World Magazine - Winter 2013

A M E R I C A N

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

S C H O O L

O F

B U C H A R E S T

WINTER EDITION 2013

AND THE

WORLD MAGAZINE 1

Romanian Feature 2 WORLD MAGAZINE

Corvinilor Castle Built in the 14th century, Corvinilor Castle represents one of the most amazing and well-preserved medieval buildings, being in fact the most famous property of Iancu de Hunedoara. Even today, the building dominates the city of Hunedoara.

Director's Message David Ottaviano / Director

Dear AISB Alumni and Friends, Welcome to the WORLD magazine. On behalf of everyone at AISB, thank you for your unwavering support. It is your energy and willingness to share your experiences that motivates our entire learning community.

The AISB Alumni Association is in the second year of operation under the able direction of Maria Tudor President, Cristina Gingirov - Vice President, Ioana Balu - Secretary & Treasurer and their appointed PR & Marketing Representative - Ruxandra Micsunescu and Legal Representative - Alex Cristescu.

They are further supported by 13 members-at-large. They have met and formulated plans to help our fledgling organization grow and prosper. We are truly proud of the contributions of the association. Their accomplishments have been in several areas: the Alumni have helped to sponsor school events, participated as a group in sport competitions with AISB students, assisted with establishing a network with our new graduates, and assisted with the PTO’s Auction Gala. Of special note is the continued involvement in the greater Bucharest community, helping to provide funding for a child in need through their first fundraising event: HOPE – A future for Sebi.

As we go forward, I hope you’ll consider how AISB can contribute to your own success. Many of you volunteer and serve others in your personal and professional lives. Now we’d like you to share how AISB can be of service to you.

An excellent way to start is by completing your online profile in the new alumni portal that will be available in the New Year. Consider this your gateway to a professional network of fellow graduates who can serve as collaborators, mentors, clients, and even potential employers and employees.

You are most welcome to attend the “PTO Annual Auction Gala – MONTE CARLO NIGHT” which is held on April 5th at the Radisson Blu Hotel. It is an enjoyable evening and we welcome our special guest on stage, Petru Calinescu, a class of 2005 alumnus. Furthermore, if you are so inclined, there is an “Inspiration Fund” which is dedicated to new programs for students at AISB. We encourage you to support the next generations of AISB students. You can find more information about these two items on the school’s website.

As we celebrate this second anniversary issue of our magazine, I look forward to meeting more of you, learning about your latest achievements, and promoting them within these pages. And remember, whenever you need to advance your career and promote your passions, we hope you’ll turn to AISB first.

Warmest regards,

David Ottaviano, Ed.D. Director

WORLD MAGAZINE 3

VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013 EDITOR Maria Tudor CONTRIBUTORS Patricia Khalil PHOTOGRAPHY Radu Fugarescu AISB Archives DESIGN AND TYPOGRAPHY Mario Zamfir School Brand LLC ONLINE EDITION School Brand LLC WORLD ALUMNI MAGAZINE Sos. Pipera Tunari 196 Com. Voluntari Jud. Ilfov Romania 077190 Tel.: 021 204-4300 Fax: 021 204-4384 Email: alumni@aisb.ro www.aisb.ro Published by Design Works Publishing Co Print Circulation: 1000 copies Electronic Circulation: 2000 copies Cover Design: Mario Zamfir

About AISB

AISB was founded in 1962 and is currently Bucharest's largest international school. The language of instruction is English and teaching is based upon an American style curriculum. The school offers the prestigious International Baccalaureate Program from Early Childhood through 12th grade.

AISB is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Council of International Schools, and the International Baccalaureate Organization and is recognized by the Ministry of Education in Romania.

4 WORLD MAGAZINE

Copyright Š 2013 AISB ALUMNI. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

06

Editor's Letter

14

Alumni Reunion - Bucharest, Romania

16 HOPE - A Future for Sebi

CONTENTS 08

INTERVIEW WITH MONICA BROWN

10

INTERVIEW WITH CLAUDIA CANGEA

12

INTERVIEW WITH EMANUEL MUNTEANU

21

INTERVIEW WITH OANA TOMA

22

INTERVIEW WITH FRED BOURNAS

24

INTERVIEW WITH CATHY KYRITSIS

WORLD MAGAZINE 5

Editorial Maria Tudor / AA President / Editor

It may sound like a cliché but being kind and joining forces to do good for our community gives us the strength to appreciate what we have and work together as a team.

The AISB Alumni Association started the season early. On November 23rd we held our first fund raising event. We joined forces with the school and friends to help a little boy called Sebi, who suffers from cerebral palsy due to an unfortunate chain of medical errors and indifference at his birth, which condemned him and his parents to a life full of emotional and financial struggles.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that a large number of alumni came forward and offered to get involved in our project,

6 WORLD MAGAZINE

The winter holiday season inspires love, sharing and compassion. It is a time where we come together with our families and loved ones to celebrate the holidays, reflect on our accomplishments of the past year and share ideas of how the following year can be even better. It is a time when people come together to encourage hope and give to others less fortunate.

which turned out to be a very successful event. I am thankful to all of you who have dedicated your time and energy to make this event possible and to those of you who attended and helped make a difference in Sebi’s life.

On this note, I am now certain that the AISB Alumni Association, a powerful group of well-rounded and enthusiastic people, can successfully achieve its goals to maintain and renew relationships, to help improve and maintain a healthy social atmosphere at the school and within the Romanian community.

It’s been a full first year, so I would like to congratulate the AISB Alumni Officers for their commitment and efforts! Apart from the social and fund raising

events we organized, we have also been working on many administrative matters, which will help the association to grow in an international environment.

Since our plans are to grow the association’s network, it is very important to establish its identity.

As a result we have been working on creating a logo that links us to the school yet represents a group of professionals who inspire infinite possibilities.

Having established our identity, one of the most important missions of our association is to actively involve its members.

Active participation represents the members’ interest in the association’s affairs. Therefore we are currently working on implementing the Alumni section

“Any former student, faculty, Board of Director member or staff of AISB, who has spent at least one semester affiliated with AISB, will be considered an Alumnus or Alumna” (Constitution of AISB Alumni Association)

AISB ALUMNI OFFICERS President:

Vice president:

Maria Tudor / Class of 2005 Cristina Gingirov / Class of 2004

Secretary/Treasurer: Ioana Balu / Class of 2007

Delegates: Sever Savanciuc Monica deRomeo Eduardo Khalil Andreea Dinulescu Didi Radu Inna Asthana Maria Roncea Marius Opran Ruxi Micsunescu

on the school’s website where all alumni will be able to create a social and professional profile available only to the AISB Alumni.

to seeing as many of you as possible, especially since last year’s reunion was a great success.

