Alumni Magazine #8

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AAS

A L U M N

M A G A Z I N E

#8 a fond farewell to Jim Urquhart / london reunion / interview with Milena Slavova / Kendra Reiter / Despina Katsirouba / AAS Teacher: Michael Merrick / Barbora Šlosáriková / AAS Community / chitty chitty bang bang

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AAS

ALUMNI

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A FOND FAREWELL TO JIM URQUHART

M AGA ZINE CONTE NT S

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LONDON REUNION

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INTERVIEW WITH MILENA SLAVOVA

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KENDRA REITER

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AAS TEACHER: MICHAEL MERRICK

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DESPINA KATSIROUBA

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BARBORA ŠLOSÁRIKOVÁ

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AAS COMMUNITY

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CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

04 AAS LEADERSHIP

LEAVING THE

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

How long have you been at AAS? I have been at AAS since August 2011.

Where have you worked before AAS? Prior to serving at AAS I worked five years at the Graded School in Sao Paulo, Brazil five years at the Anglo-American School of Moscow in Russia and five years at the Colegio Internacional de Caracas, Venezuela. Before mine and my familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time in Venezuela, Russia, Brazil and Bulgaria I worked in Canada and Japan.

What will you miss most about Bulgaria?

This a difficult question because I will miss many things. I know I will not miss the turning circle by Frisomat on the ring road. In no particular order I will miss the people, the scenery, the food, the history, the surprises and the four distinct seasons. I will miss skiing in Borovets, seeing movies at Kinoarena Mladost, coaching, singing and dancing with the Spice Boys, learning Bulgarian from friends and colleagues, and eating Sunday suppers at Sage. And of course I will miss AAS and the people of AAS. What have you achieved at AAS that has made you most pleased?

AAS has successfully earned a variety of accolades and achievements this decade. I am pleased that our enrollment has grown over 60%, community perceptions of mission achievement rose from 87% to 98%, and community perceptions of program excellence rose from 78% to 94%. We have successfully completed two award winning building projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Vitosha Wing and the Rila Renaissance Centre (which house many classrooms and labs, library, gym, arts and design, theatre, makerspace, video production and offices, all to LEED Gold Certification). I am proud that our school has earned high praise during accreditation visits and reports for our academic, athletic, artistic and service achievements. I am very pleased that AAS continues to be a community that cares for each other and that students, parents and staff like coming to school each day.

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Is there anything that you wish you had been able to change or achieve at the school that you have not been able to accomplish or finish?

Upon reflection there is always more to do, more to achieve, and more to aspire to accomplish. One could go a bit crazy wondering about the “what ifs.”

Do you have a particularly fond or funny memory of your time in Bulgaria?

I am fortunate to have many fond and funny memories of my time here – too many to recount them all, that is for sure.

On a personal level many of my fondest memories involve the accomplishments of my wife, Andie and two children, Alexa (graduating class of 2017) and Jamieson (graduating class of 2019). Some funny memories include my mishaps whilst learning Bulgarian. For example, for my first two months at AAS each morning I would greet the office team by shouting a hearty, ХАЙДЕ РОБОТИ! (because when I heard people speaking Bulgarian it sounded to me that to make a plural you added a “И” at the end of the word). So each morning I thought I was saying good morning everyone, let’s work. In turn, the team would smile and laugh and greet me with a pleasant ДОБРО УТРО. Because of the pleasant smiles and laughter I thought I was really doing well with my Bulgarian, however, clearly my Bulgarian was not coming along as fast as I thought because one morning when I came into work I forgot to shout a hearty, ХАЙДЕ РОБОТИ!. Marchella, our Business Manager, came up to me on behalf of the office and said, “Jim, why no ХАЙДЕ РОБОТИ today, the team missed you saying it.” While she asked me this she was kind of smiling. I said why are you smiling so much? This is when I learnt that for me first two months at AAS I was greeting the office team by saying “Let’s go robots!”

What are your plans for the next year or two?

I am taking a sabbatical, back in Canada, for the next year or two. As of August 2019, Andie and I will be empty nesters. In August 2019, we plan on taking a leisurely drive

A A S L E A D E R S H I P 07 to the east coast of Canada to take our children, Alexa and Jamieson to university.

We will then stay in Atlantic Canada for a couple months to fix our house in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Once winter time comes, we will return to our cottage in Kenora, Ontario, wait for the ice road to go in, then tear down our ailing cottage on an island in Lake of the Woods, and build a smaller cottage that does not leak and is not a home to a wide variety of animals. In between these house works we look forward to spending time with our family and friends – playing, helping and enjoying time together. In August 2020 or August 2021, Andie and I currently plan to return to serving in international schools.

What are you most looking forward to after you leave AAS? In the more immediate future I look forward to spending time with family and friends back in Canada and having the ability to self-schedule my time for the next year or two. I also look forward to reminiscing about AAS, our home away from home – and hopefully seeing AAS Alumni at future events in London, UK, or perhaps New York, USA, or perhaps Toronto, Canada or Europe’s best capital city, Sofia, Bulgaria.

