Journeys Spring 2013, volume 13 by Singapore American School

Coming Full Circle: An International Perspective What do alumni gatherings have in common with Interim Semester? Mark Kidder (67), Ken Stoehrmann (68), Ellen Brown Gaffney (68), and Barbara Bready (67) attended alumni gatherings this spring and were part of the community featured in the Fall 2012 Journeys article, “SAS: A Family Business.” Our high school students just completed this year ’s Interim Semester and chose their trips from among 59 courses in the areas of ecoadventure, global studies and service. Among these students was my daughter Sophia, who as a freshman participated in her first Interim where she helped build houses in the Ken (68), Ellen (68) and Barbara (67) attended the recent alumni gathering in San Francisco. All of Philippines. them were students at the time and were part of Put simply—what these the community featured in the Journeys Fall 2012 gatherings and programs have “SAS: A Family Business.” in common is that they provide our students, former and current, with opportunities to connect. Regardless of their class year or the amount of time they spent in Singapore, they share SAS memories and experiences. Our school continues to provide each and every student an American educational experience with an international perspective. Programs like Interim Semester fulfill on that mission while alumni gatherings, where we take time to reflect and remember the SAS experience and our commons bonds, help us cherish those memories. In this issue we share how Interim Semester came about and include reflections from administrators, students, and faculty. We’ll also share stories about what your fellow House building in the Philippines Interim 2013. classmates have been up to professionally and personally in featured profiles and provide you with an update about who’s attended our alumni events. We value your opinions and participation, and as always, we want to hear from you. Keep those stories coming and continue to send us your photos and updates. Come visit us at school, host or attend an alumni gathering, or join us online at alumni@sas.edu.sg, on the SAS Alumni Facebook page, or SAS Alumni LinkedIn Group. Bottom line – Stay Connected! Lauri Coulter Associate Director of Alumni Relations

JOURNEYS SAS

SUPERINTENDENT DR. chip Kimball CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER MICHAEL K. KINGAN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS LAURI COULTER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS TAMara BLACK GRAPHIC DESIGNER JAMI HAVENS Cover photo of Mariam Nael (14) bungy jumping during the Milford Trek 2012 Interim. See the related story on page 12. SAS Journeys is published twice a year by the advancement office of Singapore American School. It is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, faculty and organizations served by the school. We welcome input from the community associated with Singapore American School.

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

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

CoNTeNTS

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Features 2

Creating Experiences and Changing Lives by Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendent of Schools

40 Years of Interim From Kukup to Kinabalu Larry N. Crouch (faculty 68-75) Taking it to the Next Level Dr. Timothy S. Stuart (HS Principal) A Student’s Reﬂection: Taking Risks Mariam Nael (14) An Interim Sponsor’s Reﬂection Tico Oms (Interim Semester Director) Uniquely Turkey Nanette Ruhter (HS English Teacher) A Focus on Interim Michael Fiala (80) Inspiring Change Through the Interim Experience Alix Smith (08)

22 Alumni Proﬁles Election Night at Current TV Nicole DeFord (04) An Eagle Goes to Congress (about) Tammy Duckworth (85) So Where’s Home? Adrian Bautista (09) Capturing the Con Jelita McLeod (88) Entreprenuers in Myanmar Allison Morris (03) Collaboration Across Continents Adam S. Hacker (00) When I Run I’m 18 Again Francesco Zargani (86) A Second Run for a First Rate Movie Karen Chi-Chi Lin and Yashika Mody (09)

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Alumni Interns at SAS Share the Stage Carrie Dwyer (13) On Turning 40 Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90)

Today @ SAS The SAS Annual Fund Michael Kingan, Chief Advancement Officer Ahead of the Curve Jason Cone, Director of Educational Technology Google Apps for Education Singapore Summit Rushton Hurley (73)

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Lauri’s Letter

Notes & Quotes

Alumni Reunions & Gatherings

Mr. Ho’s Recipe

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SPRING 2013

SINGaPORE amERIcaN SchOOl JOURNEYS

Creating Experiences and Changing Lives Dr. Chip Kimball, Superintendent of Schools

Since arriving at SAS last summer, I’ve met with students, parents, faculty, and alumni to learn more about what makes our school such a special place. What I’ve heard is that an SAS education is not just about academics; it’s about the experiences that students have and the relationships that they develop while they are here. The education serves students well, but the experiences and relationships change lives forever!

Dr. Chip Kimball with Victor Mahillon (03) at the San Francisco get-together hosted by the Alumni Office.

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At SAS we are able to take advantage of our location in Singapore, a major crossroads for much of the world, and use it as a jumping-off point to extend learning beyond the classroom. We make sure that our students have experiences in Asia and beyond that are truly integrated into their learning, and that help them understand humankind and global issues from a broad perspective. Interim Semester is a perfect example of how the global experiences that SAS offers provide entrees to all that the world has to offer. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first official Interim Semester. What an incredible legacy this has left for generations of SAS students. The concept was initiated by the faculty in 1972 and promoted by Dr. Jack McLeod (Superintendent 1969-73). The program was designed to extend learning and help students learn from and appreciate living in a foreign country. The faculty who planned the first Interim Semester spent a lot of time discussing the merits of the program and planning for its success. They had questions and challenges, as we do today. But Interim Semester has evolved into a hallmark experience for high school students. We know from our conversations with students and alumni that Interim Semester can have a transformative and long-lasting effect on their lives. And for some students, it can even set a course for future work and philanthropy. Interestingly enough, those Interim-founding faculty members faced some of the same questions that we discuss today as we plan Interim courses. We ask ourselves about how we create a quality program with specific goals for student learning. How will we evaluate whether the program has been successful? And—just as they discussed 40 years ago—how do we ensure that educational experiences such as Interim Semester help our students grow and learn? We also want to better understand programs such as Interim Semester within the broader context of an SAS education. Can we do more and help students get more out of their experiences? Can we more deeply embed the international context into what students are doing on a daily basis? And, perhaps most important, how will these experiences prepare students for the future? I recently attended an alumni event in San Francisco while recruiting in the United States. It was a wonderful time to better understand the depth of the SAS family, and to hear stories from many years ago as well as recent experiences. Students from across the years were able to rekindle lifelong relationships and forge new ones. I made

the most of this opportunity to meet and talk with several of our alumni. What an interesting and passionate group of people! As they told me about what SAS means to them and how our school has helped shape their lives, one thing was clear: they are so very proud to be SAS alumni. Ultimately, isn’t that what it’s all about? The experiences we have, the relationships we make, the impact that an education can have on us and subsequently, the impact that we can then have on the world. After all, we are SAS. And each of us—students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni—has a role to play in ensuring that SAS graduates are prepared to take their place as leaders in a rapidlychanging world. As a school we are thinking a lot about the future. Education is on the brink of big changes responding to new tools for learning, new emerging markets, and new skills required for the leaders of tomorrow. We are contemplating what we change and how we make experiences high impact and leveragable for the rest of a student’s life. This is exciting and challenging, and we are committed to making an SAS experience the best it can possibly be. What can you do? First of all, if you aren’t a member of the Singapore American School Alumni Community, I encourage you to sign up at alumni.sas.edu.sg. We want to know you, we want to connect with you, and we value your input. We want to know about your experiences at SAS in years past, and what you think the experiences can and should be for students today looking to the future. Your voice is important to us! So let us know what you think at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sas_alumni_feedback. And you can support the school through giving to the SAS Annual Fund. Gifts to SAS benefit our students and their participation in programs through financial aid, travel stipends, and program funding. In other words, your gift can help SAS continue to provide the exceptional educational experience that had a positive and lasting influence in your life. You can find out more and make an online donation at www.sas.edu.sg/giving. We look forward to staying connected, wherever in the world you may be. We want to stay in touch and let you know how SAS is making sure that the educational experience we provide is exceptional in every way. In true SAS fashion, we will make sure that students have meaningful and rigorous experiences that have an impact on their lives, tap into their passions, and set them up for a successful future.

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“

As they told me about what SAS means to them and how our school has helped shape their lives, one thing was clear: they are so very proud to be SAS alumni.

HERE

All you have to do is mention the phrase Interim Semester to an SAS alum and you’ll be regaled with stories of what many remember as “the best experience of my life.” What follows is a collection of stories about how the Interim program began 40 years ago, how it is evolving to meet the needs of today’s students, and the often life-changing effect that Interim has had on alumni across the years.

STAPLE

///// 40 Years of Creating memories during my senior trip to Kenya with two of the best teachers: Mr. Imperi and Mr. Reeves. We learned from them during that week . Great teachers make lasting impressions and help create memories that last almost 20 years. // Kenya, Africa // Carrie Taylor Mack (95)

African culture and of course waking up at 5 a.m. to see the beautiful animals during the safari! // Kruger, South Africa // Claudia Nijsten (10)

Going on an adventure from the wilds of Chiang Mai to the crazy streets of Bangkok, led by the intrepid adventurer/daredevil/math teacher Atma Singh. Priceless memories, lifelong friendships, and hours on a bus with two 8-track tapes: Grand Funk and the New Seekers. // Chiang Mai, Thailand // John Kukla (76)

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Interim ///// Riding a fast camel and gaining on my friend Abby while the camel jockey sitting in front of me was grinning. A few hours later Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be sore and chafed, but in that moment, I was a cowboy in India, racing through the desert. // Rajasthan, India // Mark Simpson (01)

STAPLE HERE

Touring the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest. The Gothic design of the building, covered in a blanket of snow, was overwhelmingly beautiful. Visions of politicians in the ornate assembly halls came to mind. The history of this special place truly came alive for me. // Budapest, Hungary // Chelsea Leonard (10)

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Listening to our Masai tour guide talk about how he killed a lion when he was 15 at the campfire immediately followed by a visitor to our camp siteâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; an enormous elephant.

40 Years of Interim /////

// Tanzania, Africa // Shoko Oda (11)

Enjoying the breathtaking scenery on the Routeburn Trek but facing the reality that the food and amenities left something to be desired. After three days of canned food and minimal hygiene, we dropped our bags at our hostel and literally ran into town to eat the best burger Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had in my life.

HERE STAPLE

// Queenstown, New Zealand // Brittany Dawe (10)

Waiting for a wave while surfing when a dolphin unexpectedly bumps into my surfboard. I hopped off the board and swam with the animal for a bit. // New Zealand // Rafael Basilla (11)

Making friends with a 6-year-old Vietnamese girl while teaching in a Vietnamese refugee camp. From the time I stepped through the gates, she clung to my side. Even though she cried when we left, I was happy for the experience. // Singapore // Rianna Perry-Mullins (85)

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Angkor Watt, Cambodia, field trip, 1969. History teacher Larry Crouch is on the far left.

FROM KUKUP TO KINABALU: The Early Days of Interim Semester

My love affair with Interim Semester began in September 1972, when Singapore American

Larry N. Crouch (Faculty 68-75)

School Superintendent Dr. Jack McLeod asked me if I had ever heard those words before. After hearing my “no,” he explained that the concept had been proposed by teachers during Faculty Orientation Week, and he wanted me to study it so we could start one up at SAS.

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When Headmaster Harry Barteau hired me in 1968 to teach social studies, he had made it clear that SAS needed an active Southeast Asian studies program with field trips that would help students learn from and appreciate living in a foreign country. Up to that time few trips had been allowed due to unrest and disturbances in Singapore, Malaysia, and southern Thailand. But, the unrest was subsiding, and it was a good time to expand opportunities for SAS students. Over the next three years, 1968 through 1971, students from the social studies and Malay language classes went on field trips to many places in Malaysia: the village of Kukup on the southwest coast, the pottery village of Ayer Hitam in Johor, the rubber plantations in north central

Johor, the coastal towns of Kuantan, Terengganu, and Malacca; the island of Penang, and the rice growing regions. Students also visited locations in Singapore, such as the Chinese burial grounds near Bukit Timah Road, health clinics, the Malay villages along the northern and eastern coasts, the Indian temples and business district, and the area known then as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chinatown,â&#x20AC;? with its temples and history. The trips to Phnom Penh, the capitol of Cambodia, and Siem Riep, the staging city for visiting the famed ruins of Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, and other temple sites were most impressive. Undertaken in 1969 and 1970, they were some of the first trips beyond Singapore and Malaysia. SAS students were fortunate to witness the ruins of the

This page: (Above) Pounding coconut meat on a Malaysia field trip, 1969; (Right) Flying to Thailand for Interim Semester, 1974; (Bottom right) Ayer Hitam, Malaysia, field trip, 1969. Opposite page: (Top) Acupuncture in Singapore Interim Semester course, 1973; (Bottom) Malacca field trip, 1969.