This is a very important tool for the association, as it will enable us to learn about our members' interests and whereabouts, and keep us connected socially and professionally.

Another important event will be the launch of our association’s identity and the nomination of the founding and honorary members, which will happen late spring – dates to be announced soon. We will be closing the 2014 school year with the Senior Breakfast, where we welcome the new graduates into our association.

The calendar of events for the first half of 2014 includes organizing the Alumni Reunion in London, which will take place on March 8th. I look forward

Alina Iaciu Filip Radu Hermen Rossey Shirin Johari Paul Predusel Stefi Ivan Victorita Paun Moshe Gordon

year ahead of us and I am happy to say this because it means that, soon, all our hard work and meetings for all the administrative activities will be implemented.

Happy holidays!

Maria Tudor AA President / Editor

In conclusion, we have a busy WORLD MAGAZINE 7

Interview with

Monica Bro WM: Mrs. Brown, you have been working at AISB since 2001, so you have been at the school for over 12 years. Please tell us some differences between then and now.

MB: Back then, the sense of a small community was quite strong; back then I knew everybody, now, given the size of our school, this is impossible. Our community is larger now and smaller groups are created easily.

The secondary school was downtown in a beautiful historical building and a separate elementary building was somewhere else in Bucharest. Now we are together on a wonderful big new campus on the outskirts of Bucharest.

The middle school and high school had one principal together, while the elementary school had another one. Now we have 4 principals, two for elementary and one each for middle and high school.

Back then, teachers used to go to a café for lunch, now we have a modern cafeteria, where we can enjoy each other’s company (even if sometimes it gets too loud!)

Downtown we did not have a bunker, now we do! Do you know what this is? An anti-atomic space which supposedly will protect the people... It is used for storage now... Hahaha Our assemblies used to be on the stairs of this old building; now we hold our cultural events in a chic modern theater.

WM: What makes AISB special?

How come you decided to stay at AISB for so long?

8 WORLD MAGAZINE

MB: AISB is what makes AISB special. It is composed of special people, from students to parents to teachers to all the support staff.

It is always a wonder for me how such an eclectic group of people, from all over the world, with so many different cultures and traditions, can come together and create a wonderful small world, in which everybody has a strong sense of belonging and contribution. My Romanian friends would joke with me, saying that our family does not live in Romania, rather in a dream bubble inside Romania. At the end of every year we would ask ourselves as a family if we are staying one more year, and since we could not come up with a strong reason to leave, we always felt we should continue on. Most importantly, our kids were happy and well educated, and this was what mattered most for us as parents.

WM: Tell us about 3 special moments spent at AISB you'll never forget.

MB: September 11, 2001. I just started my first year of teaching at AISB when I received a call from my husband who was still in the States, telling me to tell our principal what was happening right then in the US. I ran as fast as I could to Chris Muller's office. Calmly, the school went home safely. I remember listening to the radio about what was happening and thinking ‘this cannot be real’. Why would anybody even think, not to mention put into action something so disastrous?

January, 2001: When we moved to the new campus, how proud and happy everybody was! We were all

together now in our own place! The individual American dream came true as a community!

June 2013: My daughter, Julianne’s, prom night: when she was offered to be the master of ceremonies with Srishti and Serban and I was offered the honor to toast in the name of parents! I had the rare opportunity to participate in bringing up an entire generation for 12 years in my role as a mother and teacher, to laugh and cry with them, to learn and have fun together, and in the end to see them graduating! I felt like I was graduating once more with them!

WM: Name 5 students you remember most and the reason.

MB: Jessica Kendrick – she was a student in my math class for 3 years consecutively 6th through 8th grade, something that rarely happens at AISB; no idea how this was missed out, but it gave us the opportunity to get to know each other well and to connect with one another. I remember this little girl, hard working but not sure she could do math, and then here I was attending her prom!

Alex Wallar – he is 2nd on my list not because he was Jessie’s sweetheart during high school and they are still together! How awesome this is! He is second on my list because even though I never taught him, he was my first Extended Essay advisee in math (really, how many students choose math topics for their essays?). And one day he asked me if he can prepare a class and teach my 12th graders, while he was in 11th grade! I told him yes, but he has to bring a lesson plan in advance, so we can discuss it. He brought a

own

AISB Teacher

detailed plan for a week’s worth of classes! And he did it: in an elegant and clear way, he taught a math topic on Logic and the students loved it!

Sebastian Bucur – ‘Buna ziua, doamna!’ Day in and day out, I would hear these words and knew by the intonation of his voice whether he was in a good mood or not. I was always worried that he might give up for his May exam, but he proved me wrong and I am glad he did: he did so well in his exam, I am still proud of him!

Raluca Istrate – ‘My heart is pounding with happiness when I can finally solve a problem, Miss. Brown!’

Diana Marpozan – shy, respectful, extremely bright but humble, beautiful girl. It is nothing more rewarding for a teacher to find out that one of your students will become a teacher! It feels like “Mission accomplished!”

Sandra Ciubuc – thank you for considering me more than just a teacher; trusting me to be your confidante and talk life issues beyond math makes our job so rewarding.

I named more than 5, because I was in this school for so long, I think I deserve the exception! It is so difficult to choose! For all of you whom I could not name here, you are all part of my heart!

WM: For all these years you have been teaching Secondary School Math and Science. Which subject do you think had most impact on the students and why?

MB: Lately, I’ve taught only Math.

Obviously, math is my passion and I believe it has a tremendous impact on each of our lives. Often, students ask: “Miss. B, why do we need math? Quadratics and Integrals?”

And here is my answer: Honestly, unless you follow a technical path, you do not need math. But math is much deeper than just some formulas: it is a way of thinking, which will help you in any situation in life.

When we read and understand the problem, when we discuss a plan to solve it and then we follow the steps to obtain our answer, we actually practice how to solve any issue we have in life, whether it is something small, such as what do we eat tonight to a more complex idea, such as which job offer do I take? You must consider variables and parameters, you must use abstract to think “what if?” and so on.... And it does take a special type of person to assume risks with each problem: will you know how to solve it? Will you feel the adrenaline rush by overcoming a challenging problem?

WM: What about your involvement with extracurricular activities? Tell us a little about this. What are some of your favorite memories?

MB: I have been coaching Middle School Girls tennis since it was only one trip for both girls and boys teams and I would travel with Peter Born. During one of my first trips with him, one of our kids lost the boarding pass and could not board on the return flight home. I remember the thrill of Peter and the student running all over the airport to find it and me talking with the air flight attendant to hold the plane just for a few more minutes... they found

it and got on the plane in the end!

