Journeys 2016 Winter

T H E W R I T E W AY

BY AUTHOR-IN-RESIDENCE ROBIN HEMLEY

On the cover We partnered with photographer and Nikon ambassador Scott Woodward to capture the vibrant relationships between our faculty and students and show the depth and breadth of the possibilities found in our high school library. From coffeehouse jam sessions to makerspace 3D printing and from Catalyst and AP Resarch project work to our academic visitors-in-residence program, there is no shortage of inspiration in this dynamic space.

Read more about our current author-in-residence, Robin Hemley, and what students get out of working with professionals, on page 9.

Online sas.edu.sg/publications

Editorial team Kyle Aldous Xin Tian Koh Vanessa Spier

Design team Haziq Hairoman Amos Ong

Communications interns Sandhya Bala, Class of 2017 Ana Chavez, Class of 2017 Clara Fong, Class of 2017 Sunita Srivatsan, Class of 2017

Contact communications@sas.edu.sg

Connect

Š 2016 Singapore American School All rights reserved.

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I S S U E

CONTENTS 01

Cultural Competence

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Alumni: An Eagle Takes the Senate

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Captivating Classrooms: Ken Schunk

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Alumni: Passion and Process

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Then and Now: Elementary Music

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Alumni: Call Sheet

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Five Minutes with Mark Swarstad

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Alumni: An Adventurer Comes Home

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Canvas and Curtains

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Alumni: The Student Becomes the Teacher

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Word on the Street

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Name that Teacher

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The Scoreboard

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Notable Mentions

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Alumni: From Spuds to Space

Featured 23

The Benefits of Immersion Learning

Cultural Competence Expanding Our Worldview from Tolerance to Understanding B y D r. C H I P K I M B A L L S u p e r i n t e n d e n t Last month the world watched as the political system in the United States was shaken to the core. An angry America was mobilized resulting in a yearlong yelling match, leaving the country divided and hurt. As I watched, baffled by the rhetoric coming from all sides, I thought about what we are trying to accomplish at SAS. When SAS students are adults, will they be part of the angry rhetoric, or will they be part of a thoughtful exchange of ideas? And what are we doing now to make sure that they have room for others, regardless of how deeply they may disagree with them?

We are fortunate to have the SAS desired student learning outcomes (DSLOs) that guide our work. Cultural competence is one of our DSLOs that specifically focuses on how we engage with others who are different from us. Our working definition is having an open mind while actively seeking to understand cultural norms and expectations of others, and leveraging this gained knowledge to interact, communicate, and work effectively in diverse environments.

Often the conversation around cultural competence relates to tolerance. Tolerance is often defined as the ability or willingness to endure the existence of opinions, behavior, or qualities that one dislikes or disagrees with. And of course, the presence of tolerance inherently requires the presence of difference.

We can only tolerate a thing—a belief, a habit, a practice—when these things differ from our own.

But our definition of cultural competence is greater than just tolerance. To tolerate is not necessarily to understand, nor is it always welcoming or embracing. At SAS we aspire to be more than tolerant. We seek to understand so that we can engage in meaningful dialogue, albeit sometimes oppositional and emotional, but one that seeks to understand others. This is just one part of how we cultivate truly exceptional thinkers.

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We are naturally advantaged living in Singapore among a rich diversity of cultures, backgrounds, languages, religions, and interests. By simply being here, our worldview can be immensely expanded. But if we want our children to become caring, respectful, and responsible adults, a diverse environment isn’t enough, we still have to be intentional about raising them to be so.

One of the greatest lessons for our students is to appreciate others because of their differences, not despite them. The beauty of our school is our diversity and that at SAS, we believe in celebrating how unique each individual is. This is part of what makes our school exceptional. Each individual is unique, and we love it!

I learned some of my most important lessons of tolerance and understanding early in my life.

As a senior in high school, I was involuntarily transferred to a school of predominantly minority and economically disadvantaged students. Initially I was intimidated, scared, felt alone, and was angry that I was there. I was a fish out of water. But as I sought to understand my classmates, I found that we had far more in common than I thought, and ultimately I developed some of my deepest friendships there.

Students at SAS have tremendous opportunities, right here in Singapore, to gain firsthand cultural understanding in our neighborhoods, museums, cultural centers, and the streets of Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street, around Singapore, and across the border in Malaysia.

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

– Marie Curie Understanding the world around us is an SAS priority. We find it in our social studies curriculum from the earliest grades onward, in our off-campus experiences, in our service projects, and in many other aspects of our school.

As most expatriates know, travel is fantastic for understanding the uniqueness of others around the world.

When we get off the beaten path and really seek to experience other cultures, we can’t help but broaden our worldview and better understand people that are different from us. My wife Cheryl reminds me about how special this is every time we travel together. There is not a soul on the planet that she will not share a smile, a funny face, or a hug with. She engages with anyone that she comes across, the more different they are, the better.

It’s a privilege just to be with her. We can learn so much by seeking out diversity in our social circles, places of worship, travel, extracurricular activities, and friendships.

Cultural competence is often developed when we serve others. I have seen tough teenagers break down in tears after a service experience in another country, or around the corner with a neighbor. Service breaks down barriers and provides a natural environment for developing understanding. The true benefit of service is often not the service project itself, but the understanding of others that ensues.

Our kids are leading the way in the area of service. There are more than 40 service clubs in the high school alone—in a school where high school service is completely optional.

When students give of themselves it is often here that we see an interest or passion turn into purpose. It is fascinating to see our students work through this kind of transformation—truly developing cultural competence that will be a part of them forever.

While I have great hope for our students, the world they face is complicated and can be cruel.

Headlines from all parts of the world highlight intolerance and can fuel hatred. At SAS we are committed to challenging stereotypes and prejudice that creep into language and conversations, and arm students with the critical thinking skills they need to dig into issues, understand others, seek valid sources of information, and recognize the truth.

When we, and our students, can examine where intolerance comes from, real growth takes place.

It isn’t always easy to look at the world through another’s eyes. But when we look beyond seeing difference as a challenge, and rather see the world from another’s point of view, our own thinking is enriched and we often find great satisfaction in knowing others, and better knowing ourselves.

I am proud of our students and am confident they will thrive in the world they will face.

But developing cultural competence isn’t easy, and it doesn’t “just happen.” It requires intentional work on the part of the school and in families. It starts with conversations with each other, seeking understanding when we see differences, and seeking out opportunities that challenge us. It starts with us.

We’re committed to developing cultural competence at SAS. Please join us, the world will be a better place as a result.

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Ken

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Twenty-seven years ago, Elementary School Deputy Principal Ken Schunk traded in the snow and mountains of Colorado for sunny Singapore. Though he has been on three different campuses and in a variety of offices, kids always know when they find the trolls they have found Mr. Schunk’s office. His caring and charismatic personality has influenced and uplifted thousands of young students over the years.

Schunk

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3

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Throw a dinner party using Mr. Schunk’s troll placemats and your guests will enjoy the fun—and you will enjoy the easy cleanup afterward.

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These 20 year-old original Russ Company giant troll dolls sit along the top of the shelves ready to welcome young visitors.

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Ralph Troll’s New Bicycle is a hit with kids of all ages and is the perfect book to read while surrounded by hundreds of trolls.

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Look hard to spot the magical black box filled with all types of goodies for well-behaved little girls and boys.

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Grab a tissue but don’t forget to press the red button and see this nose come to life!

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Lose your first tooth?

Head to Mr. Schunk’s office for a tooth necklace to keep it safe.

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Then 1959

A group of singers perform in 1959. When Singapore American School opened in 1956 with 105 students, classes were taught mostly by volunteer mothers. Instruction was from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., the maximum time students could stay comfortable without air conditioning. Bedrooms served as classrooms for several combined grades, and the servant’s quarters provided space for a music room. Students returned at 3:00 p.m. for voluntary music, PE, art, drama, and other enrichment activities.

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Now 2016

In SAS elementary music today, each student can find their own place in a world of music through specialized facilities that include an Indonesian gamelan room, a keyboard lab, and full sets of xylophones and African drums in every classroom.

Our five elementary teachers are all talented musicians in their own right, with specialties in guitar, jazz, classical, and orff instruments. SAS offers a wide variety of elementary after-school music courses, including Kindermusik, piano, strings, and guitar.

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Feeling inspired to replicate a Mr. Hoe classic at home? Find the full recipe at www.sas.edu.sg/recipe.

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By S A N D H YA B A L A A N D C L A R A F O N G Communications Interns

Middle School Counselor Mark Swarstad has been working at SAS since 1998 and is a pro at his job. He has also coached softball at SAS for 18 years and is part of the Middle School of Rock music group. Learn more about Mr. Swarstad and his story below!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

What is your favorite restaurant in Singapore?

I usually get to school at 7:00 a.m., spray my plants, make a cup of green tea, and check my calendar.

Three days a week we have peer counsel committee meetings. Each day there are meetings—kid chats, parent meetings, cafeteria visits, a Friday lunch group, and after school on Thursdays we have our Middle School of Rock session.

I really enjoy eating out in Singapore and have several: Jaggi’s in Little India, Al-Azhar by Beauty World, Dervish near Arab Street, Vatos in South Beach, Jim Thompson Thai, Mozza at MBS, and the vegetarian dumplings at Crystal Jade – I could visit these places every week!

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in SAS over the years?

An entire new high school was built. Each year we see physical changes to the campus—artificial turf on the girls and boys ball diamonds, the Riady Performing Arts Center, and so many others. Our R&D teams in each division are also ushering in many changes as we aim for the overall vision of the future SAS. Advisory in homebase for both high school and middle school have come a long way and I hope that mindfulness or centering will be included in future changes.

There’s an old saying, “There’s nothing in life we can be sure of, except change at SAS.” What part of the school year is most exciting for you?

There are many! The start of school and the many new families we get is exciting, as is witnessing the many changes in our returning students. Throughout the year we get to work with our 100+ peer counsel students in planning over 25 activities and this always brings challenging opportunities. I’ve also enjoyed coaching softball and the Interim Semester trip Saylar Craig and I do with 20 students to the Philippines on behalf of Gawad Kalinga.

What is something not many people know about you?

I’ve watched Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now 30 times.

What’s the best present you’ve ever received?

I’ve had two, and I think my wife, Ann, would agree – our kids, Treat and Anjali.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Singapore?

I really like getting on the MRT with a book, getting off at a destination I’m not too familiar with, walking around and discovering something new. It doesn’t hurt if a fabulous food place is found at the same time!

What tip would you give to students entering or leaving middle school?

For both I would suggest working until they find a healthy routine that works for them, along with learning the system, the expectations, and where to go for help when something seems confusing.

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The Write Way By ROBIN HEMLEY Author-in-Residence

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Robin Hemley knows firsthand how students benefit from working directly with authors. Here he recounts his own journey and shares insights to his work at SAS. The winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship and many other awards, including the Nelson Algren Award for Fiction from The Chicago Tribune, and three Pushcart Prizes in both fiction and nonfiction, Mr. Hemley has published 11 books and his stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and many literary magazines and anthologies. Mr. Hemley is currently Writer-in-Residence and Director of the Writing Program at Yale-NUS in Singapore, and Author-in-Residence here at Singapore American School’s Center of Innovation.

When I was 16, I was fortunate enough to have an author-inresidence where I lived: my mother. Her name was Elaine Gottlieb Hemley and she was a well-published and regarded short story writer, and a role model for me. I’m not sure I would have known what it meant to be a writer if she hadn’t been around to instruct me, encourage my writing, and simply demonstrate her dedication to the written word. I can’t overvalue the gift she gave me simply by being around and available.

I’ve been presented this year with the honor of being the inaugural author-in-residence at Singapore American School, an institution in which I’m already invested as the parent of two students at the school. For me, the opportunity to be author-in-residence is a continuation of the legacy that my mother passed on to me in three important ways: 1. A validation and modeling of the literary aspirations of talented teenagers who love to write and to read.