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ancient angkor culture and civilization before the destruction and wanton theft inflicted by the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s. in 1970 the school offered a summer seminar for middle and high school students. it focused on singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and culture, emphasizing the chinese, malay, and indian traditions of the young country. the participation of many local artists, professors, musicians, and politicians, including famed painter chen Wen hsi and calligrapher dr. h. lu, dance groups, and well-known music personalities, made the program very special. students not only were entertained but were able to interact personally with these highly talented personalities. hence, the years prior to the creation of interim semester at sas

included alternative learning experiences in unique learning environments beyond the classroom. With encouragement from dr. mcleod, a faculty planning committee began to plan a school-wide interim semester in 1972-73. the committee encountered considerable conceptual and practical problems. members agonized over the goals and objectives of is and such concerns as how long should it be, would there be a negative impact on student achievement in the normal program, would grades be given, how would we know if an is experience achieved its goals, would teachers be able to offer a program that would attract participants, and how would the overall program be evaluated? as the development process progressed, i recall a

the program gave students many opportunities for unique human experiences that helped them to grow, create, and learn.

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SINGaPORE amERIcaN SchOOl JOURNEYS

First London Interim Semester trip, 1975.

heady degree of excitement and nervousness in the air. Most on the faculty had never offered “short courses,” and many had not done field trips of any kind. But, as course suggestions began coming in from the faculty, it was clear that a high level of thoughtful creativity was driving ideas and suggestions. Periodic reports were made to the board, faculty, students, and community, and in the fall of 1972 the board approved the first Interim Semester, to be offered for one week in January 1973, between the first and second semesters. Among the first IS programs were Chinese calligraphy, introduction to photography, intensive Malay, jungle survival, understanding wayang, making a movie, French only for a week, introduction to Islam and Hinduism, introduction to batik painting, discovering Singapore, intensive tennis, SCUBA, repairing cars, synchronized swimming, advanced puppet making, intensive English grammar, math tutorial, Buddhism and a night in a temple, photo darkroom skills, and Chinese brush painting. Trips to Mt. Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Songhla and Bangkok in Thailand, Malacca, Penang, Rawa, and Kuantan in Malaysia, and Java, Indonesia were included. The range of opportunities expanded over the next few years, and in 1975, my last year with the program, we had trips to London and Manila. 10

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The program at SAS gave students many opportunities for unique human experiences that helped them to grow, create, and learn. They found they could interact with a humble rice grower, paddy manager, temple mayor, rubber plantation worker or supervisor, wayang actor, aspiring calligrapher, highly talented Chinese artists, a mayor in the city of Pitsnulok, a Buddhist monk, and a Hindu saint. They could climb a mountain, survive in a jungle, walk respectfully though a rice paddy, create a movie synced to the Cat Steven’s song “Where Will the Children Play,” produce an animated film, increase their French or Malay mastery, make batiks, survive being detained by Thai police for making a serious mistake, learn calligraphy and brush painting, and enjoy spending unlimited time in some of the finest museums near and far. After the first Interim Semester was history, students and faculty made a presentation to the board and PTA about their experiences. I will never forget the excitement and enthusiasm that characterized their presentations. When the film “Where Will the Children Play” was shown, the audience reacted with applause and cheering that made it clear the program would survive. Even so, few of us then would have thought that Interim Semester would still be alive today. spring 2 0 1 3

Taking It to Level the Next Bridging Interim Semester’s Past and Future

Dr. Timothy S. Stuart, HS Principal

At the very core of Singapore American School’s vision is the desire to “empower students with the confidence and courage to contribute to the global community” through rich, meaningful, and authentic learning experiences. Our Interim Semester program has been one of the ways we have accomplished our vision over the years. As a Third Culture Kid myself, having spent most of my childhood outside the boundaries of the United States, I am acutely aware of the value of these kinds of learning opportunities. SAS cannot truly claim to be developing global citizens without providing a rich and authentic platform for such learning to take place. Giving students opportunities to step outside their comfort zones, to adapt to the unpredictability of global travel, witness firsthand the environmental challenges of our planet, immerse themselves in a language and culture they have come to love, develop a deep sense of compassion for those less fortunate and to be empowered to do something about it: these are all desired learning outcomes for Interim Semester courses. Over the next couple of years, the high school will continue to explore ways to create and modify Interim Semester course offerings to meet our students’ needs and passions. I am convinced that we are one of the few high schools on the planet with such a deep, rich, and comprehensive program as Singapore American School’s Interim Semester Program. As we look forward to the future of SAS, the Interim Semester program will remain one of our global classrooms and flagship programs. spring 2 0 1 3

Dr. Tim Stuart with his children Moriah (15), Tyler (13), and Ian (15).

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A Student’s Reflection: Taking Risks Mariam Nael (14)

Mariam with schoolmates at the end of the Milford Trek.

//// Interim Today Interim is a magical, transformational experience for students. Thinking about how we might take Interim Semester—a program that has been around for 40 years—to the next level is a daunting task. Nevertheless, a couple of years ago we assembled a committee with representatives from across the SAS community to analyze the Interim program and ensure that it is in alignment with the school’s mission, vision, and focus on learning. From information gathered from students, parents, and faculty, we found that although Interim Semester

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Last year’s New Zealand Milford Trek Interim course was the most magical trip I’ve been on. One thing I learned about myself is that I’m a risk taker. For example, bungee jumping is something that goes against every instinct. When I realized how high the 47 meter jump was, I started to second-guess my decision to do it. But I knew that if I didn’t take that incredible leap, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Trying not to think about what I was doing, I ran off the ledge and flew into the sweet air. It was such an amazing, indescribable feeling that I did it twice! The trek was incredible and I’m so glad I chose the trip. The scenery we saw everyday was ineffable and was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. However, if you had told me a year ago that I would complete the 55-kilometer Milford Trek, I would have cried laughing. Hiking is something completely out of my element and I wouldn’t have imagined myself deciding to go on something like this. I took a risk by coming out of my box when I embarked on this massively difficult trek. Through the Milford Trek experience we all found out more about one another and ourselves.

Tico Oms, Interim Semester Director

//////////

plays an important and valuable role in the high school experience, resources are often not used as effectively as they could be, and objectives could be even more focused. There was also a need to bring in more service learning opportunities. The committee came up with a new mission statement for Interim Semester along with recommendations to take the program to the next level. Our goal was to enhance the program while retaining the magic that makes this experience one of the most important hallmarks of an SAS education.

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An Interim Sponsor’s Reflection Tico Oms, Interim Semester Director

I love Interim, building connections with students I don’t know well, and deepening relationships with the other faculty sponsors. It’s also a time to reconnect with my love of travel. With a family of four and the accompanying responsibilities, adventurous travel opportunities have become increasingly rare. During the 2012 Routeburn Trek in New Zealand course, my goal was to relax and enjoy nature while maintaining the responsibilities necessary of a sponsor. I wasn’t too worried about the physical challenge. I think I am relatively fit. Plus, the sponsors always brought up the rear. We didn’t need to rush. Asking an Interim sponsor what they are afraid of is easy. We are responsible for 20 kids for one week. Our number one goal is getting them all back to their parents safely. It’s a heavier responsibility than many people realize. They think teachers are having the time of their lives. Yes and no. We do enjoy Interim. It is usually fun. But it is also a lot of work and responsibility. My personal goal? Continue balancing the fun with the work.

Tico Oms with Nicholas Chao (13).

/////////////////////////////////// Interim Semester Mission Statement The Interim Semester program is committed to deepening students’ understanding of the world, encouraging students to challenge themselves, inspiring students to contribute to the global community, and building a sense of community.

Categories for Interim Semester Courses All Interim Semester courses will fall within one of the following three categories:

• Eco-Adventure: A physical challenge and an immersion in nature

• Global Studies: An opportunity to know the world better through

a focused area of inquiry • Service: A chance to make someone’s life better

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The 2013 Interim Semester trip to Turkey exemplifies how SAS is taking Interim Semester to the next level with its focus on global studies.

Uniquely

On our very first day in Istanbul, Turkey, SAS senior Ashwin Umapathi asked Tim Thompson, high school PE teacher and trip co-sponsor, if he was allowed to go— on his own—to the headquarters of the Freedom and Solidarity Party in some obscure town to interview minority political voices. Tim and I looked at each other. Had we encouraged political activism during our tripplanning meetings? During those meetings, our political aficionado had impressed us with his knowledge of Turkey’s political history, compelling other participants to join into serious discussions. Our conversations involved how Turkey’s demographic has contributed to its economic success, the role it has played in the exchange of ideas and religion throughout history, the effect of its membership in the EU, and the impact of the Arab uprising and Eurozone crisis on the Turkish economy, rather than focusing on tourist attractions. While our schedule included visits to Ephesus, Troy, the Blue Mosque, the Spice Market and other attractions, Ashwin helped focus on “taking it to the next level” by

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heightening our awareness of Turkey’s place in the world and understanding its religious and historical traditions, its economic development, and its unique location. To our delight, students engaged in conversations with Turkish citizens about these topics. They spoke with restaurant owners, hawkers, vendors at the Topkapi Palace, women in business suits, and hotel personnel. Our Turkish guide, Ali, did not have a moment’s peace, and was eager to share the details of Turkey’s place in the world with the students. According to Isaac Brown, SAS senior: “Things have changed a lot since Turkey was the heart of the Byzantine Empire and the gateway to Asia. It is still very much a thriving center of commerce between countries, regions, and continents.” The kids were amazing. While observing what is left and what is being rebuilt of this once great Ottoman Empire, they found joy in digging up answers to authentic questions that they generated in groups. Like the students, Tim and I came away with a better understanding of Turkey’s position in the world.

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Turkey

Nanette Ruhter, HS English teacher

My husband and I were extremely impressed with how well the trip was organized and how much the kids learned about Turkey’s history, culture, religion, and its current political/ financial state. Special kudos to Mrs. Ruhter and Mr. Thompson. We are very happy that the school plans such interesting trips that give the kids chances to learn new cultures within short periods of time. // Jay Padmanabhan, Parent of Sadhana Bale // ’13

There are various reasons why the Turks would join the EU, such as increased opportunities to attend higher education institutions, trade tariffs and greater freedom to emigrate; however, its status as a Muslim majority country and its geographical status with only 3% of the nation officially European contribute to a Turkish fear of losing its unique culture— cultivated as a result of its position between Asia and Europe—and this has resulted in only 40% in favor of joining the EU. // Aditi Anand // ’13 spring 2 0 1 3

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created a strict secular government, cracked down on corruption, and developed a generation of educated and motivated young people. Turkey’s rise is expected to continue over the coming decades, and from what we saw, it’s hard to argue with that. // Isaac Brown // ’13 S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

It was the end of 1978 when I received my first SLR camera, A Canon AT-1 my parents purchased from Sun Photo at the newly opened, ultra modern Lucky Plaza. I couldn't put it down and rarely went anywhere without it. I shot pictures constantly, especially on my trips to Indonesia, where my family lived. Shortly after I got the camera, and a couple of lenses later, it was time for Interim Semester and much to my delight the “Focus on Singapore” photography course was being offered. I quickly signed up for the chance to learn from photography teacher Ken Clarke. He patiently guided us through shooting, processing, printing, and displaying our work at a wrap up exhibition.