I have been coaching Middle School Knowledge Bowl as well with Mariela Suma. I remember when she asked me if I would be interested in being her assistant coach, I understood «knowledge ball», so I thought of it as a random sports activity and that is why I said yes...

I have coached both activities for all these years. In addition, I was Middle School Student Council advisor, assistant coach in basketball, played any sport with high school girls and participated in numerous committees to improve various aspects of our school.

WM: What will you be doing for the holidays and why?

MB: For the holidays... as I am answering this interview, it is the Thanksgiving morning and I am working out an appetite for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends... Being thankful for how lucky I was to be part of such a wonderful community. For Christmas, we always spend it at home with our family and friends.

And this year is a special one, as our freshman daughter Julianne comes home from Boston University! What better gift can I wish for?

For New Year's Eve this year we plan to go downtown, to party with the entire city, so if you are in Bucharest, join us!

I wish for everybody in our school to feel happy, healthy and appreciate and enjoy what you have! Happy Holidays!

WORLD MAGAZINE 9

AISB Alumna / Teacher

Interview with

Claudia Cangea "I was impressed by the beautiful school and the students' confidence. Both very different than the Romanian environment at that time."

10 WORLD MAGAZINE

WM: What do you do now? Where do you live (and for how long)?

CC: After 9 years of moving around the world starting in Romania, Eastern Europe, followed by Peru, South America and Oman, Middle East, I now live and work in Indonesia, South East Asia.

I have been working at Sinarmas World Academy for one year and I will stay here as long as I enjoy my life in Indonesia.

WM: What do you like most about your life in Indonesia (both work and life style)?

CC: Indonesia is a very interesting country made up of thousands of islands where people are Muslim, but not quite Muslim, Hindu but not quite Hindu, Christians but different to our religion. It is a combination of 5 different religions and the most important thing is that people respect each other even though they are poor and corruption is huge.

The smile on their face is the most important thing at any time during the day. If you don't smile it means you are upset with them. Even when they argue, they smile. You will never guess if they are arguing or chatting.

Life in Jakarta is crazy. Traffic is awful, but nobody complains except foreigners. The local people leave home at 5:30 AM and come back home after 6:00 PM and they wake up fresh the next day. To be honest, I have no idea how they manage to have a happy life. They are amazing

Horseback riding in the Andes mountains

people.

For them, time has a different value.

They can spend 2 hours waiting for you in front of the house and they will smile at you and say hi when you arrive. They are not stressed like us for waiting a couple of minutes!

Very often you can see four or five of them squeezed on a motorbike to get to their destination, sometimes with babies, sometimes with young kids, but they never complain! We named them "mosquito bikes".

Travelling around Indonesia is beautiful. They have mountains, beaches, diving, thousands of islands including famous Bali ... so lots to see and do if you decide to visit.

WM: What are your top 5 best things/memories at AISB? CC: My memories of AISB go back to 1998 when Mr. Franz gave me the opportunity to apply for the Secondary PE teacher position.

I was impressed by the beautiful school and the students' confidence.

Both being very different than our Romanian environment at that time.

Of course I can't forget our "smart ladies" who played for the AISB basketball teams, Mr. Elliott another famous figure in our Athletic department and some of my students who were working really hard (or not at all) in my class.

CC: My favorite 5 students in alphabetical order are: Alex Johari: A very funny student, but..... I couldn't make her run in any of my classes..... Always too "tired" to move but very energetic for a chat.

Anca Stanescu: A very smart lady, a responsible and kind person always with a big smile on her face.

I can't forget her in 6th grade when her mom asked me for Anca's permission to miss 2 basketball practices! This is one of my carrier highlights.

Cristina Gingirov: One of the best athletes in AISB, another smart lady, who used to love "sweeping" the floor with her body. Standing on the basketball court wasn't one of her strengths.

James Stewart: Best athlete at that time, who couldn't stay away from Cristina (especially during the basketball season) Thomas Wesson: One of the most responsible students who always gave 100% effort in every class!

Hope he can remember the torture of the Long Jump. And now...what's his career?! Check him out!

WM: Message to AISB/Alumni

WM: Name 5 students you remember most and the reason.

CC: Winners makes things happen.

Losers let them happen! So, live your life now! The best time of your life is now while you are in school. After.... it is pay back time!

Weaving lesson on Lombok Island, Indonesia. Story has it that if you know how to weave you will get married.

Basketball Tournament in Oman being awarded the MVP trophy for winning against the national team.

WORLD MAGAZINE 11

I will start by saying that I am honored for the privilege you give me to share some of my important memories here at AISB.

Emanuel Munteanu Interview with

AISB Teacher

12 WORLD MAGAZINE

WM: Mr. Emanuel, you have been working at AISB since 1999, so you have been at the school for over 14 years. Please tell us 5 differences between then and now.

EM: I started here as a middle school soccer coach and after that I started teaching French in April 2000. There are many differences in between now and then. First of all the campus is now located in Pipera-Tunari. At that time AISB has had three locations: Dorobanti, Laptari, and Costinescu.

Another important difference is the number of students: then there were around 300 while now there are over 800. I must also say that because of this big change in numbers the atmosphere of the school has moved from a family environment to a more educational and institutional one. The academic program and its requirements have also known an evident change: at that time the school was having its first IB accreditation visits. And of course most of my fellow teachers that were working at that time in school have moved to other international locations.

WM: What makes AISB special? How come you decided to stay at AISB for so long?

EM: There are many things that make this school unique. I think that first of all, the student and faculty body are very diverse due to their international backgrounds. You meet people from so many nations with so many cultures and with so many ideas. It is a unique opportunity to learn something every single day from someone. You only need to be open to this.

This school also offers exceptional occasions to grow both as a student and a teacher. The academic program and the after school activities are indeed the main ground for the growth I experienced and witnessed. My reason for staying is not directly related to the school but with something that is very important to me outside the school: my service to God here in Bucharest and not only, in Romania as well as the Republic of Moldova.

WM: Tell us about 3 special moments spent at AISB you’ll never forget.

EM: The tournaments with the teams I coached are very dear and will stay with me forever. Most of all, I remember one of my first place trophies in softball that was won because of heavy rain (thank you Lord!) that fell for 45 minutes just before the finals so we were declared champions according to the ranking of the round robin games where we finished first.

The second thing is my first middle school French class that had 20 students including 6 boys wearing black heavy metal T-shirts who were not happy to be in school. We ended up having a great year in French class.