2. My experience as a writer and professor of writing in a career of almost 30 years.

3. Writing instruction, advice, and guidance to students and teachers, both individually and in groups.

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JOURNEYS 10

Writing and readin are not about escap As author-in-residence, I’m delighted to visit classrooms and help lead writing workshops, answer questions on the writing life, or more specifically on writing problems that students encounter. Some of the questions I’ve already received from students are practical, such as, “How do you avoid clichés in your writing?” Answer: You don’t. You can’t, at least not initially. That’s why you seek feedback from others, to catch what you don’t see in your own writing. Eventually, you learn to recognize clichés on your own. Other questions are about larger issues, such as questions of audience and the writer’s life, as well as questions about publishing. These are all valid questions, but none of them are questions with easy answers.

Writing and reading are not about escapism, but about learning to question and think for oneself, about discovering different points of view, and rejecting easy answers. Regardless of the professions that students will eventually gravitate towards, being able to think lucidly through the written word will serve them well. I’ve talked to countless business people over the years who have bemoaned the poor writing skills of graduates with MBAs submitting their resumes to HR. More than once, I was offered a job as a young man that I was not trained to do simply because I knew how to express myself in writing.

Another common misunderstanding about creative writing is that it’s a touchy-feely activity in which people share their heartfelt poems and stories uncritically. A well-taught creative writing class is actually quite rigorous. Students not only learn what goes into the making of a poem, a short story, or a piece of creative nonfiction, but perhaps most importantly, they learn about the necessity of revision and a deep inquiry into craft that encourages originality and innovation.

I’m consistently impressed by the level of instruction on offer from the dedicated teachers and staff at SAS with whom I interact on visits to their classrooms and while chatting over lunch or coffee. I’m eager to share my experience and approaches with them and to offer guidance in their assignments. As a parent, I’ve been uniformly impressed by their dedication and the hard work they put in to the teaching of our children. As a teacher and a writer, I’m impressed by their innovations and sensitivity to the needs of their young charges. I’ve worked most closely with Robert Helmer, the head librarian in the high school, and Michael Clark, who teaches the school’s first creative writing curriculum, but I’ve been meeting with other teachers and staff as well. Bob’s desire to offer students a consistent outlet for their literary aspirations was the catalyst for first inviting me to SAS when we worked together on the American Writers’ Festival a year ago. We made sure to give SAS students access to the festival guests, including Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist, Adam Johnson.

I remembered at their age being taken by my English teacher to a similar event and how much it meant to me to be included in the literary conversation, as it were. As Bob and I set my visits in motion, we considered the many ways I might be useful to the SAS community. One way was in helping Michael Clark put in motion an innovative and challenging creative writing curriculum at SAS.

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ng pism, While I enjoy all aspects of my days at SAS, I especially enjoy working one-on-one with young writers, listening to them read their drafts, voicing their concerns and problems, their goals, and giving them constructive feedback on their work. This kind of personalized attention bears so much fruit, not only in terms of practical results, but in the way students see their work validated and taken seriously by an experienced writer. One of the remarks that most pleased me last year was the second-hand compliment I received from a student who told Bob Helmer that I didn’t treat her in a patronizing way as a child but as a fellow writer. I couldn’t be happier with such a remark because I believe that if you treat the writing of high school students in all seriousness, they take their own efforts more seriously and become more invested in perfecting the genre that most excites and stimulates them.

The PTA made a significant gift to the SAS Foundation for the continuation of our comprehensive academic visitors-in-residence program. The funding allows students in each division to interact and often collaborate with renowned authors, illustrators, dancers, actors, artists, and more. Over the past two years, SAS has welcomed New York Times bestselling authors, Newbery award winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and a Nobel Laureate.

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JOURNEYS 12

By CARA D’AVANZO Staff Writer

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Creating a nanoparticle simulation, documenting Peranakan culture, investigating urban development planning, or filming a documentary: these are a few of the 127 Catalyst projects that will be completed by our high school juniors and seniors this year.

Started as a research and development recommendation, the Catalyst project has been an elective course for the past few years. It has proved so rewarding, the school board approved it becoming a graduation requirement starting with the Class of 2018 (our current juniors). This year, 95 juniors and 32 seniors will tackle a Catalyst project, which typically takes one semester to complete.

The Catalyst course gives each student the opportunity to design, complete, and reflect on an independent learning journey. Guided by SAS Center of Innovation faculty, students explore topics they find compelling and work one-on-one with mentors and teachers.

Each project incorporates the school’s desired student learning outcomes of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

The Catalyst program also teaches students to set goals, manage projects, find adult advisors, and professionally network in order to strengthen projects and overcome real-world challenges.

The final product, whether an academic paper, dramatic play, computer program, or piece of art, must be presented to an audience of parents, educators, and community members.

Completing a Catalyst project is a significant achievement in our students’ lives and a meaningful introduction to the kinds of real-world learning experiences they will encounter in college and employment. We look forward to seeing the final results of the projects now underway, and we congratulate our students on the hard work, creativity, and maturity that go into completing each one.

Senior Aime Fukada has found the Catalyst project so rewarding she has signed up for the class not once but three times! A self-described foodie, cook, and baker, as well as an IASAS swimmer, she credits her father with the idea for her project: a cookbook for student athletes. “During my first Catalyst class, I developed and tested a bunch of healthy recipes that young people would like,” she explains. Mentored by the school nutritionist, Aime settled on 40 recipes and created a draft of about 70 pages.

Not ready to leave it at that, Aime signed up for Catalyst again to focus on revision, layout, and graphic design, soliciting input from teachers and students. “The most amazing moment for me came when I met with an SAS visiting author who said I should start selling my project right now by contacting lawyers and publishers,” Aime recalls.

“Suddenly it became ‘real,’ and I could picture an actual book!” Singapore publisher Epigram Books expressed interest, and Aime plans to spend next semester preparing the book for publication, hopefully with an editor or publisher as a mentor.

She expects the final result, a hardback cookbook entitled From the Hapa Kouzina, to be published in late April or May. “I love Catalyst because you learn real-world skills,” Aime says. “Besides learning about nutrition, creative writing, and book design, I have learned to network and put myself out there in emails and in person. The hardest thing was persevering through all those non-responses or refusals. In school, the adults focus on you all the time, but in the outside world they see you as just another young person trying to get their attention. It’s good to learn that most people won’t respond to your emails, won’t make themselves available whenever you want, and you have to keep going until someone does!” Aime says she would counsel students new to the program to go beyond their comfort zones to network, and to set clear goals and strict timemanagement rules. “The most important thing is to find something you’re passionate about, something that will keep you going,” she says. “Everyone has something they love, but sometimes you don’t realize it could become your project. Once you figure that out, you can make it impactful, fun, and rewarding.”

Senior James Quek has had the robotics bug since he was little, starting with Lego Mindstorms kits and moving on to robotics classes when he entered SAS last year.

Catalyst has given him the time and funding to take this interest to a new level as he designs a biomechatronic assistive limb exoskeleton.

Specifically, he is creating a right arm aid that will move with a person’s real arm to assist in bearing heavy loads.

“I’m aiming for 125 percent of my current capabilities, meaning the limb will be able to let someone like me lift a quarter more weight than they could naturally,” he explains. “I am designing the exoskeleton, the biosensors, the controller, and the actuators that will allow the human and the exoskeleton to work together.”

James had to search hard to find a mentor for this project, but finally, through a classmate’s father, he connected with Yale NUS Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Yu Haoyong. “I went to Yale NUS for one visit, and we’ve also had phone meetings and email exchanges. It’s been really helpful learning from Professor Yu, and I hope to take his suggestions forward next semester, when I will do Catalyst again. I’m hoping to complete this project and have a working prototype as my final product.” Asked what has been most challenging in developing the limb, James points to sourcing the materials, which are not commonly available. “I had to contact different suppliers and fabricators and keep searching for the right materials,” he says.

James expects to continue with robotics and biomechanics in college and hopefully in the work world. “This experience will definitely benefit me in the future, as I am gaining a lot of practical knowledge about this field. I was ‘optimistically skeptical’ about Catalyst when I signed up for it, and although I don’t always enjoy doing the paperwork required for the course, I really appreciate the chance it’s given me to work on a project I thought of, persevere through ups and downs, and see it through to a conclusion.”

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Catalyst projects fall 2016: A world of possibilities

This semester’s Catalyst students are working on all sorts of projects. While all help students develop the SAS desired student learning outcomes, the paths to these outcomes are as varied as the students’ interests!

Ana Chavez is creating a ten-minute documentary about two SAS art students and the school’s art community. She is working with a cinematography professor at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media.

Zoe Adamopoulos says, “I’m setting up an online fashion brand that runs as a social enterprise for village seamstresses in Indonesia.

The purpose of this company is to empower and educate women, in addition to creating a clothing line appealing to teens and young adults.”

Alex Greisinger is creating an app for students to provide feedback to building managers, and an interface for managers to prioritize this feedback.

“My interest in this stemmed from seeing and hearing about the facilities challenges that occur at SAS, such as faulty ACs, water in bathrooms, and dripping taps, and wanting to do something to solve them.”

Working with a neurosurgeon, Gabriella Koh plans to use Swift coding, learned in a UDemy online course, to create an app allowing doctors to calculate intracerebral hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury mortality rates.

Using COMSOL modeling software and the Matlab programming language, Luke Zhang is creating a simulation to investigate the safety implications of microbubble nanoparticles in cancer treatments.

Mentored by a Peranakan culture scholar, textile collector, and museum benefactor, Zoe Ong is creating a website to explain and promote this unique blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European traditions to international school students.

Jefferson Portelli is writing and composing an original song, using music theory techniques. His piece will incorporate different instruments and use digital editing and recording skills. Jefferson is mentored by a local composer and musician.

Alexandria Risjad has created a jewelry line to help Indonesian victims of sexual assault and human trafficking. Working with the founder of an Indonesian clothing company, she will learn about fashion management, marketing, and distribution, at the same time contributing to a social enterprise that offers victims legal help and rehabilitation services.

Will Mundy is exploring whether behavioral economics principles can be used to influence sleep behavior. Mentored by a healthcare industry professional, he is designing an experiment on sleep behavior that will form the basis of his research project.

Cosette Koh is creating a food science course that she hopes SAS will adopt, with units on nutraceutical science, food chemistry and taste perception, and food modification and sustainable agricultural techniques. SAS Executive Director of Curriculum and Assessment Steve Meade is advising her.

Wanling Goh is creating a guidebook to the SAS rainforest and plant nursery, aimed at our elementary school students.

Mentored by a National Institute of Education expert in outdoor and environmental education, she also plans to host a “nature day” event to help our young students learn more about the rainforest and Singapore’s environment.

Advised by a professional urban planner and designer, Matthew Greisinger is comparing the urban development of two public spaces: Malacca City in Malaysia and Clarke Quay in Singapore. He hopes to find ways in which Clarke Quay can adopt successful strategies used in Malacca City.

Catalyst Project Mentors

One important lesson Catalyst teaches students is how to take advantage of expert advice. Networking to find an appropriate mentor is one of the students’ first and most important tasks.

We are fortunate that the SAS community gives us a large pool of parents and friends with myriad skills and experiences who are willing to mentor our students.

To avoid overloading our teachers, we stipulate that they may not be mentors, but students may approach non-teaching SAS staff (in administration, support services, food services, and contracted coaching, for example) as well as friends and colleagues of parents, friends of friends, and experts unconnected to SAS. Mentors receive support and guidance from the Center for Innovation. Working with a professional on a specific project is an unusual and valuable opportunity for any high school student, and we sincerely thank all those who have put up their hands to be mentors for our Catalyst program.

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JOURNEYS 16

WelcomE San FranSoKyo: TO

JAMIE UY’S AP RESEARCH STORY By KOH XIN TIAN Communications Writer

With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends.

When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery.

Disney/Rotten Tomatoes

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Research isn’t an establishment for the invited, or only for the right topics to be studied. Research is a way of looking at the world, finding a framework that makes meaning out of it, and saying something that can hopefully contribute to a better society.

Jamie Uy, high school student

Jamie Uy cut up sheets of paper with printed quotes and laid them all over her bedroom floor.

She was surrounded by her notes on various topics pinned up all over her bedroom walls, and books and quotes sorted according to five different draft outlines she had arranged on her floor according to different paper abstracts.

