Singapore American School Journeys Fall 2013, Volume 14 by Singapore American School

JOURNEYS MICA (P) 101/04/2013

SAS

Volume 14 Fall 2013

Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

“ The SAS Alumni Connection makes sense now!” DURING THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL I RAN INTO ONE OF OUR newest alums Nikhil Nilakantan (13), who had just returned from his first semester at college. He and his former classmates had had a fabulous semester at their new colleges, or at gap years, or NS, but it was so nice to be home. Nikhil was always the one during his days as an SAS student to rally the troups! A constant ball of enthusiasm. He was the class president, ran the pep rallies, filmed spots for the Morning Show, and Facebook. He served on the student alumni council, helping get the word out about the alumni program. He MC’d alumni events, made posters, and more, all with the goal of spreading the message:

Stay Connected!

• Register on the Alumni Website • Like the SAS Alumni Facebook page • Join the SAS Alumni LinkedIn Group

But here’s the thing—it all made a lot more sense once he graduated and left SAS. His new classes and Nikhil and I in a friends at college were great. It was all great! But the humorous selfie! importance of his connections to SAS and his fellow classmates became more clear to him. “I just set up my LinkedIn Page,” he said, “so I’m going to join the SAS Alumni Group now. Everything you told us, it all makes more sense now!” While this kind of experience is especially true for our newest graduates, it’s true for all alumni. I attended a series of alumni gatherings this summer and fall (see pp 44-49). Irrespective of the number of years it had been since people had attended SAS, all shared that sense of importance of connection to SAS and to fellow alums. In this issue of Journeys Dr. Kimball shares exciting updates about the new vision, and the great R&D work underway. You’ll read about two graduations - 1968 and 2013. And as always we share the alumni profiles you sent in. Please feel free to send in your feedback, your stories, pictures and updates for Notes & Quotes. This magazine is for and about you! Stay Connected!

Lauri Coulter Associate Director of Alumni Relations

JOURNEYS SAS

SUPERINTENDENT DR. CHIP KIMBALL CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER MICHAEL K. KINGAN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS LAURI COULTER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR VANESSA SPIER GRAPHIC DESIGNER BETH COHEN Cover photo of Megan Root (00) in China, taken from http://www.global-slacker.com. See the related story on page 32. SAS Journeys is published twice a year by the advancement office of Singapore American School. It is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, faculty and organizations served by the school. We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School.

Contacts General inquiries, comments, and submissions to SAS Journeys: alumni@sas.edu.sg.

Singapore American School CPE Registration Number: 196400340R Registration Period: 22 June 2011 to 21 June 2017 Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

CONTENTS

page 5

Features 2 A World Leader in Education Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendent of Schools 5

SAS’ Award-Winning Solar Power

Jamie Alarcon Simbulan, SAS Facilities and Services Office

Yes, We Can

Liam Du Preez (13) 12 A Difference Kind of Graduation Ken Stoehrmann (68) 16 Grown-up Life in Singapore

Interview with Matt Rogers (95), Deacon Powell (88), Kevin Reizer (88),

Susan Studebaker-Rutledge (80) and Greg Rutledge (78)

22 Experiencing Camp Castaway

Susanne Clough Whitley (89) and Nicholas Haslett (03)

26 Alumni Profiles

page 8 page 33

Acceptance Ryan Chan (10)

A Mythical Adventure Jose Fierro (93)

An Unlikely Slacker Megan Root (00)

HS Chemistry to Bioinformatics Suzanne Mercer (84)

The Olympic Alum Bryan Kim (97) Bob Dodge Faculty 83-06

39 Today @ SAS

Michael Kingan, Chief Advancement Officer

Columns

Lauri’s Letter

Notes & Quotes

Alumni Reunions & Gatherings

Mr. Ho’s Recipe

Flying Eagles, Fond Farewell

page 22 page 26

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A World Leader in

Educati n Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendent of Schools

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SINCE 1956, STUDENTS HAVE ACHIEVED extraordinary success at Singapore American School, and they continue to do so. They are challenged and demonstrate great learning every day. They pursue studies and activities in their areas of passion and they collaborate with each other, make friends, and learn how to work with one another. Students are able to take advantage of our international location to understand, learn from, and serve the diverse cultures and geographies that surround us. Students who attend SAS compete successfully with the best students in the world. In addition, they exhibit strong character, leadership, and resiliency, while showing compassion for others. We are committed to ensuring that SAS students not only get a great education, but that their experience with us will positively change their life. Every day, our SAS community lives our mission, and I am proud that Singapore American School is one of the finest educational institutions in the world. Even with its vast legacy of success, we know that more will be required of SAS in the future to ensure that our students remain prepared for our complex and rapidly changing world. Over the last year, our leadership and faculty devoted significant time and resources to plan not only for today, but also for tomorrow and the years to come. Through that work, we have a clearer sense of where we need to go as a school and as a community. During the 2012-13 academic year, we held numerous town halls, open forums, and informal focus groups with hundreds of parents, faculty, and students. They were asked what is unique and special about SAS, what we should consider changing, and what we need to do to ensure that our students are ready for a dynamic, competitive, and rapidly changing future.

A number of themes emerged, including… • An outstanding faculty must be our first and most important priority • We must create global and real world experiences for our students • We must continue to provide for… m

The whole child (social/emotional/physical)

Student interests (arts, athletics, activities)

Individual learning needs (acceleration, learning support, challenge, special needs)

We also consulted over 100 university admissions officers to understand the kinds of students they seek for their institutions. We heard that they are looking for students who are distinctive, passionate about an area of interest, well rounded, and demonstrate an ability to handle college-level work.

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At the end of the school year, our Board unanimously approved a new vision statement for SAS. This new vision characterizes what our community thinks is most important and will capture our institutional energy and commitment in the days ahead. The new vision is…

A World Leader in Education Cultivating Exceptional Thinkers Prepared for the Future This vision is supported by our existing mission statement… Singapore American School is committed to providing each student an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective. Taken together, the SAS vision and mission provide a powerful direction for our school, and we are convinced that we have the commitment and talent to make it happen.

Research and Development

SAS has been an aspiration to educators for generations as it not only follows worldwide best practices in learning, but also exemplifies those practices in a way that few other educational institutions do. To remain positioned as a world leader, our school continually pursues innovative programs and instruction methods. During the 2012-14 school years, we are embarking on an exciting research and development (R&D) process to look at what the most innovative schools around the globe are doing in terms of programs, practice, and managing change. The process started in the high school, where a team of 22 faculty and leaders visited 30+ schools in four countries. The high school R&D team looked at what other schools are doing that may also inspire our programs as we prepare our students for their future. Several themes emerged from across the schools.

We found that great schools… • Clearly define and measure purposeful schoolwide learning outcomes • Actively and unapologetically develop and pursue strong school culture • Build relationships with students using a systematic advisory program • Teach students to solve problems and produce, rather than consume, information

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• Use technology to maximize student learning • Create opportunities for students to pursue individual passions and interests • Create global citizens authentically connected to local and global communities • Build purpose-built innovative spaces to facilitate 21st century learning The R&D process has profoundly impacted our staff. They returned this August with vitality and they have already dedicated countless hours to developing recommendations for future programs and planning for the high school. Concurrent with the high school development team’s ongoing work, the elementary and middle school divisions have also begun the R&D process. Two teams of 20+ faculty members recently went to 15 schools on the U.S. West Coast. There will be two more R&D trips this year, to the East Coast and to several international schools. The teams are incredibly energized. They are seeing examples of best practices in other schools that support current SAS programs, and they have also had their eyes opened to new and innovative ideas that might translate into our programs of the future.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Process This school year, we are also in the process of conducting a strategic review and will receive outside feedback through our accreditation process conducted by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). WASC is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States, extending its services to over 4,500 public, independent, church-related, and proprietary pre-K–12 and adult schools. WASC accreditation 4

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recognizes schools that meet an acceptable level of quality in accordance with established, research-based criteria. Keeping accreditation status is important for SAS because many U.S. colleges and universities will only recognize a diploma from an accredited high school. This year SAS will complete the required WASC selfstudy. In addition to receiving the longest accreditation term possible (six years), our goal is to make sure that the WASC process is useful in helping us move toward our vision. This process, along with our new vision, input from our community, and the school-wide R&D process will provide the framework for building a new strategic plan, which will be presented to the Board in May 2014. The pieces are in place for SAS to continue to be a world leader in education. This is intellectually demanding and stimulating work, and must be done while we continue to educate nearly 4,000 students. The journey ahead will be exhilarating and challenging, and we are excited about what the future holds. We have a bright future. We will continue working to create global and real world experiences for our students, provide for the whole child through challenging academics, broad opportunities for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, and individual learning in areas of passion. The work on which we are embarking will not only serve our current students, but will lay the foundation to ensure that as the world continues to change, SAS will continue to provide an educational experience that prepares students for success. This work will fulfill our vision of being a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers, prepared for the future.

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SAS Award-Winning

Solar Power Jamie Alarcon Simbulan SAS Facilities & Services Office

Singapore American School is poised to become a world leader in K-12 renewable energy education, thanks to its new, award-winning solar photovoltaic system that also happens to be the biggest in Singapore. Superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball and Director of Facilities & Services Anthony Wong. FA L L 2 0 1 3

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ON OCTOBER 30, SAS RECEIVED THE SOLAR Pioneer Award from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for its recently installed 1-MW Sunseap system. Superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball accepted the award on behalf of the school from EDB executive director for clean technology Goh Chee Kiong and National Environment Agency chief executive officer Ronnie Tay. Speaking at the award ceremony, Goh confirmed that SAS indeed holds the title of largest existing system in Singapore, having edged out Keppel Seghers Ulu Pandan NEWater Plant by .007 MW (7 kW). The SAS system was designed to produce at least one million kilowatt-hours annually. This is a tenth of the school’s existing electricity consumption; the percentage will increase as SAS continues to become more energy efficient.

Launch with the Ambassador

Superintendent Chip Kimball welcomes US Ambassador Kirk Wagar, Singapore Member of Parliment Mr. Ong Teng Koon and Mr. Goh Chee Kiong for the festivities.

Installed over the summer and operational since August, the SAS system was officially launched on October 26, the same day as the iconic PTA Food Fest. Distinguished guests, including U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar and Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC (Woodgrove) Ong Teng Koon, joined Dr. Kimball and Mr. Goh at the festivities. The VIPs arrived early for a tour of the solar panel array led by students Aimee Jung (‘16) and Tanvi Dutti Gupta (‘18) of the Global Issues Network (GIN) Club. “We are creating a generation of students who understand how important alternative energy sources are to the planet,” said Ambassador Wagar. “It’s a testament to the leadership of your school and your board.” He added, “Climate change affects all of us and we need to take action. This past summer, President Obama decided to have solar panels installed in the White House. You’ll be proud to know that you’re ahead of the curve.” At the launch, Dr. Kimball spoke about how the school’s use of solar power reinforces its vision of being a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers prepared for the future. “At Singapore American School, we are modeling what we believe it takes in order to solve the world’s most complex problems,” said Dr. Kimball. “It takes resources, great minds, and partnerships—people working together.” Students responded by sharing how SAS enables them to pursue their passion for sustainability and service. “There are many opportunities to take action here through experiential learning,” said Kaelan Cuozzo (‘15). She cited the school’s involvement in International Coastal Cleanup Singapore and the Sensory Trail at Pulau Ubin and lauded the culture of service at SAS: “Completely voluntary, 45 different service clubs are supported by over 80 percent of the high school student body.” 6

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Ramita Kondepudi (‘14) added, “Our actions are here in Singapore, but the effects of our actions reach far beyond our borders. [The solar panels] will save 10,000 tons of carbon over the span of 20 years, which is equal to about 500,000 trees.” The GIN and Students Against the Violation of the Environment clubs co-presented the launch ceremony and VIP tour, as well as the public tours held later that day. Sarah Anderson (‘14) and Keshav Jagannath (‘18) were the Masters of Ceremonies.

Sky’s the Limit With 1 MW of solar panels on the school roofs, the sky’s the limit—literally—when it comes to learning opportunities. SAS teachers and students are eager to work with the solar panels and relate them to topics such as climate change, sustainable engineering, energy economics, urban planning, and geopolitics. The installation is especially timely, with the recent introduction of the new engineering science class to its High School Science offerings which already include alternative energy and robotics. SAS is also exploring further partnerships with the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore. SERIS is firmly rooted in academic research, but it also provides guidance for government and industry. Proposed partnerships include an advanced monitoring system to maximize awareness and generate data for use in the classroom. Student shadowing, mentorship, and internship opportunities are also being discussed. Last summer, SAS graduate Ed Thome (‘12) completed a successful internship with SERIS that allowed him to assist on important research about the effects of FA L L 2 0 1 3

The solar project will empower the SAS community to make even more changes for the better. — Martha Began, High School science teacher transboundary haze on photovoltaic systems in Singapore. SERIS extended his involvement through to January 2014; he will continue to report to SERIS from the University of Miami, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering.