Sever Savanciuc, an AISB all star, was in my French class while a seventh grader. In the middle of the class he took off one of his shoes and was looking inside it (his nose was 10 cm away from the shoe) while I was trying to explain an important French grammar rule.

I asked him to put it outside the class room. It was raining for almost 4 days!!!! I forgot to tell

you an important detail: I opened the window to help him with that action!

WM: Name 5 students you remember most and the reason.

EM: This is very difficult because there were many extraordinary students that I have taught or coached but I will have to say that they are the following: Sever Savanciuc – there is a certain grace that Sever displays in and outside the classroom.

I would say that he has a certain ability in displaying his intelligence and knowledge without making others feel inferior. And of course his passion for football that made him make the football teams (middle and high school) from 6th through 12th grade, a rare achievement among the AISB population.

Nikos Kougionas – I worked with him from 4th grade till 12th grade. He was like a son to me, stubborn, very funny, extremely ambitious, and huge manipulator of his friends (Carlo, Nick, Dami). I miss him a lot.

Miguel Jimenez and Niccolo Ficarelli – for making my French classes a nightmare in order to make all the girls in the class laugh.

Every time I would give them work to do, Miguel would write down in his note book: “PROTEST!!!!” And show it to me. They were both amazing athletes and football players.

Niccolo played one tournament with a huge pain in his knee but never complained once.

Grazie Niccolo!

Marilu Lucescu – she was in my class since she was in 3rd grade. She was just the right catalyst factor in my French class: working really hard but also creating a nice learning atmosphere. She still comes to visit when time allows her.

Ben Krenzia, Alex Barba, Maxi Petre, Luca Bucura – (They must come in a package – a winning one) for being behind AISB, winning the first ever CESSA champion title in varsity boys football. Thank you gentlemen! Sorry Teo!! (Ficcarelli and Balan)

coaching was and still is a big part of my life here at AISB. In the past I used to coach more sports like basketball, volleyball, softball, and football for both middle and high school. Now I am only coaching middle school softball boys and varsity football boys. I have so many fond memories from my coaching that it would take me a novel to share them. These experiences are my motivation to continue coaching.

The entire season is an experience where 17 people are working, suffering, fighting, dreaming, laughing, shouting at each other sometimes, celebrating, accepting defeat… it is an unique experience that you don’t want to miss. One of my dearest memories is from 2008 in Istanbul. We had a disastrous start losing all our games and being classified second to last after the round robin. The boys had an amazing comeback (Luvo Sifuba, Marius Opran, Carlo Giro were among the best players) and we qualified in the championship final against Istanbul. When I texted Mr. Hibbard, the athletic director, saying “we are in the final!” He replied back: “what final???!!!” because he only knew the results of the first day.

WM: What will you be doing for the holidays and why? Are you doing anything special?

EM: During the holiday season, I usually go back to Craiova to visit my parents and my in-laws. We spend time with the family, I come from a family of 6 children and my wife from a family of 9 so you imagine how the family reunions look like; young children all over the place, amazing food, laughing, singing carols and visiting old friends. What I believe is special for me during this season, is that together with friends from the church, we take the opportunity to share some of these wonderful things with people who are less fortunate.

We go to some hospitals in Bucharest, some prisons in Romania and also travel to some schools in Cahul, the Republic of Moldova, to share the good news of the birth of our Savior and also donate some things that will touch their hearts in a special way in the difficult period they go through.

WM: For all these years you have been teaching French, ESL and Romanian. What do you think has the most impact on the students and why?

EM: My first 5 years here at AISB were spent in the elementary school where I taught French, ESL, and Romanian as mother tongue. After that I moved to secondary school where I am currently teaching French to grades 6 through 10. I make sure that people in my class don’t waste time and that they get well prepared for the next phase of language development. Every teacher wants to have a positive impact on his/her students so I do my best to model what I think is sound and valuable not only in the classroom but also outside it.

WM: What about your involvement with extracurricular activities? Tell us a little about this. What are some of your favorite memories?

EM: As I have already mentioned before,

WORLD MAGAZINE 13

14 WORLD MAGAZINE

time for a get together as the weather is still pleasant and many of us are still around.

This year, in order to follow-up on the previous event, "The 50th Anniversary Alumni Reunion", we wanted to do something different.

Alumni Reunion On Sunday, the 15th of September 2013, the AISB Alumni got together for what turned out to be yet another successful reunion!

As per our tradition, besides the yearly meeting in London, we also meet in Bucharest at the beginning of the autumn - the perfect

With this in mind, we chose to have a picnic, the perfect happening for the relaxed, friendly atmosphere we were looking for. After hard work and careful planning we made it possible in Herﾄピtrﾄブ Park, on the lawn just by the lake.

On the day of the event, we were pleased to see that the weather was most definitely on our side. A good total of around 30 alumni gathered for a live cooking show, good music and an American Candy stand organized by our fellow Alumnus Andrei Zamfirescu. We look forward to finding out what surprises the next reunion will bring!

WORLD MAGAZINE 15

hope

a future for Sebi

My name is SebastianNicholas and I am 6 years old. I was born on the 3rd of August 2007 at the University Hospital in Bucharest.

My mother was in labor for almost 20 hours, so my parents decided to call me SebastianNicholas after a character from an animated science fiction film called Immortal.

Sebastian-Nicholas is the only entirely human character in this film that fights to save the world. Like him, I have my own fight: the fight for my life!

16 WORLD MAGAZINE

During the night I was born, I fought against neglect and indifference from medical personnel who were supposed to protect me and my mom, but they left her alone. I fought to stay alive without oxygen because the umbilical cord strangled me; I fought death because I was nearly dead when I came into this world!

I was in a coma for 2 weeks. In the 3rd week, my mother was given permission to take me in her arms for the first time and she had to quickly learn how to take care of me and feed me.

When I left the hospital I couldn’t cry, see, hear or eat by myself. 8 times a day, my mom had to insert a tube through my throat directly into my stomach and feed me with a syringe.

I am a child with special needs, I have cerebral palsy.

I am fighting for my life every day with my parents beside me.

I suffered 3 surgeries and this is only the beginning. With the help of others, I need to learn everything that healthy children know instantly.

I cannot sit, I cannot crawl, I cannot eat by myself, I cannot speak; since I was 6 weeks old, I’ve had to undertake all kinds of rehabilitation techniques including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

Sometimes I’m tired, sometimes it’s painful but I am a fighter and I have my family by my side. But they need your help because all of these treatments are very expensive and increasing along with my age.