Part of Singapore American School’s pioneer batch of AP Research students, Uy and her classmates had each formulated a narrowly scoped research question and problem statement for in-depth research that addressed a gap in human knowledge. Creating a literature review as a basis for their 4,000-5,000 word paper and 15-20 minute presentation before a panel, AP Research students were building a foundation for independent college-level research before graduating high school.

Now a senior and a teaching assistant in Mr. Jason Adkison’s AP Research class, Uy received the good news that her AP Research essay “The Modern Mythical Place: San Fransokyo, Hiro, and Hybridity in Disney’s Big Hero 6”, once a collection of slips of paper on her bedroom floor, is now featured on the College Board website this year and used as an example in other schools teaching AP Research. Journeys crashed Mr. Adkison’s class to interview Jamie and find out more!

How did you come across fan and film studies?

If you think film studies is kind of out there, fan studies is even more esoteric and new. I’m a huge fangirl, so I watch films and read writing and critical analysis on films in online newspapers, websites, and journals outside of school. I was also lucky to have attended a Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer class on critical essay writing on popular culture. We watched films and wrote reports exploring what film meant for society, and I’d never known you could write about pop culture in a critical fashion.

At SAS, taking AP Art History with Mr. Rick Bisset also gave me confidence. In that class, you do a lot of writing and apply a critical lens to analyze painting, sculpture, and graphic design using skills similar to those in AP Research. And on a whim, I also took a 3D animation course with Mr. Duane Melsom. I used what I learned later on in AP Research when I wrote about fan studies with a much better understanding of what animation meant when I read technical papers.

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JOURNEYS 18

How did you first encounter the movie Big Hero 6?

I heard of the film when it was still in production because I am a huge Disney fan, and I saw an MRT ad for the film featuring a mixed-race kid and a big sign saying SAN FRANSOKYO. Disney was making a hybrid city of San Francisco and Tokyo!

I’d grown up watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, a famous Nickelodeon US-made animation series about Asian culture with a lot of hybridity. I identified very strongly with these empowering representations of myself and Asian characters on screen because I didn’t see those often when I was growing up in an American school and watching lots of US television.

So when I learned about Disney making a film set in an American version of Asia or an Asian version of America, I was intrigued. It seemed that no one else had written about the film, and it was important to talk about the first Asian-American Disney movie.

One can argue that Mulan may be one, but it was obviously caricaturing China—not cool to me.

When I saw the film, I was interested from a detached standpoint, thinking it could be good but that Disney could mess it up, and that the film might not be as Asian or American as I expected.

But I was surprised with how much I identified with the film that reminded me of my reality as a mixedrace kid: unusual to see on the big screen, especially from a company like Disney. Of course my paper isn’t that idealistic about the film any more, but my initial identification with the topic pushed me to find my passion, which I encourage everyone to do.

Did you face any opposition to your topic choice?

The main opposition I faced was from myself. We don’t talk a lot about film in classes, or think of fan culture as something worth discussing in school.

So I wondered “Is this really a problem?” about

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my topic when my classmate Sun Jay Yoo was writing on Kawasaki’s disease, and Emma Gordon was analyzing how Hugo Chavez’s political rhetoric affects Venezuelan politics. I thought those topics were more connected to populations who may be negatively affected, and thought, “Wow, I’m over here analyzing a Disney film…”

What did you learn from focusing your AP Research topic and research?

You can confidently bring any of your passions to the classroom. I got a lot of foundational support and realize now that it was counterproductive to think my interests weren’t worth studying, especially for issues of advocacy and activist work in my paper. Classes I’d taken out of pure passion actually led to a clear academic path.

The second thing was how the discipline needed to conduct college-level work, schedule time to meet a professor, and reach out to people and resources challenged me incredibly. Fortunately, SAS is a wellfunded school, so I’m grateful that when I needed a $100+ film textbook or articles behind paywalls, I could get them. That’s impossible in many schools and I’d never realized that. AP Research teaches you that there are so many ways to go about research, to have discipline, and to have the confidence to be proactive.

What’s it like to be a teaching assistant?

Right now, I’m a teaching assistant in AP Research as part of the Center of Innovation’s independent learning course. In Mr. Adkison’s and Mr. Doug Mabie’s AP Research classes, I speak about my student perspective of the research process.

Students are doing 14 very individualized research projects, so I help Mr. Adkison by listening to more students and providing a sounding board for their ideas.

La La La

It is a little scary coming into the class knowing you have to do research, be self-motivated, and focus on one particular problem at this level.

So students and I talk about their inquiry process, how comfortable they feel with it, and what their worries are. I show them examples of the research I did and they can email me questions about assignments and due dates via a class Facebook group or email, or approach me in the hallways or in class. I feel almost like a big sister!

What other challenges do students typically face in AP Research?

When doing preparatory research and formulating research questions at the start, most students know their general topic or subject, such as a TV show or type of cell they want to study. But they’re not sure what methodology to employ. I came into AP Research thinking about math and science research, not humanities, and unsure what research methodology even meant. Learning how many ways you can arrive at data, and that data doesn’t need to be quantitative or numerical, is helpful. Research isn’t an establishment for the invited, or only for the right topics to be studied. Research is a way of looking at the world, finding a framework that makes meaning out of it, and saying something that can hopefully contribute to a better society.

AEaPrch Re s To read Jamie Uy’s AP Research essay, “The Modern Mythical Place: San Fransokyo, Hiro, and Hybridity in Disney’s Big Hero 6”, visit the College Board website at www.collegeboard.com.

I realize now that it was

Counterproductive to think my interests

weren’t worth studying,

especially for issues of advocacy and activist work in my paper.

Jamie Uy, high school student

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JOURNEYS 20

Shaping the Next Generation of EngAged Citizenship: C3 kicks off at sas

By JODI JONIS SAS Communications Volunteer Our social studies curriculum had its turn under the curriculum review microscope last year, and when all was said and done, SAS had itself a new social studies curriculum. The College, Career and Civic Life Framework, C3 for short, is now being implemented in some form in every division.

The goal of the framework is to develop responsible citizens; ones who are able to think deeply and knowledgeably about public issues, work with others to facilitate dialogue, take constructive action, reflect, and influence. Teaching students to act in these ways early significantly enhances preparation for their college experience.

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Rather than a typical curriculum which would outline a course’s topics, the C3 framework is more like a process which can be applied to any given topic to arrive at a deeper understanding. The process is called the inquiry arc and it is the whole foundation of C3. It is divided into these four distinct phases:

2 3

Applying disciplinary concepts and tools

1

Developing questions and planning inquiries

Evaluating sources and using evidence

ARC THE INQUIRY

4

Communicating conclusions and taking informed action

To illustrate the process and how the arc might be applied in the classroom, we’ll use an example from the National Council for the Social Studies.

PHASE 1 PHASE 3

PHASE 2 PHASE 4

The class may collaboratively imagine an inquiry which asks “What does liberty look like?”

This question will be examined through the lenses of the four core subjects of social studies: 1. History: When did Americans gain their liberty?

2. Civics: What is the line between liberty and responsibility?

3. Geography: How does liberty change from place to place?

4. Economics: Does more liberty mean more prosperity?

That research is analyzed and theorized upon so that individual students can think critically about different aspects of the idea and ultimately come to their own conclusions, and at the same time understand why others might think differently and come to different conclusions.

Students are responsible for communicating their conclusions in clear, creative ways, and more importantly, decide how to take action to initiate change.

Steve Meade, SAS’s director of curriculum and assessment, stresses that C3’s strength is that it is “designed to create lifelong learners by giving students skills they’ll use forever, in addition to the subject content. The content is very important but it’s striking that balance between the content and those skills that will endure, and that’s what will be important in 5, 10, and 20 years’ time.”

C3 is vertically aligned from kindergarten to twelfth grade, meaning that the framework will be introduced to students as early as kindergarten and is used in every grade through graduation so that when students graduate, this formalized process of deep, critical thinking is second nature.

It is widely held that there is a strong connection between writing skills and critical thinking. There is also a fundamental belief that language skills, reading, writing, speaking and listening, are all critical to a successful entry into college, then career, and ultimately one’s own civic life. Because of this there are strong parallels between the C3 framework and the common core state standards for literacy.

This last US election cycle revealed many fault lines in the country, and thoughtful, knowledgeable, engaged citizens capable of working together to enact change will go a long way in bringing together a nation.

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The benefits of immersion learning By JODI JONIS SAS Communications Volunteer

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是

Chinese is the rd

3most

spoken language in the US

!

?%

不

According to research,

mastering two languages help bilingual children solve logic problems and multi-task more effectively

Studies have shown that

Bilingual children have been shown to be better than their monolingual peers at

all foreign language learners develop on average better listening skills than their monolingual peers

f cusing on a task while

Research shows that

people who are bilingual from a young age have greater densities of gray matter in areas of the brain associated with language processing

IMMERSION CLASSES BEGINNING AT SAS

BENEFITS OF IMMERSION

After an extensive process of research and development in their elementary school, Singapore American School is excited to announce the launch of their elementary Chinese language immersion classes beginning in 2017.

Data on immersion programs shows that immersion students demonstrate most of the positive benefits which are associated with early bilingualism.

Specifically, enhanced cognitive skills, improved academic performance, higher proficiency in a second language, and enhanced global citizenship.

Language immersion is the method of teaching a second language in an environment where the second language is the predominant language of instruction. In other words, in a Chinese immersion classroom, core school subjects will be taught in Chinese, not English. Students use the language for learning, rather than just learning a language.

One question often asked about immersion is ‘Can a school provide adequate English literacy by the time students start testing?’ Sally Lean, director of world languages at SAS, explains that from the R&D teams’ experiences visiting schools around the world, MAP tests may be slightly lower in grade three, but by grade five immersion students are commonly outperforming the general program students in literacy because literacy skills are transferable across languages.

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创意 文化沟通 progression towards a complete immersion program

2

2

2

2

2

2

kindergarten classes launched

first grade classes added

second grade classes added

third grade classes added

fourth grade classes added

fifth grade classes added

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

2021–22

2022–23

WHAT WILL IMMERSION LOOK LIKE AT SAS? Two kindergarten classes will start next school year, each with a full-time immersion teacher and an immersion trained instructional assistant.

The program will grow with additional grade levels added each year until we have a complete K-5 program.

In the earliest grades, SAS will offer a one-way immersion classroom for students with little to no Chinese language proficiency. Kids who have Chinese spoken at home need to be immersed in an English speaking classroom. Once the two groups have a solid foundation in academics in their second language, they can be mixed into a two-way immersion environment. This will happen in grades four and five. Following is the expected ratio of Chinese to English instruction time for each grade level.

Percentage language of instruction Kindergarten and Grade 1 grade 2 and grade 3 grade 4 and grade 5

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75%

60%

25%

40%

50%

50%

Chinese

English

性质 协作 思维 性

通

“As educators, we are tasked with preparing our students for the future, in a world that is morphing so quickly we don’t know what it will hold.”

– Sally Lean, director of world languages

GRADE LEVEL

Immersion progression

K 1 2 3 4 5

Home language of English

Home language of Chinese

one-way Immersion

TWO-way immersion

Immersion classes will share a common curriculum with all other SAS students, but will be adapted for Chinese. Similarly, they will be taught to the same math and literacy standards as general program students. The current elementary math curriculum is available in Chinese, and leveled readers resources are available, also.

According to Ms. Lean, “As educators, we are tasked with preparing our students for the future, in a world that is morphing so quickly we don’t know what it will hold when next year’s kindergarten students graduate in 2030. Immersion students will have a foundation in learning and how to think, analyze, and apply their learning from within at least two linguistic and cultural perspectives, which in itself will be an adaptive and responsive toolkit for whatever challenges the future brings them.”

For more information email info@sas.edu.sg.

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IT’S TIME!

By BETH BURROWS G r a d e T h r e e Te a c h e r

What do you get when you take recycled junk, 300 third graders, and innovative tasks to accomplish?

Chaos? A mess? Fun? Creativity? Collaboration?

Friendship? Chaos? You bet!

Welcome to the the third grade invention task party!

