; I am still friends with my teammates today. I was also very close to my advisory group and we still keep in touch quite frequently. My favorite classes were AP Modern European History and AP Calculus.”

Khalook Al-Yassin ’12 speaks during the first installation of Alumni Talks on Localized.

MOHAMMED ASHOUR Mohammed is working as a project engineer at Dar Al-Handasah, an international multidisciplinary consultancy specializing in engineering and design. KAREEM AYYAD Based in Dubai, Kareem is a partner at DSGN ST. — a group of designers, product experts, and developers that specialize in mobile apps, web design, enterprise solutions and artificial intelligence. Kareem is also the founder and CEO of Cerebian, a wearable brain-computer interface-based operating system (BrainOS). To learn more about Cerebian, see page 20. JUDE BARAKAT Still with Blackstone in New York City, Jude was recently promoted to associate. Congratulations, Jude! MAJD MASANNAT Majd is a project coordinator and quality assurance officer at Mindset, a research consultancy based in Amman. NOOR MASANNAT Noor works as a policy officer at Search for Common Ground in Amman. DANA MEHYAR For the past three years, Dana has been living in Dubai, where she is working in digital marketing with Careem. FIRAS MOUASHER In early 2021, Firas joined Jordan Ahli Bank in Amman, where he works as corporate assistant relationship manager.

SHARIF ABDELRAZEQ ‘For food, for friendship, for the blessings of the day, we give our thanks!’ Words, that pulled us King’s students, out of the hurdles of a lengthy school day into the blessings that, for an instance, were almost overlooked. This past year has been different to everyone. To me, it was a year of reflections, gratitude and personal development. On a personal level, I leveraged recurring quarantine time to re-connect with fellow King’s alumni from all around the world. After reminiscing about our days at King’s, I was pleased to realize that most of us shared a vision of a brighter future. Professionally, as a sustainability and innovation engineer at the Consolidated Contractors Company, I delved into the world of ConTech (construction technology). Aspiring to enhance productivity levels on construction sites, I collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts leveraging the pandemic’s disruption to catalyze the digitization and automation of various workflows. While I recollect memories of a year that distanced people physically, I embrace moments that brought people together. For that, I remain thankful for the food, for the friendship and for every blessing we have today.

2013 ZAIN ABDELRAZEQ After several years with Penske Logistics, Zain recently moved to Amazon as an innovation and design engineer based in Cleveland, Ohio. AWN AL-HADEED Following the completion of his master’s degree at University College London in 2018, Awn began his legal training at Al Tamimi & Company in Amman. He successfully completed all requirements for admission into the Jordanian Bar Association, and was sworn in as a lawyer in March — congratulations, Awn!. His area of expertise is corporate and commercial law, with a focus on venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and securities. Awn says: “If there are any aspiring lawyers at King’s Academy, I would be more than happy to give advice and insight regarding their upcoming journeys should they need it.”

Sharif Abdelrazeq ’12 presents the path to a sustainable construction industry.

SARIA AL-KHATIB After working for several years at the Public Investment Fund in Riyadh, Saria moved to San Francisco, California, where he is an associate at VU Venture Partners. SPRING 2021

HANEEN ALMOSLAM Last year, Haneen completed her Master of Science in psychology and social work from Bangor University in Wales. She is now the youngest manager ever at the Star Project, an international organization for education, family and health services. JAAFAR AL TELL Jaafar is program manager for operations strategy at the law firm Morgan & Morgan, in New York City. ZEID QABAR After graduating from Long Beach State College in California in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering, Zeid returned to Amman. He joined his family’s chocolate company, Tops, where he is now Chief Operating Officer. To learn more about how Zeid is leading the company to change chocolate, see page 42. SANAD ZUMOT Based in Ontario, Sanad is a building condition assessor with BGIS, a real estate consulting, management and delivery services provider.

2014 DIALA ALRABADI At the beginning of this calendar year, Diala AlRabadi ’14 joined King’s in a new capacity for an alumna: as a school doctor in the Ras Al Asad Health Center. Diala attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – Bahrain.