All I can do for now is to lighten the suffering of my parents and

grandparents with my beautiful smile but I need YOUR help to keep smiling!

about Sebi

Sebastian-Nicholas was born on the 3rd of August 2007 at the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital. It was a closely monitored, full term normal pregnancy, with no events that would have jeopardised the development of the pregnancy.

Since the moment Sebi’s mom was admitted to hospital during the night of labor, a long string of medical errors lead to Sebastian strangling himself with the umbilical cord. He came out almost dead (Apgar score 1) with only a very weak heartbeat.

His resuscitation was not done immediately, and when the doctors finally proceeded, it took 20 minutes to bring Sebi back. Due to a lack of oxygen, his brain was severely affected, especially the control centres relating to coordination and movement. Sebastian was in a coma for two weeks. Diagnosis at birth was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy grade 3.

Sebastian was denied the right to a normal life, with each day representing a real challenge in the attempt to maintain a humane standard of living (this is not a metaphorical expression, but one that is intended to be understood literally). Without huge efforts and treatments, Sebastian would regress to the inability to move, simultaneously being subjected to physical suffering.

Due to a severe lack of oxygen and medical supervision during birth, at the age of 6 years: - Sebi can not coordinate his movements: he cannot hold his head up, he cannot sit, and he cannot walk; Sebi can not eat by himself: he has a tube in his stomach and he is fed by a syringe; -Sebi can not suck or swallow, essentialy drowning on his own saliva and secretions; -Sebi has epilepsy; -Sebi is completely dependent on his parents; Until the age of around 6 months, Sebi could not see or hear; -Sebi can not speak; -Sebi is severely disabled, with a significant delay in mental and motor development; -One of the side effects of cerebral palsy is stiffening of the entire body, accompanied by physical suffering

(spastic tetra); -Sebi is hypersensitive to environmental conditions.

All efforts to recover as much as possible brought us great satisfactions: Sebastian now sees, hears, smiles, laughs, recognises us, has toys, favourite songs and commercials, he likes to be surrounded by people and children, and he requires maximum attention and a lot of love.

On the other hand, Sebastian’s care and needs require huge financial figures, which were above our powers from the beginning. As he gets older, his care and recovery needs are increasing, together with the costs.

Gina Lungu, Sebi's mom

treatments Already performed & costs 2013 - Surgery Feeding Tube13,891.50 RON (€3,087) 2012 - Treatment & Recovery Medlife Treatment 4,960 RON (€1,102) Vienna: Treatment & Recovery 2 trips 47,250 RON (€10,500) Germany: Recovery 1 month 137,250 RON (€30,500) Dusseldorf: Stem Cell Implant 45,000 RON (€10,000) TOTAL 24,8351 RON (€55,189)

donations

Donations can be made in the following bank accounts with reference “Friends of AISB Alumni” Bank: BCR Name: Lungu Nansi Ionut (Sebi’s father) Account Number:

LEI: RO 69 RNCB 0245036622920004 EURO: RO 26 RNCB 0245036622920002 SWIFT CODE: RNCBROBU

thank you!

WORLD MAGAZINE 17

Alumni Life

a little bit about what happens for the holidays in a different country and to see what my mum’s family has in store for me on this very special celebration.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday and fantastic New Year’s filled with new achievements, lots of happiness and bucketfull’s of love. All the best!

Patricia Khalil [Class of 2009] After graduating from Bournemouth University this summer with a first-class degree in Advertising with Marketing Communications, I moved back to Bucharest where I now work as the Development and Communications Assistant at AISB. It’s truly wonderful to be back in this community working alongside beautiful souls who used to be my teachers! I’ll be spending this winter holiday in France with my extended family.

It will be my first Christmas away from home so my heartstrings feel like they’re being pulled a little! However, I am most certain that I will have a fantastic time nevertheless.

My aunt and uncle live in Chambery so I’ll be spending Christmas there with my cousins and other auntie and uncle doing a bit of skiing. Then I’m off to Paris with my cousin for New Years – I expect it will be fun!

This is the first time I’ve spent the holidays away from home so I’m looking forward to learning

18 WORLD MAGAZINE

Teo Ficcarelli [Class of 2009] I am currently living in Kampala, Uganda, with my family and I’m doing an internship at the German cooperation and development body. I’m going back to Italy for Christmas where I will spend it with my extended family, as is Italian tradition. I will then be coming back to Kampala for new years as it is a very fun and vibrant place to spend New Year's in African style!

Maria Roncea [Class of 2008] At the moment I live in Paphos, Cyprus and I co-own a restaurant called “Sunset Breeze Restaurant and Lounge”, together with Alex

Dobre (Class of 2007). This is the first time we are organizing the winter holidays at the restaurant and we are happy and proud to say that we have a busy December ahead of us. We are organizing early Christmas parties for many people from the local community, along with Christmas Day and New Year’s celebrations - we are already fully booked.

Raluca Istrate [Class of 2009]

We live in a Christian Orthodox country, like Romania, therefore we are keeping to our customs.

However, for Christmas, most of our clients will be British, so we will have to combine these two different religions and cultures in order to create the right spirit for everyone. The food selection will be the most difficult since these two cultures have very different views of what Christmas is for them on the dining table - Turkey and stuffing will sit along with ‘cozonac’ (a typically Romanian brioche). I hope that our team at Sunset Breeze will succeed in combining the two cultures and religions seamlessly and receive only positive feedback.

After finishing my law degree in London, I returned back home to Romania. Right now I am in Bucharest and enjoyed the 1st of December (Romanian National Day) celebrations and I’m also planning on how to best spend my favorite time of the year.

For this year I have decided to enjoy my winter holidays in Romania.

Tourism and hospitality, the domain in which I work now, is one in which diplomacy and cultural awareness play a vital role. Luckily I studied in an international school and also lived abroad, which helped me achieve a better understanding of how to approach people from different communities.

So, for this Christmas holiday, I will be taking off from dreary Bucharest and spending NYE in sunny Cyprus with my significant other. Sending the warmest holiday wishes to everyone!

Alex Cristescu [Class of 2009]

There are so many celebrations this time of year, St. Nicholas, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve to name a few, that it is almost impossible to underline a specific Christian or Romanian tradition that would stand out.

I believe the most important part of the winter holidays is to surround myself with the people I care about to share and cherish wonderful moments. St. Nicholas and Christmas will be celebrated with my family and the unmistakable feeling of joy and warmth that the season always offers. This spirit has to carry on to New Year’s Eve, a date which I await so that I can start a fantastic new year full of great new experiences and accomplishments.