A task party is a fluid, improvisational event. Task parties can be structured or free-form. We held our task party in the elementary eSpace with a variety of recycled materials (cardboard, bubble wrap, and glue‌oh my!), with focused tasks and students who were willing to take a task and complete it!

I was fortunate to participate in a community freeform task party at the American Embassy School in New Delhi where I turned into a chicken and built a rocket for my cat. Seriously.

Looking at the third grade unit of study on Test of Time: Inventions and Innovation, a task party provided the perfect platform to launch our exploration with the students. Our event was a first here at SAS and it was big!

Students design creations using only recycled materials based on the task they were given using the idea of Inventions and Innovation.

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Bursting onto the scene, the third grade taskers selected a task that focused on the idea of inventions and innovation while exploring answers to these questions: • • •

Why has technology changed over time? How has technology changed over time?

Why do people invent?

How can life be affected by technology?

Reaching into the task box, students grabbed a task, found others to work with, hunted for materials, and began to create, discover, uncover, problem solve, and design. Here are some examples of tasks that the students were engaged with: Think of an invention from a long time ago, anything you can think of.

Rework that invention to make it modern and up-to-date.

You forget your homework and library books.

With two others, design a tool that will help you remember these things. You can draw, build, create, or a mash-up of all these media.

You want to make your mom’s life easier at home. Create a tool that will help move laundry from the laundry room to the bedrooms.

You want to start a garage band and you do not have money to buy instruments.

You need to create your own. Your band should have five members.

I know, you’re now asking yourself, “What would I do?” These thoughtful, creative third grade taskers jumped right into the challenge head on and worked on over 80 different tasks. From a sparkly dragon puppet and a glittering new school uniform to a futuristic sandcastle and new kitchen gadgets, the excitement was contagious and the process thrilling.

“The task party was a fun and enjoyable experience. I want to go again because it’s a place where you can be creative with your ideas,” Risha J. said.

“Even though it was crowded, it was a ton of fun for me. I hope to visit a task party again,” Andrew C. added.

What would we do differently next time? Find a bigger space, have more time, more tasks, and no glue!

This experience has ignited our third graders to innovate and invent. Be on the lookout for these young inventors as they blow your mind with their innovative, problem-solving inventions.

This event would not have been successful without the dedication and support of the custodial staff, instructional assistants, third grade teachers, administration, and most importantly, the risk-taking, courageous, and creative third graders. “I liked how we got to make new friends!” Kaitlyn T. said.

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JOURNEYS 30

Leone H, Sixth Grade

Snacks that I store to eat later with my brother.

Aime Fukada, Twelfth Grade

Arya D, Ninth Grade

I have an old telescope.

My swimsuits! My two piece training suits, one piece training suits, racing suits, and bikinis!

What’s in your

t

A bunch of yoga mats, bags, and old towels—they’re stuffed at the top of my drawer!

r e dra w

?

op

Lara V, Tenth Grade

Probably cologne— it’s the most useful thing I could have.

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My school bag, my snack box, and my zippy pouch!

By S A N D H YA B A L A AND CLARA FONG Communications Interns

Yash M, Eleventh Grade

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Chloe N, Kindergarten

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Zoe Ong, Twelfth Grade Anita C, Third Grade

All my library books.

A polaroid camera, sticky notes, and USB cables. You know, the essentials.

I Am From Nicole C. Grade six student

I am from the icy blast Evaporating my sweat As I return.

I am from the warmth of the Fireflies coming from the back of my home Used never by me.

I am from the impossible Giants at impossible heights Ripping the air out of my mouth.

I am from the heavy heat Beating down on my face and Back with its heavy hands.

I am from the sharp, Sweet scent after the sky’s Tears that remind me of home.

I am from the twisted, tropical, Emerald cage that traps me, but It’s okay because it lets me breathe.

I am from “Eyes up!” Adjusting my stance.

“Do it right!” It’s on the left.

“Be careful!” I am.

I am from others’ Time and energy used up Just for me.

I am from the Harsh words like wind that Keep me safe.

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Dig in. Dive deep. Go further. And crush it. Create your own future, as thousands of Singapore American School students have. Cole Derksen is one of those students, seeking challenge in the classroom, on the court, and throughout the community. Cole embodied the Eagle spirit of committing to grow in every imaginable way, and his hard work and determination ultimately earned him a place on Vassar College’s volleyball team.

Just ask Cole: with fortitude and a culture of possibilities, the options at SAS are boundless.

SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

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JOURNEYS 34

The SAS House System: A Legacy in the making By ANA CHAVEZ Communications Intern

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Immediately after the bell rings, seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen clamor into the cafeteria, eager for their lunch break. Confidently sporting their red sweatshirts and a ‘senioritis’ attitude, seniors look below onto a sea of awkward, fidgeting orange polos, who anxiously discuss the final exams that are months away. To the right of them, sophomores sit back in relief, thankful that the embarrassing first year of high school is past them. Above them, sleep-deprived juniors sip on their coffees anxiously, while reviewing for the SAT. Although unspoken, upperclassmen and underclassmen religiously separate to their “assigned” areas during breaks.

Along with cafeteria sections, the division between underclassmen and upperclassmen is significantly prevalent in other areas of SAS. Pep rally seating arrangements, class polos, and photo walls all indicate the separation between grades. “As underclassmen, when we would go up to get Subway, I’d feel scared because I knew that seniors were the superior ones up there,” senior Lexa Risjad, explained. “That kind of plays along with the seating arrangements because although no one talks about it, we all know where to be and where not to be.”

To some, this is seen as tradition—a lot like the act of trading an orange polo for a different color three times until proudly wearing a red one, or moving left down assembly stands until facing an orange cluster of freshmen. Yet, for many, where to sit in the cafeteria, or participate in grade spirit activities are frightening concepts, due to the segregation between grades. Thus, the line that has been drawn between upperclassmen and underclassmen, or more specifically, seniors and the rest of the high school, is becoming easily recognizable.

This year, to achieve a more united and integrated high school, a new house system was implemented.

The house system is the arrangement of students into three houses, Andor, Aquila, and Ethon. Each house, derived from Greek definitions of the term ‘eagle,’ has a mix of students from all grades, as well as individual house colors.

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JOURNEYS 36

When the SAS research and development team visited a number of international and British schools during the R&D process, they noticed that all incorporated a certain type of element that bolstered student individuality. During the 2014-15 school year, collaboration began with the middle school on the development of a house implementation, and soon, a rough sketch was built. Following this, the newly elected house presidents, Will Mundy, Audrey Widodo, and Rahil Bhatia, along with a group students, began developing the system as well. From this, the concept of mentorship came about, which is the pairing of an upperclassmen with an underclassmen, in order to encourage intergrade relationships through a mentee and mentor connection.

“The tagline is to make a big school feel small,” Lauren Murphy, a high school learning support teacher and sponsor of Student Council, began. “When kids walk into SAS, they automatically have an identity.” Thus, when an eighth grader or new student begins high school, they automatically have a community.

“It’s a way for the school to help the students build inter-grade relationships and have every student feel cared and advocated for,” she continued.

And in the first days of implementation, it was quite evident how drastically it made SAS feel considerably small and tight knit. Students from all grades gathered together during “Welcome Back Day,” enthusiastically chanting their house cheers and completing challenges for house points. Instead of stressing about the SAT, juniors were laughing with freshmen at jokes delivered at the assembly. In the same way, seniors weren’t thriving off of ‘seniortis,’ but rather, cheering on sophomores as they participated in a rock, paper, scissors competition with other houses.

Still, a new tradition sparks new opinion toward an unavoidable change that has had major effects on the high school. “When I first heard of the house system, I was kind of annoyed,” began junior Patrick Devine, “I felt like there were so many traditions in SAS that were solely based on the grade you’re in.

As a student that has gone from preschool all the way up to high school, those traditions are something I was really looking forward to.”

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At the same time, house implementation has proved to be a very positive aspect of Eagle life. “I think when you introduce the concept of competition and identity, the advisors come more alive, and that rubs off on students,” Ms. Murphy explained. “When you’re walking down the hallway, for a teacher to recognize a student in Aquila, and see their shirt and give them a high five, I think it creates a connection that they have to SAS.” As the year progresses, she and others agree that house will impact advisory significantly, as mentorship comes into play.

Freshmen Riley Ciarletta and Ann Hayden both shared their thoughts on the system, agreeing that house had an impact on the amount that they mingled with other grades. “It allows us to meet other kids and we have to work together in a lot of different areas,” she stated. “Although I had mixed feelings, going in, it wasn’t bad, I’ve already met a lot of different people.” Ann agreed, yet also believed that house had a negative effect on pep rallies. “We’re not with our grade, and we’re with our house, and, it feels a little weird.” Kathryn Wilson, senior, said, “I remember being a freshman and feeling excited to sit with my friends in red at the pep rally or leave first after assemblies. I feel like the house system has neglected what seniors have been looking forward to for four years,” At the same time, however, Hana Matsudaira, a junior, strongly believes, “that house has a lot of potential, but it’s really hard to pull off, especially in the first transition years.” Hana went on to explain that in the near future house could be a great tradition, as it has very good intentions. “We are stuck in the in-between phase right now,” she shared. “We just need to wait this rough start out.” High school English teacher and advisory team member Stacey Jensen has a similar perspective,“I think gradually over more time, we’ll start seeing our advisories as in our houses,” she said. “Change is one of those things that’s daunting, but also exciting. It takes time to fully accept and embrace change.”

Although seemingly daunting at first, house implementation will make progress over the next couple of years. Today, the spirit between houses is ever-growing, proving that its effect is memorable on the SAS community. “Ten years from now if you run into a SAS alumni, you won’t ask, what year did you graduate,” Ms. Jensen explained. “You’ll ask what house were you in—there’s a legacy that’s being made.”

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EARLY DECISION: The BEGINNING oF College admissions Season By S U N I TA S R I VAT S A N Communications Intern “Congratulations. You have submitted your first application.”

The standardized message from the Common Application pops up on my screen, and immediately, relief and anticipation wash over me.

This same message appeared for the majority of the SAS senior class of 2017, many of whom applied to college during the ‘early’ timeframe.

Early decision or early action programs are instituted by universities to help admissions officers sift through their large applicant pools and identify students who are interested in their institutions as a first choice.

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For students, an early decision/early action application is the first step in the grueling college admissions process. It is the first application that students submit, and often the most nerve wracking, given that it is often submitted to a top choice school. Early applications also come when students have to focus on balancing the rest of their school lives as well – from extracurriculars to schoolwork.

The early admissions process models what is to come. This is the stage where stress, anticipation, and competitiveness kick in, and when students become eager to find out where their peers are applying. The process catalyzes the realization that high school is coming to a close. Can you imagine how difficult it is to summarize four years of service, academics, athletics, growth, success, failure, interest, internships, and projects in a packet of paper?

The culture of excessive importance placed on college acceptances is prevalent at SAS, often leading to stress and judgement regarding college decisions. Seniors are often secretive about their application choices, especially their early application schools.

Emily Dolny, a senior who was accepted to Purdue University’s Class of 2021, believes that college acceptances are “taken way too seriously at SAS, and that [students] should all be supporting each other’s application decisions instead of ridiculing them.”

“When you pursue whatever you can manage with responsibility and passion, others, including the college of your dream, will notice.”

Personally, submitting my early application was something of a milestone. I got the chance to actualize this process that seemed unreal for a really long time. To be perfectly honest, it came and went much faster than I’d expected. A simple fact to remember for all those who are planning to apply early in the future is that submitting an early application is not all that different from submitting that final draft of your essay for English class, or writing a final exam. Students are often scared by the high stakes of this process, but as long as you keep in mind that this process of compiling a ‘college application’ is simply one large project made up of several small, simple tasks, you will get through it with ease.

As senior Lauren Kang articulates, “Although this college process has been grueling, it has been such a gift. Through this process, I’ve taken time to reflect on who I am, what makes me happy, why I love what I love, and the people who have shaped me into the person I am today. To me, this time of self-discovery has an eternal value that surpasses whatever words lie in the decision letter I receive on December 15.”

This process should not hold the weight that the college-oriented culture we’ve created seems to emphasize. SAS students are qualified and capable wherever they land. Your likelihood of future success is not determined by the acceptance rates of the colleges you apply to. When you pursue whatever you can manage with responsibility and passion, others, including the college of your dreams, will notice.