(Right) As judge for the 2010 SAS Interim Semester photography competition, Mike was particularly impressed by Virginia Cucchi (10) who won three prizes for her photographs of Jordan; Black and white photos above and on pages 18-19 taken by Michael Fiala in 1978 during the “Focus on Singapore” Interim Semester photography course. 16

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Interim

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Michael Fiala (80)

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Interim

Interim showed me the limitless possibilities I could explore in life.

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The course took me to areas of Singapore I didn't know existed. It was a very different urban landscape back then, still gritty, and every day had a sense of discovery and adventure. I combed through neighborhoods looking to photograph daily life in and around Chinatown, Little India, Boat and Clarke Quays, where working bumboats still jostled, much as they did during colonial times. I didn't fully understand at the time, but I was capturing Singapore during its rapid development into the ultra modern metropolis it is today. My photography hobby followed me through college with stints as the school yearbook and newspaper shooter. After finishing college, I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself so I returned to study photojournalism. There has been no looking back. I started in newspapers and eventually found my calling in the international wire services. My journey has taken me from Agence FrancePresse to Associated Press and now Reuters. In 2005 I returned to Singapore as a senior editor with Reuters in their newly established global operation. I had often been back, but this time I was eager to reconnect with SAS. I was introduced to photography teacher Paul Griffin during the school's 50th anniversary celebrations and shortly after he invited me to speak to his students. Seeing the photo lab at SAS for the first time, I was absolutely stunned at how impressive it was. A classroom

filled with the very best in digital photography and equipment. Equally as impressive was that Griffin still maintained a wet darkroom. Old school! SAS and the students should be proud of the program because it easily rivals many college photography courses in the United States. I was honored when Griffin invited me to judge the Interim Semester photo contest in 2008. So almost 30 years after I graduated from King's Road, I was back where it all started. I judged for three years, and the talent was outstanding throughout. For example, one of those gifted students, Virginia Cucchi, stood out during the 2010 judging. She won first place in three categories, which was an impressive accomplishment and testament to the school's commitment to photography. Personally I'll forever be grateful for what Interim Semester offered me. Without the opportunity, I would have likely never crisscrossed the world, witnessing and documenting historic events from a front row seat. Interim showed me the limitless possibilities I could explore in life. Today the journey continues. I am now the editor-incharge for North America at Reuters. I can thank SAS, Interim Semester, and Mr. Clarke for sending me down this amazing path.

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Interim

Inspiring Change Through the Interim Experience

Alix Smith (08)

(Above) Alix Smith’s Spanish class at Lynn Camp High School in Corbin Kentucky; (Right) Alix Smith.

I hope global citizenship shapes the identities, choices, and futures of my students.

a chillY morning mist settled over Bhutan’s Punakha valley as my classmates and i unpacked our heavy duffels. as we dumped the contents, i identified clothing items i had collected for interim semester: shirts i foraged from my sister’s closet, shorts and socks i scavenged from the lost and Found, colorful crocs and outerwear from my church and school. i hope global citizenship shapes the idenafter i finished, i turned to see a tiny woman. she had a baby tities, choices, and futures of my students. i strapped to her back, a child in one hand, and the wrist of our trans- teach spanish at lynn camp high school with lator in the other. she wanted to thank me for my work. she invited teach For america, an organization commitme for tea and sandwiches in her home. i was speechless. i couldn’t ted to eliminating the educational achievement fathom why this woman invited me into her home. she offered gap. after i graduated in 2011, i packed my car food—food cultivated by her family and divided among her chil- and drove into the mountains of southeastern dren. her generosity and openness humbled me. i saw clearly the Kentucky, to corbin, a place where the quiet, lines of difference between us: different homes, ethnicities, names. misty mornings remind me of Bhutan. she, however, did not. to her, i was a friend. the majestic mountains and beauty of my compared to our identity as human beings, our national or fa- community are juxtaposed with the apathy milial identities seem almost arbitrary. as part of a global commu- and hopelessness that hang over it like a fog. nity, we are connected. therefore, we collectively own our world’s appalachia, the very location of lyndon B. problems. We have a responsibility to serve. i finally realized the Johnson’s War on Poverty, is a place where many measure of a true global citizen is not the number of stamps in a still struggle. the community is brought to its passport, but in how much he or she contributes to the world. the knees by poverty, an underdeveloped economy, idea of global citizenship guided me down pathways of leadership, unemployment, and a drug trade. there is an service, and opportunity. assumption that things in appalachia will never 20

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Interim Semester 2008 in Bhutan.

change. Approximately 80% of my studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; families de- June, I plan to travel with them to Honduras, a place strikpend on government assistance, and over 90% of my stu- ingly similar to Appalachia. Only 10% of the people have dents are provided with free or reduced-cost lunches. college degrees. Over 60% live in poverty. Those living in The population of Appalachia shrinks 10% each year, as rural regions have no access to an education. However, people migrate to cities to seek opportunities. Traditional there is a movement through Students Helping Honduras Appalachia is crumbling. If this generation isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t inspired to change the statisticsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a movement my students will be to create change, it is likely that Appalachia will disappear. a part of. For eight days, my students will live and work To empower the youth of Appalachia to change the fate alongside community members to build schools in rural of their community, they need a transformational learning and impoverished Villa Soleada, Honduras. Together, experience: an experience that they are not receiving. My we will work to change the trajectory of the community school ranks in the 7th percentile: 214 out of 230 schools in through education. The stakes for my own students are so high that they the state of Kentucky. Only half the students will make it to high school graduation. Only 20% of those who graduate cannot afford to have a mediocre educational experience. are prepared for college, and the majority who go to col- It must be what I had at SAS; it must be transformational. lege will drop out. Without a college degree, my students Transformational means students start service clubs to address community and global issues. It means students will be robbed of the opportunity to choose their future. To overcome the obstacles, it is crucial my students advocate for themselves and their community. It means have an educational experience that will push them to de- students leave for a college degree and return to help develop critical thinking, empathy, leadership, confidence, velop the community. It means that, as Appalachians, they and grit. They need an experience like Interim Semester. In are empowered to choose their future. spring 2 0 1 3

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Election Night at

Current TV Nicole DeFord (04)

For political news outlets, the U.S. presidential and Congressional election is the Super Bowl (I apologize for the sports comparison, but it takes awhile to get sports out of one’s system after being in the sporting world for 4 years). Networks bring out the freshest technology to grab viewers’ attention and make an impact while the world is watching. From holograms to painting the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, networks go all out to make a splash and resonate with viewers. However, it appeared that the biggest splash of all during the 2012 election season was paying attention to the voice of the people and telling the story from their unique perspectives. In 2008, Current broke the mold when it teamed up with Twitter to display tweets on-air during the presidential and vice presidential debates. It was a revolutionary combination of live television and user commentary/feedback, and it set a trend for real-time reaction. The unique combination of innovation and technology prioritized user engagement and participation and in turn activated a trend across all media where public conversation is directed through social media expression. I joined the Current TV product team in September 2012, when the election season was just picking up. The success of Current’s 2008 foray into tracking the public dialogue was the motivation behind the launch of its Politically Direct Social Dashboard, which created a whole new level of discourse and let users join conversations across multiple platforms. Users could tweet about a topic related to the election or the debates, and their tweet would populate a topic bubble and potentially show up on air. The Social Dashboard allowed users to take a deeper dive into the issues that matter to them.

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During election night 2012, I was surrounded by 40 tweet moderators and a large production/research crew that was powering our Social Dashboard and our live election coverage led by former Vice President Al Gore. In addition to following election returns from the AP, we followed public sentiment and discourse.

Nicole with former Vice President Al Gore on Election Night 2012.

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Politically Direct Social Dashboard turns tweets into newsworthy conversations.

commentary from the general public can strongly influence the news, and we were able to present a new kind of exit polling by displaying the tweets that told the story. the night was a great success for current. our social mentions were up there with the big three cable news networks. our social dashboard had an average engagement time that was seven times longer than anything our site had had before. We created a buzz around our election coverage by bringing our viewers into the experience and harnessing the “twitterverse” to help tell the story. it was a truly special night to be a part of the team at current. i was thrilled to have a behind-the-scenes look at delivering a solid and engaging election night experience across platforms. it was amazing to see the passion of everyone working in the room and their dedication to delivering the results in the best and most innovative way possible. the current crew was also (admittedly) pleased with the outcome of the day, and it was so memorable to be a part of it all. and, regardless of everything else, i will also always remember that day as the day i met al gore. Current TV’s Election Night panel. Co-founder Al Gore is on right.

I will always remember the day I met Al gore.

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Goes t o Congress ★★

AN EAgLE

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★★

SPRING 2013

Last November, Tammy Duckworth was elected to Congress, representing Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. She promises that “Getting our economy back on track will be personal for me.” If she pursues her goal with as much determination as she has faced and conquered the many challenges in her past, Tammy will keep that promise. Tammy’s story is incredible. She was born in Thailand and grew up in Southeast Asia with her brother, Tom, American father, and Thai mother. Their expatriate life ended in 1985, when her father lost his job and they returned to the United States. There, in her words, “we were able to rebuild our lives and achieve the American Dream.” Her mother took in sewing, Tammy worked after school, and gradually the family recovered. Her experiences influenced Tammy’s beliefs throughout the years and were reflected in her campaign promise: “I will work to guarantee that every family has the opportunity to work for and achieve the American Dream, just like my family did.” While studying for a master’s degree in international affairs, she joined the National Guard and trained as a Blackhawk pilot. Military service is a long-standing tradition in her family, which has served in the Revolution, World War II, and Vietnam. In 2004, while she was working on a doctorate in political science at Northern Illinois University, Tammy was deployed to Iraq, where she served as commander of a 15-ship Blackhawk company and flew over 200 combat hours. In November of that year, her helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Tammy lost both her legs and her right arm was severely damaged. During her long recovery, she says that the courage and friendship of (Left) Tammy Duckworth speaking at Democratic National Convention September 6, 2012. (Photo by Charlie Neibergall/AP) other rehabilitating soldiers inspired her. She now views (Above) Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth on Capitol Hill in every day as a second chance, “an opportunity to live a Washington, D.C., January 3, 2013, prior to the official opening of the life that is worthy of their (veterans’) efforts. Knowing this 113th Congress. (Photo by Cliff Owen/AP). time in my life is bonus time makes me more fearless. I am free to stand up for what I believe in and speak out for SAS Eagle in 1984, who played JV basketball and was on what I know is right for America.” the varsity track team. Track coach Jim Baker remembers She became an advocate for her fellow soldiers and vet- her well. “She was this pretty little girl with pigtails who erans’ rights and went on to serve as Director of the Illinois came up to me and said she wanted to be a thrower. I was Department of Veterans Affairs, where she implemented sceptical. Maybe discus and javelin, but shot putt? I told many programs to address post traumatic stress and im- her to go for it, and she did. She practiced and practiced, prove brain injury screening, as well as reduce homeless- after school and on weekends with her dad. She was deness among vets. In 2009, she was appointed Assistant termined to make the team, and she did, winning two Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President Obama and individual medals at IASAS and helping her team win continued her advocacy for veterans’ rights, especially the championship. I think one reason I remember her so increased accessibility and accountability within the VA. well, besides the fact that she made the team, is that she In 2012 Tammy ran for and won a seat in the U.S. House of was one of group of girls who laid the foundation of exCongress representing the state of Illinois. cellence in Girls Track, which has won 17 championships Tammy had grit and leadership skills even before con- over the years. fronted with those life-changing experiences. She was an SAS history teacher Mike Imperi adds, “When I read spring 2 0 1 3

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Tammy Duckworth, while serving with the Illinois Army National Guard, during her tour of duty in Iraq. (Photo by www.usmilitary.com)

I will work to guarantee that every family has the opportunity to work for and achieve the American dream, just like my family did. about tammy’s heroic achievements, war injuries, and subsequent run for congress, i was not at all surprised. she was always relentless in all of her pursuits and steadfastly determined to succeed at a high level. i also remember an infectious smile and a wonderful sense of humor.” classmate marina cheng (85) also remembers tammy well. “she was one of my closest friends in high school at sas until she had to move away, as often families living overseas do. When we met, we really liked each other from the start. she was a clean-cut asian girl who was very american, kind of like how i saw myself. Both of our mothers were thai. she was fluent in thai as well as english and had a Western air of confidence which she must have picked up from her father, who was former us military. she liked sports too. i thought she was very beautiful, being of mixed thai-caucasian descent with long wavy brown hair. “her mother was really strict and tammy was not allowed out of the house in shorts above her knees. that’s difficult for singapore’s tropical weather, sports, and being a teenager—so she would change at my house into a 26