Harvest Festival 2013

Message from the Delegates

The American International School of Bucharest celebrates the season of the Harvest

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie The American International School of Bucharest (AISB) educates over 800 students from 54 countries. On the hallways of AISB one can hear 30 languages being spoken and teachers come from 13 countries to inspire children in their classes.

On Tuesday, November 26, representatives of the various nationalities that make up the school’s community gathered to express their thanks for the many gifts of nature, for their children and their good fortune, for their children’s educators and caretakers, for friends and family, for struggles and challenges overcome, in a way that has become tradition at AISB – The Harvest Festival.

“We welcome students from many countries at AISB and we are always happy to learn and be inspired by traditions of the different communities our students come from. The Harvest Festival brings to all parents, students and staff a feeling of plenitude, gratitude and the diversity of the AISB world. This year we are happy to have 30 nationalities participate in this wonderful event and enchant us all with traditional food from their countries,” says Catalina Gardescu, Manager of Admissions and External Relations.

As parents representing the various nationalities and nationality groups did their very best to prepare traditional meals, display them wonderfully and invite the entire community to enjoy them, students and staff were happy to take a culinary trip around the world.

The Harvest Festival was a good time for all to stop for a moment and be thankful for all the good things they have been offered.

Ruxi Micsunescu :: PR & Marketing

As a graduate of the 2009 class, I joined our Association in 2012 as a member at large. Due to my Marketing Specialization in Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and previous professional experiences in this area, I have been dedicating my expertise to our Association, as a current PR & Marketing Officer.

Working for our recent charity event, Hope – a future for Sebi, was an amazing experience! This project made me realize that, as an association, we have all the necessary ingredients for accomplishing great things: experienced and dedicated people, both alumni and current students and representatives of AISB, good relations with the local and international communities and an extensive professional network always ready to help us meet our goals. The fact that we all have the same educational backgrounds and have shared similar social experiences help us work together very well.

Our reunions or working meetings are always very productive because they always feel like old friends getting together, catching up and we are all inspired by the idea of getting the chance of accomplishing something together once again, despite all of us having gone our separate ways.

Working for our Association has made me renew old friendships, make new ones and extend my own professional network. Having seen it grow over the past year and a half, I strongly believe in its future and I know that the more people will get involved, the more great things we can accomplish together.

WORLD MAGAZINE 19

"I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere this hurting must stop... and I am determined to take myself to the limit for this cause. The running I will do, even if I have to crawl every last mile."

Thank you to all those involved in this year’s Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research and PTO Welcome Back Barbeque.

They personally thanked all those participating for their help and effort and Mihai sang a Romanian song, which moved many of us listening.

This year, over 850 participants came to the school and had a wonderful day helping to raise awareness for the need to find a cure for cancer, as well as raising funds to support this cause. In the end we raised over 11,000 Euros school wide which will be donated directly to cancer research here in Romania.

With the help of Mrs. Cacicovschi, Mrs. Hofman and two care givers from P.A.V.E.L., the kids participated in the Terry Fox Run and walked part of the track through the forest. They had lots of fun and clearly impressed with all the runners and the track monitors who cheered them on!

Thank you also to all the members of the AISB community who supported the run by generously giving time, money, and products to the cause – students, teachers, parents, the PTO, the maintenance and cleaning staff, as well as numerous corporate sponsors. And special thanks to the Boy Scouts who cleaned the trail.

It was a very special day at AISB, not only because of the great number of runners and the funds raised for cancer research but also because in the midst of all the runners were 4 children from the Association P.A.V.E.L. - Ionela, Mihai, Andreea and Vasilica were warmly welcomed by the whole AISB community during the warm-up before the run.

20 WORLD MAGAZINE

Below is a “Thank You” email from the 4 kids: “Thank to you for your kind invitation and thank you all for the wonderful time spent at American School. It’s was a great occasion to share your commitment for a noble cause. It’s was also an opportunity to share our concerns about education and social needs of children and youngsters with cancer with teachers and the HS Service Learning coordinator. Our children were happy to be in your community and loved the school and the students. Everybody was very friendly to them.”

News and specific activities about the P.A.V.E.L. education project can be found on Facebook and website:

www.facebook.com/Scoala.de.Spital and http://www.scoala-de-spital.ro When preparing to get support for his run Terry Fox wrote a letter outlining his motivation. Part of it reads: "As I went through the 16 months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotherapy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed through the cancer clinic. There were faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling.

There were feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair.

My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere this hurting must stop... and I am determined to take myself to the limit for this cause. The running I will do, even if I have to crawl every last mile."

Sadly, Terry Fox gave his life while trying to help others. Wonderfully, his dream continues to live on through the efforts of our school community. Thank you for contributing.

Interview with

Oana Toma AISB Alumna / Class of 2007

WM: What have you been doing since AISB? (uni, work, where you live, status)

OT: At AISB, I had the chance to get involved in an array of activities – sports, arts, events, MUN.

OT: I attended the American University of Paris, France and graduated from a MA in Marketing and Creativity from ESCP Europe. I have recently moved back to Bucharest and now run a boutique hotel called Cabana Hadar in the Carpathian Mountains, 3 ½ hrs. away from Bucharest. Check it out at www. cabanahadar.ro!

These really helped in developing a sense of what I would like to do later on. In 11th and 12th grade I led the fundraising efforts of our grade for Community Service as well as the Senior Lounge and Prom, and I chose to study International Business and Marketing, also because of the passion I discovered for organizing and managing teams.

I also edit an online lifestyle magazine at www.mykindofplace.net where I talk about travel and the good life in Bucharest and abroad.

WM: Tell us a “crazy” AISB memory and name 3 “partners in crime”

WM: What was the key moment (at AISB) in your life when you realized what you want to do/what career to pursue? Who or what influenced you to become who and what you are today?

Explain AISB’s part of it.

OT: I like to believe that not enough time has passed since our graduation for us to come out with the silly things we used to do.

WM: You have the chance to give advice to the current students. What

would you say?

OT: Enjoy it while you can, uni is nothing like high school, and definitely nothing beats ‘real life’!

WM: What do you think the AA’s priorities should be? What AA activities would you like to see happening or attend?

OT: A networking component that is currently missing, more information of what former students are doing, and a sense of community with other generations.

Alumni also aren’t part of the AISB community as soon as classes end, we don’t get a sticker, can’t come in unless someone is waiting for us. I would love to be able to still use the facilities, just like parents can.

WORLD MAGAZINE 21

Interview with

Fred Bournas

22 WORLD MAGAZINE

AISB Alumnus / Teacher

WM: What do you do now?

Where do you live (and for how long)?