So, my fellow seniors, let’s keep moving forward. As we prepare to hit ‘submit’ one, two, or even nine more times, remember that regardless of the decisions ahead, four incredible years lie in store for us.

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JOURNEYS 40

C AT E G O R Y: T H E B E S T U N I V E R S I T Y I N T H E W O R L D

How much does the name of the college you attend really matter?

By TREVOR STURGEON High School Counselor

Originally, a university education meant to be educated in “a community of teachers and scholars” (source: Latin dictionary) whose purpose was “the creation of prepared minds.” But is that still its primary purpose? While becoming an educated person is the ideal, many people also believe the primary goal of university is to make a student marketable for an enjoyable and financially rewarding career.

Yes, we want our kids to become educated. But ultimately, we also want them to secure jobs and to get off our payroll!

I am sometimes staggered at the responses I receive when I ask students and parents if they have investigated a college’s career placement services, what companies recruit from a college, and how a particular college’s graduates fare in job searches.

Many parents and students place a high degree of importance on name recognition, making the US News And World Report Education Rankings

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a prime reference point for creating college lists.

An enjoyable and profitable career is one reason driving the obsession of striving for acceptance letters from the most selective universities.

How much does the college you attend really matter? Do big names attract the most desirable and high-paying companies? Certainly attending Stanford or MIT can lead to valuable connections and opportunities. However, considering the rising cost and increased selectivity of big name schools, are students making the best decisions in constructing their college lists? Recent research shows that perhaps SAS students are missing out on some tremendous opportunities.

Want a job in the tech industry, working for Google or Apple? Perhaps you might consider joining the most popular college where Apple employees attended college. In 2014, Business Insider Singapore reported that San Jose State University has the most graduates employed at Apple.

“That you go to college is more important than where you go. Recognize that your own motivation, ambition, and talents will determine your success more than the college name on your diploma.”

— Alan Krueger, economist

California Polytechnic State University, which one SAS parent recently told me is the number one college recruiting pool for his engineering firm, is number five on Apple’s list! Other hidden gems included in the top 20 colleges that Apple employs include Arizona State University, and San Francisco State University.

Amazon looks to University of Washington, Western Washington University, and Washington State University to recruit many of its employees.

There are a number of great schools that major companies recruit from that are sometimes overlooked by our students.

A May 2016 Wall Street Journal article looked at how Silicon Valley companies search north of the border in their recruiting. Google, Amazon, and Electronic Arts are some of the tech companies that actively seek out University of Waterloo’s graduates because of “their ability to translate engineering projects into viable businesses.” The university’s graduates

are “the second most hired in Silicon Valley.”

Along with being a leader in STEM areas, the school’s co-op model—where students gain practical skills in the world work along with classroom education—is particularly appealing for businesses. The benefits of attending Waterloo are further amplified when one considers from a return-on-investment approach: the cost of attending is less than most private US universities.

Tech is not for you, you say? How about banking and finance? Morgan Stanley tends to stick close to home. A 2014 Business Insider article reported, not surprisingly, that Columbia University and New York University are among the top five undergraduate colleges where Morgan Stanley employees studied, but so are Rutgers University and Baruch College!

At JP Morgan, Ohio State University tops their list.

A Wall Street Journal article earlier this year suggested that for some professions, where one attends college can matter, but for most fields

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young people are entering today, the college name means little. Two studies by economist Alan Krueger showed that a college’s name has no effect on one’s love of career or career earning power. Krueger says, “That you go to college is more important than where you go. Recognize that your own motivation, ambition, and talents will determine your success more than the college name on your diploma.”

The US News or any other magazine’s rankings should not be the only resource to make a college list. If you really want to use rankings and think they are accurate markers of schools’ quality of education, first understand the methodology each uses. No two ranking organizations use the same methodology, so lists differ. In 2010, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an interactive online tool “30 Ways to Rate a College” which looks at factors considered by some of the most well known ratings. It is fun and a bit surprising to see what factors different organizations take into account. Check it out!

A counselor colleague recently met a student with a father who was vocally against his daughter applying to a California college he had never heard of. At the counselor’s suggestion, the father asked his own company’s human resources department for a list of colleges from which they recruit employees.

To his surprise, the college that the daughter so desperately wanted to attend was among the top five colleges that her father’s company recruited from! Suddenly, the dad enthusiastically encouraged her to apply.

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David W. Breneman, professor of economics at the University of Virginia and former president of Kalamazoo College, advises that where you obtain your graduate degree could count for more than your undergraduate college. Wall Street Journal reporter Elizabeth Bernstein adds that being a top performer at a lesser-known college during your undergraduate studies can actually improve your chances of entering the graduate school of your dreams.

Some students may miss some great college opportunities. There are many impressive colleges that offer a great education and provide students with pathways to fabulous career opportunities.

These are exciting and anxious times! We know that parents only want the very best for their child and students want to have enjoyable and fulfilling careers. But the research is clear. There’s a wide, extensive variety of great colleges in the US and worldwide that will prepare you for success. In fact, applying to some hidden gems that are less popular with your peers could improve your chances of achieving your dreams and potential.

Don’t get me wrong. It seems that names can and do matter. I just wonder if SAS students and their parents are considering all the ‘right’ names.

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JOURNEYS 44

WHY I GIVE — SHELLEY DeFORD PARENT OF NICOLE, CLASS OF 2004, AND CASEY, CLASS OF 2007

By ANNE DUNCAN Associate Director of Advancement

Why did you move to Singapore?

Our family was living in Hong Kong when my husband Phil was offered a job in Singapore with American Express Bank. We moved in the summer of 1994 and lived there for over 14 years, leaving in January 2009.

What is one particular experience you had while you were in Singapore that has had an impact on your post-Singapore life?

I had so many gratifying volunteer experiences with SAS and the US community, but I think my work on the SAS Board has to have made the biggest impact on my life now back in the states. Moving back to the US after almost 27 years, to a new community and with no kids in school, I wanted to get involved.

My experience on the school board and being the chair enhanced my volunteer resume and helped me get involved in local organizations. I just recently was appointed to the board of a new charter school here in St. Louis and am very excited to be back working in education. I’m also on the board of a modern dance company here with a very strong educational component.

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Shelley, you served as school board chair and Phil served as Singapore American Community Action Council (now CSA) president. How have those roles made a difference in your lives?

Our community work actually started with our involvement with the Fighting Fish swim team.

Both our girls swam and we just kept taking on new roles as parent leaders and volunteers. If I have any advice for new parents to Singapore and the SAS community, it is to just say “yes” and get involved!

I think Phil would agree our work in our community in Singapore has been the most satisfying and a source of pride for us. And the welcoming SAS community makes it so easy to get involved and be involved.

For the past few years, you have served on the SAS US Foundation board and you still contribute your time and resources to the school. Why do you stay involved with SAS? Our Singapore years are so precious to our entire family, because of SAS. It isn’t just a school, it’s a family! Teachers were neighbors, parents, and great friends. When I was on the school board, we started doing active fundraising in the years prior to SAS’s 50th anniversary. It is heartening to see the progress made and I am so honored to be able to continue to work with and for this incredible institution.

# sasedu

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SEASON ONE IASAS TOURNAMENT Boys’ Volleyball Record: Fourth place The boys played a great tournament overall but fell just short in the bronze medal game against International School of Kuala Lumpur.

Girls’ Volleyball Record: Gold The Lady Eagles matched up against the ISM Bearcats, a rematch of last year’s final, and came out on top!

Boys’ Soccer Record: Bronze The Eagles soared to a thrilling overtime game victory against the ISM Bearcats in the 3rd place game.

Girls’ Soccer Record: Gold It took extra time and then penalty kicks to take home the Gold medal this year against a worthy Taipei American School squad.

Boys’ Cross Country Record: Gold We had three boys who were named to the all-tournament team, Eric Silva, Paul Olsen, and Aadiraj Batlaw.

Girls’ Cross Country Record: Bronze The girls ran hard and pulled off a third place win with Christina Yoh leading the way. Yoh was named to the all-tournament team.

SEASON TWO IASAS Exchange Boys’ Rugby Record: 3-1 After a rocky start, the boys gained more control over their actions so that by the end of the tournament, they had accomplished what they set their minds to: playing their best rugby of the season against some tough competition.

Girls’ Touch Rugby Record: 6-1 Throughout the tournament, the girls applied continuously greater pressure to the opposition.

With all six players in attack, SAS has the blueprint to score on the very best of teams.

Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming Our swimmers represented SAS well as the home team. Our boys and girls teams combined to win 9 first place, 10 second place, and 5 third place finishes!

Boys’ Basketball Record: Gold The boys fought through adversity winning seven hard-fought games to win their third straight Hong Kong International School holiday basketball tournament. The team won three games by less than five points and showed a lot of grit to finish strong each time.

Girls’ Basketball Record: Fifth The girls learned a lot during the annual Hong Kong International School holiday basketball tournament.

They fell short but are excited about the growth they experienced and are eyeing the IASAS tournament for redemption.

Boys’ Tennis Record: 2-2 The boys tennis team played really well and have a lot of potential as a team, and with continuous improvement are going to be a big force at this year’s IASAS tournament.

Girls’ Tennis Record: 4-0 SAS girls had a great showing at the JIS exchange, switching the lineup to get in some good singles and doubles for all of the players. The girls played hard and stayed positive through some close matches for a great way to start the season!

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JOURNEYS 50

EAGLE An SAS

Takes the Senate After two House terms, Democrat, war veteran, and former SAS student Tammy Duckworth won a Senate seat in Illinois, putting both of the state’s Senate seats in Democratic hands. Duckworth served in the army during the Iraq war, and there became the first female double amputee of the war after the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down in 2004.

Connecting with voters partly through her inspiring story of overcoming hardship and through a grueling campaign travel schedule, Duckworth prevailed with 66.3 percent of the vote in the closely watched Senate race. Duckworth previously worked as an assistant secretary in the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Her family traces its roots to the American Revolution and served in World War II and the Vietnam War as well.

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Duckworth attended Singapore American School in the 1980s and was part of the basketball and track teams. After moving from Singapore, she completed high school in Hawaii.

Singapore American School students who were competing in the US at the National History Day finals in June had the opportunity to meet then-Representative Duckworth at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC, a highlight for our middle school students learning more about history and government.

As a former student of SAS and a candidate for Senate, she offered a unique perspective on the benefits of attending an international school. Organized by her office and teacher Matthew Elms, Duckworth made a brief introduction and talked about her early schooling as a third culture kid. Having once interned at a history museum, she was curious and knowledgable about every topic our students had studied for their projects. She spoke to students about her role in the US House of Representatives and her various committee responsibilities. The following week, Duckworth was leader in the House of Representatives sit-in to force a vote on gun control.

E

R

Eagle n

R e t u r n s

H o m e

By KOH XIN TIAN Communications Writer

Matt Rogers, Class of 1995, has been selected to serve as the next chief operating officer for Singapore American School. With over 15 years of experience in a wide variety of operational, financial, and human resource management settings around the world, Rogers graduated with a bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering from Duke University and an MBA with emphasis in finance and real estate from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is an SAS alumnus from the Class of 1995, currently serves on our Foundation board, and is married to eighth grade social studies teacher Dr. Vicki Rogers. Their son Kasey currently attends first grade.

Rogers is currently the director of finance and operations at VICOR International Singapore. He will transition into SAS over the course of the year and will be fully integrated into the SAS team for the 2017-18 school year. He will work with outgoing chief financial officer William Scarborough during the transition period.

Rogers says,“SAS has always been committed to providing each student an exemplary American educational experience which our family has benefited from.

SAS has been at the forefront of international education for a very long time, and by focusing on cultivating global citizens and exceptional thinkers prepared for the future, we are striving for continual improvement to remain relevant in the uncertain tomorrow.