A Green School For Anthony Wong, SAS facilities and services director, the solar project is an important milestone in campus sustainability. “SAS is officially recognized as a green building, but solar power will bring us closer to becoming a green school,” Wong said. Last year, SAS was certified Green Mark Gold, the local equivalent of LEED Silver in the US. Solar power is the latest project in the facilities office’s energy efficiency and conservation program, which has saved 12.3 million kWh (about $2.7 million) since the baseline year of 2007-08.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Wong said. “The panels remind us every day to be responsible citizens of the global community.” Service Council co-sponsor and High School science teacher Martha Began, who works with students on recycling, biodiversity, and other environmental issues, believes that the solar project will invigorate existing green initiatives—and inspire new ones. “Scientists are finding that the threat of climate change is graver than we thought,” she said. “The solar project will fill every single member of the SAS community with pride, knowing that we have taken action and that the proof is physically in front of us. It will empower us to make even more changes for the better.“

VIPs were greeted by primary school students dressed in bright orange and yellow to represent the sun.

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YES,We Can Liam Du Preeze (13)

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5’8”, a good few pounds overweight, and a bowl cut that would make even the Beatles blush—yes, that was me in 8th grade. As I leaped off the bus on my first day and strode through the grand foyer, I took a deep breath and thought “Time for a new beginning. SAS is going to be great! Let’s go Liam, time to take on the world!” It blew my mind. Our teachers told us that we could, Well, that was probably the best 15 seconds of that entire year. Turns out people didn’t think I was very cool. even when we thought that the grade said otherwise. And Each and every day felt like a giant game of hide and seek, that was the best gift that SAS could give us: the power to simply believe in ourselves. but I was always “it.” I wasn’t the raddest guy in town. We thought we couldn’t learn to speak French, go And yet somehow, with a new haircut and the tightest two-man army of friends, I managed to survive middle double gold in basketball and win the Spirit Competition school. I then approached high school with the bright ALL in one year, but we did. We thought we couldn’t stay up until 5, or get up at 6, belief that “No Liam, you can’t. You really can’t. At but sometimes we did. anything.” We thought we couldn’t understand Acid Base But then SAS threw me a curveball: high school was different. From clubs to classes, teachers to teammates, calculations and derivatives. I’m sure 5 of you know what high school taught me something that no one ever had. those are! We thought we couldn’t become connected, but our It taught me to believe in myself. It told me that yes, I can. sweatshirts, our cheers and our Facebook profiles forged I thought I couldn’t survive AP Bio, but I did. unbreakable bonds. I thought I couldn’t sing, but I did. Our ups and downs, our learning experiences and I thought I’d never make it onto a varsity team, simply our day to day struggles have made us excellent but I did. I thought I was the last person who would be elected on our own terms. We’ve learned to persevere, find new solutions, and when all else fails, try, try again. to Student Government, but I was. And honestly, that is exactly what the world needs And even when there were times when I found out that, no, I couldn’t, when I got a C, a D or an F, teachers like today: people like us. People who give both hands to the Mr. Adams and Ms. White told me that it wasn’t the end struggling teammate or classmate. People who carry each of the world. They told me that there was so much more other as well as themselves through tough times. People to come in life than one piece of paper. They told me that who simply provide a smile on a rainy day. People who tell the world, yes, we can. I still could. FA L L 2 0 1 3

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The best gift that SAS gave us: the power to simply believe in ourselves.

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SAS taught me to believe in myself. It told me that YES, I CAN.

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Riots in Singapore in 1964 led to curfews and restricted activities for ten days.

a different kind of

Graduation Ken Stoehrmann (68)

“WHERE IS SINGAPORE?” THAT WAS THE FIRST question I asked my parents, Pat and Charlie Stoehrmann, when they informed my sister Bonnie (70) and me that our family would be moving there. It was 1962, and our family was just finishing a 10-month assignment in Benghazi, Libya. Dad worked for Esso Eastern (a part of Esso Standard Oil, now Exxon) and was responsible for moving oil all over the world in Esso’s large fleet of ocean-going oil tankers. Oil was discovered in Libya in 1956, and Esso began production in 1961 by constructing a pipeline from the oil fields at Zelten to a port at Marsa El Berga on the Mediterranean Sea. Dad’s job was to help load the oil tankers at Brega—in fact, when King Idris pushed the “ceremonial” button to signify the loading of the first barrels of oil from Zelten into an Esso tanker, it was Dad who actually opened the valves that started the flow of oil. 12

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The assignment to Benghazi was to be a relatively short one, with our return to the comfort of our small town of Sparta, NJ (in a county that boasted more dairy cows than people!) scheduled for the summer of 1962. I looked forward to returning to our house on Maple Tree Lane, playing little league baseball again and being reunited with all my friends, especially that cute little girl with the big brown eyes whom I fell in love with in third grade. But now things were about to change. Dad grabbed an atlas from the bookshelf and showed me where Singapore was located. He patiently explained why we were moving there and how much fun it would be to live in the Far East. “I’m trading heat and sand for heat and rain,” I thought. We arrived in Singapore just in time for me to start seventh grade at the SAS Kings Road campus. I quickly FA L L 2 0 1 3

made a lot of new friends—friends that I still have to this day—and admitted that my parents were right: the move to Singapore was a good one. Of course I made this admission somewhat grudgingly. I was a teenager after all and never admitted that my parents were right about anything! Seventh and eighth grade seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was time to graduate into high school. Our eighth grade graduation class was large (well, large for those days at SAS)—about 25 students. And I was particularly excited because Dad was on the SAS Board of Governors, meaning that he would be presenting me with my diploma at what promised to be a great afternoon at SAS. But on July 21, 1964, all those graduation plans took an abrupt turn for the worse. Singapore, newly independent from Britain and a part of Malaysia, experienced a series of deadly race riots. There is still disagreement to this day over what sparked the riots and who instigated the violence, but it began shortly after five in the afternoon

between Kallang and Geylang Serai. There is no disagreement, however, over the outcome that day—23 people were killed and over 450 were injured. (Over the entire course of the riots, 36 people were killed, over 550 were injured and about 3,000 were arrested.) In an attempt to restore order, the Singaporean government declared a curfew that began at 9:30 pm that evening. The government lifted the curfew at 6:00 am the next morning, but the situation remained tense, and the curfew was reimposed later in the day and remained in effect for 10 more days. It was only lifted for short periods to allow people to get to and from work and to shop for food. The curfew presented a significant problem for SAS and the upcoming eighth grade and senior high school graduation plans. The graduation dates could not be changed. Many graduates and their families were leaving Singapore for home leave or other vacations. (SAS then had its long holidays in August, December and April and graduations were held in late July.) It would not be

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A waiver from the government to hold graduation as planned was a non-starter.

practical for everyone to show up at SAS during the morning lifting of the curfew and then be forced to spend the entire day at the school until the curfew lifted again in the evening. Trying to get a waiver from the government to hold graduation as planned was a non-starter— during this period of unease, the government looked upon any gathering, no matter how well-meaning, as unacceptable. The only option appeared to be to hold a “quickie” combined eighth grade and senior high school graduation that could be conducted when the curfew was lifted for the short time during the evening. SAS got the word out to the parents and students, and on July 25, we all gathered in the SAS auditorium for this unique graduation ceremony. No grand graduation speeches, no long processional and recessional, no punch and cookies afterwards. Get to the school, get your diploma and get home! My classmates and I paraded in first and sat in the first two rows of the auditorium. The seniors came in next in their caps and gowns and took their place on the stage. Headmaster Harold Elsbree got up and said “welcome”

TOP: The SAS senior class of 1964. In the front are Kyoko Arai, salutatorian, and Cliff Groen, valedictorian. MIDDLE: On stage at the SAS 1964 combined eighth grade – senior high school graduation were Reverend Gunnar Teilmann, Charlie Stoehrmann, George Thompson, Director of the Political Studies Center, Paul Bordwell and Dr. Harold Elsbree. BOTTOM: The eighth grade graduates, SAS July 1964. Left to right: Ingrid Lundberg, Allen Lundy, Peggy Orsini, Lesley Stephens and Ken Stoehrmann. Behind Ingrid to the left is Pam Wakefield. On the far side of the aisle, front row, left to right is John Dunwoody and Jennifer Colley. Behind John and Jennifer, left to right, is Marie Kahlenberg and Robin Hinman.

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(maybe a few more words, but not many!). Then George Thompson, Director of the Political Studies Center, talked briefly. Dr. Elsbree then began reading the names of the eighth graders, and each of us dutifully left our seats, stepped up on stage, received our diplomas from my Dad and sat back down. It was the highlight of the day for me. Paul Bordwell, Chairman of the SAS Board of Governors, handed out the diplomas to the Class of 1964. Reverend Gunnar Tielmann gave the benediction and that was it! There were handshakes, hugs and congratulations as the ceremony ended. Then everyone quickly scurried to their cars as they had to get home before the curfew was reimposed. Nothing good would happen if you were caught out during curfew. Exhibit #1 to that fact was my Mom, who had firsthand experience with “busting the curfew.” Attempting to get home from Cold Storage supermarket right as the curfew was reimposed one afternoon, she was pulled over and taken to the police station on the corner of Orchard Road and Scotts Road. Dad worked directly across the street in Shaw House, so Mom called him to come and get her. Dad said “no way, there’s a curfew on,” so Mom sat at the police station for

TOP: Dad and me in June 2013 – 49 years after the 1964 SAS graduation. MIDDLE: Dad presenting me with my eighth grade diploma, SAS July 25, 1964. BOTTOM: The Stoehrmann family, circa 1966. Left to right: Ken, Bonnie, Pat and Charlie. One of the wings of the SAS Kings Road campus building is in the background.

four or five hours until the curfew lifted that evening. Needless to say, Mom was not happy, and she let Dad know it when they were reunited later that evening. Dad, who will be 90 later this year, and I still talk about that day and how everyone managed to pull off the 1964 SAS graduation under less than ideal circumstances. And as you can see from the picture, he is still a big SAS fan! I spent two more years at SAS before returning to Sparta to finish high school. And while my high school graduation in 1968 was a day worth remembering, nearly 50 years later I look back on my eighth grade SAS graduation with greater fondness. It was different and unique, and that’s what made it so special. Oh, that little girl with the big brown eyes from Sparta? Her name is Joanne, and we’ve been married for almost forty years!

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Grown-up Singapore Questions I am frequently asked at alumni gettogethers are what does it take to come back and work in Singapore and what kinds of jobs do Singapore-based alums have. Four local alumni give answers in the story below. – Lauri Coulter, SAS Alumni Director

DEACON POWELL (88) is a lawyer, serving as in-house counsel for McDermott marine construction company. GREG RUTLEDGE (78) and SUSAN STUDEBAKER RUTLEDGE (80) started a small vending machine operation , and have since built that to include a global sales and manufacturing business. KEVIN REIZER (88) is senior vice president, Asia Pacific of an oil and gas pipeline services company. MATT ROGERS (95) is operations manager for Marking Services, Inc., an American company specializing in providing mechanical identification and labeling products and services for industrial applications. All four men were sent to Singapore by their original employers, but only Kevin has not switched jobs. Greg became an entrepreneur, while both Deacon and Matt switched companies. In Deacon’s words, “Just after our first year, my company scaled-back its Asia Pacific business and wanted us to return to Houston. I called my old boss at McDermott. So impressive was my groveling that McDermott not only agreed to have us back, but also to keep us in Singapore. So, yes, networking is really important—so is being able to cry on cue.”

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Life in

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As a professional in Singapore, a ‘that’ll do’ attitude will ensure a short tenure.