FB: After leaving AISB in 2003, I moved back to Canada and spent a few years teaching at Sterling Hall School, Toronto, and Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario. I was then seized by the urge to travel, having spent far too long in the same place (4 years), and honestly being a little bit tired of the long and cold Canadian winter. I was offered the position of MYP coordinator at Lyford Cay International School in The Bahamas and decided

to move to this beautiful archipelago of islands (more than 700 islands), “A place where you can’t tell where dreams begin and reality ends”, as you can read on the large advertisement poster when arriving at the airport.

The dream came true for me with the birth of my daughter, Issa (4 years), and my son, Mathis (18 months). They are both citizens of the world with French/Bahamian/Jamaican roots. They can also claim a Canadian Passport ...

I started in 2007 as the Information Technology/MYP coordinator then moved to

Nassima, the MUN Team in Istanbul with Giorgiana and Co, and the Cross Country Team (Latvia, Russia) with great runners such as Stefan Popescu. I will always remember traveling with the team and Mrs. DiFronzo to Moscow and going back with one of my athletes because her visa was not valid anymore.

Bucharest-Warsaw-Bucharest-Warsaw-Moscow in less than 18 hours.

What I enjoy the most about AISB? The connection with the students and simply being in the classroom with them, teaching them African and Asian history, challenging their critical thinking and ensuring that they always kept “la joie de vivre et d’apprendre”. I also loved all the musical performances especially the Steel drums. Being in the Caribbean, I still have the pleasure to listen to the students playing this wonderful instrument.

I had the chance to see some of my students in different locations around the world: Lara Globe-Trotter in New York (still waiting for you to come visit us in Nassau - only destination you did not reach in the past two years); Nassima recently in Nassau when she was doing some research for the US government. I also had two former students from AISB who graduated in the past two years from my current school: Emily Lupu and Nicholas Mindorff. The world is such a small place ...

Thinking about students, I have to mention Ruxi who made a bet with me that I will fail to contact her after leaving Bucharest.

I won - thanks to Facebook again - and I will be coming to London in January for the CIS job recruitment to claim my prize, an invitation to one of the top restaurants in London. So be ready to take me out in January, Ruxi.

I cannot forget my adopted son for a period of six months or, more exactly, my adopted brother, Christopher Gellenbeck. A lot of good memories with this aficionado of good movies and great music (we have the same good taste despite what Mr. Nicholson thinks). I am waiting for him to be tired of the long winters in Philadelphia to come to visit me with his family.

I continue to follow the beautiful and successful stories of my friends and former students and I am very proud of all of them: Roberto, Caitlin, The Bouri Family, Simona, Maggi, Maria, Cristina, Jarret and his career in MMA, Lara, Miruna, James, Victorita, Efrat, Giorgi, George, Adam, Lital, Andrei, Victor, Ola, Iolanda, Monica, Richard, Daniel, Heimari, Pawel and many

Head of Secondary the following year. I am currently the Vice-Principal at the school but still find the time to enjoy coaching football and volunteering for community service projects.

In addition I pursue my two passions, Music and Football.

I am playing for and managing two Football Teams, the Lyford Cay FC Dragons and Warriors, both competing in the first division in The Bahamas and I am DJing for some special events but keep this a secret… only my very good friends are aware of this (DJ Issou).

WM: What are your best things/memories at AISB? FB: The four years I spent in Romania and at AISB are full of good memories!

Just having to be at AISB is a good memory. It is very difficult to isolate a few individuals or moments. I simply loved the people there, my students, my colleagues and the parents. Thank you, Facebook, for keeping us connected…

If I have to be selective in my memories, I will mention all the trips with the Girls’ Varsity Football Teams (Warsaw, Prague) led by Cristina and

more. Hope to see you when I pass by your town…

What else made my experience so special if not my students? my colleagues. I was lucky to start my teaching career with such a dedicated, interesting and highly qualified group of educators and great administrators like Fred Wesson and Chris Muller, both really inspiring and caring leaders. Special mention a mon ami, Monsieur Emanuel, and the other footballer with the bung knee, Mr. Nicholson (his knee was actually worse than mine and he had to give up football to start a golf career at age 35 - not good for a Liverpool fan). Best moment of the week: not TGIF like all teachers around the world, but Monday night with the faculty and community members for our football game, including some national football stars like Hagi… What a special treat for all football fans to play a few hours with some of the most talented players in the world like Hagi. I will always remember the competitive rivalry against Emanuel, Max, and Andrei V and the nice dinner after the game at PiccoloMondo or the great pizza place just outside of Bucharest.

As with my students, I had the opportunity to see some of my colleagues around the world (John in Nice, Andrew in Miami, Chris every year in London …) and to work with some of them in The Bahamas: Amy Lupu, David and Michele Mindorff.

WM: What do you like most about your life (both work and life style)?

FB: Successfully balancing a very demanding job and family time and hobbies: After 8-10 hours of hard work, being able to enjoy a beautiful beach and swim with the kids, even in December, is priceless; Traveling around the world and working in an IB environment are also things I cherish.

WM: Message to AISB/Alumni FB: I feel very blessed to have been part of such an amazing school and community and I would like to thank Maria Tudor, Lynn and Jane Wells and the Alumni volunteers for all their hard work. I look forward to many more opportunities to connect with all of you in the coming years.

WM: What is your plan for the Holidays? Where and why?

FB: Enjoying The Bahamas during the Christmas season, taking Issa to Ski in February, and going to Brazil in June for the World Cup. Romania is next after Brazil so see you soon...

WORLD MAGAZINE 23

Cathy Kyritsis Interview with

AISB Alumna / Class of 2005

WM: What do you do now? Where do you live (and for how long)?

CK: I am doing what I always wanted to do, I’m an actress and producer and am currently living in Hollywood, California where I have been living for almost 4 years and I love it.

I've produced two feature Independent Movies: Club Dead and She's With Me. They were fun, but a lot of work, a lot of sleepless nights! I also helped cast a web series called Professional Friend, which is hilarious, and winning loads of awards right now and my favorite I got to be in Joss Wedon’s Much Ado Nothing which was an amazing experience because he was my Idol growing up.

WM: What was the key moment in your life when you realized what you want to do/what career to pursue? Who or what influenced you to become who and what you are today? Explain AISB's part of it.

CK: Since I was two years old and I started watching American Movies such as Beethoven and The Goonies my dream was to move to California and be involved in the film industry no matter

24 WORLD MAGAZINE

if it was in front or behind the camera I would be completely satisfied. AISB and its teachers definitely played a big part in shaping me into the person I am today.