Over three internships in the US, she discovered her interest in obstetrics and gynecology, in which she eventually plans to pursue a residency. Diala was studying for her international board exams and Jordanian medical practice license when a friend — fellow alumna Omaymah Harasheh ’14 — sent her the job description for a doctor position at King’s. She applied immediately. The day after her licensing exam, Diala retrieved her phone and found she had a missed call from King’s inviting her to interview. Following a two-week quarantine, Diala stepped foot on King’s campus in her new role. Immediately, she felt at home. “It was such a nice feeling, coming back here,” she says. “I really love King’s and I still feel so attached to it after all these years.” With the frequent testing and health precautions required in setting up the Spring Green Zone, Diala was kept extremely busy. But even from her vantage point at the southwestern edge of the campus, she could see the inner workings of the school that she didn’t notice as a student. “I’ve been able to see how much is going on in the background to make the school run, and I see how hard everybody is working to create a great experience for the students. I really appreciate King’s efforts to give the kids a normal school year,” she says.

NOUF AL SAADI Nouf is living in Riyadh, where she works as an associate for the assurances services at & Young.

AHMAD ALSHOOL Based in Amman, Ahmad is an associate consulate at Beyond Consulting Ltd. SAED AL ZAWAHREH Saed is a fellow with the World Bank in their Early Years Fellowship Program. He works on the Jordan Education Reform Support Program, which aims to expand access to education in Jordan as well as reform Tawjihi (Jordan’s secondary school examinations). During his free time, Saed enjoys practicing carpentry.

Saed Al Zawahreh ’14 SAM CUMMINGS Sam currently lives in Dallas, Texas, where he works with Boston Consulting Group. OMAYMAH HARAHSHEH After several years with the Royal Hashemite Court, Omaymah transitioned this year to PwC Amman, where she is a senior consultant. Best of luck in the new role! NORA NESHEIWAT In May of last year, Nora completed her Master of Science in genetic counseling from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She now works as a boardcertified genetic counselor at NYC H+H/ Metropolitan Hospital, where she counsels patients referred for pediatric, prenatal and cancer indications.

2015

Diala AlRabadi ’14 at work at the Ras Al Asad Health Center

BEYOND KING’S

MOHAMMAD ABUAISHEH This year, Mohammad will graduate from the University of South Florida with a Master of Engineering in mechanical and electronic engineering. Throughout his time at USF, Mohammad was awarded an Engineering Ambassadorship and Graduate Assistantship. Congratulations, Mohammad!

SALEH AL-QADI Saleh joined the fall 2020 Green Zone at King’s as a faculty assistant. He continued to work as a faculty assistant with the Middle School in a remote capacity in the second semester, due to his university work.

majored in Fashion Business at Istituto Marangoni in Milan.

BADIAH BINT HAMED Following her graduation from the University of Exeter in 2019 with a BSc (hons) in Medical Science and Human Genomics, Badiah returned to Amman. She is currently working as a molecular geneticist at Biolab.

ABDULLAH RAYYAN Abdullah has one year left to complete his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Jordan. Good luck! RAMA SHOKERAT This summer, Rama graduates from the University of Exeter in England with a law degree. She is currently applying to master's programs.

RAMI HAMATI After graduating from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, Rami joined SpaceX as a mechanical engineer. To learn more about his work with SpaceX, see page 32. AHMED KHALAYLEH After graduating from Williams College, Massachusetts, with a bachelor’s in Chinese in 2019, Ahmed joined Rob Bahou ‘11 and Suhayb Jawhari ‘11 as part of the Film Guys, creating promotional videos for US private schools. Ahmed returned to King’s in 2020 for the Fall Green Zone as a faculty assistant. JOOHYUN LEE Joohyun is graduating this summer from Purdue University with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. During his time at Purdue, Joohyun served as a researcher, lab assistant, and research assistant. LEEN MADANAT Based in Dubai, Leen is a data analytics consultant with KPMG. She continues to work with the Dubai Pod of 500 Women Scientists, which she founded in 2019. FARAH SINOKROT After working at the UNDP in a newly-formed accelerator lab designed to meet the 2030 agenda, Farah switched to MMIS Management Consultants. She is based in London. MARAH TARAWNEH After graduating from Washington College with a double major in political science and economics and a minor in peace and conflict studies, Marah worked in Annapolis, Maryland, for a while. Currently, she lives and works in Washington, D.C., where she is a congressional officer at the Embassy of Jordan.

2016 DALIA ABU HASSAN Dalia recently moved from London to Dubai, where she works at Farfetch, one of the world’s leading online luxury destinations. She

YOUSOF IZZIDDIN After graduating from the University of Toronto in June 2020 with a Digital Enterprise Management specialist degree, Yousof began working at Wunderman Thompson in Toronto as a campaign specialist.