08 A LUMNI REUNI ON

LONDON Time quickly flew by and once again we were gathering with the Alumni Team to start planning the next London Reunion.

We look to change up the location every year and improve our efforts in the hope of attracting a larger audience.

This year we are especially proud as we tried something completely different. We decided to ditch the standard restaurant setting and go for something more adventurous and floatacious --> a boat!

Of course, we were a bit worried that the weather in February might not comply or that the whole idea wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out as we imagined it. Even, as the date came closer and the boat we originally planned, had to go into maintenance, we still were very excited to test out this idea!

As we were gathering the Alumni in the lobby and the boat crew was urging us to load the boat, the nervousness was growing; Will it be okay? Will people like it? Will the food be delivered as per plan?â&#x20AC;Ś.All these thoughts were running through our heads. This boat had an upper deck, which was open, meaning we had to give strict instruction to the Alumni about behaviour expectations.

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We have to say, even though there was plenty of alcohol being served on the boat, our Alumni did not disappoint us with their good behaviour!

From the getting on the boat, to the food being served, to the music and dancing and until everyone got off, the event went so smoothly that we as the organizers could actually relax and enjoy it! The weather was in our favour, so much that people were on the deck all night long! The food was ready and waiting for us and everyone enjoyed eating food such as Fish and Chips/Veggie burger/Chicken and Chipsâ&#x20AC;Śetc.

Once everyone had eaten and talked their hearts out, the dancing started. The DJ, playing anything your heart desired and with your friends dancing with you, maybe you even started reminiscing about high school clubbing nights.

Anywhere you went on the boat you saw people catching up after many years.

Eagerly listening to what their fellow friends had to share about their life and sharing all the exciting things that have happened since leaving AAS. People were

hungry for information! Everyone wanted to know what everyone had been up to!

Maybe you took a gap year, maybe you quit Uni, maybe you travelled, or started an own business. Had you moved cities or graduated from a Masters, dug into the minds of criminals or even moved in with a boyfriend, or got a pet? Or did you spend your money on clothes or were part of a start-up that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out? In our reunion all you could see is the curiosity and caringness of the former AAS students as they spent these few hours together.

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The boat started returning towards the hotel, but the vibe was going strong. Even as we docked the alumni were not ready to go their own ways. They stayed in the lobby chatting and laughing hours after we had got off the boat and long after the alumni team had gone to bed.

WAS THAT THE END?

Not reallyâ&#x20AC;Ś The next morning walking into the breakfast hall, what you saw were tables pushed together to make one giant table so all the former AAS students could sit together. As we say, once a wolf always a wolf!

We want to say thank you to all the Alumni that came out to our reunion, flying in from all over the world, to our first comers and to our loyal alumni who enjoy each one of our reunions! Until next time, adios!

Finally, a huge thank you to Jim Urquhart, one of the creators of the Alumni Reunion!

He was able to join us this year, his final year as AAS Director and we hope to see him at future reunions as an Alumni! We did thoroughly enjoy his dance moves!

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AAS THROUGH TIME FROM BEING A STUDENT TO BECOMING A TEACHER When did you come to study at AAS? Tell us more about how this happened.

I came to study at AAS last century! In 1991 I got a scholarship from the American Embassy, and moved from a bulgarian public school to AAS. The contrast between bulgarian reality and AAS at that time was significant. Bulgaria was going through a rather painful transition from communism to democracy. As a result, the early 1990’s were characterised by an extreme scarcity of food in shops, coupon system, and economic instability.

In contrast, AAS was a flourishing ‘island’, where the focus was on community building, diversity, and deep learning, rather than day to day survival. I was very fortunate to be chosen to be one of the first Bulgarians to go to AAS. What was the school like at that time?

The school was very different. It was situated in Knjazhevo. Each class level was in its own little wooden house, with a basketball court in the middle. There was also a main house, where administration and a couple of specialist classes functioned. We were like a tiny village in the middle of the forest.

The last class level was grade 8, and the number of students was probably no more than 80-90. We were like one big family!

What is your favourite memory from school?

It’s hard to identify just one memory and call it my favorite, but I’ll try. When I was in middle school we did some really interesting projects in Social Studies. For one of them, the class was split in two, and each group had to make up their own ancient civilization.

We made artifacts from clay and wood, which we later smashed and buried in the ground. Then, we had to dig out each others artifacts. Based on what we found, we had to figure out what the civilization was like- what people’s daily lives were like, what they believed in and valued, how they were governed, how they interacted with each other. It was a lot of fun! School sports activities were also a very memorable part of my time at AAS! I was on the basketball, volleyball, softball, and knowledge bowl teams.

We had some really good times, indeed!

Did you have a favourite teacher? Tell us more about them.

Oh, wow! As I said previously, I had very close relationships with most of my teachers, the school being like a second family to us. One of my favourite teachers, though, was Ms. Scott, my

A L U M N I , N O W T E A C H E R : M I L E N A S L AV O V A 1 3 ESL teacher. I felt very lost when I came to study at AAS as I didn’t know any English.