On Living in Singapore as an Adult Deacon: We all have to grow up a bit

“Working in Singapore is a lot different from being a student here. (Honestly, if you have a job here that allows you to live like an SAS student, you are my hero.) You have to accept the inevitability of change gracefully. For example, I am no longer welcome at the SAS tables at Newton, but I am greeted by name at Morton’s. Do I miss sweating over a warm Anchor, playing quarters and paying the auntie ten cents to pee? Who wouldn’t miss that? But, we all have to grow up a little bit. “As a professional in Singapore, a ‘that’ll do’ attitude will ensure a short tenure. Singapore has earned its reputation as a pressure-cooker, and employers expect more from pricey expatriates than they do from personnel back home. That’s Deacon (88), Sophia (18), Jen (87), Case (16) Powell not a complaint, just an observation. So, if you want your kids to have birthday parties at Marina Bay Sands, you’d better bring your A-game. “There are other alums here. I run into Dan Coe (85) and Greg Waldron (88) from time to time, but not nearly as often as I’d like. I’ve seen Trygve Dyrlie (89) as well. Kevin Reizer and I try to catch up between his jet-setting. They all seem to be doing really well and have cool-sounding jobs. I’m not jealous though because being a lawyer who cannot practice Singapore law is pretty sweet too, right? “Our son and daughter attend SAS, and we live 100 meters from campus. I like that we can sort of blend a home-town thing, where kids go to the same neighborhood school that their parents attended, with all 18

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that being overseas offers. I also take comfort in knowing that if they do well at SAS, they will be equipped to do well in the real world—and if they do very well here, they may have the option to raise their families in a bubble like the one in which they grew up.”

Kevin: It’s still a food paradise

“There are many similarities between the experiences. It’s still a food paradise with lots of school centric activities, and reliving the SAS life through my kids is certainly interesting. Singapore is a smaller place than I remember, but luckily with the rate of change here there is always something new to see or do. “My responsibilities extend from New Zealand to Bangladesh so I see much more of the region than I did as a student. Changi and SIA are a large part of my life (and I’m grateful to both). I am also exposed more to how local Singaporeans live through my relationships with employees and colleagues. “I have 3 daughters at SAS, which is a significant benefit to living in Singapore, as are the safety and security. They receive a great education and have access to unique opportunities through Interim Semester, SACAC and other programs. Some of my SAS teachers have already had the (surreal) experience of teaching my kids as well.”

Kevin (88), Christina (18), Snefrid, Alexandra (16), Madeline (20) Reizer

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Matt: TCKs have an advantage

“The biggest difference between being a student and an adult in Singapore is having to pay the bills in one of the most expensive places in the world. Apart from that, there are obvious differences. What was once an island playground as a student becomes a thriving economy full of commercial opportunity but also very real professional challenges. Thankfully, I think SAS alumni are uniquely equipped to handle these challenges. “When I first returned to Singapore in a professional capacity, I was fortunate to have had firsthand insight into the Asian workplace through several internships. For many who do not have this prior experience, I think the ‘Asian work ethic/mentality’ can be a bit of a shock. The concept of a work-life balance can be pretty Vicki (95), Casey (27), Matt (95) Rogers tricky to achieve here as well. While I think it is respectively. It is a fun group to be a part of, especially fair to generalize that Singapore has an ‘Asian work ethic,’ it is fairly laid back when compared to other with the shared experience of having grown up together. “My wife Vicki Rameker (95 and current faculty) and Asian powerhouse economies, such as Hong Kong and I have a son who is in pre-kindergarten at SAS. We feel Japan. “The truth is that alumni have many inherent blessed to have the opportunity for him to follow in advantages from having lived abroad; a lot of these our footsteps in receiving the same great education stem from simple cultural awareness in this increasingly that we had.” global society and economy. We also have a ‘head start’ on operating in different environments, dealing with change, Greg: More interaction with locals interacting with people from different backgrounds, etc. “I interact with many more people than I ever did as a student. Upon moving The ‘failure rate’ of first time back, we applied for Permanent expats is staggering, but my Residence, and I have since guess would be that it is far less become a Singapore citizen. I’ve dramatic among those who spent joined our local neighborhood some time as TCKs. committee, am a grass roots “One of the greatest things leader in our constituency and about growing up a TCK is the try to get involved in a lot of inevitable global network that local activities and organisations, you develop without even trying. more on the ‘local’ level than There are quite a few friends we ever did as kids. The one and classmates back here now, and several are in my company! My good friend Bryan constant of overseas life is the constant change in friends Baker (94) actually recruited me for MSI. Several other and acquaintances with transfers, relocations and job SAS grads are currently working together to build MSI: changes the norm. One of the reasons I became a citizen Andrew Johnson (00) and Jason Peck (00) are business and we set up our own business was so we could stay here development managers in Korea and Abu Dhabi, and be an anchor in the community for all these friends

Getting back to Singapore requires a plan and a willingness to work the plan.

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Greg Studebaker-Rutledge (78), Sedana Markham-Beusch (‘79) Susan Studebaker-Rutledge (80), Asia Studebaker-Rutledge (19)

when they return or travel through Singapore. “Our daughter is in her tenth year at SAS! She loves it here, and it is really the only life she knows. When we kid her about moving schools, she says she’s staying at SAS. We also take her to any reunions we attend, so she sees the lifelong friendships we have as adults and seems to appreciate she will have that in the future.”

about your spouse and kids. A spouse who doesn’t have a similar experience could quickly tire of joining Kevin, Dan and me at the American Club to play ‘remember when.’”

Kevin: Many routes to an overseas career

“I’ve witnessed several routes to an international career— work for a global company with operations overseas, work for a domestic company with international growth plans or start your own business. Working for a major company is usually the easiest route and also provides the best pay packages. In the oil and gas industry, I see expats in the engineering, procurement and construction fields and in the offshore drilling rig fabrication industry, Deacon: Be willing to start with HSE and compliance people, plus procurement, logistics hardship posts and contracts people. I also know several folks who are “Just getting overseas can easily be done via a willingness the sole employees of their companies, responsible for to live in bad places. Getting back to Singapore, or growing the business and hiring local staff. someplace like it, requires a plan and a willingness to “I know both specialists and generalists who have built work the plan. I moved from a law firm in New Orleans successful expat careers, but international assignments to an in-house role in Houston, specifically because I must be justified as the costs of expats are high compared thought it would position me for an overseas move. to local employees, so a solid set of skills, experience or “I think it will be increasingly difficult for non- knowledge is a must. Be prepared to work harder than Singaporean SAS alumni to come back through you would in a domestic position, and of course you need conventional corporate channels. There is a lot of local and regional talent. Entrepreneurs may find the most opportunities but may have to ‘live local’ to exploit them. In terms of industries, the region still loves oil and gas, but Singapore not so much. The oil patch hands have largely given way to the private equity crowd. “I think Singapore is the best place we have been based. I would encourage SAS alumni to give some thought to whether their interest is in being in the Singapore of today or in reliving an idyllic high school existence. Think too

Advice to Homesick Alumni

Some of my SAS teachers have already had the (surreal) experience of teaching my kids as well.

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It’s important to choose a job or career in an area that Singapore sees important.

a flexible and adventure seeking outlook on life. Getting out there early in your career is a good idea. Once you get on the expat path it is generally easier to continue an international career. “Singapore is a frenetic city, with a more rapid pace than I remember. The government’s fixation on growth has resulted in a rate of change that is coming under question. The local population is not growing quickly enough to drive this growth, leading to a heavy influx of foreigners. I think Singaporeans will begin pushing back, even if it means slowing down the growth rate. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.”

Matt: Remember your family’s needs

“The obvious industry candidates are finance and biotech, but there really is a tremendous breadth of opportunities here. Oil- and gas-related businesses are still flourishing. Lots of multinationals still count Singapore as their Asian hub. I think Singapore has done a good job of positioning itself as friendly to entrepreneurial ventures. More broadly, opportunities continue to abound in Asia, with continued investment in ASEAN, the new free market economy in Myanmar and the many prospects that the burgeoning middle (and upper!) class in China is producing in the region. “It should be mentioned that there are also plenty of needs in Asia that are being met by various non-profits doing good work. Students at SAS do a wonderful job supporting many of these efforts, but of course there are professional opportunities with these organizations as well. “One thing to keep in mind when considering a move overseas is that you will likely be leaving your extended

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family. If the last time you were overseas was as a student, you were likely with your immediate family, so this will be a significant difference. To our family, this is by far the largest drawback to working overseas. “It sounds cliché, but Singapore really does remain the same as it was in my ‘playground’ days. Despite its tremendous growth since the mid-90s, I would say it is better in some ways, worse in others, but on the whole, it’s still a fantastic place to live and work.”

Greg: Still one of the best places to live and raise kids

“Current conditions in the Singapore job market make employment pass applications difficult, so it’s important to choose a job or career in an area that Singapore sees as important. Biomed, IT and high-level technical expertise are always in demand. Singapore has a lot to offer, so don’t just look at your posting here as a personal opportunity or stepping stone. “Singapore is still one of the best places to live and raise kids. We’re very safe and enjoy a decent quality of life. Singapore can be expensive in typical expat terms, but in many ways it’s still affordable. Where else can you still go to a clean and safe hawker stall and get a decent meal for $3? Singapore is also great as a launch point for global travel. While many people find the charms of the Singapore of old are gone, I say that many of them are still here. You just have to get away from the new flashy malls and Orchard Road to find them—“ but of course, that’s always been the case!”

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Camp Castaway offered summer fun and adventure for kids on an island in the South China Sea from 1983 to 2007. During the school year, the camp was the site of SAS Interim Semester programs and ISKL’s Malaysia Week. Most of the summer camp kids and counselors were SAS students, although a few were from Jakarta International School and ISKL. Jim Baker (66 and current faculty) ran the program, but the charisma, hard work and dedication of his Nicole DeFord hand-picked counselors were the reasons for(04)

its success. Two outstanding counselors write about those days on these pages.

CAMP

I LOVED CAMP! Susanne Clough Whitley (89), Counselor 1987-99

On hearing that I would not be returning to the States for summer vacation in 1987, I realized that I needed a plan, and quick. I knew about Camp Castaway because my brother Doug (93) had attended it. I timidly went to talk with the owner of the camp, Mr. Baker (my economics teacher and track coach), about the opportunity to be a counselor. It was one of the best decisions that I ever made! I had the most amazing summer (and many summers after), but even beyond that, it shaped me into the person I am today. Camp Castaway changed people from the moment they arrived. The only way to get to Babi Besar island (now called Besar) from Singapore is first by bus to Mersing, Malaysia, then by bumboat. Campers said goodbye, some tearful, to their parents and boarded a bus. Some were returning for another year and told stories of past experiences, while others quietly gazed out the window wondering and maybe worrying about the next two weeks. The boat ride took a little over an hour and it was exciting to see the island rise on the horizon. Then the boat threw an anchor down in front of a small island surrounded by crystal clear water, and above the noise of the engine, the counselors yelled “Okay everyone, jump in! Let’s swim to shore,” and the adventure began. The remaining 14 days were filled with early morning wakeup calls, meals made by Mr. Hoe from SAS, chores (dishes were the best, you got music), sailing, fishing (using baby squid), snorkeling (there is no such thing as sea lice!), overnight campouts, water skiing, craft activities, Babi 22

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Besar Beach Olympics, treasure hunts, hiking, killer dodge ball, and ice cold bucket showers before dinner. As a counselor, it was fulfilling to see the effect that all these activities had on the campers. Kids who were once timid would face their fears to take that huge leap off the cliff into the sea. When they surfaced, they felt like they could conquer the world. Others received applause and approval from their fellow campers for their talents during the evening skits. Followers became leaders as they shared their expertise in sailing or waterskiing. Forever friendships were forged while enduring a campout with hungry rats and the treacherous hike up Mt. Tinggi. And the quietest kid on the bus ride to camp was the loudest singer around the campfire. The first thing many parents would hear as their kids bounded off the bus upon returning from camp was,”Can I go again next year?” As for me, I LOVED camp. I worked there almost every summer for 12 years. I grew and changed just as much as the campers did. I learned how to motivate the reluctant child, how a little enthusiasm and a positive attitude can make any activity fun (even latrine duty). I learned how to praise others and celebrate their successes, how to see past myself and put others first, how to work with and understand kids from other cultures and how to organize and lead other counselors. The list is endless. It was because of camp that I am a teacher. All the lessons I learned I apply in class, and just like camp, every day is a new adventure!

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Experiencing

PCASTAWAY

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Lifelong Lessons from Camp Nick Haslett (03), Camp Counselor 2002-07

Each year around spring time, in a time honored tradition, SAS juniors and seniors would summon their nerves to pop “the question” to someone special. It was a coming of age moment and the stakes were high. A “yes” could mean a once in a lifetime experience to celebrate with friends at an exotic location. Rejection would mean settling for second choice, or worse—nothing at all. So when I finally got the guts to ask Jim Baker if I could work at his summer camp, the stakes were high (sorry, no prom stories here). The stakes were high because at the time Camp Castaway was virtually the only summer job available for American students in Singapore. Restrictions on foreign labor and a post-crisis economic environment imposed significant barriers. A few students landed exceptional jobs. One friend with Brad Pitt-esque looks modeled professionally for Harley Davidson—a photo of him seated on a motorcycle with a gorgeous Australian woman appeared on billboards across the country. Those of us who weren’t so lucky faced a paucity of job options. Consider my other friend who spent a summer at Cold Storage rearranging the fresh produce section. I was determined that my first job would be more exciting. Camp Castaway followed a tried and tested formula over the span of two decades. Baker hired 6-8 counselors per summer to oversee communities of 20-25 campers for

1988 counselors Jelita McLeod (88), Dollah Ibrahim, Shannon Salter Burghardt (88), Bill Anderson (86), Scott White (88), Greg Waldron (88).