Dalia Abu Hassan ’16

FAISAL AL-ALAMI Following his graduation last year with a cum laude B.A. in history and government from the College of William and Mary, Faisal returned to Amman. He is currently doing a legal internship with Ali Sharif Zu’bi Advocates & Legal Consultants. Faisal hopes to start his J.D. program in the coming year.

FARAH SULEIMAN AL HADEED Farah recently graduated with first-class honors from Plymouth University in the UK. This fall, she will take her first step in her career as a medic by starting her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree. Farah says: “This wouldn’t have been possible without the preparation I had at King’s, especially while boarding and taking part in co-curricular activities. At university, I decided to challenge myself and start polo, which has been an amazing experience! Prioritization, organization and hard work are what got me where I am today. I wish everyone success, happiness and health.”

JAMAL HOURANI After graduating last May from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Jamal joined King’s as a faculty assistant. LAURA JONSSON Laura attended Stanford University in California, and completed her degree in human biology with a focus on global child health in 2020. She had an at-home graduation due to COVID-19. The pandemic put her plans to work abroad on hold, until she decided to return to King’s as a faculty assistant.

SHARIF TABBA Right now I am working on Beez, a business I incorporated with a friend of mine in Ottawa. We’re hoping to launch and help businesses and students with the financial reproductions of this pandemic in January when students are back on campus for the winter term. Our mission is to transform the way university students save time and make money. We were two university students when we founded the company, when time and money were our most valuable assets. Eventually, we found a way to generate more of both. Beez is a technology company that brings on-campus stores to your fingertips. Beez allows you to browse on-campus stores, order food wherever you are and connect with people while making money.

2017 YAZAN AL-ASAD This summer, Yazan graduates from the University of British Columbia with a degree in international economics. He has spent the last two years working as a student equity and investment analyst at Kaimo Investments. SULAFA ALKHUNAIZI This summer, Sulafa will complete her bachelor’s in mass communication and media studies from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. She hopes to pursue a career in journalism or TV production while working a side job as a makeup artist. BATOUL ALQUDAH This term, Batoul graduates from the German Jordanian University, where she has been studying engineering. SPRING 2021

KAREEM ALWAZIR This year, Kareem graduates from Carleton University, Ontario, with a bachelor’s in law.

KAREEM AL QUTOB Based in Quebec, Kareem is studying accounting at Concordia University.

LEEN AL-ZU’BI Last year, Leen graduated from Carleton University in Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts in law. She has recently begun working at Affirm, a financial technology company. Her role is business development manager.

RAYAN ALSHATHRY Rayan is currently studying politics at the University of London.

SARAH GAMMOH Sarah graduates this year from Dickinson College, Pennsylvania, where she has been double majoring in philosophy and psychology.

Sulafa Alkhunaizi ’17

HUSSEIN ABULAMZI I am currently still doing my bachelor’s degree in English, while minoring in psychology, at Minot State University (Minot, North Dakota). My four years at King’s were beyond transformative; my years at King’s Academy were life-changing in every sense of the word. Ever since graduating from King’s, every other week or so, I face issues in either my academic or personal life that, upon reflection, I realize that King’s Academy has strangely prepared me for dealing with. A significant factor of why King’s has prepared me for dealing with what life throws at me was the teachers I had at the school. I had teachers in my history classes that transferred decades’ worth of knowledge to me throughout the term merely through their enthusiastic lecturing, and I had English teachers who instilled in me a passion for creative writing, and I had a psychology teacher who instilled in me a curiosity about understanding the scientific nature of the human condition. That is why teaching at King’s Academy is one of my personal and professional goals in life. Teaching at King’s is the best way I can give back to this school that has shaped who I am as an individual on a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, delivery of service and a mission of giving back to others.

NOUR AL TWAL Nour in completing her final year at Bates College, Maine. She is doing a double major in economic studies and psychology, and is graduating as a Dana Scholar.

BEYOND KING’S

YOUSEF MUFTI This summer, Yousef will complete his bachelor’s in business innovation and entrepreneurship from Middlesex University in the UK. He is currently working on an AIpowered chatbot app to help international students abroad in their everyday lives. LEEN QUTEINEH As a final year student at King’s College, Leen recently secured a Training Contract at Linklaters LLP, a global commercial law firm. Congratulations, Leen!