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pair of shorts she hid in her purse. “one of my favorite memories with tammy is traveling with her to Bangkok for iasas. We went dancing together in the Bangkok nightlife, and talked about how to meet this cute, shy guy who was on another iasas team. “i lost touch with her for many years until 5 or 6 years ago, when i saw her name again in some news and had to see if it was the tammy i knew. i googled her and found her campaign website for illinois. after a random email, she replied and we found each other again! We met up in dc for some thai food, and it was then i understood the extent of her war injuries. it broke my heart, and it still does as it would for anyone you care for a lot. But i can also see how she has become so much stronger by what she has had to overcome. she has incredible strength to pursue her missions, and i truly admire her for that.” tammy is a true 21st-century woman with deep roots in asia and the Pacific rim. her heritage is thai-american. she’s a combat veteran and remains a major in the national guard. she is engaged and involved in improving the lives of american veterans and citizens. and she’s an eagle. SPRING 2013

Procrastination—all college Kids do it, and i was no different with the deadline for my senior film thesis proposal. i had the entire summer break, as part of the university of georgetown’s Film & media studies program’s 20-member senior class, to prepare a 60-second pitch. in true undergraduate fashion, i granted myself a luxurious 30-second brainstorming session before class. my first idea rehashed my short documentary on new York city’s urban bee-keepers by relocating the setting to Washington, d.c. and exchanging the empire state building for the White house. i was ready to present this unoriginal remix, until a more personal idea came to mind after remembering an immigration officer’s remark when i’d recently arrived in Washington: “welcome home.” to most americans, such a comment is as ordinary as “have a nice day,” but for most of Journeys’ audience and myself, pinpointing “home” felt like throwing a dart after too many tiger beers.

So Where’s Home? Adrian Bautista (09)

TCKs live in this grey zone.

Above, Connor Liu (09). Adrian (far right) dedicated his documentary to 7th grade video journalism teacher, Mr. Hevey.

growing up in singapore with Filipino parents, while attending an american school, complicated the routine question, “where’s home?” i know many of my sas friends and the third culture Kid (tcK) subjects in my short documentary felt the same way. in fact, three of the interviewees were sas alumni—connor liu (09), Jake Wright (09), natalie muller (10). When i finally pitched the tcK-based documentary, my classmates were intrigued and wanted to hear more about the unusual circumstances of an expatriate upbringing. they found it funny that a us citizen could feel like a tourist in his or her own country. my classmates were eager to learn about a global community that is perplexed by the simple question—“so where’s home?” after reading dave Pollock’s book and tcK blogs for inspiration, i decided that my film would only work if it was based on personal experiences, not sociological research. most of the literature features anecdotes because it’s hard to generalize experiences without stories to demonstrate the parallels. there are overarching themes about all the interviewees being able to relate to various cultures while simultaneously feeling out of place;

however, growing up in singapore versus doing so in guatemala are vastly different expat experiences. so, i found college students from sas, hKis, and tas to share their experiences. regardless of whether i shared their experiences of feeling at home in an airport or not, knowing what it’s like to speak a mix of Japanese and Korean or not, the nomadic feeling of all tcKs was apparent in all the interviews. during the production of the documentary, i used some of the filmmaking skills i first developed in mr. hevey’s seventh grade video journalism class, and by late april 2012, so Where’s home? was online (http://vimeo.com/41264088). i think the film’s relative success can be attributed to two main factors: the stories of the people featured and social media. Because the stories were funny, genuine, and ultimately relatable, tcKs around the world shared the film with their friends, resulting in so Where’s home being watched online over 70,000 times in 150 countries. i’ve been asked online as to whether i will do a follow up film. to be honest, i’m not sure what story to tell next. so if anyone out there thinks he, or she, has a tcK story that would make a compelling screenplay, contact me!

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Jelita McLeod (88)

Capturing the

Last year, my friend Natalya posted a message on Facebook warning people to beware a car repair scam for which she had fallen. She relayed her story with reluctance but in hopes of saving others from a similar experience. As it turned out, the incident, while traumatic and unfortunate, helped more people than just her friends. The story made its way into The Con: How Scams Work, Why You’re Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself, a book I co-wrote with my husband, James Munton. Of all the misconceptions about scams, the most damaging is the idea that it could never happen to you. Americans are 40 times more likely to be defrauded than to have their cars stolen or their homes burgled. Scam victims suffer terrible financial, emotional, and psychological distress. Sadly, many of them wind up feeling that they themselves are to blame. Natalya said she felt like “P.T. Barnum’s poster child,” a reference to the American showman who coined the phrase, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Another victim said she felt like the “dummy of the year.” As someone who has experienced identity theft, I know what it’s like to have that sick feeling in your stomach when you realize you’ve been taken. In writing the book, James and I were motivated by a desire to help people understand and recognize scams in order to avoid them. We wanted readers to develop an internal early warning system that would immediately and instinctively alert them to the signs of a con. James’ background lends itself naturally to this subject. He is a professional magician who has an interest 28

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in deception dating back to his childhood in London, England. While other children played soccer in the park, he watched hustlers in the West End performing classic street cons, such as the three-card monte. We discovered that nearly everyone has a scam story to tell. Every day we are bombarded by scam solicitations via email, text, phone, snail mail, in public, and even on our doorstep. Yet despite the frequency and pervasiveness of scams, few of us take them seriously. Becoming a victim of fraud doesn’t seem as scary as being mugged. There’s usually no sense of immediate danger or threat to physical safety. Unlike the mugger, who will approach a victim, demand money, perhaps brandish a weapon, the scammer will employ stealth tactics, duplicity, disguise, whatever it takes to lower your defenses. In most cases, a scam is not immediately identifiable as a crime. The con may take the form of a business proposal, a romantic relationship, or an urgent appeal. Victims may not even realize a crime has been committed until long after the swindle has taken place. Scammers do not fit any single demographic profile. James and I call scams “stealing with a storyline,” so The Con is full of stories. Readers discover an Army mother who receives a dreaded late-night phone call and a 25th high school reunion that went horribly wrong. There’s the lawyer trying to save money for his wedding, and the woman who receives a unique offer in the grocery store. These are everyday people caught up in horrifying circumstances. The message is, if you think it can’t happen to you, think spring 2 0 1 3

C n If you think it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen to you, think again. again. each chapter ends with a list of essential tips for self-protection. scams differ from other crimes in that they usually require a degree of participation on the part of the victim. the con relies on a victim handing over money, sharing personal information, or otherwise contributing to his or her own fleecing. the upside is that if spotted in time, the vast majority of scams are avoidable. remember the words of the ancient chinese proverb: carefulness can go everywhere. The Con is available online through amazon and Barnes & noble and at public libraries. James also speaks at conferences and conventions, offering entertaining and informative presentations on how to spot and avoid scams. For more information, please visit www.scamfu.com.

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Entrepreneurs in Myanmar Allison Morris (03)

“Excuse me, do you have any clean, crisp hundred dollar bills?” The woman behind the counter at the Lucky Plaza money changer raised an eyebrow at me knowingly, “Going to Myanmar?” “Yes,” I responded. I didn’t elaborate and tell her that I’d just quit my job, packed my bags, and was moving to Yangon to start my own business. Instead, I simply thanked the money changer as she handed over enough money to last me for one month in Myanmar… or so I hoped. Myanmar doesn’t have ATMs and doesn’t accept credit cards. If you run out of cash, there’s not much of a backup plan.

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Like all big life decisions, moving there was the result of a late night conversation with my partner, Pete. Having both studied development and public policy, we thought Myanmar would be the perfect place to put our learning into practice. The more we talked about it, the more exciting it sounded. We discussed how we could contribute to Myanmar’s story—we could start an NGO, or a social business, or consult for the government on reform. The possibilities seemed endless. We counted our pennies and decided we could live on our savings for about 6 months. In that time we’d work to build a business, and if it happened, it happened. If not, well, back to the 9-to-5-ers. Within three days after arriving in Yangon last August, we were at a conference and volunteering to give a presentation. We wanted to float one of our business ideas with the crowd and get their input. The audience was thirsty for international and innovative ideas, ideas that until two years ago were dangerous and unheard of. Afterward, we were asked to give a lecture at one of the colleges. That school introduced us to another, and we started to run seminars as opportunities to talk with young entrepreneurs—our target market. Starting a business in Myanmar is nearly impossible: with no banking system there’s no access to loans or spring 2 0 1 3

If Project Hub Yangon gets up and running, it’ll be great, but even if it doesn’t, it’s been one heck of an adventure.

Allison (above and right) networking with young adults in Myanmar.

capital; property prices are skyrocketing as foreign companies snap up all available office space. Only 3% of the country has access to the Internet and the free business tools that come with it. We decided that our business should be dedicated to helping Myanmar entrepreneurs start their businesses by providing them with affordable office space, networking opportunities, connections to capital, and access to information and technology. “Project Hub Yangon” was born. In our fourth month in Myanmar, my taxi driver asked me, “Where from?” “The U.S.” His eyes widened, “Oh! Mr. Obama! Great man! Come to Myanmar next week!” I’m dumbfounded how quickly news spreads in this city, given that most people don’t have access to computers, but there it was: President Obama was coming to Yangon. American flags started popping up at roadside shops, and elaborate graffiti-type murals depicted him in front of a waving Myanmar flag. We thought we couldn’t be more lucky. The President was arriving at the same time that we were running our Global Entrepreneurship Week—400 people interested in building businesses and social enterprises. I wrote to any and every contact who might connect me with the State Department. I even dropped an email into that democratic inbox that is the White House email address. I got a spring 2 0 1 3

quick, “Never gonna happen” from my contact at the U.S. Embassy, and “Absolutely no chance Mr. Obama changes his schedule,” from his aide. So I never got my one-to-one with the President, but the international news teams were scrambling for stories about Americans in Myanmar, so we did get press coverage. NBC News dropped by for our final Global Entrepreneurship Week event, the business plan competition, with teams of young entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas. January was month six and we watched our savings dwindle as our personal deadline crept up on us. We spent the month bouncing between meetings with interested investors, partners, journalists and volunteers—always hoping the funding would come through. The hard work and risk paid off. We’ve raised 25% of the capital we need to get Project Hub Yangon up and running and we continue to support Myanmar entrepreneurs by connecting them with Mentors and funding opportunities. Running your own business is always a bit uncertain and I’m not sure what this year has in store for us, but what I can be certain about is that the journey since coming to Yangon has been one heck of an adventure. If you’d like to learn more about Project Hub Yangon, check out www.facebook.com/projecthubyangon. S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

Across

Collaboration Continents When it comes to sas, i am most Proud oF how active the student and alumni bodies are at engaging the world. simply put, we are everywhere, and we are doing amazing things. Following a visit to sas in 2010, and after attending two alumni gatherings in the us, i realized how naturally we all fit together. one great example was catching up with mike rogers (00) after not seeing each other for 14-years. it was amazing how similar our paths had been, even though we pursued far different careers in far different places; me as a business development and strategy consultant and mike as a filmmaker. With so many shared laughs, stories, and life goals, we wanted to create opportunities to work together. intrigued by what mike and partner meaghan shea (11) were working on at Persistent Productions (a singapore/ Boston, usa-based film company), i asked them what they thought about an over-the-shoulder glimpse into the private lives of favorite musicians. the goal was to create a pitch-pilot to take to networks and sponsors. While on a nYc/singapore skype call, the synergy between our visions quickly became apparent. “We’d love for Persistent to be a part of this,” meaghan told me. With limited time and resources, we had to assemble the perfect team. musician friend Ben taylor, son of James taylor and carly simon, said he would be honored to be the featured artist. Ben let us into his home and gave us full access to his family and friends for three amazing days on martha’s vineyard (my summer residence for the last eight years). Before arriving, mike and meaghan shared our project with nikon asia, which asked if it could send nikon professional photographer scott Woodward to capture portraits and behind-the-scenes shots of the production. scott is husband to stacy Jensen, current sas faculty. this gave us a chance to create a spotlight video for nikon, adding some much welcomed credibility to our project. sas was central to the entire project. We sasers are not afraid to take on challenges, nor are we deterred by 32

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Adam S. Hacker (00)

Mike Rogers (00), director/camera, Adam Hacker (00), producer, Scott A. Woodward, photography, Meaghan Shea (11), producer, Ben Taylor, musician, Ryan Shorb, sound engineer.

hurdles. Plus, we’re energized by unrealized potential. undoubtedly, without sas, we would be living far different lives. i think often of how special my upbringing was and i am thankful that my parents took that huge first step in creating a life far less ordinary. i know our whole team feels the same way, and i am guessing that most of you do too. We are finally ready to present our pilot to networks and sponsors and are ever more excited about continuing on this path together. so thank you sas faculty, who taught us to value differences in others and never to doubt our ambitions. and thanks to the sas community, as you continue to offer such wonderful support, no matter how crazy and far out our ideas may be. thanks to all of you, so very much. SPRING 2013

Left: Ben Taylor and David Saw. Below: Mike Rogers closes in on Ben Taylor.