This is becoming an increasingly complex thing to do in today’s rapidly changing times, but I am confident that we are on the right path. We are inherently invested in the continued quality of education and life instruction for our son and his classmates: they are truly the leaders of tomorrow with an international perspective whom SAS is cultivating here today.�

Passion AIMEE CHENGBRADSHAW By KOH XIN TIAN Communications Writer

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an

nd

From Singapore American School to King’s College London, SAS alumna Aimee Cheng-Bradshaw made a quick stop along the way to place top three in Asia’s Next Top Model and launch her modeling career.

Aimee Cheng-Bradshaw (Class of 2013) is a model and graduate of Singapore American School. Currently pursuing her undergraduate studies in psychology and biology at King’s College London, she represented Singapore in Asia’s Next Top Model where she made it to the top three, and is represented by local modelling agency, Basic Models Management.

Process How did your family come to move to Singapore and enroll in SAS, and what challenges did you face as a third culture kid here?

What are your favorite Mr. Hoe dishes from the SAS cafeteria?

My family moved to Singapore because my dad’s job brought us all here, and I guess I didn’t really notice how it was as a third culture kid because I’ve been moving around my whole life. The only thing that I noticed is that it takes some time to explain to people where I’m from: “My dad’s English, my mum’s Chinese, but I live in Singapore. Yes, I sound American because I went to an American school. No, I’ve never lived in the States...”

Where was your favorite spot on campus?

Black pepper chicken!

My friends and I would always like hanging out in the library back in high school. It was always a pretty chill place.

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What was it like to be a student at SAS and what are some memories you have with your schoolmates which stand out?

I pretty much grew up in Singapore American School.

I lived so close to school and had a great community of friends who lived nearby as well. And when I was a student, SAS really pushed me academically and encouraged me to chase what I loved doing—dance.

As a model working in Singapore and Asia, what was the most challenging assignment that you’ve done, and why?

This wasn’t a particular assignment, but one of the most challenging things I had to deal with was probably travelling all the way to Paris by myself after staying in Asia for almost 18 years. That was pretty daunting, especially in a country where English is not the main language.

To you, what is modelling?

My passion. I love being able to put in hours of work and collaborate with new people

each time for a project with an outcome that I am beyond proud of. It’s different just seeing a photo compared to knowing all the work it took to get to where it is, and I love being a part of that process.

Not only are you a model, but you’re also into circuit training and dancing. Did you get involved in these at SAS and what other sports, clubs, or activities were you part of?

I was an active member of Dance Club back at SAS and devoted a lot of my time to it.

I choreographed the Class of 2013’s senior piece at the end of our last dance show in school, and have also taken part in the IASAS dance exchange and taught middle school dancers as well.

What do you miss from Singapore now that you’ve moved to the UK? Yong tau foo, fishball noodles, and bak chor mee! All the great food.

What is it like to work and live in London, and what do you see yourself doing in the near future as you work on your degree and career?

It was pretty exciting to have moved to London of all places.

I’m such a city person, and I feel like I picked the right place for myself. So far, I’m loving it.

In the near future I’m going to focus mainly on my studies and hopefully do some work when I get time off.

If you were to give an SAS student who aspires to be in the modelling, TV, or entertainment industries some advice today, what would it be?

Try. It’s a tough industry to break into, but if you keep on delaying the day you try for it, then it’ll never happen. It requires thick skin and hard work, but at the end of the day, if it’s your true aspiration, then it’ll all be worth it. You just gotta try!

Thanks to

www.basicmodels.com.sg.

Photo credits to Digital Fashion Week Nathan Alliard​ Neutrogena Singapore

Close Friends, Fellow Models In 2015 SAS alumna Larissa Schot (Class of 2013) competed in America’s Next Top Model. “It was nerve-racking knowing that I was going to be on national television, and surreal that I would be able to meet Tyra Banks. She really inspired me as a model, and having to be judged by her is just crazy to think about,” Schot said. She was eliminated after several episodes but has continued to model and is currently being represented by Ave Management and has worked with clients like Nylon and Gucci.

Read more about Larissa Schot and her modeling journey in SAS’s The Eye online, in an article by senior Namrata Ray.

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JOURNEYS 56

Call Sheet

The

Freya Parekh

Step behind the scenes as SAS alumna Freya Parekh shares her journey from watching movies to making movies

R A D I O C H A N N E L S : 1 & 2 – A D ’s , 3 – P R O D U C T I O N , 4 – C A M E R A , 5 – E L E C T R I

By KYLE ALDOUS Director of Communications

Crew Call

“

8AM

We all need to be up by 7:30 a.m. and out the door by 8:00 a.m.

We’ll have breakfast downstairs and then leave for the mall at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Everyone needs to figure out what they want at the mall – no time for dilly-dallying, we have to be out by 1:00 p.m. because we have a reservation at Nuevo Lorreto at 1:30 p.m.

”

As Freya Parekh finished delivering the detailed schedule to her family and friends, her father turned to her, smiled and quipped, “We are not your crew and this is not a film set, so calm down and relax.”

Days earlier, Singapore American School alumna Freya Parekh had wrapped up work on her most recent project, a Hindi romance film Baar Baar Dekho, and was now on vacation for the first time in years. After two days of relaxing, her mind was already back to making lists, meticulous planning, and obsessive organizing.

For the past 17 years, Parekh has been chasing her dream that began when she was a freshman at SAS, continued through her undergraduate work at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, and guides her now through the film industry. Since graduating from USC in 2007, Parekh has been busy—but not busy in the standard internship, entry level job kind of way. Her Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile says it all!

I C S , 6 – G R I P S , 7 – H A I R / M A K E U P, 8 – W A R D R O B E , 9 – L O C AT I O N S 1 1 — A R T

I N T E R N E T

M O V I E

Freya Parekh

D A T A B A S E

( I M D B )

P R O F I L E

Life of Pi

Million Dollar Arm

Eat Pray Love

S C . S E T / D E S C R I P T I O N L O C A T I O N At age 31, with 11 films to her name, she has already worked with award-winning actors, actresses, and directors, such as Life of Pi director and Academy Award winner Ang Lee. The dream began with two random movies and an influential teacher.

“One week, I saw two films: a Hindi film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Mission Impossible II. Seeing these films struck a chord with me. I started thinking of films as the opportunity to emotionally manipulate your audience and take them on a journey. I knew this was what I had to do—make movies.” she recounts.

Luckily destiny was given direction when Parekh met high school film, broadcast, and journalism teacher Mr. Mark Clemens. She says,“Mr. Clemens is hands down the sole reason I stuck to film all four years of high school. He encouraged me to take a film summer course at New York Film Academy. There has never been anyone as encouraging and important in my life, aside from my dad, as Mr. Clemens. He is the main reason I’m in film today.”

Parekh’s life, everything she has done has moved her closer to her dream of being a director.

Today, she is credited in movies as Second Assistant Director. The title might as well be “ultimate event planner.” Imagine planning a shoot with 1,500 people in a remote village where you need each actor and extra to be dressed a specific way, go through hair and makeup, then perform a specific action at a specific time on command.

Oh, and hundreds of these people are children. This was just another day in Parekh’s life and her team while shooting in the outskirts of Pondicherry for the Academy Award-winning film Life of Pi. For the past six years, her life has revolved around producing call sheets. Each day on a film set, a new call sheet guides every single activity from the moment the first hair and makeup artists arrive on set till the last crew member leaves at the end of the day. With milliondollar budgets and sometimes temperamental talent on set, meticulous planning is crucial to the success of each project. But even the best-laid plans can fall apart.

Since that fateful week where Salman Khan, Tom Cruise, and Mark “Sometimes the weather doesn’t Clemens converged to change cooperate, an actor isn’t ready

Baar Baar Dekho

The Best Exotic Marigold

Cocktail

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

D / N P A G E S C A S T C R O W D on time, or there are technical problems. It’s okay because the first assistant director and I have backup plans just as meticulous as our first plans. In fact sometimes I write detailed plans just knowing that we’re not going to get to use them because something will go crazy and we’ll end up using the backup to my backup,” Parekh laughs.

While some disasters are out of her control, Parekh knows that the most important things within her control are her relationships. Actors, actresses, directors, vendors, crew members, technical support staff, hair and makeup artists, and anyone else on set are each vital to the success of a film. Though one bad day can trigger a chain reaction that can result in serious financial losses, strong relationships can bring people together to save the day.

Parekh learned this long ago as a member of the SAS Peer Support club, where members welcome new students each year and help them find their own niche in the student community. Orienting hundreds of new students from different backgrounds to a new high school and often a new country requires you to be able to bridge a variety of gaps and unite people quickly and effectively.

These relationships will continue to help Parekh as she progresses toward the director’s chair. She points out, “It’s not easy to pitch a script in Hollywood or India. You never know what will work and it’s a long gruesome process at times. Sometimes you just send in your script, then some intern in the basement reads it and your fate lies with them. You may think you’ve got it, but someone might point out 10 reasons why your project won’t work. It’s a creative battle of wits.

I’ve worked with production houses before, which can be the only reason I may even get a meeting in the first place.”

While passion drives Parekh, it is her purposeful approach to her professional and personal life paired with her methodical planning that continue leading her to success and open up further opportunities to her.

She says, “Detailed planning has carried over into my personal life.

I know everything about my next day from the moment I wake up until I get into bed, but I also know things can change at any moment. That’s why there’re always backup plans ready for use at a moment’s notice.

You never know what life will throw at you, but when you have a plan, a backup plan, and a backup for the backup plan, you’ll be ready to face anything.”

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JOURNEYS 60

Adventurer Comes An

Home

L i n d a F e r g u s o n ’s S A S S t o r y

From growing up in Singapore to riding buses with Nicaraguan rebels and hitchhiking across Mexico, SAS alumna Linda Ferguson has seen it all.

By KRISTINA DOSS Staff Writer

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An 11-year old girl with ash blond hair and green eyes in 1960 stepped out of a hotel in a Southeast Asian country that was still trying to shake its tumultuous colonial past and achieve independence. Fresh from a move from Akron, Ohio, she got into a car helmed by a syce (local term for driver) and was whisked away to a new school.

Welcome to Linda Ferguson’s (Class of 1967) first week of fifth grade at Singapore American School.

For some children, such an experience in a foreign country would be daunting. But Ferguson describes that first week of school as more of a homecoming.

“I was born in Singapore,” said Ferguson, whose last name was Cook before marrying her high school sweetheart Peter (Class of 1967) years later.

Ferguson’s family connection to Singapore goes all the way back to the 1930s. Ferguson’s father, Noel Cook, was from West Virginia and her mother, Ruth, was from Ohio. But Mr. Cook’s job with rubber manufacturer and processor Goodyear Orient Company would take him and his bride back and forth between the US heartland and the rubber plantations of Southeast Asia for the next several decades.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook first lived in Singapore from 1937 to 1940, then spent a little more than a year in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka.

Goodyear wanted Ferguson’s father to learn about how rubber trees were grown on the island of Ceylon during his time there. But when Singapore fell to the Japanese and the Land of the Rising Sun bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Goodyear decided to evacuate the Cooks as tension in Asia—particularly toward US citizens—rose.

Linda Ferguson and her husband Peter, who attended SAS his senior year and graduated with the Class of 1967.

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Linda Ferguson on the plane en route to Singapore American School’s 60th anniversary celebration.

Linda Ferguson’s family lived at 19 Swiss Club Road —a black and white colonial home built in 1920.

“My mother went out first on a destroyer.

My father came out later on a submarine.

They had an adventuresome life. Maybe that is the reason why I became so adventurous,” said Ferguson, who has hitchhiked across Europe and Mexico with her husband Peter.

Thanks to her father’s experience in Asia, the Cooks did not stay in the US for long.

The family returned to Singapore in 1946 in the wake of World War II with daughter Marsha (Class of 1964) in tow. Ferguson was born two years later and spent some of her formative years in the Lion City.

Though the family spent about three and a half years back in Akron, Ohio, they returned to Singapore in 1960 as Mr. Cook took on the plum role of Goodyear managing director.

Their first six weeks back in Singapore were spent at the iconic Raffles Hotel, known for its old-world charm and the world-famous Singapore Sling cocktail, as they waited to move into their British colonial home, also known as the Goodyear house on Swiss Club Road.

“Singapore had changed so much for me but the fact that I was able to show my daughter where I had grown up was the highlight of the trip! And seeing my wonderful friends who I remembered with such fondness.”