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two weeks at a time. Campers were 9-13 years old and counselors were 17-24 or so. While there was no specific counselor mold, most had established trust with Baker either by attending Camp Castaway as a child or running track & field. I spent three years on Baker’s track team and earned high grades in his AP economics courses. After my first two summers, Baker hired my brother, Phil (05) and my best friend from college. We were paid a modest wage but got to live expense-free, so it added up. At the beginning of each summer, the counselors attended a four-day “work week” on Besar island to prepare the camp. We arrived by way of two-hour minivan ride and speedboat. Upon reaching the beach, the male counselors waded to shore carrying 50-lb ice blocks on our shoulders. We carried a dozen or so of these ice blocks—dripping ice cold water down our bare backs—30 meters up the beach to a wheelbarrow, then another 200 meters to the ice chest. The island had no central electricity, so ice boxes were our only means of refrigeration. We performed this ice ritual once per week, all summer long. It had a lasting impact on me. Twelve years later—as a grown man living in a Manhattan condo—I still consider ice a luxury. The ice chest was only one of many “back-to-basics” transitions. There was no hot water (we used well water), no air conditioning (we used fans) and no mattresses (we

Nick Haslett (03) surrounded by campers.

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used canvas cots) to list a few of the conspicuously absent creature comforts. Campers were responsible for a daily chore routine that included scrubbing toilets, sweeping cabins and washing dishes. They invariably resented these chores for the first few days but it was magical to watch many of them begin to take pride in these jobs and even to innovate new ways to do them. For example, one particularly short camper gained instant popularity after I built her a special short broom which she used to clean under cots in record time. The camp culture also shunned technology—campers turned in their game boys, cell phones and music players for the duration. The technology deficit was so pronounced that owning an especially bright flashlight conferred noticeable prestige upon its owner. My sixyear tenure intersected with the emergence of “texting” from a novelty to a ubiquitous global distraction, but at camp, phones and texting were prohibited—and campers (and counselors) learned to enjoy hour-long meals with one another ’s undivided attention. The effect was so pronounced that 12 years later I maintain a personal discipline of leaving my cell phone and Blackberry behind (*gasp*) when attending meetings.

Susanne Clough Whitley (89) with campers.

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Special Moments While returning from a day of “Island Hopping,” we saw a perfect rainbow, in brilliant color, stretching unbroken from horizon to horizon. The campers reached their hands to the sky to grab at it. One girl actually cried from the rush of emotion.

After two hours sailing with no wind, a camper yelled, “This is pointless!” Almost immediately after his outburst, a pod of dolphins—including an ultrarare pink dolphin—leaped from the sea within meters of his sailboat.

Adam Courtney (96), far right, leading campers in a victory cheer.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Acceptance Ryan Chan (10)

IT WAS A YEAR OF MAGIC AND REDEMPTION. IT was a reversal of fortune, a parachute ending after multiple episodes of failure. I had confessed to my high school crush, felt entirely accepted by my peers and spent what was left of my childhood on an achievement high. I still viewed myself as a nerd, but had started to believe I had “leveled up” because I had been accepted into an Ivy League school. Only after experiencing turbulent freshman and sophomore years at Yale (how ironic) did I learn perhaps the most important observations about achievement and failure: (1) success feels real if other people can see it and (2) failure feels inconsequential when nobody knows. These observations would form Acceptance (2013), a 50-minute international film set in Singapore that I produced, directed and cowrote with one of my best friends. It’s about a scholar from India who lies about getting into Harvard. It’s a story about ambition, selfdoubt, jealousy and facing failure. It takes audiences into the world of elite international schools comprised of the world’s richest and most goalbound kids. The film follows the life of Rohan Patel, an underprivileged scholar who is obsessed with getting into an Ivy League school and gaining the social acceptance of his peers. He is a tragic hero who inflates his ability to achieve his goals and ultimately falls short. The most shocking part of this story is that it’s true. The story comes directly from the life of my co-writer Vishnu Hari, who graduated from ACS International on an ending note that was the polar opposite of my own. On April 1, 2010, Vishnu was rejected by almost every single school to which he had applied. Mind you, every college on his list was Ivy League. He used to say, “It’s a simple formula: 4.0 GPA, 2250 on the SAT, 3 leadership positions. Why would you turn away a hundred percent?”

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

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Adrian Bautista (09)

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Turns out he was a hundred percent wrong. Turning away the perfect applicant is what Ivy League admissions are known for, and Vishnu was not the exception. A few days later he said that Harvard, his last chance, had accepted him. His sudden reversal of miraculous fortune was a complete lie. The lie began to strain our friendship. I had my doubts, and his persistence in telling me he was being truthful was driving me mad. Eventually, Vishnu did something very noble—he came clean. His story led us to write the screenplay for Acceptance. We spent two years learning the craft of screenwriting, working entirely through S k y p e f ro m o u r c o l l e g e dorms. The project received a s h o r t f i l m g r a n t f ro m the Singapore Media Development Authority and sponsorship from Zouk and Mink nightclubs, where we filmed two scenes. United World College South East Asia (Tampines) allowed us to use its campus for principal photography. We called almost everyone we knew to support the film during production in July 2012. Friends from high school and all over the world flew in, and together we struggled for 17 days to make this story a reality. It’s hard to fully realize how difficult it is to make a film until you’ve worked on a film set. To give you an idea, first you have the primary creative challenges of making a well-constructed film with an engaging story and believable performances. Add in the logistics and

teamwork needed to execute the project’s vision, and you are struggling to make sure the production doesn’t collapse into a pile of rubble. You have a crew of 20 to 30 people who need to be transported from location to location at low cost; you have a truck with a couple thousand pounds of equipment; you face unavoidable technical failures; you have to light and build your sets at record speed; you have to manage scenes with about a hundred extras; and you have to find ways to keep people motivated. Everyone is on edge. The biggest fear for me was having the production come to a complete halt and living with the shame of letting so many people down. Luckily, Acceptance had an absolutely amazing, passionate and motivated team. People f ro m S A S — I s a a c Vi r s h u p , Prakhar Mehrotra, Shreshth Mehrotra, Hyo-Jin Park, Aashna Chopra, Pierre Cassini, Clay Burell, Barbara Hoffer, Jacqui Geday, Amanda Zakowich, Michael Too, Ishan Krishan, Ann Mayo-Smith, Amar Kaul, Cameron Noble and Aaditya Raikar—had inspiring levels of dedication and commitment. I’m leaving so many people out, but I could not be more thankful to everyone. Only the SAS network could offer me that kind of universal support. Now when I think back to the day that I decided to commit to making Acceptance, it gives me shivers. It was as if I had made the decision on autopilot and my mind somehow censored the realities of the project. I don’t

Success feels real if other people can see it and failure feels inconsequential when nobody knows.

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know if it’s my personality or if it was SAS that gave me the courage to take risks. I attribute at least a part of it to the structure of the school’s extra-curricular program, which makes achievement feel good. What specifically about SAS gave me the courage to jump into Acceptance? I have to say two key things: Model United Nations and the filmmaking course led by my mentor, Mr. Mark Clemens. From freshman year until senior year, Mr. Clemens gave me so much support; he watched me grow and encouraged me to keep growing. The community that Mr. Clemens created in the Media Lab gave me the resources to make short movies and put me in touch with great collaborators such as alumni Ed Khoo (12), Jonas Goode (08) and Christopher Hussey (08). One of the greatest highlights of that year was the Laurie Nelson Film Festival. Having your work shown in front of an audience as a student really motivates you to make something people will react to and enjoy. As for Model United Nations, I distinctly remember basing my decision to join SAS because of it. I remember reading the activities pamphlet and bring excited about the prospect of wearing a suit and doing role-play. By senior year I was Co-Secretary General of the MUN Conference. Managing a 500-person conference gave me the experience to run a film set where diplomacy is equally important.

What made MUN play an even more critical role in my development as a filmmaker was meeting Vishnu. We became friends at the MUN Conference in 2009, where we bonded over our passion for filmmaking. It’s funny how seemingly small decisions can change the course of your life. Everything was made possible by what SAS had to offer. Even something as different from filmmaking as MUN can have a life-altering impact. If I think about it, had SAS not offered MUN, I would have never met Vishnu; if I never met Vishnu, I wouldn’t have made Acceptance; and that thought just blows my mind. I admit I am infatuated with the past. But, hey, that’s why I’m obsessed with telling stories. SAS has served and will continue to serve as a consistent source of inspiration for my work. It’s my dream to turn the Acceptance franchise into a studio-backed 90-minute feature film. I think the international high school world in Singapore is fresh, rich with drama and needs a platform. Part of my motivation to make Acceptance was to find a way to preserve my past and allow Third Culture Kids to show their lives to others. I think many would agree that it is hard to explain expat life. I see it as my purpose to give people a way to communicate their past with a story like Acceptance, and I’m proud to have SAS take full advantage of it.

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SAS has served and will continue to serve as a consistent source of inspiration for my work.

A Mythical Adventure Though I only spent the last three years of high school at Singapore American School, those years continue to serve as the most influential time period in my life. It was a mythical adventure that only those that have experienced it can understand. My eyes light up when I hear the word Singapore, and I actively seek out those with a connection to exchange stories. Perhaps it could all be attributed to the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. To test that theory, when I heard that Mike Norman, a former teacher and coach, was going to retire from SAS in 2013, it was all the motivation I needed to return for the first time in 20 years.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Jose Fierro (93)

To provide some perspective, I originally came to Singapore in 1990, with a friend and his family. When they had to unexpectedly leave during that year, an amazing German family took me in. What was supposed to be one year, ultimately became three years. And what started off with one family taking me in, became a host of families helping me to grow and learn. The graciousness and kindness of those expatriate families has remained with me, inspired me and what made my Singapore experience so unique. The opportunities were endless, and I tried to take advantage of them all. After SAS, I went to Stanford and earned a BS and MS in electrical engineering, and then did what anyone in that position would do—I joined the Marine Corps and flew F/A-18 Hornets. People join the military for a variety of reasons—challenge, opportunity, and discipline—but for me, it was about service and paying back a portion of what I was given in Singapore. After 16 years, I have hung up my flight suit and am pursuing an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley.

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The place and the people are why I always smile.

Top: Jose and Mary Grace Fierro, welcome their new addition, Arianna Marie. Immediate right: Jose, Bryan Baker (94), Adam, Coach Norman, Matt Rogers (95) during IASAS Basketball 2013. Far right: F/A-18 Hornet, flown by Jose Fierro, taking off from the USS Harry S. Truman

So while I had traveled all over the world during my time as an active duty Marine (fun places and bad places too), I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been back to Singapore. As luck would have it, the IASAS Basketball Tournament was held in Singapore last spring. That gave another alum, Adam Zilber (93) and me a target date to plan our trip. We wanted to see Mr. Norman take to the court one last time. The campus is now in Woodlands; the Merlion downtown has been moved; there is a Vegas style casino on reclaimed land; and the Newton Circus hawker center looks respectable. But everything really is the same: the weather, the smells, the energy, the food, the hustle and bustle and the look of the sky and ground when the intense sun breaks out after a tremendous downpour. It felt reinvigorating. For a kid who grew up moving a lot, being in Singapore for three years was one of the longest periods I have ever been in one place, and it was great to be able to go back home in a sense. The place and the people are why I always smile when I think of the amazing SAS community.

First order of business off the plane: eating noodles at Newton. Circus stalls.