2018 RAMSEY ABDULRAHIM Ramsey is studying finance at Bentley College in Massachusetts. ZENA ABU ELEZAM Although Zena didn’t leave King’s too long ago, she decided to come back last fall as a faculty assistant in the Green Zone. She balanced her work while studying her remote coursework for business information technology at Princess Sumaya University for Technology. TALAL AL-AZZAM Talal is studying architecture at Carleton University, Ontario. He expects to complete his degree in 2023. FAISAL ALKHALILI Pursuing a double major in philosophy and economics at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Faisal’s studies concentrate on data analytics and statistics. In addition to studying, he works as a business analyst at the Hair Routine. ABDULLAH AL KHAWALDH Based in Chicago, Illinois, Abdullah is studying mechanical and electronic engineering at Northwestern University.

OMAR AL-ZA’ATREH A systems engineering student at George Washington University in Washington D.C., Omar recently served as an economic directorate intern at the Royal Hashemite Court. DAREEN ARYAN This fall, Dareen starts her final year at Middle East Technical University in Turkey, where she is a materials and metallurgical engineering student. JUDE ASHOUR This term, Jude graduates from the University of Bath, England, with a bachelor’s in sociology and social policy. She will graduate with honors and having served as a peer mentor. She has also completed internships with International Medical Corps, the Ministry of Social Development of Jordan, UNICEF and Mawshour Architects & Consultants. SEVAN BALIAN This year, Sevan will complete his MBBS degree in biochemistry and cell biology from Jacobs University Bremen in Germany. He serves as the regional director of the university’s Hult Prize Foundation. JOUD DAAJA Joud is working on her studies in accounting at the German Jordanian University. This year, she undertook an internship in the finance department of AMIDEAST Jordan. TALA DURRA This year, Tala graduates from the University of Reading, England, with a bachelor’s in economic studies. In the past few years, Tala has held internships with Panorama Consulting Engineers Co., S.M.Dudin Architects & Engineers and PwC. SAMA ISSA Sama is pursuing accounting studies at the University of Texas at Austin. TAWFIQ KHASAWNEH Based in Amman, Tawfiq is pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree at the University of Jordan. He expects to graduate in 2024. FADI MAAMARBACHI Fadi is currently studying politics at the University of Toronto.

MIRAN MANASRAH This fall, Miran will start her final year at Trinity College, Connecticut, where she is studying computer software engineering. FARIS MUFTI Based in Bristol, Faris is working towards his degree in computing from the University of the West of England.

2019 SAYF ABDEEN Sayf studies Law at University College London, and is the Law Society's diversity, inclusion, and overseas officer. He is also a founding member of a British student-led journal called the Fitzroy Journal, and looks forward to exploring new interests. WALID ABU AL-AFIA A computer science major at Rhodes College in Tennessee, Walid has become involved in the school in many other capacities: as vice president and treasurer in the student government, as a peer tutor and as an AI researcher. DANA AHMAD Currently a student at the University of South Florida, Dana is studying business. ZAID ALAMARAT Zaid is pursuing a degree in dentistry from the University of Jordan. He expects to graduate in 2023.

Rafe’ Zou’bi ’18

RAFE’ ZOU’BI Rafe’ is currently a third-year medical student at Cardiff University in Wales. He recently started working as a COVID-19 vaccinator with NHS Wales in the Cardiff & Vale region in South Wales. The job, which is very much 'front-line' and 'on the ground,’ is starkly different from the virtual world many of us have almost become accustomed to. Rafe’ gets to interact with and vaccinate tens of people whenever he is on shift. For many of them, especially those who have been shielding or have lost a loved one during the pandemic, the day they receive their vaccine is a very emotional one. Being the person giving them the vaccine has been a very humbling and gratifying experience for him. In a few months, Rafe’ will be moving to Bangor, a small city in North Wales, for one year to experience community and rural medicine. He is excited for the opportunity and very inclined to start learning Welsh! Rafe’ is always looking for opportunities to interact with other King's alumni. At the moment, he is also interested in helping bridge the gap between medical services and refugees and asylum seekers.

ABDULRAHMAN ALIU Abdulrahman is studying mechanical and electronic engineering at the University of Nottingham, England. AHMAD ALKHATIB A student at Brown University in Rhode Island, Ahmad is double majoring in biological sciences and computing. SELINA ALMASARWAH Selina is studying computing at Skidmore College in New York. She has been awarded the Schupf Scholarship Award — congratulations!