Getting acclimated to living abroad again wasn’t the tough part, Ferguson said. She still had friends from her previous stay in the Lion City. Plus, Singapore American School—then located on Rochalie Drive in a seven-bedroom colonial home—was small enough for new students like her to get to know everyone.

Linda Ferguson and her daughter Ronly on Swiss Club Road, the site of Ferguson’s former home.

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Linda Ferguson, whose last name was Cook when she was a student at SAS, is on the far left in her PE uniform.

Learning French, though, was a different story. Ferguson recalls being amazed that fifth graders at SAS had to take French. “The US didn’t have that,” she said.

“The first week I cried because I thought to myself, “How will I catch up in French?’”

Eventually, she did. Dieu merci!

In fact, her academic prowess placed her among the top four of her graduating class. Though Ferguson was academically gifted and quite the adventuress, she admits that she wasn’t the most coordinated back in the day.

“Everyone jumped the hurdles beautifully,” Ferguson said.

“I ran through them.” Ferguson may have had two left feet, so to speak, but that hasn’t stopped her from being a daredevil and explorer.

Upon graduating from SAS, Ferguson and Peter worked, lived, and traveled around the world.

In fact, prior to having children, the Fergusons decided to work for two years, save up their money, and then take a sabbatical for six months so they could explore the world.

Ferguson laughs in her interview with Journeys as she recalls her senior prom, which she attended with Peter. Clad in a long batik dress—which was beautiful, but definitely not a traditional prom gown—and heels, she recalls attempting to walk down the stairs at the Singapore Intercontinental Hotel.

“We’d go off through Central America,” Ferguson said. “We probably rode the buses with the Sandinistas (Nicaraguan rebels)!”

“I was such a klutz and I fell down the stairs,” Ferguson said. “It was really funny actually.”

Ferguson’s latest adventure took her back where her story started: Singapore. Accompanied by her daughter Ronly, Ferguson— who also has a son named after her father—returned to the Lion City to attend the school’s 60th anniversary celebration in April 2016. (Just the year prior, Singapore celebrated 50 years as an independent nation.)

The fall was not the first time this quirky quality was on display.

Physical education class provided ample and routine opportunities.

Ferguson recalls one day when Coach Kasinathan, SAS’s first fulltime and qualified PE teacher and athletic director, declared that the class was going to do hurdles.

They also hitchhiked through Mexico. “Can you believe that?

Nobody would do that now,” Ferguson chuckled. “We were nomads! Hippies with money!”

Former SAS classmate and teacher Kathy Saludo Tan (Class of 1967) drove Ferguson and her daughter around Singapore, where much has changed since Ferguson was last there.

What was once an aspiring nation sorting out its place in postcolonial Southeast Asia is now a cosmopolitan city-state and economic powerhouse. The growth of Singapore is reflected in the school as well, which grew from a small colonial home to a 36-acre campus.

Her childhood home is no longer standing on Swiss Club Road either, but her friends and cherished memories remain.

“Singapore had changed so much for me but the fact that I was able to show my daughter where I had grown up was the highlight of the trip! And seeing my wonderful friends who I remembered with such fondness,” said Ferguson.

“You can’t go home again!

Everything in life changes and the beauty of your memories last a lifetime. And that is enough! Such a privilege to grow up in Singapore!”

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JOURNEYS 64

: s e t i l l e t a S to s d u p S From es Career at Virgin Galactic SAS Alum Launch

S Staff Writer

By KRISTINA DOS

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Singapore American School alumnus Brandon Meehan walks us through his journey from class experiments at SAS to the opportunity of a lifetime working on a satellite with one of the biggest brands in the world.

Brandon Meehan (Class of 2011) remembers sitting in high-level math and science classes at Singapore American School, listening to one of his favorite teachers share stories about alumni who embarked on careers at some of the top physicist laboratories in the world.

While surrounded by a prized collection of t-shirts and coffee cups that students sent him from their respective work sites, the teacher—Mr. Brian Donalson—rattled off an impressive list of labs. They included the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) at Stanford University.

Needless to say, Meehan was inspired.

“I remember thinking ‘Wow, it would be cool if Mr. Donalson would be talking about me (someday),’” said Meehan.

Meehan works for the satellite division, conducting a variety tests out in the middle of California’s Mojave desert to ensure that the rocket the Virgin Galactic team built— known as LauncherOne—will successfully get into orbit one day.

To be sure, the work, science, and testing behind LauncherOne is complex, but the excitement of a full-fledged test is palpable to anyone regardless of background.

“Sometimes it’s not too exciting, but sometimes it’s a full rocket test where we have flames spewing out in the middle of the desert,” Meehan said.

The SAS alum has certainly come a long way since launching potato spuds in Mr. Donalson’s relativity class—a project that capped off a semester-long lesson on particle accelerators. Meehan points out that with a bit of imaginative science, one person’s boring potato is another’s astrophysical payload.

Mr. Donalson moved to Turkey in 2012. But “I think Brian mostly used that project as a there is no doubt Meehan and his job would have made the illustrious list of storied alumni. way to keep students excited about learning particle physics and relativity,” Meehan said. “Sometimes that subject can get a little Meehan, who went on to major in Aerospace boring. Building a spud gun made the class Engineering at Georgia Tech, is now a more fun, and provided somewhat distant but propulsion test engineer at Virgin Galactic. entertaining analogies to particle physics.”

The company is well known for its endeavor to create a spaceline that will allow citizens, Meehan attributes a variety of factors to his not just astronauts, to experience space. But trajectory from SAS Eagle to rocket man: the firm is also embarking on another mission a natural drive to be a part of something just as noteworthy—to create a small, cost“exciting,” an interest and curiosity in math, effective rocket to launch small satellites science, and “anything that flies through into space—satellites that will, among other things, provide broadband internet to billions the air;” as well as his supportive parents and teachers. Certainly, Singapore American of people in remote places that are currently School’s Advanced Placement (AP) offerings without internet access, take pictures of were part of the equation as well.

Earth for humanitarian causes, and hunt for asteroids that could represent threats to Earth, according to the company’s website.

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JOURNEYS 66

“Sometimes it’s a full rocket test where we have flames spewing out in the middle of the desert.”

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“I really tried to take advantage of the APs offered at SAS,” said Meehan, who took AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC coupled with Multivariable Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Physics AB, AP Physics C (both mechanics and electricity/ magnetism), and AP US History.

According to Meehan, the AP classes helped prepare him for college. “I remember the first year and a half of math classes at a top-notch college were a breeze,” he said.

Math may have been a breeze, but it was a turbulent propulsion class at Georgia Tech that connected Meehan to Virgin Galactic.

According to Meehan, he went to his professor during office hours one day after not doing well on a test. Meehan wanted to know how to improve his grade. But the professor wanted to know more about his student’s resume, longterm interests, and whether he had considered working in the private space industry.

Apparently, the professor recognized Meehan’s potential and knew someone who worked at Virgin Galactic.

“I wasn’t expecting to go into office hours and find a cool internship opportunity,” Meehan said. During the summer of 2015, Meehan found himself interning at the Long Beach, Calif., office of Virgin Galactic. The culture there was ‘Google-esque’ – that is, the people were pretty cool and laid back and relaxed, but they work really hard and are incredibly smart,” he said.

The workload was overwhelming, but Meehan remembers occasionally watching videos of the rocket tests out in the Mojave desert.

One year later, in July 2016, the Georgia Tech grad was no longer stuck in an office. Instead, he was out in the middle of the desert working for Virgin Galactic full time and witnessing his first hot fire from a rocket.

“I remember in Long Beach I never really got to see that,” said Meehan. “I saw it on videos a bunch of times, so it’s really cool to be out here where all the action is.”

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JOURNEYS 68

The student has become the teacher

By S A N D H YA B A L A Communications Interns

Five years ago SAS alumna Maiki Del Rosario was listening to her teachers—now she is the teacher.

When Maiki Del Rosario was hired as one of the kindergarten learning support teachers, she didn’t have to take a tour of SAS; she already knew the campus like the back of her hand. She didn’t have to adjust to Singapore’s humidity and culture; she had already lived here for three years during her high school days. And she didn’t have to get introduced to the SAS faculty, because many of them were once her teachers.

Just five years ago, Del Rosario sat in the bustling high school gym, cheering on SAS during pep rallies. She ate Subway sandwiches by Ping and wore her red senior polo on Wednesdays. Del Rosario was a busy SAS senior: she founded what is currently one of the largest service clubs in the high school, Gawad Kalinga, was president of the Happy Feet dance program, participated in the school production of Grease, all while juggling her college applications. But Del Rosario stood apart from the rest of her peers; she had always known what she wanted to be: a teacher. Not just any teacher, but a teacher at Singapore American School. Now she is living her dream.

Growing up in the Philippines, Jakarta, and Singapore, Del Rosario always knew that she wanted to be a teacher, just like her mother who owned her own preschool called the Young Learners Collaborative and taught at Jakarta Intercultural School. Del Rosario dreamed so passionately about becoming a teacher that she decided she didn’t want to wait until after college to start teaching, she wanted to start right away, as a junior in high school.

While others used their free period to study for their tests or chit-chat with friends, throughout her junior year Del Rosario dedicated her free periods to shadowing a second grade teacher at the elementary school. When she first approached Mr. Neihart with this plan, he was surprised as this was the first time a student had ever made such a request.

However, because Del Rosario was so excited and passionate, he knew she was serious about it. Mr. Neihart helped her get in touch with Ken Schunk, one of the elementary school deputy principals, and together they sent out an email to all of the teachers in the elementary school sharing Del Rosario’s story and dream.

Within a day, she had 19 responses and was ecstatic.

Her time as a student-teacher apprentice only heightened her love for teaching at SAS. Not only did she have valuable exposure to teaching at an early age, but she also set the precedent for high schoolers aspiring to become teachers.

Her actions made the Interim Semester Teacher Apprenticeship course more popular amongst students. Because of her efforts, Del Rosario went on to win the Teacher Education Scholarship for the Class of 2011 before heading off to complete a five-year undergraduate and master’s degree program at Boston

College, double majoring in Elementary Education and Applied Psychology and Human Development and attaining her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Teacher Leadership. When Del Rosario graduated in May of 2016, she reconnected with her SAS and JIS teachers, who were more than willing to help her find her way back to SAS. In just five months, Del Rosario has already made an impact in the elementary school. Ms. Robyn Rogers, fellow kindergarten learning support teacher, added that “Maiki has a natural way with children and the students we work with have taken a strong liking to her. They truly enjoy their time with her!”

Not only does Del Rosario work with kindergarteners, she also mentors students in the high school. She has come back to work with Gawad Kalinga again, but this time as a teacher sponsor.

Del Rosario was also assistant director in the high school musical production Anything Goes, alongside high school drama teacher, Mr. Thomas Schulz, who was also her seventh and eighth grade improv teacher back at JIS. Mr. Schulz commented, “One of the best parts of being a teacher is when a former student becomes a lifelong friend.

This is even more true with Maiki because she has come into the teaching profession, giving us even more to share.

She really understands the world [high schoolers] live in, but has the perspective of college and some years of maturity to help guide them.”

Del Rosario has an extraordinary story that reflects her love for teaching and her undeniable connection to SAS. We can’t wait to see what she will do next!

Gawad Kalinga Zombie Run Gawad Kalinga is a Philippine-based service club established by founder Tony Meloto in 1995. In 2010, Del Rosario brought Gawad Kalinga to the SAS high school and established it as an official service club.

Over the past six years the club has grown to one of the largest service clubs in the high school with over 100 members. The club sponsors iconic events like the Zombie Run and Laser Wars each year as fundraisers to help provide the money needed to continue building communities in poverty stricken areas of the Philippines.

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JOURNEYS 74

Looking for the perfect holiday gift?

Swing by the Singapore American School Booster Booth to find gifts for Eagles of all ages.

Check out the latest shirts, sweatshirts, blankets, and even fun little Santa Claus ornaments.

Drop by the booth or hop online and shop here: https://sasboosterstore.com/ Living overseas?

No problem, the Booster Booth ships internationally!