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An Unlikely

Slacker Megan Root (00)

For those who knew me in high school, my life as a “slacker” will come as a surprise. While at SAS, I gorged on sports, arts, APs, honor societies and student council. Jai Danani (00), my mind twin, and I had our sights set on owning a conglomerate, predictably commandeering the “Most likely to grace the cover of the Fortune 500 magazine” senior superlative. If we could justly allocate bulletin boards, rewrite the student constitution and market the Christmas Ball with classy sexual innuendo, what in the world could stop us? Thank the universe I chilled out a bit. I’ve redeployed the same skills, determination and energy that formed my original life plan toward excitingly unpredictable ends. After SAS, I attended Stanford University, where my slacker stylings began to take shape. Stanford looks fondly upon this kind of self-discovery. I left with a degree in East Asian Studies, a minor in Social Entrepreneurship, a fondness for Jack-in-the-Box and respect for beer pong skills—Coaches Conner and Bruno would be proud. The following year I lived among Hunan rice paddies teaching English, rounding out my 14-hour work week with basketball and backpacking, including a trip to Mongolia where I met my now-husband, a messily dreadlocked Irish guy. We spent the following year in NYC, soaking up America’s urban global mish-mash, pushing the limitations of nonprofit wages to create a budget for play. We then took jobs as manufacturing project managers in Chengdu, Sichuan, helping to grow the operation from 300 to 5,000 people. Those three years were filled with engineering drawings, qualification studies and global logistics. My nights alternated between foosball competitions and pirated-DVD watching. I spent most weekends dressed in a panda outfit cheering on rugby misfits. I deepened my appreciation for TCM, Daoist wisdom, Ashtanga yoga and the genius of Sichuanese food. I hosted about 60 friends and family over the years, showcasing the hilariousness and earnestness of China. I cultivated a list of life helpers—shaokao man, costume man, Magnum lady, the blind massage gang and Red Cloud the housekeeper and salsa-maker.

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Megan sipping a refreshing and popular layered fruit smoothie in Ethiopia.

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Our overland trip was the yin carrot to the yang of work. Then it was time to explore the viability of slacking full time. Our travels took shape by looking at a map and determining the farthest place we could drive to from Chengdu. This trip was the yin carrot to the yang of work; our way of establishing balance and exercising the freedom that we worked to create for ourselves. Of course, it was also a quest to enjoy the world, which seemed increasingly necessary after years of observing successful inter-cultural relationships undermined by accidental prejudices, overt media negativity and aid propaganda. There is still so much happiness, and we wanted to revel in it and share it…with videos, photos, stats, shenanigans. Thus, Global-Slacker was created in our hearts and on the Interweb. We had shed our corporate noose but were still, as one friend put it, “working very hard at showing how much you’re not working.” Slackers play in a paradoxical land—dedicated to working hard and adding value, yet prioritizing positive vibes and relaxed sensibilities. We avoided winter with four months of backpacking through Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh, and India before returning to China to launch 10 months of driving through 23 countries—the Stans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and a squiggle through Africa—arriving in Cape Town for a delightfully multicultural (read confused) Paddy’s Day party in March of 2011. Our Jeep was filled with collected condiments, sports equipment, musical instruments and pillows. Each day had different scenery, hazards, smiles, signs, tunes, treats, possibilities. There were new languages to attempt, new handshakes to practice, new standards of social interaction and appearance to assess and new rattles in the Jeep to investigate. We made videos for each country, amassing 500MB of digital delight. We became professional border wranglers and Wi-Fi negotiators. On average, we drove 6 hours to cover 322 km per day. We moved to a different town every 2.6 days, accessed the Internet every 1.6 days and showered every 2 days. We spent countless hours reflecting on people and places in a broadly comparative way, noticing the transition of one region into another, over time weaving together a worldview and a sense of commonality in the diversity. For more about our adventures, see www.global-slacker.com. And after all that we landed jobs in Nairobi with start-ups that seek cost effective solutions to the use of energy. On we slack, on a different continent, settled into a growing city, bustling with new ideas, aspirational energy and great vibes. 34

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Megan in Kenya above and Uzbekistan below.

A list of delightful elements of life in Singapore that are indeed slacktastic... SAS Interim: I’m sorry, “required” for graduation? Street food is a human right. Ambition is healthy. So is the beach. Always balance seriousness with whimsy: Big banks, big business…and Clarke Quay. Ingrained diversity: Stereotypes aren’t racist, are they? Great airports are a gift to humanity. The weather! I am unable to survive far from the Equator. Thanks for capturing me, Nairobi.

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HS Chemistry to

Bioinformatics

in a Few Short Years Suzanne Mercer Paley (84)

Now that I have two girls in high school, I find myself looking at their lives through the lens of my own high school experiences. Despite the obvious differences between Singapore and California, much is superficially similar—they read many of the same English texts, and I can still help them with their math (sometimes) and science homework. I went hiking in Nepal; they went hiking in Yosemite. Making friends, first relationships, becoming more independent—some adolescent experiences are more or less universal. However, I also find it interesting to reflect on how much both my life and the world in general have changed in ways I never could have predicted. When I was in high school, there was never any question in my mind that I was going to be a scientist. I was particularly inspired by Mr. Cox’s and Mr. Johnson’s chemistry classes and went off to Stanford determined to become a chemist. It was only in graduate school that I discovered that bench-top research was not a good fit for me. I switched to computer science and found work that combined my long-standing interest in the sciences with my newfound software abilities in the exciting field of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the use of computer science techniques to model and analyze biological systems. In our case, we were initially interested in capturing and visualizing the

chemical reactions and pathways involved in E. coli metabolism, so my knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry stood me in good stead. Back in the early 1990s, the Internet was mostly a tool for sending email and exchanging files, the Human Genome Project was just beginning, and any biological data we wanted to collect had to be culled directly from scientific literature or our biologist collaborators. Two years later, when the World Wide Web exploded onto the scene, I wrote my own web server to make our data and visualizations available to anyone. I believe we had one of the earliest websites to serve up dynamically generated scientific images. When the first complete genome sequence of an organism (a small but not particularly wellstudied bacterium) was published at around the same time, we developed techniques to infer information about its metabolism by analogy with the data we had so carefully curated for E. coli, and a whole new suite of inference tools was born. Now, more than 20 years since the project’s inception, the BioCyc.org website contains data on nearly 3,000 organisms (including humans), and our flagship E. coli database, EcoCyc, has expanded to cover many

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It’s entirely possible that (my kids) will find jobs in fields that don’t even exist yet. other aspects of bacterial biology, including genetic regulation, transport and signaling processes and growth experiments. Our website has become an invaluable resource for biologists worldwide and an integral part of the undergraduate microbiology curriculum at UCLA and elsewhere. While I still spend most of my time writing code, I also enjoy interacting with our many users, helping them find information and perform analyses. I find it extremely gratifying to see my work valued and appreciated and to contribute to scientific advances in ways that I never could have foreseen. When not pushing the envelope of in silico biology, my nose is often in a book on medieval history. I’m not quite 36

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

sure what it is about the medieval period that fascinates me—the romance of the distant past, the connection to my own roots, the great stories, the colorful characters—but I’ve been gradually drawn in. So when my children try to envision their lives after college and can’t quite figure it all out, I’m not concerned. It’s entirely possible that they will find jobs in fields that don’t even exist yet. Or that some topic they have so far given no thought to will suddenly grab them one day and inspire a change of direction. All I can do is encourage them to keep their minds open and nurture a love of learning in a variety of contexts. And then I can sit back and watch everything change some more! FA L L 2 0 1 3

Bryan Kim

The Olympic Alum Robert Dodge (faculty 83-06)

Swimming is where SAS has achieved great sports success, and one athlete, Bryan Kim (97), stands out from all others. Bryan began swimming in Korea when he was 10. His coach “saw a little bit of potential” and encouraged him to continue when he moved to Singapore in seventh grade. He joined the People’s Association Youth Swimming Club, where he was trained by an ex-national Chinese coach. At SAS Bryan swam first for the SACAC Fighting Fish and then for the high school varsity team. Coach Mark Habell was always present to support him through those years. Named SAS Outstanding Swimmer in grades 10 and 11, Bryan broke every school record. His sophomore year “Korea really saw me as a potential competitor” when he returned for the Asian Games trials and finished second. That same year, he broke four IASAS records and the Korean national record in the 400-meter individual medley (IM). That was hand-timed and Bryan considered it “unofficial,” but in 1995 he represented South Korea at the Pan-Pacific Games. Bryan also regularly made the honor roll, participated in SAS Singers and did community service. The Kims returned to Korea for Bryan’s senior year and he trained with the national team. At the 1996 Olympic trials he won and officially broke the Korean 400-meter IM record. After breaking the record he found his biggest supporter, his dad, and hugged him. “That was the biggest moment,” Bryan recalls. FA L L 2 0 1 3

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Bryan credits SAS with launching him, both with good academic habits and as a competitive swimmer.

He was senior captain of the South Korean Swim Team The 17-year-old was off to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta to swim the 200- and 400-meter medleys. He for those Olympics and held 18 South Korean records. remembers, “Walking around the stadium during the Looking back on his three Olympics and his failure to opening ceremonies, having 80,000 people cheering you swim his fastest times at them, he says, “I was never a on is an indescribable feeling.” He says attending the morning swimmer, always an evening swimmer.” The next year Bryan received a master ’s degree in opening ceremonies was a mistake as, “You really need to save your legs.” The athletes waited while over 200 applied physiology and kinesiology and began his countries were introduced and festivities followed. They career as an academic. He attended Temple University were not over until early the next morning and he had a for a PhD and was inspired to take on a project when morning race. “So it wasn’t a very good race experience, his grandmother fell and broke her hip. This focused but the overall experience was indescribable.” He finished his attention on falling issues among the elderly and he devised audio CDs with imagery tailored to specific 21st in the 400 and 26th in the 200. Bryan was recruited by several U.S. colleges and chose situations that people with fear of falling could wear. Surveys measured that the imagery the University of Florida, where he actually decreased fear of falling. earned repeated All American honors In 2009 Bryan completed his for the Gators. He had intended to PhD and retired from competitive become a veterinarian, but “chemistry swimming. His interest by this time got in the way” when he discovered was working with minorities, and he sports exercise psychology. was doing a study on motivational After his sophomore year he went text messaging to promote walking to the FINA World Championships in among older African-Americans. For Perth and finished 17th in the 400-meter IM. In 2000 he was off to Sydney for his second Olympics, his efforts he received an award from the Gerontological where he finished 33rd in the 400 IM in a heat time 15 Society of America. The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia named seconds slower than the world record. He graduated with a degree in psychology and then Bryan coordinator of health services, and he began his competed in the 2002 Asian Games in South Korea. Bryan postdoc studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. won one of the country’s few medals and notes, “I got a In 2012 he became an assistant professor of oncology at lot of recognition in the media. It really helped me get into Georgetown University, focusing on prostate cancer risks the mainstream of people getting to know who I am as a and survivors among African-Americans and also on promoting exercise correlated to reducing breast cancer. swimmer.” He is currently working at Georgetown’s Lombardi He started a master’s degree and trained for the 2004 Olympics. This led to an encounter with the greatest Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Sherrie Wallington, swimmer of all time. Bryan describes, “Before the Assistant Professor of Oncology, said of Bryan, “He’s such Olympics there are lots of preparation meets and in one an extraordinary faculty member and a very wonderful of them Michael Phelps was swimming right next to me human being.” Bryan Kim still swims and teaches swimming. He was in the finals of the 40-meter IM. And of course he beat me by like 10 seconds or so. I came in second, so I shook just married in September. This outstanding athlete is his hand and he said ‘good job’ to me and I said ‘good committed to making the lives of others better. He credits job, Michael.’” In Athens 2004, Bryan finished 20th in the SAS with launching him, both with good academic habits 400-meter IM, which Phelps won in world record time, and as a competitive swimmer. and 32nd in the 200-meter IM. 38

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The SAS Annual Fund

Why it Matters

The SAS Annual Fund supports exceptional opportunities and experiences that go above and beyond what tuition covers. Whether the funding is used to transform a program, enhance services already provided, or develop a new program, it provides critical support that changes the way our students view the world. Through your gift, we inspire, we challenge, and we broaden horizons. Your gift matters.

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Through donations we expand, test, and develop programs that prepare our students for the future.

Transformation of the World Language Program Authentic Communication Skills The World Language Program focuses on proficiency. Proficiency is what one can do with a language rather than the specific vocabulary. The focus is on how much students can do. The intent is to focus on interpersonal, spontaneous communication.

Your Gift:

Their Future

Donations made to the SAS Annual Fund are used now, so your gift impacts current students. We highlight three of the many programs that are funded to illustrate how the SAS Annual Fund shapes studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SAS experiences.