We SASers are not afraid to take on challenges, nor are we deterred by hurdles.

Ben Taylor at home in Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vineyard. Photos by Scott Woodward. spring 2 0 1 3

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When I Run I’m Francesco Zargani (86)

It’s five in the morning and I come out running from the Dynasty Hotel on Orchard Road, with its distinctive pagoda roof. Since I began running in 2011, I forever hear the tumultuous laugh of a live studio audience consisting of my mates from King’s Road, who knew me when I did not heed much in the way of health and sports was only for competition, certainly not, ugh, for fitness. I took up running specifically for the purpose of visiting Singapore and my alma mater in 2012. Pure vanity. I did not want to look rotund in any kind of photographic proof of my presence on the island. Thus, to the stupefied reception of friends and family alike, I began visiting the local gym at four-forty-yuck-five in the morning every day. I also stopped eating cookies and devouring banana-cream pie.

Again

At 5:00 a.m. Orchard Road is still awake, rather than waking up. Some wild party is always going on in the nightclub on the hotel’s ground floor. There is laughter, music, the scents of perfume and scotch, and the staccato of high heels. As I come out of the lobby the humid canopy is already there. The warmth touches me and the darkness mellows me as the noise from the party fades. An older man in flip-flops is unwrapping bundles of The Straits Times as I begin moving south. I have planned my route so that I will breathe every ounce of flavor of my lovely island. I make a left and run in front of the darkened windows of CK Tang’s. Whenever I visit Singapore I make a point of visiting Tang’s and Robinsons. Robinsons in Raffles Place burned down when I was a kid and my mother would always tell me about this elevator man who died in the fire and who was always so nice to us. I think about that when I walk into or run by Robinsons, which is

now on Orchard Road. I haven’t seen an elevator attendant in an eternity, and I suppose if I mentioned it to my son, he would question my sanity. The first 15 minutes of the run are always the worst, I think, as I pace myself under the portico of Lucky Plaza shopping center. Witness to one of my few acts of teenage idiocy. Perhaps “few” is an understatement. With an SAS friend, who shall remain anonymous, we would go to the very top floor and then proceed to run down the escalators, shutting them down in the process by hitting the emergency stop buttons. Then we would exit stage right and run up Mt. Elizabeth Road, unable to contain our laughter. I cringe as I think of that, but I also have a slight smile on my face. Idiocy is ageless. I keep running past the Paragon, all high end, haute couture, and glass partitions. I discovered it on my first trip back in September 1994 and have always walked rather tentatively in it, almost as if carelessness would beget huge unexpected charges on my credit card. It was only during this last trip that I discovered a delightful food court in the basement where, as is so often the case in Singapore, culinary fantasies become real. I combat the urge to stop this running nonsense and grab a creamfilled croissant and a frothy cappuccino. One of the lessons from SAS, from Mrs. Farmer’s music classes or from the stage, is the power of concentration, and while age numbs the visceral ability to turn it on or off, it still can do small magic. The purity of being truly alone, the elevated beauty

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of detaching yourself from your surroundings while being part of them, allows you to find contentment. after visions of croissants and the istana are left behind, i enter the happy fool’s running mode, where i feel glorious and cinematic theme music blasting, and i imagine myself capable of running to Kuala lumpur. these morning jogs in singapore, before light, with street cleaners rinsing the curbs with attention to detail, are different from other runs. as i make my way past the cathay movie theater, rebuilt to a rather enormous and monumental standard, i swerve gently left then right as orchard ends and Bras Basah road begins leading me to the raffles. i feel the history of the colonial bastion as i turn right on Beach road, rounding the Padang once behind the cricket club before i make my way back. every time i leave changi airport, i feel a deep pain as the plane lifts off. i am in my element on my island, breathing my air and surrounded by my friends— the only ones who speak my language, who understand where in an absurd world we all fit in. third culture Kids they call us now, but in my day (ancient, politically incorrect, profane, and wonderfully colorful), we didn’t have a name for it: we were just us. it’s the reason almost three decades later you can gather a handful of us in a hotel lounge and we will speak with glee and recount and remember and listen and discuss and speak of durians and mr. ho, and our eyes well up, and we feel gathered around a bonfire of memory and place. that is why, at great expense of time and money, i keep coming back. it is to be confronted with peace. i return from singapore and keep running. soon i realize that i am running distances equivalent to cairnhill road to my old home in Pandan valley and back. as i run i imagine every step, every smell, and being there. i map my miles as i run them in the us with the visual maps of their

same distances in singapore. i run in Boston but visualize every step as if it’s hitting the pavement on holland road or through Bedok reservoir. sometimes i imagine myself twelve hours ahead, in the dark, running past the new lido complex, vortices of escalators, stores large and small, air-conditioning mixing with the humid air. how different from the simple lido of yesterday, which was my movie theater of choice. i envision running past the thai embassy, identical for decades but renovated now, changing one of the few remaining icons on orchard. i run up past the old orchard hotel and onto tanglin road as a Bus number seven pulls away from a stop, still driving down the same route, the same bus went from ulu Pandan along holland road and down to orchard. i would gaze out the window as a teenager, dreaming of nothingness and happiness. i run, i have discovered, not because of vanity or a need to reach some kind of level of fitness. i run because when i am in movement, when sweat pours down my forehead and salt touches my lips, i am still eighteen. When i run, i pause the merciless drops of sand and remember when the past yielded only dreams of a promising future. my running is the ultimate escape from getting old. i run because i want to face the gentle slope toward the dark with the same strength i once possessed. i run because for an instant, burningly quick perhaps, but so savory, i still feel like somewhere along my run i will just stop at a hawker center and sip kopi. if i run toward newton circus and sit, eyes closed, i will not need anything else. i always run my races with my sas shirt on, not because of me, but because of John hurst, Pia Barone, robert Fenske, melvin Kuhbahnader, my heroes and heroine, who are always beside me. a running team is a winning team, said coach Kasi, and i am still sitting on the wet pitch in King’s road—it’s 3:00 p.m. and it’s hot and this is life: a running team is a winning team.

running is the ultimate escape from getting old.

In one of those interesting twists and turns that no GPS can ever map, Brian Lahan, former King’s Road teacher, counselor, and assistant viceprincipal (83-92), and I ended up living a short drive apart in the Boston suburbs, despite bouncing around several countries and continents on the way there. After I discovered an appetite for competition but most especially for the freedom in this solitary endeavor, I became aware of his involvement with the fight against pulmonary fibrosis 36

SINGaPORE amERIcaN SchOOl JOURNEYS

and his personal commitment as a rare winner against it. Last June, he kindly allowed me to join his team in a 5K race in Lowell, Massachusetts supporting research on the disease. How I came to running and competing is directly tied to Singapore and SAS, and I like to think that whatever good I can lend by running for a cause is in part attributable to some of the values instilled in me by my beloved school, teachers, administrators, and fellow students. SPRING 2013

A Second Run for a

First Rate Movie Karen Chi-Chi Lin (09) and Yashika Mody (09)

It was just a regular day in college for both of us. We had logged onto our emails as usual and scrolled past the ads for Amazon Prime, Facebook notifications, and countless Groupon deals. But amid all the random emails, both of us suddenly stumbled upon an email from Jason Adkison—wow! It had been five years since we were in his Modern Asian Perspectives class, but it’s always nice to hear from one of our SAS teachers! We expected an update about his sons, stories about SAS and his classes, and how life was good as usual back on our little island, but what we saw was something totally unexpected: Dyslexia International, an NGO affiliated with UNESCO had gotten in contact with SAS looking for me and Yashika Mody, the producers of a short film we had made in the 11th grade. That was perhaps the first time we heard anyone refer to us as “producers”—back then, we were just two students trying to make a difference and do something impactful. We identified illiteracy as one of the major inhibitors of social and economic progress and created a wall of inspirational tiles, quotes, and facts. We created a YouTube video to raise awareness through social media. We were testing out the vanguard of Internet technology to raise awareness: this was the early social media age when Twitter was just one man’s dream and Facebook was just starting up. While our film caught the eye of several supporters

who “liked” the video, none was as enthusiastic as Judith Sanson of Dyslexia International. She told us that our video would be showcased on an international platform at UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day in Paris, France in October, 2012. Needless to say, an opportunity like this does not simply fall into one’s lap! But for us, it really did and we did what any typical SAS student would do—we ran with it. Even though we were on opposite ends of the world— one studying abroad in Italy while the other prepared to graduate in Boston—we were thrilled and eager. During the process of updating facts and re-editing our video, we realized just how relevant the issue we had supported was to us today. We just can’t believe now how our high school project ended up shaping our passions. Both of us have been heavily involved with initiatives that support educational empowerment—Chi Chi through planning and building a schoolhouse in South Africa and Yashika through teaching English to young children in Afghanistan via Skype. It’s true what Steve Jobs said—when we got that email from Judith, we really did have the opportunity to connect all the dots. So to all the SAS kids who might be reading this story at 2 a.m. while finishing a project, keep at it! Maybe one day your favorite class or past project will have a wonderful way of finding you again and presenting you with a new opportunity.

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“

We just can’t believe how our high school project ended up shaping our passions.

Alumni Interns at SAS Carrie Dwyer (13) National Dance Association Honors Society President

The dance trip for seniors and returning and made me proud.” Dance Performance class members to Kuala Lumpur has In addition to Alistair ’s piece, three SAS dancers, always been an event that dancers at SAS look forward Alistair, Alaine Handa (01), Tracy van der Linden, and to. Last September, eleven advanced dancers traveled to MS Dance Director Heather Rodocker performed an exKL to perform in the Dance Box Series held by My Dance cerpt from Chameleon, choreographed by Alaine, who is Alliance Malaysia. currently working in Singapore. Alaine set up her own All eleven dancers were lucky to work with Alistair dance company in New York after graduating from colChew (12) and present his choreographic work in KL. He lege, which she says is “quite a challenging task, but I has been interning at SAS during the 2012-13 school year was lucky to have some volunteers jump in and help out.” with High School Dance Director Tracy van der Linden Currently, she says, her greatest challenge is keeping her before he begins National Service duties. He plans to pur- company going from halfway around the world. sue the arts and is grateful for the experience with van der Linden, helping to educate and give back to the SAS dance community. “Returning to SAS as an intern was definitely something I had mixed feelings about” was the first thought that came to Alistair’s mind. He feared feeling as if he was merely continuing his senior year, but ultimately was more excited to be able to “give back to the dance community.” As a student at SAS, Alistair taught and choreographed for both Middle School and High SAS Dance Box performers with Alistair Chew (12), Alaine Handa (01), and teachers Heather School shows, worked as a student Rodocker and Tracy van der Linden. director in the Middle School, was Before she came back to Singapore, Alaine was a coin the Dance Performance class for three years, as well on event organizer for New York City Third Culture Kids and the IASAS Dance Team for four years. He was among the first group of students inducted into the National Dance her touring repertory, Chameleon, the Experiences of Global Association Honor Society (NDAHS) and served as its his- Citizens, is about the TCK experience. Alaine jumped at torian, as well as being vice-president and president of the the opportunity to work with SAS dancers. She said “I’ve worked with dancers who are third culture kids in the HS Dance Club and NDAHS. “Being able to choreograph a short piece for the Dance past, but not all can relate to my experience. It was defiBox Series was a plus to interning at SAS,” said Alistair. nitely special for me to be working with SAS dancers, beHis hope for the trip was “for the students to enjoy the cause their experiences are similar to my own. I felt like I experience while learning and performing in a new was coming full circle. What also made it so unique and different from all of the performances I have done in the environment.” past was that the students shared the stage not only with His piece is titled Hold and explores the emotions that come with losing a close friend. “The piece was built their fellow classmates, but also with previous SAS dancaround a subject that many of the dancers had not experi- ers and their teachers.” enced, but they gave the performance everything they had

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Sharing the

STAGE

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Alumni Profile

Alistair Chew (12) and Rachel Liem (13). Chameleon Choreography by Alaine Handa (01).