MOHAMMED ALWAHEIDI Mohammed is studying computer engineering at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. He works in the university’s Vision Research Lab as a research assistant. NATASHA BAKRI Dual majoring in business and management, Natasha is studying at the German Jordanian University. ARTURO BAUTISTA Arturo is attending Northwestern University in Illinois, where he is double majoring in English and psychology. FIRYAL BAWAB Firyal has just finished her second year at University of California Los Angeles, which she attended remotely from Amman. Her major is international relations. RAMA HIJAZI Rama is currently studying management at the University of Sussex in England. YAHYA JABARTI Based in Riyadh, Yahya is studying finance at Alfaisal University. MOATH MOMANI Moath is pursuing a degree in medicine from Yarmouk University. DARIO POMAR Dario studies at the University of Edinburgh and has spent lockdown cooking, engaging in the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Apartheid Off Campus initiatives and representing his year at the university's law student council. He met up with Salma Jouaneh several times throughout the year!

MAHMOUD AL-NJEDEEN Mahmoud is currently studying engineering at Jordan University of Science and Technology. DANAH ALTANTAWI Danah started her first year of medical school at Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. She says: “I want to thank King’s for giving us the best years of our lives. Miss it more than anything.”

Danah Altantawi ’19

Salma Jouaneh ’19 visits Dario Pomar ’19 in Edinburgh

SPRING 2021

SEEMA RABATA Living in Bremen, Germany, Seema is pursuing a bachelor’s in engineering at Jacobs University Bremen. ISSAM SAMARDALI Issam is currently studying engineering at Princess Sumaya University for Technology. HADEEL SHWWA Hadeel just declared her major in engineering at Smith College, Massachusetts. She is planning to declare a second major in psychology. She says: “College (even virtually) really helps you have a more thorough understanding of who you are and what you stand for, and I'm loving every second of it. The best thing is that the college stress was not surprising, or too much to handle, because I feel like King's prepared us well for life beyond high school.” SAIF SURURI Saif is a medical student at University College Dublin in Ireland. SOPHIA VAHANVATY Sophia is a student of international relations at Stanford University.

RANA ZAIDI Rana has just completed her second year as a student of medicine at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. She hopes to one day be a plastic surgeon or dermatologist. She has spent the last year researching machine learning in drug design, interning at a microbiology analysis lab and publishing her research on her university’s website. She says: “King’s helped me in understanding responsibility and time management, they are really the fundamental pillars that helped me survive the pressure from balancing studying and taking care of oneself.”

MAYA ZUMOT A student at the Bahrain campus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Maya expects to graduate with a degree in medicine in 2024.

2020 YOUSEF ABDO Based in Boston, Yousef is studying mechanical and electronic engineering at Tufts University. KARIM ALABOUSHI A student at the University of Kent, Karim is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in finance. LEEN ALFAOURY Leen is studying engineering at John Hopkins University in Maryland. Reflecting on her time at King’s, she says her fondest memory is “being a part of Atair and meeting many lifelong friends there! FAWZI ALJAWHARI With interests in engineering and the biological sciences, Fawzi is a student at the German Jordanian University. OMAR ALKHAWALDEH Already distinguishing himself as a Dean’s List student, Omar is studying computing at the University of South Florida. AHMAD ALMAHASNEH Ahmad is currently studying medicine in Jordan. When he’s not busy studying, he’s making music in Amman — he just put out an album this year! He says: “I’m very grateful for King’s for all the obstacles and challenges it enabled us to overcome. Thank you King’s.”

Ahmad Almahasneh ’20 BADER ALMAJALI Bader is a student of medicine at Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Rana Zaidi ’19

BEYOND KING’S

ZAID AL ZOUBI Last fall, Zaid started his first year remotely at Pomona College. He hopes to be able to study in person in California this fall. Zaid and Raghda Obeidat ‘20 launched an online magazine together in 2020 — learn more on page 26.

Nedaa Awawdeh ’20

NEDAA AWAWDEH Nedaa has just completed her first year at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She has yet to declare a major, and due to the variety of her interests will likely double major. She worked with Raghda Obeidat ‘20 and Zaid Al Zoubi ‘20 on Taleed Magazine, and had work published in Al Rai newspaper. Asked what she loved most about her King’s experience, Nedaa said: “I truly enjoyed boarding life, being a proctor, being part of the Arabic Theater team for more than three years, dedicating my high school cocurricular journey to serving Jordan and connecting with the less fortunate Jordanian youth through the Jordanian Model Parliament (JMP) which I participated in and led, forming a wellrounded perspective and identity, and many others. I specifically cherish the time I was able to stand on the stage in our notoriously large auditorium and give my declamation speech to more than 700 students, faculty members, and guests in my freshmen year when my I was in the beginning of my journey to learn English at King’s as someone who has only studied in a public school till eighth grade in one of the most underrepresented towns in Jordan. Everything, from the moment I delivered my speech on that stage and on, felt surreal to me.”