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New Strategies That Have an Impact Through a combination of the new proficiency model and technology resources, our teachers work with and assess the students in entirely new ways. For instance, we created iPads centers around the classroom, so that small groups can better listen to stories. As the students hear the stories, the teacher interacts with each group on an individualized level to assess needs and proficiency levels. Amazing Results: The SAS Annual Fund Makes a Difference In the initial stages the SAS Annual Fund helped with one time start-up costs, including with technology needs and course materials. As the program grows, funding helps pay for Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) teacher training, a cornerstone of the proficiency model. Our goal is for our teachers to be able to train other SAS teachers and have our program continue to evolve to higher levels. We have seen amazing results in the first 18 months of the revised program. Students are showing marked improvement in speaking and testing and increased self-confidence in their approach to the lessons. We are continuing to assess the impact of the changes we are making, and through continued OPI training and additional resources, we will continue to expand the program.

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Learning Support services are currently used by nearly one in five students at SAS. The program offers a range of services across the learning spectrum from English as a Second Language to highly gifted and talented students.

The use of technology allows teachers to interact with students in new ways.

Based on the popularity of our robotics club, our Robotics II class started in August with eighteen students divided into two competition groups.

Robotics: An Evolution from Club to Class

Learning Support Distinguishes SAS

The SAS Annual Fund Makes a Difference The Annual Fund contributed startup money to the robotics club for their initial competitions. Required competition kits can cost up to US$5,000. The SAS Annual Fund also provided initial capital needs in the new robotics lab.

Serving Diverse Populations through Learning Support SAS takes pride in offering the widest range of learning support in Southeast Asia. Nineteen percent of SAS students currently use our learning support services, which include: ESOL, GATE, counseling, speech and language services, psychology services, and PLC classroom support. Learning Support reinforces our belief that we can provide individualized education for every student.

Club Success Translates into more Course Offerings The club did very well in its first three seasons of competition. The students were learning a lot, placing well and generating interest among their peers. The school then added a Robotics II class in the high school, which takes the program to a new level. The class started this fall and has 18 students, divided into two competition teams. Middle school students also expressed interest in starting a robotics club. This past summer, the club was formed and they competed in the National Junior Robotics Competition in September. This club was one of the only all girl teams in the competition of over 800 teams. Goals for the classes and clubs include community outreach, competing in the world championships in several of the competitions, and hopefully building a metal shop at the high school.

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The SAS Annual Fund Makes a Difference Fifteen percent of the annual fund monies raised in 2012/2013 were dedicated to Learning Support. SAS sees this program as a flagship program, distinguishing it from all other international and private schools in the region.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Contributions to the SAS FoundationS 2012-13 We are pleased to recognize the following contributors who made gifts between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.

1956 CIRCLE S$50,000 AND ABOVE • Tandean Rustandy and Susan Sujanto

• The Khoo Family and the Khoo Teck Puat Foundation

EAGLE CIRCLE S$20,000–S$49,999 • Shirley Fung and Paul Bernard • Michael and Shelly Dee The Hoglund Foundation • Chiet Hsuen Eng and Su Hui Lee

• Laura and Brooks Entwistle • Edward and Rachel Farrell • David and Julie Fried • Adam and Brittany Levinson • Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd

• Kent and Susanne Paulli • Kim and Birgitte Rosenkilde • Richard and Jacqueline Seow • Gerry and Michelle Smith

• Stephen Riady Group of Foundations • Raymond and Kaori Zage • David Zemans and Catherine Poyen

TIGER CIRCLE S$10,000–S$19,999 • William and Judith Bollinger • Jeremy and Willow Brest • Bart and Valerie Broadman • Wing Kwong Chan and Vivian Liu • Yeow Ming Choo and Ling Zheng

• Steven Diamond and Sarah Jeffries • Fort Canning Asia • Chip and Cheryl Kimball • Hano Maeloa and Monita Harianto

• Beecher and Robin Abeles • Ravi and Sunanda Agarwal • Sunghak Baik and Wonjung Shim • Capital International, Inc. • Dickon Corrado and Ito Toshima

• Kyu Shik Hahn and Eui Jeong Song • David and Heather Hoffmann • ISS Facility Services Private Limited • Aaryan and Rachana Koura

• Ilian Mihov and Ralitza Peeva • Rudy and Andrea Muller • Y.S. and Suzie Nam • Mark Nelson and Margrit Benton • Edan and Bon Park • Helman and Maria Sitohang

• Zanping Sun and Yuan Yang • Chantal and Christopher Tan • Sean and Lisa Wallace • Ee Lim and Sofina Wee • The Calvin Widjaja Foundation • Yeap Transport Pte Ltd

GECKO CIRCLE S$5,000–S$9,999 • Rodney and Margaret Marchand • Chris Misner and Crystal Hayling • Brent and Maggie Mutsch • TCB Sports Pte Ltd • Erman Tjiputra and Jessica Welirang

• Steven and Asa Tucker • Vantage Construction • Soejono and Fae Varinata • Adrian and Clarice Woodworth • Zhou Hin Engineering Pte Ltd

ORCHID CIRCLE S$1,000–S$4,999 • Nasser Ahmad and Romita Shetty • Vivek and Sadhana Ahuja • Peng Huat and Swat Ang • Linton Atlas and Aliza Knox • Jonathan and Jessika Auerbach • Paul and Kristin Azevedo • Richard and Ashley Barry III • Steve Berger and Sarah Wang • David Boden and Nancy Frohman • Victoria Camelio • Mark and Mieke Chamberlin • Adil and Martha Chaudhry • Allen Chu and Mary Kuo • Kenneth and Lauri Coulter • Thomas and Patricia DuCharme • Craig and Toni Dudsak • Everpaint Enterprise Pte Ltd • Darin and Sara Fahrney • Eric and Alice Foo

• Paul and Noriko Foster • Fuji Xerox Singapore Pte Ltd • Tetsuichi and Kaoru Fujiwara • Christopher and Carrie Gammons • GDS Engineering • Shawn and Marian Graham • Bryan and Christine Henning • Hoe Brothers Catering • David Hoss and Michael Fiebrich • Insulglas Systems Pte Ltd • Jessy Yeunju Jang • Geri Johnson • Will and Julie Jones • Devin Kimble and Amy Sittler • Ed and Joyce King • Michael and Maribeth Kingan • Gauri and Ranjit Lakhanpal • Michael Langlois and Anita Tan • Brett and Stephanie Lay

• Bryce and Crystal Madsen • Willard and Katherine McLane • Kevin and Kellie Meehan • Rockne and Rebecca Moseley • Sung Namgoong and So Yeon Lee • Doug and Maureen Neihart • Brian O'Connor and Nancy Manayang • Richard Payne • Adrian and Susan Peh • Don and Lyn Reed Pesek • Phoenix Advisers • Cameron Poetzscher and Varsha Rao • Deacon and Jennifer Powell • Devin and Dianna Pratt • Lawrence and Angela Rucinski • Ashish Saksena and Sonal Priyanka • William and Martha Scarborough

• Christopher and Joon Shortell • Brent and Sandra Smith • Andreas and Doris Sohmen-Pao • Nicholas and Jennifer Sparrow • Hadiran Sridjaja and Kyung Ye Kang • Timothy and Mona Stuart • Lilien Sun • Nolan and Patricia Villarin • Kevin Lu and Joanna Wang • Jefferson and Raweewun Weisel • Teddy Wirianata and Judith Carlotta • Anthony and Rachel Wong • Byron and Kara Wong • Susan Zhang • Jun Zhao and Kelly Tan • Michael and Betsy Zink

TRAVELER’S PALM CIRCLE UP TO S$999 • Anonymous (3) • Keith and Monica Barnett • Freddy Bharucha and Anita Choksi • Timothy and Suzanne Bohling • Mark and Marianne Boyer • Eric Bryars and Cynthia Cheong • Builder 90 Pte Ltd • Amy Calabrese • Treena Casey • Kyung Cheol Chang and Hee Kyong Kim • Gladys Chapman • Kong Wain Chin and Margaret Wong • Phillip Chritton and Zhinong Zhang • Peter and Melissa Clark

• Brian Combes and Emiko Enomoto • Jason and Beth Cone • Laurynn Evans • Jay Butterfield and Susan Ewert • Kevin and Kathleen Foster • James and Beth Gribbon • Paul and Joelle Guilfoyle • Michael and Joanna Hambrick • John Shields and Mami Hirota • Bob and Mary Houser • Scott and Tara Jackson • Zunaid Kazi and Tamara Black • Itthichai and Ratchada Kittismidh • Carol Klecka • John and Jill Koncki • Heidi Krutek

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

• Amit Kunal and Shradha Nayan • Lands’ End Direct Merchants • Anne Lee • Sook Jin Lee • Marc and Heidi L'Heureux • Yongjun Li and Shenghui Zhou • Jamie McDougald and Aleasha Morris • Bryan and Michele Mecham • Kenitiro and Satoko Muto • Sriram Nadathur and Raksha Sriram • Leslie O'Brien • Sunghwan Park and Eunok Kim • Kent Peterson's Fourth Grade Class Families • Matthew and Cathryn Ray • Susan Ridley

• James Roderick • Ken Schunk • Select Books Pte Ltd • Gregory Smith • Ellen Snow • Evan Sotiriou • Adam Sprankell • Charles Stoehrmann • Sheryl Sutton • Akira Takahashi • Darryl and Sonali Tang • Olaf and Mahani Venema • Jeffrey Waite • White Flag Foundation • Mitchell and Jane Wood • Chun Yang • Wilbert and Amy Young • Lee Zweifel

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The SAS Annual Fund—

Your Gift, Their Future Every Gift has Impact

Please make your gift today!

Your contribution enables us to enhance world-class academic programs, continue to develop our teachers to the highest levels, and fund life-changing experiences that are integral to an SAS education beyond even what today’s tuition provides.

To make a gift online go to www.sas.edu/giving Or send a check to: SAS Foundation c/o Advancement Office Singapore American School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore, 738547

Why is your support important to the annual giving campaign-The SAS Annual Fund? The annual giving campaign represents an opportunity for alumni, parents of alumni, current parents, former and current faculty and staff, corporations, foundations and friends to enhance the school's comprehensive and dynamic programs through the giving of financial support. Funds raised through the annual giving campaign support the current programs at SAS.

All donations made to the SAS Foundation Ltd, a Singapore Institution of Public Character (IPC) UEN:200813073R/IPC:000664 or to The Singapore American School Foundation, a United States 501(c)3 charitable organization, Federal ID No. 13-6266797, qualify for tax benefits in accordance with the applicable laws of the respective country. Each Foundation is a separate, independently governed not-for-profit organization, and each retains sole discretion to determine the most beneficial use of charitable funds, consistent with the respective foundation’s stated mission.

FUNDING SUPPORT IN 2013/14 % 3 Community Speaker Series

6% Service and Leadership Development

S$1.03 million

7% Student Academic Support

4•26•14 Save the Date

Star Appeal Dinner April 26, 2014 Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore

% 8 World Language

Raised in 2012/13 for use in 2013/14

YOUR GIFTS

AT WORK

48%

Learning Support

% 14 Innovation Funding

14%

Athletics, Activities, Clubs

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SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

ALUMNI Gatherings Lauri Coulter, Associate Director of Alumni Relations

SINGAPORE May, 2013 A

ABOVE: A Tim Tan, Chip Kimball, Luigi Puno (10), Will Bradley (10), Chris Kuan (10), Marc Wilson (10) B Susan Studebaker-Rutledge (80), Greg Rutledge (78), James Rose (77), Jm Baker (Faculty) C Niomi Kothari (08), Chris Hussey (08), Jason Zamon (06), Nikita Saghal (08), Julie Vasko (08) D Gina Toriyama (95) and Bob Dodge (Retired Faculty) E Yashika Mody (08) and Radhika Agarwal (11) F Ruby Hohensee (12) and Natalie Muller (10) RIGHT: Dev Tiwari (10), Iby Shalabi (11), Shachi Tiwari (11), Taiga Nagatomi (90)

SYDNEY October, 2013

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SAS Moms Gather to

Reminisce Beth Gribbon

Sally Greene gave all the ladies lovely robes from India. Pictured: Lynda Myers, Cindy Hill Jahner, Gayle Haslett, Sally Greene, Sue Calvert, Beth Gribbon, Sue Fordney, Lauri Coulter, Janine Byrne, Toni Michaels, Sue Stefanik

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The buzz at my house last July was a constant for three days, reminiscing about Singapore, where we’d made our home and raised our families. Often our connection was through SAS; supporting our children’s education and engaging in activities that filled a void created by what we left behind. Then and now, we appreciate and celebrate our experience, in ways that our extended families and friends we left behind never can. What a wonderful feeling it was to reconnect with friends from that challenging yet magical time. Someone tallied up the years we’ve spent in Singapore, 129 and counting, since some still live there. If you haven’t made the effort to gather a group of friends or attend an SAS reunion planned by others, you’ve missed out on a wonderful few days. We’ll surely make this happening again soon. It was a blast!