Dear Friends in the SAS Community: I’ve had the privilege of meeting many alumni in the SAS community over the last several years. Our focus in the Advancement Office is to expand and deepen the school’s relationship with alumni and parents, understanding that our common connections to SAS are lifelong. SAS thrives because we are a worldwide community that cares deeply about one another and about changing lives for the better. We see time and again the difference that the SAS experience makes for all of us and how that experience broadens the way we view the world.

Our goal is to establish deep, varied programs of outreach with alumni to connect them to the school and with one another. As one part of our overall engagement, we are building a broad base of charitable giving, seeking participation from alumni around the globe. I hope you have or will contribute to the SAS Annual Fund, established to support the people and programs that make SAS exceptional. Tuition alone does not pay for all the costs of an SAS education. We rely on charitable support from parents and alumni. In return, we have an obligation as stewards of your funds to ensure gift monies are utilized to achieve the greatest possible impact. Singapore American School accepts charitable gifts through two foundations, the SAS Foundation in Singapore and the Singapore American School Foundation in the United States, providing tax deductibility in Singapore or the United States. The two foundations provide a simple and effective means for supporting the school. Each foundation has a board of directors comprised of parents and alumni. The foundations, as independent organizations, also have the responsibility to ensure that our donors’ charitable wishes are carried out. We are proud of the difference that gifts make in the SAS experience. In this section we have highlighted some of the ways that gift funds are put to use. Student lives are changed at SAS, and this is often a result of the broad opportunities afforded by charitable support.

SAS thrives because we are a worldwide community that cares deeply about one another and about changing lives for the better.

Michael K. Kingan Chief Advancement Officer Singapore American School

Participatory Chinese language classes have led to greater learning and interest among children, teachers, and parents. 40

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The Robotics Club will grow into a high school robotics class next year to further encourage excellence in science and engineering.

Outstanding Programs at SAS

Donations to the sas annual fund have Just eight months into the new program, enthusiastic helped support two new programs, a daily elementary teachers report that children are starting to tell stories in world language program, and a new high school focus Chinese, use conjunctions, and create sentences. Spanish in robotics. teachers report students are communicating in the target This year SAS instituted a five-day-a week lan- language and that â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is much to celebrate!â&#x20AC;? guage program for all elementary students, including In the high school, gift funding will assist in moving Kindergarten. The program offers either Spanish or an after-school robotics club into the classroom next school Chinese to better prepare students for a future that will year. The class will participate each in FIRST Robotics require adaptability and cultural awareness. The main Competitions, which are recognized by schools worldwide goals of the program are to develop a passion for learning as exemplary science and math activities. The challenges another language, communicative proficiency, and cul- are designed by MIT professors, and student participants tural understanding. from over 40 high schools take part in them. Interactive Spanish classes create environments in which students communicate in the target language.

Uses of Funds Highlights of fund spending priorities for 2012–13 Distributions approved by the SAS Foundation Board of Directors for use in 2012–13 advance quality and opportunity at Singapore American School. The following allocations illustrate the specific ways that gift funds offer broader experiences, in the classroom, and importantly, beyond the classroom and to support the educational needs of students. Academics & Student Leadership $90,000

Financial Aid $380,000

• 2012 Asia Global Issues Network Conference - major sponsorship of the GINSing conference organized and hosted by SAS students and faculty. More than 700 students from 55 schools throughout Asia expected to attend • Start-up funding for the Primary and Intermediate Schools new World Language Program • Excellence and innovation opportunities throughout the School

• Supports SAS families who experience financial difficulty. In addition, scholarship programs have been established to assist students with the additional costs incurred through off-campus, experiential learning, like Interim Semester or service trips.

Athletics & Extracurricular Programs $95,000 • Funding for upper middle school and early high school sports – club and interscholastic • Excellence and Innovation funds to pursue research and start-up of new programs and student engagement in the community

Service Learning & Community Service $65,000

Endowment Fund $57,000 • A portion of donations is directed for the long-term financial health of the school. Donors may choose to direct their gifts to the endowments.

Donor Directed $125,000 • Service Learning Endowment Fund • Scholarship and financial aid support for students involved in community service

• Service learning activities by students • Community Library and Speaker Series • Community service matching funds

Four Year Summary of SAS Foundation Allocated Funds: 2009–10 to FY 2012–13 Over the last four years, charitable funds have been designated for five categories: (i) academic programs; (ii) extracurricular and athletic programs; (iii) community service programs; (iv) student financial assistance; and (v) endowment growth. The first four categories of funding utilize charitable funds for supporting current programs at SAS. Endowment growth will facilitate the establishment of long term financial security to support programs, people and facilities that improve student teaching and learning. The designation of funds over four fiscal years is outlined in the following table.

USE OF FUNDS

ALLOCATED ALLOCATED ALLOCATED ALLOCATED SUM OF 2012–13 2011–12 2010–11 2009–10 4 YEARS S$ S$ S$ S$ S$

Academic Programs

90,000

20,000

95,000

55,000

260,000

Extracurricular & Athletics

95,000

69,000

61,000

286,000

Community Service

65,000

50,000

60,000

240,000

Financial Assistance

380,000

300,000

250,000

220,000

1,150,000

Endowment

57,000 336,600 50,000

0 443,600

Donor Specified

125,000

9,400

4,000

138,400

Total Allocations

812,000

800,000

510,000

396,000

2,518,000

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Ahead

of the

Curve Jason Cone, Director of Educational Technology

When I’m asked about the future of tech- the device, is the improved learning that results. As we nology at SAS, it’s pretty much impossible to predict implement and integrate any new technology into our more than a few years out. It’s also not really the ques- school, we are acutely aware of the importance of meastion we should be asking or thinking about. The bigger uring its impact on learning. So whether it’s iPads in the question(s) is, what is the future of education in gener- Primary, laptops in the Intermediate, or 1-to-1 programs al? What is the future (purpose) of schools? What is the in the Middle and High Schools, our focus is on improvfuture of learning? When Sir Ken Robinson talks about ing learning and developing essential 21st-century skills. At SAS we also believe that in order to maximize “Changing Education Paradigms,” he describes the current model of education as “batch processing” and says these powerful new learning tools, we need to consider that it does not meet the needs of most kids. He also our approach to learning spaces. Classrooms, libraries, points out that “Children are living in the most intensely and learning spaces in general need to reflect and prostimulating period in the history of the earth!” If that is mote the innovative, creative, and collaborative learning indeed true, what does that mean for schools? For SAS? that SAS values. Across the school classrooms are reflectAt SAS we are examining how ing this approach: ideas painted we can best meet the needs of toon the walls, colorful bean bags, day’s students who will become comfortable chairs, and flexible tomorrow’s leaders. Our belief is furniture are replacing traditional desks and chairs. that technology is a crucial element in how we learn, communicate, colIn order to further develop the laborate, and innovate. One of the culture of innovation we are also working with teachers. SAS hostgreatest challenges in the area of educational technology is also one ed a Google Apps for Education of the things that makes it so excitsummit last September. Four huning, constant and rapid innovation. dred educators from around the How do we plan for technologies region attended to share ideas, that don’t exist today? And more teach, and learn about exciting importantly, when new technolonew tools and techniques that will gies do emerge, how do we know inspire students. For two days, they will help kids learn? In 2010, the iPad did not exist. educators focused on deploying, integrating, and using Even when it was released, it was mostly underwhelm- Google Apps to promote student learning through ining. Few of us predicted the impact it would have on tegrated collaboration and communication. One of the education. more interesting programs is the Teacher Dashboard, Today, if you walk through the Primary School at which allows teachers to quickly and easily view, colSAS you see iPads in the hands of 5-7 year olds in nearly lect, and assess student work through the use of shared every class. It’s easy to see the appeal of an iPad to kids folders. There were also cutting-edge demonstrations and to teachers, but what is even more remarkable than and hands-on workshops on Google Docs, Google Sites, the ease at which a 5 year old (or younger) can navigate Google Calendar, and more.

“

At SAS we are examining how we can best meet the needs of today’s students who will become tomorrow’s leaders.

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“

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Rushton Hurley (84)

There are all manner of moments in our lives that connect us to another part of the planet. Perhaps a new student moved to your school from some place far away, became your friend, and that association created a connection to that place. Perhaps you saw a movie or TV show, and were intrigued by the stories and images that were intertwined and implanted in your consciousness. Perhaps you moved to somewhere you’d never heard of, such as I did when my father’s job took us to some place well beyond the city limits of Dallas, Texas. Suddenly, I was in a place called Singapore. I was a first grader (I think) when I became part of the SAS family on the Ulu Pandan campus. Several years there gave me enough of a different outlook on the world that when I returned to the U.S. in 1975, my experiences overseas separated me in subtle ways from my classmates, almost all of whom had never lived outside of our county in southern Arkansas. When some years later my interests took a different turn (technology, as it happened), I had a foundation that made being different okay. It was like a mild inoculation against some of the peer pressure of the teen years, and, given the intensity of that set of challenges, any help is probably a good thing. A brief stop during a backpack trip around southern Asia brought me back to Singapore in 1991, but it wasn’t until September of last year that I properly reconnected with the school that had nurtured me so many years before. Why had I returned? Google. After college in the 90s and some time traveling, I became a high school teacher of Japanese language and later principal of an online high school. When the opportunity to apply to be part of the first set of Google Certified Teachers cropped up in 2006, I jumped on it. Over time, I’d become interested in all sorts of technology, particularly digital video and collaborative tools, and found the new resources coming from Google at the time, such as Docs and Earth, to offer a fascinating set of possibilities for teaching and learning.

By that point I had also started a nonprofit called Next Vista for Learning. NextVista.org is a free library of educational videos made by and for students and teachers everywhere. It’s free to use, free to contribute to, and even free to download from. The collections cover young people’s perspectives on communities around the world, stories telling the joy and meaning of helping others, profiles of various careers, and creative approaches to topics one might encounter in school. To promote the library, I speak at conferences around the United States. Helping teachers see new possibilities for themselves and their students is a tremendous amount of fun, and I especially enjoy the chance to work with people at schools in other countries. A friend told me about Google Apps for Education summits. He said that SAS was to be the host school in Singapore in September 2012. I told him I’d been a student there, and suddenly I was anticipating a return to SAS! On September 9, I gave the keynote address on Getting Teachers to Go Google—What To and Not To Do. The talk included suggestions regarding the use of Google tools, building collaboration, promoting schools and programs, and pulling the inner technophobe out of even the most technophobic teacher. I was able to stay on after the summit and work with teachers at SAS and see the many wonderful projects and programs that are part of what makes the school special. Technology has in many ways accelerated our lives, and that can make taking time to reflect on important pieces of our pasts challenging. However, it’s special to me to know that I was able to take on a different interest early on, that this interest became an integral part of who I became as an educator, and finally that it’s given me the chance to serve the school and community that set this in motion. All manner of experiences shape us, and I hope that those whose paths have included SAS, can point to ways that the school has helped us find joy, meaning, and possibility in our lives.