OMAR DAHLEH When he’s not working on his degree in engineering from the University of Alberta, Canada, Omar is working on one of multiple community service initiatives. His latest initiative is Run4Refugees, a charity initiative that aims to provide quality education to refugees.

JALIL FANOUS A student at Jacobs University Bremen in Germany, Jalil is studying business. LAILA HABYEB Laila is studying international relations at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany.

LEYAN MAQOUSI Leyan is studying law at IE University in Spain. Reflecting on her time at King’s, she is especially proud of her work with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

time reading many books, catching up with friends and discovering a new hobby: cooking! He has just completed his first year at Al-Balqa’ Applied University’s Faculty of Engineering Technology, where he is studying mechatronics.

SUHAIB HAMADEH Suhaib is pursuing a degree in accounting at the University of Florida at Gainesville.

RAGHDA OBEIDAT Raghda is studying law at the University of Jordan. Currently, her coursework has been online.

SEOKHYEON HONG Based in Hong Kong, Seokyeon is studying engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

TALA SALMAN Enrolled in the MD program at the University of Szeged, Hungary, Tala expects to complete her degree in 2027.

SALAM KARADSHEH Salam is a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is studying engineering.

RASHED SAWALHA Rashed is studying computer engineering at the University of Nottingham.

BANAH KHAMIS Banah is studying international relations and politics at Drexel University, Pennsylvania.

KENZA ZAKARYA Kenza is a student at Colorado College, where she is pursuing economic studies.

SAED MANASRAH A student at the University of Jordan, Saed is studying mechanical and electronic engineering.

Badr Nabhani ’20 makes the most of his virtual commencement!

BADR NABHANI After graduating from King’s, Badr spent his

LAYLA ZATAR Studying at the University of Debrecen in Hungary, Layla is pursuing a degree in medicine.

The King's Academy Alumni Association hosted a virtual alumni reunion on Zoom

ALUMNI ANSWER SENIORS’ COLLEGE QUESTIONS In April, King’s Academy alumni were invited to a senior class meeting for a question and answer session about college and life after graduation. At the virtual meeting, alumni including members of the King’s Academy Alumni Association (KAAA), answered questions such as how to adapt socially and academically at university, how to get over rejections from universities, when and if to take a gap year, choosing the right major or courses, how to transition to an environment where you are a minority, and how to respond when asked about your culture, religion and politics. The alumni invited seniors to reach out with questions at any time, and to also use the KAAA platform to stay connected.

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A Sonorous Screening – The King’s Academy Virtual Concert To wrap up the Fall Green Zone, the Advancement Office and the Department of Art, Design and Technology organized a virtual concert on December 4, 2020. Showcasing the talents of students and faculty, the concert featured Arabic music performances, including classic songs by Fairuz, Julia Boutros and Omar Khairat.

Parent Council Sends “Love and Support” Packages to King’s Employees To keep spirits high and show gratitude to the faculty and staff who have made great personal sacrifices over the past year to ensure the stability and continued growth of students, the King’s Academy Parent Council prepared “Love and Support” packages for King’s employees. Similar to the care packages the Parent Council sent to students during the fall Green Zone, these gifts were a sign of the support and care of the King’s Academy community.

From King’s, with Love! On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, students sent video messages to donors, who make a King’s Academy education possible for over half of our student body. In the messages, students thanked the donors who make it possible for them to attend King’s and “to be surrounded by love every day and every moment on this campus.”

Remembering Former Trustee Akel Biltaji On February 28, 2021 King’s Academy was saddened by the passing of its former trustee and supporter, Akel Biltaji. As a tribute to Biltaji and his immeasurable support for the vision of the school, the Board of Trustees is planning to dedicate a space on campus and establish a memorial endowed scholarship fund in his name. The fund will permanently support students on financial aid at King’s Academy. Akel’s family and friends will be supporting this initiative along with a memorial service next fall. 92

BEYOND KING’S

Give the gift of lifelong learning give.kingsacademy.edu.jo

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