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Alums from the 50s, 60s & 70s have held Bi-Annual Reunions since 1981 Ruth Wingeier (73) and Junia Baker

Living in Singapore and attending SAS were unique experiences that formed and framed the lives of many alumni. Headmaster Dr. Elsbree (62-67) urged students to “treasure your days at SAS,” and alumni do, especially those from the 60s and 70s, who have been celebrating with bi-annual reunions since 1981. They have fond memories of the school—painting the water tower, reading under the trees, whispering about what really happened last Saturday night, cheering the Eagles to victory, and skirting the dress code. They remember the close community of teachers and friends, the chatter in the hallways, and the feeling of being unique and special. And they celebrate those memories and create new ones every two years. Ruth Wingeier (73) began the tradition with the help of Glenda Bready (73), Evalin Teilmann Trice (72) and Marc Garrett (73). “We thought a reunion in Texas might have a large turnout because of all the oil families who had sent their kids to SAS. Evalin suggested I contact her brother Tiga (74), who in turn suggested asking Mary Howes (74) if she’d help out. She was living in Dallas and agreed to set up the onthe-ground arrangements. I was living in Minneapolis and did all the mailings. About 75 people attended, and our mailing list had 150 people on it. All this before e-mail!” Thirty-two years later, the mailing list has grown to 850, and the locations have bounced all over the map. In Singapore in 1995, alumni came together to honor Abe Abraham (teacher 1959-94) and bid farewell to the King’s Road campus, on which they had all studied and played. This particular reunion reconnected many Singapore-based alumni with the former classmates in the United States. The Atlanta reunion in 2000 honored Betty Snead, who ran the Methodist Hostel 1958-82. And the Washington, DC reunion in 2009 featured a special performance by members of the 1974 Concert Choir led by then-choir director Jim Perry.

REUNIONS & ORGANIZERS

1981

Dallas Ruth Wingeier (73) & Mary Howes Seay (74)

1983

DC Ruth Wingeier (73) & Susan Scull Carvalho (72)

1985

San Francisco Ruth Wingeier (73) & Barbara Bready (67)

1987 1989

Houston Ruth Wingeier (73), Mary Howes Seay (74), Dan Howes (73), Leslie Edge (73)

Linda Cook Ferguson (67) & Peter Ferguson (67)

1991 1993

Seattle Lee Root (70), Susie Lawrence Root (69), Debbie Dudley Bodal (73)

Denver

Kathy Blake Coleman (71)

1995

Singapore Jim Baker (66), Terry Ng (64), Kathy Tan (67)

1997

New Orleans Mitchell Wood (73) & Stephen Hurst (74)

1999

San Antonio Stephen Hurst (74) & Debbie Rowell Riches (72)

2000

Atlanta Beverly McElroy (73)

2001

Austin PJ Donner (76) & Hugh Konigismark (76)

2003

San Diego Stephen Hurst (74) & Nancy Blodget Meisenheider (75)

2005

Houston Jane Neale Etzel (75) & Stephen Hurst (74)

2007 2009

Vancouver DC

Helen Wong 973), Stephen Hurst (74), Helen Wilkinson Doucette (73)

Pat Wales (68) & Stephen Hurst (74)

2011

San Francisco Elaine Wales Koch (70) & Kristin Lundberg Searle (64)

2013

Atlanta Allen Lundy (68), Heath Harvey (74), Leigh Ann Whiddon Harvey (87), Ernie Glass (67)

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Reunion Planning Atlanta 2013 How it all comes together A

Allen Lundy (68)

AT THE END OF THE 2011 REUNION IN SAN Francisco, it was determined that the next reunion would be in Atlanta, and I volunteered (or was volunteered!) to host it. Heath Harvey (74) and his wife Leigh Ann Whiddon Harvey (87) as well as Ernie Glass (67) and his wife Gina Gilgo volunteered. I accepted hosting responsibilities with the caveat that we would try September instead of the usual July time frame because of the intense heat and humidity in Atlanta in July. In September 2012 we began to search for a suitable hotel headquarters and requested assistance from the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. The JW Marriott in Buckhead had the best offer. Even though it was not located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, its quality and price combination won the contract, especially since it is located across the street from a transit station that provides train service to downtown as well as the airport. The hotel was able to handle a reception for us on Friday evening, as well as breakfast on Sunday morning. We felt it was important to have both of these events at the hotel, since people would be arriving and leaving at different times. We planned for “heavy” hors d’oeuvres for the reception and ended up with almost a full meal— two carving stations, a salad bar, a potato bar and a fruit bar. Next task was to find a suitable restaurant for Saturday evening. We traditionally have an Asian meal on that

A Karen Gordon 70, Duncan McPhee 70 and Sherry Keith (McPhee) 70, Cliff Hunnicutt 70, Steve Boom 70, Lisa Boehlke 70, Rut McGhee 70, Terri Strickland (Sirmans) 70, Gene Freeman (Hamel) 70 C Mitchell Wood 72, Cindy Lundy D Chandler Yount 93, Mark Maran 94, Bill Anderson 86, David Dawson 85, Leigh Ann Whiddon (Harvey) 87, Robyn Williams 86, BJ Valentine 93, Tina Marie Leathers 94 E Elisa Lundy 71, Lily So 62, Dan Scull 68, Jane Neale (Etzel) 75, Pam Seaward 71 FA L L 2 0 1 3

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night, but while the Asian neighborhood in an Atlanta has excellent restaurants, it is not easily accessible by transit. In the end we settled on Maggiano’s Little Italy, which A a 15-minute walk from our hotel and offered us a was large banquet room as well as generous amounts of food at an attractive price. We liked the idea from earlier reunions of leaving the daytime hours on Saturday open for individual sightseeing, but we offered plenty of tips and hints on the things people could see on their own or in groups. The C only activity we organized was a pair of Segway tours. 135 SASers attended the reunion. They reported liking the hotel very much, specifically the quality of the food. They also liked the ambiance at Maggiano’s as well as the food. The biggest group was the class of 1967, which had

13 people show up, plus spouses and guests. There were two attendees from the class of 1959 and two from the class of 1993, and everybody else was scattered in between. There were a remarkable number of people from the early 60s and the usual great turnout from the mid-70s. Three people came from Singapore, two from England, one from Norway, one from Italy and a few from Canada. Several years ago, SAS reunions got separated into “before 1980” and “after 1980” for reasons unknown. For this reunion, I tried to encourage many of the “later” grads to come to Atlanta. My feeling is that we should get the two groups together again. I had some success, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The biggest thing I did differently at this reunion was to considerably expand the scope of the reunion web

As always, it’s as if the years since we all left SAS disappear when we see one another.

A Debra Von Platen 69, Rut McGhee 70 B Barbara Bready 67, Rob Evans, Karol Tice (Evans) 69, Russell Ng 67 C Dan Scull 68, Ernie Wong 68 D Fielden Lundy 65, Stephen Hurst 74, Elaine Wales (Koch) 70, Michael Hurst 73 E Randy Philpot 74, Grace Philpot (Monson) 67, Tom Philpot 65

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site. Web sites have been used for previous reunions as a source of information and a place where one could find the registration form. This time we built a site that enabled us to gather names and addresses, send out mass emails, allow people to register, provide chat rooms, post photos, make announcements and dispense information. It became apparent that it would be useful to keep the site after the reunion as a “gathering place” for SASers and a ready tool for future reunions. There were some costs associated with doing this, but we got a consensus during the Atlanta event that people were willing to donate small amounts to keep the site going indefinitely. It’s www.sasreunion.net. Now we begin the task of finding all the people who have not yet been located and putting them in the site’s database. The site has approximately

850 people in its database, of which 241 have joined and updated their information. We have agreed with the SAS Alumni Office that contact information ought to be shared between the reunion site and the alumni site to our mutual benefit as a means of keeping in touch with as many SASers as we can find. We had a good time in Atlanta—the weather was perfect, and it was fun to reconnect. As always, it’s as if the years since we all left SAS disappear when we see one another, and we are able to take up right where we left off. It’s easy to relate to other SASers even if you never knew them while in Singapore because of that shared experience of attending SAS.

It’s easy to relate to other SASers even if you never knew them in Singapore because of that shared experience of attending SAS.

A Heath Harvey 74, KK Watts (Jacobsma) 75, Dan Howes 73, Brenda Fox (Collins) 75 B Cindy Stuckey (Zimmerman) 71, Helen Wong 73, Elaine Wales (Koch) 70, Pam Essler C Dan Scull 68, Charlotte Applewhite (Hewett) 68, Ernie Wong 68, Ellen Brown Gaffney 68 D Cindy Stuckey (Zimmerman) 71, Jane Neale (Etzel) 75, Denise Mills 76 E Kristen Lundberg Searle 64, Ingrid Lundberg Stephen 68, Lisa Lundberg Anderson 72

D E

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FOND FAREWELL Faculty and staff who were at SAS for more than 10 years who departed SAS at the end of 2012-13.

Mike Norman 1976-2013 Mike Norman started at the Ulu Pandan Campus in 1976! He taught Spanish for 37 years and coached the varsity boys’ basketball team for 33, and girl’s softball for 9 years. During his final 2012-13 coaching season his Eagles basketball team won an astounding 17 gold medals under his leadership. The coaching legend is leaving behind a legacy unmatched by any basketball coach in IASAS history. Mike’s three sons all attended SAS: Richie (03), Andy (05) and Phil (07). He and his wife Tina plan to split their time between his home in St. Helena, CA and Singapore.

Nannette and James Ruhter 2002-2013

Roy Tomlinson 2002-2013 Roy Tomlinson, HS Math, has moved to Japan with his wife Etsuko (whom he met here in Singapore) and is now teaching at the American School in Japan (ASIJ). Roy shared that his 10 years at SAS were a great experience, and that they will miss all of their friends and colleagues. 50

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Nannette Ruhter, HS English, came to SAS in 2003 with husband James, MS teacher. Nanette most recently taught Speech, Asian Literature, English 10, and Oral Interpretation. Both were active members of the SAS community. Nanette most recently served as sponsor for the Interim trip to Turkey, which she really enjoyed because of the secularity and neutrality of the place.

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Mike Stagg and Beth Kramer 2002-2013 Mike Stagg and Beth Kramer arrived in 2002 to teach Social Studies and work as a counsellor, respectively. Both were also coaches and sponsors of Model UN for many years. They plan to sit on their verandah in Chapel Hill, NC and “contemplate the eventual prospect of other education prospects overseas.”

Kim Melsom 1992-2013 Biology teacher Kim Melsom joined the High School in 1992. Her passion was preparing students for academic and life challenges. She taught AP Biology, BioTech, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology and Crime Scene Forensics. She also sponsored the Leprosy Home community service program and Christian Bible study. After 21 years at SAS, she has returned to College Station, TX to reconnect with family (8 grandchildren) and pursue personal goals. Husband Duane will teach one more year and join her in June 2014.

Shelly and Paul Griffin 2000-2013 Shelley and Paul Griffin came to Singapore in 2000, where she taught HS English and he taught HS Photography. Shelley’s most recently taught World Literature, Mythology, and English 9, while Paul taught Advanced Digital Photography, Digital Photography, Advanced Darkroom and Darkroom Photography. Their final trips as Interim sponsors were to Tanzania and the London Theatre Experience. They will miss the vibrancy of the school and city and the warm weather, but are looking forward to the change of the seasons back in the US. FA L L 2 0 1 3

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Notes & Quotes 1950s Stuart Lippe (59), who still insists he’s the class of 56 because SAS did not have a high school the year that he left, has retired from the US Dept of State and moved to Vero Beach, FL. He especially likes morning runs on the beach, where he was once stoped by 50 or so baby loggerheads making for the water. He says it was “cool, awesome. It is very rare to see this up close during daylight hours.”

1970s PJ Donner (76) and friends enjoyed chili crab at a get together at his place in Magnolia, TX last April.

Patricia Grover (72), left, has retired from the USDA Forest Service and is now coordinator for the Mason County Noxious Weed Control Board in Shelton, WA. Karen Boom Uyeno (72) has been a registered nurse for 37 years. She and her husband live in Camarillo, CA. William Boom (70) has retired from architecture/ city planning and is living in Bainbridge Island, WA. Jan Sutcuffe Zinner (72) celebrated her birthday last spring by visiting Singapore and reminiscing. She’s a telephonist for a courier company in Pakenham, Australia.

Claude Hitt (78) has 2 videos on You Tube—Next Train and The Desert—and has a new CD coming out in late December—Working Towards Perfection.