Greg Jemison helped me become a better actor and person as my mentor all through high school. Every play and musical he pushed me further than I thought I could go and I have to thank him for where I am today and giving me the drive and ambition I have today. Of course, Doctor Chapman also made me the person I am today by showing me there is a world outside of AISB.

Mucibabibici for always believing me and seeing me for who I really was, Ana Zaharia for making me believe anything was possible, Andrea Vlad for teaching me how to be tough and not to take anything from anyone and Vlad Constanda for always making me laugh and making Drama the best it could be. All these people shaped me into the person I am today or at least made me ready to take on the world.

Now I feel like I am writing my senior statement, ha-ha. There are so many people and teachers I could name that I will forever be thankful to: Mr. Nic for telling me to shut up when I talked too much and believed in our softball skills.

Mr. Born and his great English class that inspired us with his sensitivity and depth of literature. Of course, I cannot forget to mention my wonderful friends who make high school what it was. Anca Stanescu, always a jumping energy bean but inspired me to be a better stronger person, just like the strong woman she was, Rima Sacre for always making me smile and forever my chicken, George

CK: My top best things and memories at AISB would have to be the softball trips we took as the Softball Varsity Team. I loved those because we were literally put into foreign countries with people from all different grades and we had to all get to know each with Mr. Nic who was the funniest and only sometimes serious coach.

We weren’t the top team but we always gave our best and had loads of fun!

WM: What are your top best things/ memories at AISB?

Another crazy memory would be probably on our Senior Prank day. We went around as a class moving all the chairs and tables around, sticking out of windows and then Mrs. Murray came

and told us, that it looks so nice and we are ruining it all! I remember I got so mad with her for ruining our prank day, her and me got into a tug of war with a chair!

WM: Tell us a "crazy" AISB memory and name 3 AISB "partners in crime".

CK: A crazy AISB memory…. Probably our Senior Trip to the beach in Romania. The great thing about it was that it wasn't just for people that were graduating, it was for people that had been in our class and left. So, we got to see people that were our best friends and had moved to other places. Anca and Andrea organized the trip and from the very first night, there was dancing on tables at La Cucaracha. My partners in crime would definitely have to be Anca Stanescu, Andrea Vlad and Ana Zaharia. Not only did we do crazy things together (some are not for the faint hearted) but they supported me through everything and always had my back.

Message from the Delegates

WM: What do you like most about your life (both work and life style)?

CK: What I really love about my life right now is actually waking up in Hollywood and being able to see the Hollywood sign. It reminds me every day of my dreams and gives me the drive I need to push me to where I want to go. I love the friends I have here, all artists and actors, producers etc.; everyone is working to achieve their goals and it’s nice to see you aren’t the only one. I’ve also created a side business of my own in the Health and Wellness industry with Arbonne International and I love it because I get to change and make people’s lives better.

I am also married now and I love that part of my life! I am definitely a planner, and this was not in my plans. My husband David Morales, is also a producer and actor so we will definitely be an industry couple ha-ha. I love him and love all the goodness he has in him.

The other cheesy part I love is the celebrities. Whenever I go to a party and meet a celebrity like for example Will I AM, it's another reminder to me where I am and how far I can go. The whole town is inspiring.

WM: You have the chance to give advice to the current students. What would you say?

CK: I would probably say to the current students that, everything that happens to you right now, every rumor, every mistake you make probably seems like it’s the end of the world, that’s it, you are dead. But its not, that’s the AISB bubble, just take a breath and remember you have a whole world ahead of you, a whole life outside the school, use these years to make yourself a stronger and better person.

WM: What do you think the AA's priorities should be?

What AA activities would you like to see happening or attend?

CK: I think AA has been doing great and its lovely to see all the activity it has been doing with charities and reunions etc. I would really like to see a reunion in America! Maybe in Hollywood (hint hint) I definitely have some venue ideas ha-ha.

WM: What are you doing for the holidays and why?

CK: For the holidays I am staying in Hollywood and doing a small Christmas with my husband as it’s too far to fly and he has school. But for New Years we are planning to go all out in gowns and tuxedos with my friends and probably go to Vegas! I cant wait to Start the Year with a bang!

Alex Cristescu :: Legal Advisor

AISB for me means Middle and High School, a great and wonderful experience. In 2009 after graduation I left for London to read Law at Queen Mary, University of London. Now after four years I have returned back home to Romania.

Being an AISB Alumnus and participating actively within the AISB Alumni Association gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. The AA has the desire, motivation, ambition and the already proved competence to not only unite and connect the Alumni but also to create a positive impact within our community at large.

Our Association is a great link between the school and the society we live in. This November the AA organised a charitable fund raising event for Sebastian Lungu.

This event reflects the very best of our community. AISB teaches all students to engage, be prepared and be inspired to achieve something extraordinary. I am proud to say that the principles our education was based upon are deeply rooted in our actions, individually as global citizens and as a group through the AA. In the future this Association will act at the same high standard with a focus to further strengthen the ties between the Alumni to create a well known and respected community.

WORLD MAGAZINE 25

fundraiser Thank you!

On November 23rd the AISB Alumni Association organized a fund-raiser for Sebastian a 6 year old boy suffering from cerebral palsy. Our aim was to cover the cost of his medical care for a year, and to purchase medical supplies and equipment to improve his quality of life.

Sebi is a victim of the poor medical system in Romania.

Six years ago his mother was left alone in the delivery

room, where there were complications as a result Sebi was robbed of a normal childhood that he could have had.

Thanks to you, we were able to raise 5000 EUR. However, Sebi and his family are in continuous need of support and donations are more that appreciated.

For more information, please visit Sebi’s Facebook www.facebook.com/SebastianLungu or his website www.helpsebi.wordpress.com

26 WORLD MAGAZINE

The AISB Alumni Association has great networking tools for you!

Your Alumni Network Card gives you access to a great range of benefits, privileges and offers - log in to www.aisb.ro/alumni and visit our Member Benefits page to find out more.

Once you graduate, you'll automatically receive your Alumni Network Card in the mail. The Alumni Network Card formally recognizes you as an alumnus of the best school in Romania and connects you to our expansive alumni professional network.

To join or to learn more go to www.aisb.ro/alumni AISB Alums - Closed Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2214491071/

AISB Alumni Association Facebook Official

https://www.facebook.com/AisbAlumniAssociation WORLD MAGAZINE 27

see you in London

Check the AISB Alumns Facebook page for details about the next Alumni Reunion.

We hope you can join us!

Sos. Pipera Tunari 196, Voluntari, Jud. Ilfov 077190 Romania Tel: (40 21) 204-4300 www.aisb.ro

28 WORLD MAGAZINE