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On Turning

Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90)

I turned 40 a year ago. An “immature” 40, a friend called me the other day. My friend just might be right. To put it in perspective, I’m the age my parents were when I was 16. Is it because I have a 2-year-old or is it not living the expat life that makes me more immature than my parents seemed? One of my theories is that 25 years after graduating from SAS, life expectancy has increased. 40 is really the new 30. Appearance wise, I accept that being Asian gives me the youthful appearance factor, and I appreciate it. But I also find I have trouble being taken seriously and am sometimes referred to as “that little Asian girl.” Bless the folks that call me little. I don’t feel little but that’s an entirely different story. I reconnected with some teachers last summer who were around 40 when I was at SAS. After 20-some

years, except for some gray hair, their personalities hadn’t really changed. And honestly, I guess mine hasn’t changed either. I’ve learned that it is hard to raise a child and do housework. I used to wonder how Mom did it, but she reminded me that she had help in Singapore. For some, the adjustment from being a child with everything done for them to becoming an adult and having to do everything for themselves is a work in progress. I’ll admit that I sometimes feel like I have one foot in my Singapore childhood and the other in the present. 40 is supposed to be a milestone, and I guess I agree with that. I’m learning more about myself and learning to accept what I see—speaking my mind, gaining confidence, gaining maturity. 40’s not bad. The training wheels aren’t off completely, but I’m getting there.

Nathalie and her parents with two of her three siblings (Thang Vo-Ta ’94, Shari Vo-Ta Barnidge ’98) in the 80s.

Scott and Nathalie with their little girl, Valerie.

Today @ SAS 46

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ALUMNI Gatherings: Coming Full Circle

Bruce Morris (78), Mark Kidder (67)

Lauri Coulter, Associate Director of Alumni Relations

The winter/spring of 2013 was another action packed season with SAS hosted alumni events in Washington, D.C., New York, Bangkok, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, San Diego and San Francisco. As always the turnout was great, and it was fun for everyone to both reconnect, and reminisce about SAS and all things Singapore. Look for your friends and colleagues in the photos that follow, and also plan to check out www.facebook.com/ singaporeamericanschoolalumni to view a more complete set of photos, and attendees in our album collection. Among the many highlights of the events this year, was that in both Dallas and San Francisco we had alums who shared with us that they were either in the cover photo, or had been part of the student community pictured on the September 2012 Journeys. It was truly a full circle moment and meaningful for all!

Kenneth C. Stoehrmann (68), Ellen Brown Gaffney (68), Barbara Bready (67) spring 2 0 1 3

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New york CITY Stone Creek Bar & Lounge, January 11 A

A Keri Dixon (07), Thomas Lindy (07), Jennifer Nockels (07), Peck Yang (07) B Lauri Coulter, Jennifer Nockels (07), Mark Westhuis (05), Phil Haslett (05), Joanna Tu (06), Adrian Bautista (09) C Frank Silverstein (74), Cathy Koh (06), Allen Koh (09) D Spencer Raymond (00), Rob Stefanik (03), Allen Merrill (02) E Kenneth Koh (01), Silvia Bernardini (04), Jonathan Kuah (01) F Mitch Simon (03), Sidhant Rao (04), Kenneth Lee (01).

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wAShINgToN, d.C. Asia Nine restaurant & Bar, January 12 A

A David Crespo (99), Miriam Benksy (99) B Shanna Iacovino (05), Marissa Hale (09) C Erin Choate Couture (80), Brack Boone (83) D Brian Amlani, Veronika Chan (03) E Leigh Frampton (91), Ed McGivern (82), Adriane Belinne (82), Lili Boone Santos (92) F Karin Bloomquist, Jonathan Amaya-Hodges (00) G Sylvester Placid (00), Michael Jacquez, Tracy Wedan Jacquez (02), Karin Bloomquist H Kathy Bordwell (07), Torrey Smith Frank (02), Justin Frank, Denise Borsuk (07) I Jen Allen Spiegel (84), Greg Smith (93), Ed Deiss (93)

SPRING 2013

SINGaPORE amERIcaN SchOOl JOURNEYS

houston Straits Restaurant, February 4 A

A Bess Corbell (78), Astrid Loveland Bez (79) B Craig Cook (78) C Evelyn Humphrey Christian (80) D April Schatte (76), Scotty Stevenson (73), Debbie Brannon (75) E Tiga Teilmann (74), Michael Farley (76), Jeff Foxhoven (93), Shawna Foxhoven F Jane Neale Etzel (75), Rebecca Stark Crawshaw (77) G Gilbert Landras (02), Scot Ellenbracht (02) H Lulu Monks (77), Sally Howes Cooper (77) I April Schatte (76), Katrina Hassett (03), Bill Reid (83), Suzan Meaux (81), Steve J Donna M. Hatley (77), Warren Tracy Fotiades (78), Martha Rivera Silak (78).

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dallas Shinsei Restaurant, February 5 A

A Tracy Mackay (83) B Lauri Coulter, Susan Henkel Smith (80), Seema Qureshi (82), Karen Rosenthal Watkins (83), Chris Schnitger (86), Carlos E. Schippel (83), Tracy Mackay (83), Ginger Butterworth (83), Kristin Munson (89), Sue Kerrigan Kempton (76), Dave Butterworth (83), Steve Warren (82), Bruce Morris (78) C Susan Henkel Smith (80), Carlos E. Schippel (83) D Neha Jain (99), Valerie Jain (92) E Lindsay Smith Grider (98), Chris Grider (82), Michael Kingan

san diego P.F. Changâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, February 9 A

A Suzanne Long Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke (79), Sheryl Sutton (97), Nancy Blodget Meisenhelder (75), Anokhi Kapasai (98), Jose Fierro (93), Ezra Miksic (95), Becky Miksic, Hubert Pan (98), Kelly Sonnack Szymczak (98), Lauri Coulter. spring 2 0 1 3

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san francisco Straits Restaurant, February 13 A

A Michelle McGill (79), Dr. Chip Kimball, Kristin Lundberg Searle (64), Ginny Bordwell Daws (63), Elaine Wales Koch (70), Hideki Scherb (98), Ellen Mahoney (95) B Deepti Singh (02), Alexandra Chan (93) C Adam Anderson (02), Richie Norman (03) D Emma Paton (03), Nina Rosche (05) Karyn Aurelia Suwito (06), Anand Gautam (05), Dan Szeto (00), Mark Chiu (02), Deepti Singh (02), Richie Norman (05) E Slin Lee (00), Eric Pan (02), Deepti Singh (02) F Ellen Mahoney (95), Kevin Scott (00), Hideki Scherb (95) G Mark Holtebeck (88), Jose Fierro (93) H Dan Szeto (00), Nathan Creswell (96), Emily Nakano Co (04), Suzanne Leung (03), Amy Nguyen (03), Slin Lee (00) I Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90), Nathan Creswell (96), Emily Nakano Co (04). 52

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Notes & Quotes 1950s

Martha Rivera Silak (78) is retired in Fulshear, tX.

Stuart Lippe (59) has decided it’s finally time to retire and head for a beach in Florida to plan his longdelayed return to singapore.

Claude Hitt (78) has just released a new cd on itunes, called red2Blue. he also has two videos on Youtube.

From Stuart Lippe (59): What a fun issue of Journeys (Fall 2012), especially the bundling of “alumni profiles” from over the years, as well as in “Family Business.” I especially enjoyed Jim Baker and Kathy Saludo Tan filling in some of the blanks for me as to what the “youngsters” in the classes that followed me were doing as SAS expanded. And I’ll bet they haven’t been called youngsters in a long time. “Tuk Tuk Goose” was great, and I envy Scott Green for what I wish I had done myself, but just once. Having gone to five high schools on three continents, Jennifer Nockels’ “Nasi Gorreng Life” could describe me and all other 3rd culture kids. One of us even became President in spite of not being an SAS alum. I look forward to many more editions of Journeys.

Trracy Fotiades (78) recently moved to Friendswood, tX to be closer to her parents. Astrid Holm Bez (79) moved to houston last year and is delighted to have reconnected with her class through Facebook after 34 years.

1980s

*Finally, I do not notice a groundswell of support for my proposal that I’d be happy with an asterix to mark the Class of 1956. On the other hand, having received no objections, I consider the idea has been debated, voted, and carried.

1970s Miguel Rivera (74) is back in the us in houston after 25 overseas consulting and managing construction projects. Suzanne O’Rourke (75) travels all the time as she and her family operate an international education consultancy. Sue Kerrigan-Kempton (76) welcomed her first grandchild, Quinn Kerrigan everett, on april 4th. Sally Howes Cooper (77) is living in houston, teaching, and marvelling at how quickly her twins are growing up.

Gina Jones Berlin (82) and Chris Strawberry Corrigan (79) were good friends at SAS, and today their daughters Caroline Corrigan and Christina Berlin (pictured) are best friends. SPRING 2013

Lulu Rivera Monks (77) lives in houston and is still running. Sheryl Sutton (77) is still on the board of the san diego symphony and will be going global on the upcoming sds china tour this year. Bruce Morris (78) divides his time between professional photography and the dallas va medical center. Peter Cunningham (78) is delighted to report that he and Bess Corbell (78) have recently purchased a new home in humble, tX. they live with 3 cats and a “very spoiled dog.” Bess reports that she and Peter are still very much in love.

Julie Vail Freedman (87) is PTA president and Hallie Person Chambers (99) is vice principal at Sequoia Middle School—two SASers having a great time working together.

Chris Schnitger (86) and Greg Waldron (89) hiked the Grand Canyon last August. Chris lives in Dallas and Greg in Singapore. SINGaPORE amERIcaN SchOOl JOURNEYS

Scott Willis (84) and high school sweetheart Kathy Kabel (84) visited last October. He is vice president of operations at Occidental Oil & Gas in Abu Dhabi. Craig Babinec (80) moved to TX last year. Both sons are now in college. Erin Couture (80) is living in Severn, MD with husband Richard and her three “incredible kids.” Adrienne Belinne (82) is living in Richmond “with my incredible wife.” Karen Rosenthal Watkins (83) is a social worker at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. She has two daughters and a menagerie of cats, dogs, and chickens.

Lisa Kukula (85) visited SAS earlier in the year to present a US flag to the school. The flag flew over Bagram Military Base where she served as an intelligence analyst 2010-11. Her job was to assist special forces in capturing the Taliban. She and nephew Tristan Chung (17) presented the flag to Superintendent Chip Kimball.

KwayTeow Mr. Hoe, SAS

Ingredients

Directions Stir fry noodles in a hot pan lightly coated with oil. When they turn slightly brown, add soya sauce to taste. Remove the noodles from the pan. In the hot pan, add garlic, onions, meat, and 2 teaspoons of oil. Cook until the meat is 70% done. Add vegetables and sauté for about 3 minutes, adding in the rest of condiments except for the dark soya sauce. Turn up the heat, add the dark soya sauce and sauté for one minute. Serves 4-6. 54

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300 g flat rice noodles 100 g kalian or other leafy vegetable 50 g sliced mushrooms 50 g sliced carrots 80 g bean sprouts 1 tsp oyster sauce 1 tsp soya sauce 1 tsp Chinese cooking wine* Cooking oil ½ tsp dark sweet soya sauce 2 cloves mashed garlic 2 sliced shallots 100 g sliced beef or chicken *Substitute with pale dry sherry or white grape juice, but do not use Western cooking wine. spring 2 0 1 3

Karina Martin (92) and Todd Moore (92) welcomed Nicole last December, a baby sister for Chiara and Mia.

Brittania Boey (98) married Eddie Serrill on August 11, 2012 in San Francisco, CA.

Megumi Hasebe (98) visited from Japan. She attended the school 88-90.