1980s

Rollie Light (80) stopped by SAS while visiting family in Singapore. He lives in Clovis, CA, where he is a senior diagnostic consultant at Genoptix Medical Laboratory.

From Buddy Byington (81): “Steve Kennon (79) and I are out at a dive bar, a little place called Dry Creek in Austin, TX. There are only 5 other people in the place as Kennon and I enjoy a few beers and throw around some quarters playing pool and listening to the static audio of classic vinyl 45s coming from the jukebox. He splits and I start talking to this dude who says he grew up in Singapore—he was there from 73-78 and

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

attended SAS. His name was Kenneth Chambliss. I remembered him and his sister Margaret. Even more incredible is that Kennon’s mom is close friends with his mom. I immediately call Steve, who lived down the street from Kenneth in S’pore. He drives back. We end up hanging out and chatting it up another hour. Though Singapore is a world away, alums seem to find one another…even 35 years later. And no matter where we may find ourselves, we recount a time not so long ago as if it was yesterday!” Picture shows Buddy (81), Kenneth (84), Steve (79).

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Nicole Raymond Martin (93) lives in San Francisco with husband Jose and children Dalia and Sebastian.

Christine Bradley Broughton (86) is a Virginia district representative for US Congressman Bob Goodlatte. She has 6 children and lives in Daleville, VA with her husband.

1990s

Robert Frazier (96) married Ryan Black in Kamiak Butte County Park, WA last July. Guests included parents Richard and Catherine Frazier (faculty 88-99), Nina Frazier (98), Andrew Berg (98), Ilene Jaffe (faculty 89-93) and Sarah Christensen (faculty 89-92). Picture shows Ryan and Robert with their nephews.

Jen Reynolds (93) visited soccer coach Don Adams and former teammate Vicki Rameker Rogers (95) at SAS last June. Adams recalled how Jen was a star in the 91 championship game against arch rivals JIS. Jen is a major, soon to be a colonel, in the US Army.

Korean television producer Jin Seok Chang (96) visited Singapore last Spring to see his mother. His sister, Cat (97), who is a singer, was also in Singapore enroute to her home in Los Angeles.

Leo Campbell (90) is an engineer at Boeing and lives in Huntington Beach, CA. He came back to SAS last Spring to celebrate the final year at SAS for teacher and coach Mike Norman. FA L L 2 0 1 3

Cathy Paras (97) is working for dotandbo.com. She is married, has a two-year-old son and lives in Fremont, CA. She says with a smile that she visited Singapore and SAS last May for â&#x20AC;&#x153;closure.â&#x20AC;?

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Jeff Sundberg (97), Laura Geshay Sundberg (98) and daughter Harper welcomed son Grayson James in May.

Christi Wakefield (98) married Christian Baumann in Aalen, Germany last August. Friends and family from Germany, Canada, Australia, the Americas and England attended the event.

2000s

Carrie Hill Foley (00) stopped by SAS in August to show the school to her family. She is a real estate broker in Lynnwood, WA.

Jennifer Lee Iafolla (98), husband Jason and son Cooper welcomed little brother Logan last December.

Jeff Marek Jr (98) received the 2013 Teacher of the Year Award at his school in Johnson City, TN, where he teaches fifth and sixth grade math.

Vicki Chen (00) and Tina Batlivala Beardon (01) visited SAS last May. Vicki is marketing development manager at 3M in Singapore, and Tina is a veterinarian in Tinton Falls, NJ.

Anokhi Kapasi (98) and Benjamin Sullivan were married in San Diego in April. The couple met while earning their doctorates at UC San Diego. Anokhi is now a molecular epidemiology senior research assistant at The Diego Group in San Diego. Guests at the wedding included Ujval Kapasi (93), Brittania Boey Serrill (98), Carolyn Choy (98), Amy Tan Wei (98), Leon Liu (96), Kathy Saludo Tan (67), Claire Tan Liu (98), Juu-Lie Lee Bell (98), Shari Vo-Ta Barnidge (98), Vonya Miksic Eisinger (98), and Ezra Miksic (95). 54

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Reid Wilson (02) is an engineer for Samsung in Austin, TX. He visited SAS last May with his wife and Nicholas Chang (09).

Ashley Anderson Bilger (02) is an engineer with Gannett Fleming, in Harrisburg, PA.

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Jessica Palumbo Rose (03) and Adam Rose (98) were married last March, 20 years after they met at SAS in 1988.

Kristen DeBerry Hansen (03) and husband Erik are living in Farmers Branch, TX with twin boys Henry and Mads.

Hansol Kim (05) and wife stopped by SAS last May to visit and thank math teacher Don Adams for giving him a hard time in high school as it helped him succeed in college. He is an engineer and researcher with Samsung Biologics Group in Seoul. Just recently, Hansol had a call from Da Yeon Kim (08) and helped get her a job with Samsung as well.

Kay Miyoshi (05) and Mike Cobetto were married on July 7 in New Albany, Ohio. Other members of the Class of 2005 in attendance were Leilani Yap, Caitlin Albany, Alison Root, Jade Myers, Jess Fries, Mary Postel, Gill McMillan, Skylar Fast, Luc Nutter, Brad Brunoehler, Greg Sorensen. Cloe Woodfield (06), sister Emily (08) and parents visited SAS in October.

Nishanth Dev (03) has completed a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at MIT and joined Novartis in Basel, Switzerland. FA L L 2 0 1 3

Travis Chiang (05) is a chemical engineer at Tesoro Corp. in Los Angeles. He and his bride visited Singapore last summer on their honeymoon.

Evelyn Toh (08) is a professional dancer and recently toured Europe with MOMIX dance company, performing in Alchemia.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Claire Joo Hee Jun (08) is working in Seoul with Weber Shandwick in public relations.

Kirsti Parkinson (09) is pursuing a master’s in art education at the University of Texas.

Jacque Moll (08) married Miguel Quinto in Norfolk, VA last May. She is in the process of completing nursing school and he is a sailor in the US Navy, stationed in Norfolk.

Victoria Couch (09) and sister Alexandria (11) returned to Singapore last June to attend brother Christopher’s graduation. 56

Kendra Witkewicz (10) is a tax intern with Deloitte Tax Group in Chicago.

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Jacqueline Murphy (86) and her family were on holiday in Singapore. Kenneth Koh (01) recently relocated to Washington, DC, where he is a senior advisor for IMF. He and wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child, Connor, in June. Curt Nelson (05) is an industrial engineer with Polaris Industries in Vermillion, SD.

Shreya Padmanabhan (11) is majoring in psychology and education at Mt Holyoke. Dineth Siriwardane (11), who is at Babson College, visited Singapore last June to attend brother Sachithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduation. Thasbeeh Mohamed (11) is studying accounting at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Rachel Khan (11) is attending Les Roches International School of Hotel Management.

Kristen Rutstrom (06) teaches ESL in Lexington, KY. She visited Singapore last June with her daughter. Prescott Campbell (19), who now lives in Newport Beach, CA, visited SAS last summer. He attended kindergarten and first grade at SAS and was delighted to see that his teacher, Kathy Tan (67), is still on staff.

Tara Sivaskandan (13) and Amanda McKenzie (13) stopped by campus before heading to college this fall. Tara headed off to UC Berkeley, to study Political Science. Amanda was heading to CU Boulder. Erica Huston (13) and Atikah Scott (13) stopped by campus earlier this fall. Erica was heading to college to UC Boulder. Atikah will be heading to Australia for college in early 2014.

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SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

Parents & Faculty

Birthday Celebration for Faculty 3 Karens and a Ronette (faculty in 70s): Karen Crocombe Guerin (aka NV Karen) and Karen Kreiling Middleton (aka TX Karen) celebrated an auspicious birthday with Ronette Gurm in Rotarua, NZ last June. TX Karen spent July 4 in Honolulu, HI with Karen (Karen Studebaker Andrews) watching Waikiki fireworks from her lanai.

SAS Reunion in Washington

Notes & Quotes

SAS Mini reunion at the wedding of Robert Frazier (Upper Right; Class of 1996) & Ryan Black (Upper Left). Dr. Richard Frazier (Lower 2nd from Right; SAS Faculty 1988-1999) & Dr. Catherine Frazier (Lower Center; SAS Faculty 1988 - 1999); Ilene Jaffe (Lower Left; SAS Faculty 1989 - 1993); Sarah Christensen (Lower 2nd from Left; SAS Faculty 1989-1992); Nina Frazier (Lower Right; SAS Class of 1998); Andrew Berg (Upper Center; SAS Class of 1998)

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Joan Kammerlohr (faculty 76-81) visited SAS last February and so enjoyed reconnecting with the school and Mr. Hoe. Joan has retired in Quincy, IL.

Which Chosen People? Latest book by Bob Dodge (faculty 83-06). Check it out!

Mike and Katherine Cox (faculty 81-11) were in Singapore last March for the IASAS Cultural Convention. They had a great time catching up with warm weather, good food, friends and former colleagues. Cyril Pereira (faculty 70-03) passed away April 20 in Singapore. Nora Irvin (Ulu Pandan health teacher and nurse) passed away October 18 in Melbourne, Australia. Her children returned her ashes to Singapore to be interred with her husband at St Ignatius Church.

Come Join Us Upcoming Hosted SAS Alumni Events January 27, 2014 - Houston, TX January 28, 2014 - Dallas, TX January 29, 2014 - Austin, TX February 3, 2014 - Boston, MA February 4, 2014 - Washington DC register at alumni.sas.edu.sg/events FA L L 2 0 1 3

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MeeGoreng Mr. Hoe, SAS

Directions

Ingredients

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or wok over medium heat; cook the onions in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potato, soy sauce, and water; simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked through, about 15 minutes. Stir the chicken, tomatoes, chilli pepper, peas, carrot, corn, tomato sauce, chili sauce, and eggs into the mixture; toss to combine. Cook and stir until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add the noodles and continue cooking until the noodles soften, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve hot.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons red onions, chopped 1/2 cup potatoes, cut into cubes 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1&1/2 cups water 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges 2 fresh red chilies , chopped 1/2 cup peas 1/2 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup cooked corn 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (ketchup) 3 tablespoons chili sauce 2 eggs, beaten 1 16-ounce package fresh egg noodles, cut into short strands

Adjust the amount of tomato and chilli sauce to taste. You can also add bean sprouts, cabbage or snow peas, beef or shrimp. Serves 4-6.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL JOURNEYS

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SAS Alumni Services VISITS AND TOURS

SAS ALUMNI ONLINE COMMUNITY

If you are in Singapore and would like a tour of the campus or to visit with former faculty and staff, be sure to contact us at alumni@sas.edu.sg. We look forward to seeing you.

The SAS alumni website can be found at alumni.sas.edu. sg. The password-protected site has more than 8,100 members made up of former and current students, faculty and parents. Members can maintain their own profiles, search for and contact other registered members, post photos and blogs, and stay informed about news and events.

REUNIONS AND GET-TOGETHERS SAS hosts reunions in the Unites States and in selected cities around the world. Additionally the alumni office assists those who are interested in planning alumni get-togethers.

SAS JOURNEYS Twice a year, members of the SAS alumni community receive SAS Journeys alumni magazine. Published since 2006, it includes articles about alumni experiences and features on what is currently happening on campus. Please send contributions, photos, class notes updates and/or suggestions to alumni@sas.edu.sg.

ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER The alumni e-newsletter, emailed quarterly, contains news and information about the school, the alumni community, and upcoming events.

SOCIAL NETWORKING, FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN Connect with other SAS alumni on Facebook at facebook.com/singaporeamericanschoolalumni or at Singapore American School Alumni on LinkedIn, the professional networking site.

Singapore American School Online Community Number of registered members on the SAS alumni website by country

270

5,108

1,911

45 190

TOP 22 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH THE MOST REGISTERED MEMBERS TX

844

326

195

166

126

110

785

219

178

150

124

106

101

USA

4875

UAE

Canada

226

Israel

Mexico

Australia

171

New Zealand

Norway

France

Sweden

Belgium

Denmark

Switzerland

Italy

Scotland

Greece

Germany

Netherlands

China

Singapore

1447

Japan

103

Malaysia

South Korea

103

Indonesia

Taiwan

Hong Kong

Thailand

Vietnam

India

Philippines

Other countries represented with fewer than five registered members: Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, Grenada, Guam, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Qatar, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela.

+65 6360 6302

SAS Journeys is published by the Singapore American School Advancement Office 40 Woodlands Street 41 | Singapore 738457 | www.sas.edu.sg | alumni.sas.edu.sg | alumni@sas.edu.sg