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Saturday, February 25, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Games in the Middle School Playfield Country booths, food, and games in Gyms 1 and 2 Silent Auction in Riady Performing Arts Center Vendor Fair in the Middle School Foyer Used Books Sale in the High School Library W i n t e r

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JOURNEYS 76

Was it this person that said that? Or that person that said this?

Turn the magazine upside down to find out if you matched the quote to the right faculty!

1

2

Shawn Chassagne, Middle School RLA

Kirsten Harvey, Elementary School Art 3

Tom Schulz, High School Theater

Saylar Craig, High School Math 5

6

Tara Linney, Elementary School Ed Tech Coach

Sandy Hill, Grade 6 Science

8

Keith Ferrell, Elementary School Ed Tech Coach

Ken Schunk, Elementary School Deputy Principal

I have a twin brother. At birth we weighed a total of 17lbs 3 oz. (7.84kg), making us the second largest set of twins born at the Marshfield Hospital in Wisconsin.

I played a gig once with Doc Severinsen, the leader of the Tonight Show Band.

I was an extra in the movie The Blind Side and was in one episode of Drop Dead Diva.

4

I used to live in Africa and water-ski in crocodile infested waters. Luckily I stayed on my skis!

I own a house where Helen Keller once stayed.

I once zip-lined from the top of the Esplanade Theatre into the Singapore River during a 65km adventure race.

7

I competed in rodeos when I was in middle school.

I have seen over 100 Grateful Dead concerts.

ANSWERS: Shawn Chassagne – 5; Kirsten Harvey – 4; Tom Schulz – 8; Saylar Craig – 2; Sandy Hill – 7; Tara Linney – 3; Keith Ferrell – 6; Ken Schunk – 1

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Alumni!

Looking for Notes and Quotes?

Want to share news about yourself or an SAS family member or friend? Post news on our alumni Facebook page to share with SAS alumni and friends. Because social media is now the primary platform for sharing personal news, we will no longer have the Notes and Quotes section in Journeys. Sharing your accomplishments, milestones, and news on Facebook and career updates on the SAS alumni group in LinkedIn will reach a large number of SAS alumni and friends in real time with the benefit of receiving feedback and building connections with each other.

If you would like your news to be considered for inclusion in an article in Journeys, please email alumni@sas.edu.sg. If you have news of an SAS alumni death, please share your information with us in our In Memory section of the SAS portal.

We are eager to hear about your accomplishments and personal and professional milestones and celebrations. Thank you for staying in touch! www.facebook.com/ singaporeamericanschoolalumni https://www.linkedin.com/groups/136238/profile

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JOURNEYS 78

1

SAS SENIOR WINS GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD

Senior Roopal Kondepudi, Girl Scouts Ambassador, and Singapore Geek Girls member, received the Girl Scouts Gold Award, the highest achievement possible within the organization. The project that led to Kondepudi’s award focused on closing the digital divide – the educational gap between people who have access to technology and skills to use it, and those who do not. This gap is mostly represented by the roughly five billion people without access to smartphones today. Kondepudi sought to close this gap.

To begin her journey to end the digital divide, Kondepudi first used the skills and experience she acquired as president of the SAS Computer Science Club. Along with her Digital Divide committee, they parlayed their skills into a curriculum for a basic computer skills class. In order to trial her curriculum, Kondepudi reached out to some domestic helpers in her neighborhood and taught them her curriculum. The feedback she received from these ladies plus from a local Girl Scout troop improved her project and it was ultimately peer-reviewed at the regional Global Issues Network-Bali conference.

Over the summer Kondepudi fulfilled the next part of her vision by travelling to Bangalore, India where she taught her curriculum to 80 high school students at Presidency Church School. She mapped out the path to realizing her ultimate goal of eliminating the digital divide. She explains, “If I expanded my lessons with 10 different curricula, and found 100 interested teachers, we’d be able to teach 80 x 10 x 100 = 80,000 students.

Dividing that by the 5 billion non-smartphone users, I got 1/6,250. So if this happens 6,250 times, we’ll successfully close the digital divide!”

“Closing the digital divide is a first step to closing the poverty gap and provides women with more opportunities to find work. Giving people the education to use technology ultimately opens up new avenues for them to improve their livelihoods.”

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2

GRADE SIX STUDENT TAKES THE STAGE ALONGSIDE NOTABLE SINGAPORE CELEBRITIES

Grade six student Bjorn H. was selected for his second professional stage musical in Singapore by the award-winning W!ld Rice production company. He appeared in 16 shows of Monkey Goes West last month, a panto of the Chinese folktale Journey to the West. Bjorn was thrilled to perform alongside Singapore’s celebrity comedians Chua Enlai and Siti Khalijah!

3

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC STUDENTS HONORED BY GUEST CONDUCTORS-IN-RESIDENCE

The SAS middle and high school choirs, strings ensembles, and bands celebrated the Music Festival in October with grateful contribution from esteemed international guest conductors-in-residence, Travis J. Cross (band), Sandra Peter (choir), and William W. Wiedrich (strings).

4

MIDDLE SCHOOL NYAKA CLUB WORKS TO EASE SUFFERING IN UGANDA

Middle school Nyaka Club sponsored a student from Uganda with money raised from their Amazing Race event. The student is an HIV/ AIDS orphan, and with this sponsorship, will be provided an education, school supplies and uniform, two healthy meals a day, books, access to medicine, and clean water. In high school, Nyaka Club students are proposing a scheme to send used laptops to Uganda and an Interim Semester trip to the school as well.

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JOURNEYS 80

5

SAS SERVICE COUNCIL RUNS TO END SLAVERY

SAS Service Council joined in the 24 Hour Race in November, Asia’s largest youth-led movement with one simple dream: to see the end of human trafficking within our generation. This was the fourth year the race was held in Singapore.

6

SAS HOSTS FIRST ASIAN SCHOOLS INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY CONFERENCE

The Asian Schools Institute for Safety and Security (ASISS) conference allowed 80 participants from schools in Singapore, Asia, and the Middle East to share best practices on how best to respond to threats that could affect international school students, staff, and communities so that future challenges may be faced with confidence. The event was organized by facilities director Anthony Wong and workplace health and safety specialist Sebastian Wong.

7

CATALYST STUDENTS FEATURED AT APPLE LEADERSHIP CAMP

Five high school students from our Catalyst and coding programs were featured at the Apple Education Leadership Camp in September. Sandhya Bala coded an app to help students in studying and is currently bringing it to market. Yesh Chandirama created an app that helps people find healthy food in Singapore.

Alex Cuozzo created a website and an associated app to help organize peer tutoring. Janvi Kalra, Aime Fukada, and Sandhya Bala also led a session on personalized learning.

8

TEDXYOUTH@SAS 2016

SAS hosted its third annual TEDxYouth event with the theme “Prism of Possibilities.” TEDxYouth@SAS was organized by speaker curators Avinash Ashok, Tanvi Dutta Gupta, Rhea Jain, Naya Jorgenson, and Yana Mihova and executive producers Jaclyn Chan, Alex Cuozzo, Paige Freeman, Hana Matsudaira, and Vanessa Smiley.

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9

GRADE 5 STUDENT TAKES GOLD IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

Natalie T. won a gold medal at the Pan Pacific International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation 2016 Championship that was held in Melbourne, Australia in October.

10 SAS JOINS ‘IN ART EXHIBITION’ 2016 For the fourth year, SAS proudly participated in the IN Art Exhibition, a select show of student work from international schools around Singapore. This year SAS had 18 artists featured in the exhibition.

11 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL A SMASH AT SAS

Congratulations to high school drama students who performed the musical Anything Goes this fall to overwhelmingly rave reviews. A two-storey tall ship and period costumes costumes, make-up, and stage filled the musical, written and set in the 1930s and featuring five of Cole Porter’s top ten songs of all time.

The ensemble cast featured 50 actors and dancers and was supported by 100 students serving as the pit orchestra, sound, lighting, set, make-up, and usher support. This was the shortest rehearsal process ever for an SAS musical at 6 1/2 weeks, with some students and teachers devoting 20 hours a week to the show.

Planning began last March.

12 SAS QUIZ TEAM WINS AT

SINGAPORE FALL INVITATIONAL

SAS students placed first and third in the open division of the Singapore Fall Invitational 2016 quiz tournament, handily beating Shanghai International School. Our first-place team also qualifies for a place at nationals this year.

13 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

COMPLETE MARATHON CLUB

Congratulations to our elementary school marathon club finishers! 291 elementary students finished the last leg of their marathon journey on Friday, October 21, each having run a full marathon over the course of September mostly in one-mile increments before school each morning.

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JOURNEYS 82

14 HIGH SCHOOLER REPRESENTS

NATIONAL U16 BASKETBALL TEAM

Grade nine student Ariel Xiang Ying Loiter was selected by the Basketball Association of Singapore to represent the national U16 girls in the Fifth Asia Pacific Youth Basketball Cup. The competition is preparation for next year’s Southeast Asia Basketball Association U16 Championship for women, the top level of competition in the region.

15 EAGLES SCORE THIRD PLACE WIN IN

NANKYU BASEBALL

The U12 blue Eagles and U10 Eagles baseball teams finished third in the Nankyu baseball tournament hosted at SAS over the weekend of Oct 1-2, 2016. Nankyu is a version of baseball that uses a softer baseball for younger players.

16 25 INDUCTEES EARN ENTRY INTO CHINESE HONOR SOCIETY Congratulations to the 25 students who have been inducted into the Chinese Honor Society on the basis of excellence in academics, character, leadership, and class performance. Liam Galey, Ingrid Liu, Jung Jae Hee, Patrick Koopmans, Hadley Ackerman, Li Wen Soh, A Hyun Kim, Rachel Li, Sachi Shah, Kate Callon, Jaclyn Chan, Jay You, Felicia Tejawinata, Chang Whan Park, Jeongsoo (Lisa) Kim, Jane Li, Jenny Kim, Ryan Payne, Julia Weiss, Sabrina Gonzalez Russi, Drew Suranjan, Zi Tong Lim, Christina Kim, Madeline Smith, and Niranjana Rao.

17 SAS TRI M MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTS 15 EXEMPLARY MUSICIANS Congratulations to the 15 students who earned entry into the SAS Tri M Music Honor Society Chapter 1352: Isaac Ooi, Katherine Sun, Zachary Lee, Jiwon Hwang, Lauren Pong, Afton Garner, Ruth Jaensubhakij, JJ Tanaka, Justin Agustin, Izak Arwan, Max Huang, Robin Yoon, Elizabeth Saeger, Francis Ng, and Andrew Fu.

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18 EMMA OLDAGER PLACES FIRST IN SINGAPORE

NATIONAL PARA GAMES

Ninth grader Emma Oldager placed first at the yearly equestrian competition at the Singapore National Para Games with Charm, a former race horse.

19 HIGH SCHOOLERS QUALIFY FOR USA TOUCH

RUGBY TEAM TRAINING SQUAD

Zarima Greco and Sophia Law qualified for the USA Touch Women’s Open Training Squad for the 2019 Touch Rugby World Cup that will be held in Malaysia.

20 SPACEX TEAM PRESENT PROJECT AT SCIENCE

CENTER SINGAPORE

High school students Jaclyn Chan, Sunita Srivatsan, Keshav Jagganath, Annie Kim, Madeline Smith, and Devansh Tandon discussed their design, challenges, and procedures for launching their experiment into space at the Science Centre Singapore. The group of pioneering students are scheduled to launch a payload on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April 2017, which will be carried via the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station where astronauts on board will install and monitor their lab for a month before returning it to earth.

They are supported by faculty advisors Bart Millar and Meredith White, and mentors Joanna Fitts, Priya Majumdar, and Bidushi Bhattacharya of Bhattacharya Space Enterprises.

CONGRATULATIONS EAGLES! W i n t e r

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JOURNEYS 84

40 woodlands street 41 Singapore 738547 Phone: (65) 6363 3403 WEB: WWW.SAS.EDU.SG QUESTIONS? EMAIL US AT COMMUNICATIONS@SAS.EDU.SG CPE Registration No.: 196400340R Registration Period: 22 June 2011 to 21 June 2017 Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) © 2016 Singapore American School All rights reserved.