Tianty Umar (91), husband Bobby, and children, Tisella and Qyano, visited SAS last August.

Avery Orendorf Houser (99) is a designer and mural artist. The photo shows her with sister Schuyler Houser (97) and mother.

Melanie Moraza Ogle (98) and Drew Ogle welcomed two identical girls, Kaylee Ann and Leia Rose, on May 28, 2012. spring 2 0 1 3

David Butterworth (83) reports that he married “that annoying bulldog cheerleader,” Ginger Krinsky (83) in 2011, 38 years after they graduated together. She adds that he was “that annoying guy from history class.” He’s still building airplanes at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX.

S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

Jose Fierro (93) and Adam Zilber (93) visited SAS in February to commemorate/celebrate Coach Mike Norman’s upcoming retirement. They cheered his basketball team on to another IASAS victory and looked up old friends and another favorite coach, Jim Baker. Pictured are Jose, Bryan Baker (94), Adam, Coach Norman, Matt Rogers (95). New novel by Danielle Uidam (05).

David McKenzie (08) and Byron Barrett (08) were in Singapore last December to visit with Byron’s family and David’s grandparents, who still live there. David is studying industrial engineering at Colorado State U and Byron is studying criminal justice at North Carolina Central U.

Gary Baicy (08) is currently in the US Army.

Alice Lo (02) and friend Roman stopped by SAS last September. Alice has finished her MBA at NYU Stern and is working in NY at Natsource LLC, a hedge fund.

JR Hickman (98) and Cui Mei will marry June 8 in Laguna Beach, CA, and June 16 in Singapore. 56

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Jennifer Nockels (07) is in marketing with L’Oreal in NYC. She visited family and SAS last January and says the roti prata and char kway teow are as good as ever. spring 2 0 1 3

Peter Quain (01) and his bride Briana toured Bali, Singapore, and Phuket for their honeymoon last year. The couple lives in NY. Vicki Chen (00) married Alex Liu (HKIS 99) last November in Phuket. Other SASers who attended were Chris Chen (04) and Kristina Pei Dorman (00). Anita Surendran (00), Vanessa Chu (00), and Grace Chan (00) sent a new bikini and beach bag for the bride. Jen Allen Spiegel (84) is living in Ellicot City, MD with husband Eric and two daughters. Kelley Rodriguez (88) graduated from St Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, TX last May and is now an attorney with the Texas Legislative Council in Austin, where she lives with husband Juan and daughter Robin.

1990s

Zachary (04) and Megan Woodward (08) were in Singapore over Christmas.

Ronnie Scherwin (06) and wife Kelsey visited last September. Ronnie is working with ISN Software in Sydney, Australia. spring 2 0 1 3

Melissa Gil (90) is back in Singapore as Director, Customer Intelligence for Group Digital Life. She was at SAS for grades 1 and 5-8. Shanoop Kothari (90) is CFO of Endicott Biofuels in Houston, TX.

Olga Supardan Hundley (92) had a family reunion last November, celebrating by going to Disneyland and Universal Studios. Lilah Boone Santos (92) is still enjoying life in DC and just celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary. Valerie Jain (92) is in her third year of medical school. Heidi Meyers Cichon (94) writes, “I was hit by a car on Kings Road in 1990 and was in a coma for a long time. Had it not been for the strong support from everyone at SAS, I don’t think I would have recovered as well as I did.” Heidi is married and living in Milwaukee, WI. She hopes to return to Singapore one day and share it with her husband because it “holds a special place in my heart.”

Kathryn Russell Moses (01) and husband Adam were in Singapore on holiday last August. Kathryn attended SAS 92-97 and was glad to meet up with Chip Miller, who was her teacher and basketball coach. S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

Rohana Radhakrishnan (10) and Virginia Cucchi (10) stopped by SAS during the summer holidays. Rohana had just completed a summer internship at Standard Chartered Bank and was heading back to NYU. Virginia attends Milan Polytechnic and was returning from an exchange program at Tsing Hua University in Beijing.

Natalie Muller, Melissa Huston, Tanya Zakowich, Ann Lee, Kelly Zhang, Will Bradley, Shawn Teng, Josh Abueva, Duncan Clydesdale, and Alvi Hasan, all from the Class of 2010, visited SAS last August before heading back to college.

Karlmaine Revillo (11) and Sangeetha Madhavan (11) stopped by SAS last December.

Kendrick Wang (10) is majoring in bioengineering/premed at Stanford. 58

Yi-Ling Tung (11), Shreya Padmanabhan (11), Dineth Siriwardane (11), and Angelo Perucho (11) visited SAS last fall before they headed back to college in US.

S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

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Denise Mills (76) writes, “Terima kasih and hugs to Jim Baker and Kathy Tan for sharing their special memories, which some of us also shared. Mentions of SK Kasinathan and Mr. Abraham were equally special. How far SAS and Journeys have come since the early 1990s, when it was typed and printed.” Ezra Miksic (95) and his wife welcomed their first Child, Elyana, last June. Lee Frampton (96) celebrated her 40th birthday by jumping out of an airplane! She says it was one of the best experiences of her life. Christian Ward (97) specializes in offshore drilling for Atwood Oceanics in Houston, TX.

Malika Oak (16) visited SAS last October. She and family moved to Gurgaon, India in 2011.

Connor Ambrose (97) and wife welcomed their second child, Ellison, into the family last year. Heidi Gilberston-Gansberg (98) recently requested Mr. Ho’s kway teoh recipe. It’s in this issue Heidi! Hubert Pan (98) will finish medical school at UCSD and begin a residency in radiation oncology this summer. Kelly Sonnack Szymczak (98)and her husband welcomed a daughter, Sienna Rae, last June.

Neha Jain (99) recently moved back to Dallas, started a new job at Texas Oncology, and got engaged.

2000s Sylvester Placid (00) celebrated NYE in Singapore. Dave Hammer (00) married Sarah Nunn last year. Jonathan Kuah (01) will start business school next year. Kenneth Lee (01) just moved from LA to NYC to work at E-Discovery Consulting. Andrea Crespo (01) recently married Patriots fan, Joe DiMaria. Scot Ellebracht (02) visited SAS over Christmas 2012 for the first time since his graduation. Gilbert Landras (02) just built a new house in Houston. Howard Patty (02) is learning how to skydive when he’s not working as an IT manager at SW Airlines in Dallas. Torrey Frank Smith (02) recently relocated to DC as her husband flies Air Force 2. She is attending an accelerated nursing program at GMU. She and her husband are also raising a service dog for wounded veterans. Veronica Chan (03) is training for two marathons, Tokyo 2013 and Madrid 2013. Ailvia Bernardini (04) has been living in NYC for over 6 years, but still spends a lot of time with SAS alumni friends.

Ernest Tien (09) sent this photo of an SAS Reunion held in Seattle, WA last summer.

Kaho Hashimoto (11) and Sejal Singh (11) visited SAS over the holidays. Sejal is at Columbia, and Kaho is studying fine art in Australia.

Ji Su Lee (11) visited SAS last August before heading back to Harvey Mudd College. spring 2 0 1 3

Viraj Bindra (11) and Klevrin Sitohang (11) visited with family in December. Klevrin is studying finance at UT Austin, and Viraj is at Stanford.

Aarti Sreenivas (10) was in Singapore for winter break from the U of Manchester, where she is studying law. She said the multicultural environment at SAS was the perfect preparation for her transition to the UK and university.

S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

Christopher Wong (04) had a great vacation in Singapore over Christmas, but is equally happy with living in NYC. Shanna Iocovino (05) is a bridal consultant at HITCHED salon in DC. Hannah Madison (05) has moved to Chicago after completing an MS in ecology at Kent State. Patrick Wong (05) is living in Chicago and loving it. Mariel Roberts (05) works for Shell Oil in Houston and frequently travels to the Philippines on business. Doug Fagan (05), Mark Westhuis (05), and Phil Haslett (05) have moved into an apartment in NYC together. Chris Fussner (06) recently launched a brand that celebrates Singapore food through an art dimension. It’s called nom nom. Cathy Koh (06) is a financial analyst at GE and is living in Fairfield, CT. Joanna Tu (06) is a first year medical student at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Kerri Dixon (07) was just hired by a private equity company in Boston, where she will be moving this summer. Allen Merrill (07), who visited Singapore last year on his honeymoon, says he still misses Mr. Ho’s chicken rice. Kathy Bordwell (07) graduated from JMU with a degree in art history and is now working at an art museum in DC. Denise Borsuk (07) recently completed a teaching internship at SAS and is now working at the Saylor Educational Foundation in DC. Pauline Mar is teaching grade 3 at Roberts Elementary IB School in Houston. Renuka Agarwal (08) attended the February alumni party in NYC to join in the reminiscing. She’s working in NYC.

Shari Ann Sadler (UP faculty 83-87) celebrated her 50th anniversary with husband Jack, who works for DuPont in Singapore, on August 31, 2012. They celebrated the event earlier in the summer by taking a Disney Fantasy Cruise with their children, John Sadler (87) and Stacie Sadler-Callaghan (88), and grandchildren.

2010s

Parents & Faculty

Danielle Courtenay (10) spent last year at the Institut Catholique de Paris and is now studying at King’s College London.

High School Administrative Assistant Azizah Sultan recently had dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel with former HS Principal Tom Warren and wife Ann. The couple was here for one day before taking a cruise to Hong Kong to visit with their daughter Jessica (89) and family.

Irene Rozett (12) is attending Colorado State U.

Kimberly Dunbar (09) is currently doing post graduate work in mangroves and estuary fish in Singapore. Allen Koh (09) will graduate from Olin College in May and plans to work for General Electric as part of the Edison Engineering Development Program. Adrian Bautista (09) just finished the General Assembly’s web-development immersive program and is currently living in NYC.

Save the Date!

Summer 2013 Gatherings • 4th Annual N’Joy Reunion (Planned by Katy Jordan) Houston, June 13-16 • 50s, 60s, and 70s Reunion (Planned by Allen Lundy) Atlanta, September 2 For more information or to register, visit the SAS Alumni website http://alumni.sas.edu.sg/events/event_list.asp

S I N G A P O R E AM E R I CA N S CH O O L J O U R N E Y S

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SAS Alumni Services VISITS ANd TourS

SAS AluMNI oNlINe CoMMuNITy

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

the sas alumni website can be found at alumni.sas.edu. sg. the password-protected site has more than 7,900 members made up of former and current students, faculty and parents. members can maintain their own profiles, search for and contact other registered members, post photos and blogs, and stay informed about news and events.

reuNIoNS ANd geT-TogeTherS sas hosts reunions in the unites states and in selected cities around the world. additionally the alumni office assists those who are interested in planning alumni get-togethers.

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

AluMNI e-NewSleTTer the alumni e-newsletter, emailed quarterly, contains news and information about the school, the alumni community, and upcoming events.

SoCIAl NeTworkINg, FACeBook, lINkedIN connect with other sas alumni on Facebook at facebook.com/singaporeamericanschoolalumni or at singapore american school alumni on linkedin, the professional networking site.

Singapore American School online Community Number of registered members on the SAS alumni website by country ASIA china (42) hong Kong (49) India (22) Indonesia (47) Israel (30) Japan (97) Korea, South (100) malaysia (18) Philippines (23) Saudi arabia (5) Singapore (1,325) Taiwan (25) Thailand (21) United arab Emirates (15) Vietnam (6)

AUSTRALIA & OCEANA australia (170) New Zealand (19) EUROPE belgium (7) Denmark (8) France (15) Germany (33) Greece (7) Italy (12) Netherlands (25) Norway (19) Scotland (7) Spain (5) Sweden (44) Switzerland (15)

Turkey (5) United Kingdom (77) NORTH AMERICA canada (223) mexico (7) United States (4,805) SOUTH AMERICA brazil (6)

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

SAS Journeys is published by the Singapore american School advancement OďŹ&#x192;ce 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738457 +65 6360 6302 www.sas.edu.sg alumni.sas.edu.sg alumni@sas.edu.sg