ESL classes with Ms. Scott were the only ones I felt completely safe in. She was very calm and reassuring.

Do you keep in touch with any of your classmates?

I haven’t really met any of them in a while. However, in the age of social media it’s easier to stay in touch. I do have some really good friends from middle school, who live all around the world, and we chat occasionally.

How did you come to work here after that?

After 8th grade I went back to Bulgarian public high school. Transitioning back was much more challenging than when I moved to AAS. Early morning math lessons and after school science tutoring were essential for my successful integration. I continued with my higher education and acquired a teaching degree. After teaching Kindergarten class and English in a Bulgarian public school for three years, I decided to apply here.

What did AAS teach you that is still useful in life?

My time as a student here has truly expanded my understanding and appreciation of cultural differences.

I have learned to adapt, persevere and fight for things I believe in. However, the most useful thing is probably English!

How is the school different now from the times you were a student?

As I mentioned above, the school was a lot smaller. There was no high school level and there were only two school buses!

Look through some of the old yearbooks, and you’ll get a better sense of AAS in the 90’s. One true big family!

What would you like to say to the AAS recent graduates?

I would wish them luck in all their future endeavors. They should try to keep the friendships that they have made while they were here. Hopefully, the solid base they’ve acquired at AAS will aid their future personal and academic growth.

Stay healthy, and enjoy life!

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MATHS IN THE REAL WORLD

For my masters, I wanted to do more applied, specialized mathematics. It’s essentially a course in mathematical optimization, which I think is super interesting!

What did you like and not like about your University? (Information that could be helpful for students choosing universities) I will list firstly the things I like about Jacobs University. It is a very small and international University, similar to AAS but large-scale with 100+ nationalities on campus. Fun fact: we had the largest Nepalese community outside of Nepal!

The other aspect I enjoyed was the international roommates and the campus, never more than 5 min by foot to all lectures!

Also, everything is in English and close contact with the professors, who give you early opportunities to do research and very good connections!

The downsides to the University were the fact that it was quiet expensive for Germany and it is a ‘bubble’ because everything is super close and you have 3 meals a day on campus. This means you isolate yourself a bit from society.

Another downside was the fact that because class sizes are small the diversity

KENDRA REITER, A FORMER STUDENT AT AAS, CLASS OF 2015, UPDATES US ABOUT HER LIFE. What University did you attend after AAS and what did you study?

I studied at Jacobs University Bremen, earning a Bachelor of Mathematics and I am currently studying for a Masters of Mathematics in Operations Research at Technische Universität München.

How did you choose your study?

I didn’t enjoy physics in the IB, thought engineering was too applied, and then… well, there wasn’t much else left! I always enjoyed Maths in school and I took HL Maths, also participated in Maths Counts in 8th grade.

When I moved out of uni last summer…

I drove that truck filled with all of my belongings to put them into storage while apartment hunting in Munich!

A L U M N I U P D AT E S : K E N D R A R E I T E R 1 5 new equipment, new teams and state-ofthe-art facilities. The teachers were super dedicated to teaching and helping the students, as well as encouraging to do new things and gain new experiences.

What did you learn at AAS that was useful to you later on?

The gardening club has helped me grow some plants myself!

Just that open-mindedness and intercultural awareness is super beneficial. In addition, I learned to accept all these new opportunities and try new things! We did so many new things at AAS, for CAS as activities, travelled so far – it is definitely worth continuing this!

I also started Yoga at AAS, which I’m still doing now!

Celebrating Chinese New Year, but in Germany, with my new colleagues (we made authentic Chinese Hot Pot)

in lecture offerings is small. We had almost no choice of what specialization we want to take and only 3 languages offered for German speakers.

What do you wish you had learned at AAS, or known before you left?

I wish I had learned to just to better keep in touch with friends. There is so much we can learn from one another and it’s really worth it to keep that channel of information open!

Also, to come back to Bulgaria, you have to return “home” sometimes!

But, honestly IB didn’t help me at all because my University didn’t accept it as extra credit and the first year was just hard in terms of lectures – so not much prep there.

What is it like living in Germany? (What you like and don’t like) I’m German so I may be biased :P Overall it is chill to live there, everything closes at 8pm and is closed on Sundays.

There is good access to international things, to high quality of living and good food. It is definitely more expensive than Bulgaria.

There are many young people and there is a great public transport system, both inside the cities, inter-city and international, that includes the amazing airports too. I also really enjoy the nature in Germany.

What do you miss about AAS? What I really miss about AAS is the small, tight community that we were and honestly the opportunities that were available to us. There was always enough money for

Me teaching at a Summer Camp to German students about Mathematical Finance (I was tutoring as a support to two professors who held lectures over 3-4 days)

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With Leona in Switzerland

What jobs have you done?

I worked 1.5 years at a Kiosk (Pulse Express) at Jacobs, it was on campus. I also offered private tutoring and was a tutor at University for Linear Algebra as student assistant.

Then, I did research with a professor on the topic of Industry 4.0 in Germany as teaching assistant.

I also did a 3 month internship at Deutsche Bank in the risk department and after graduating worked for 6 months as an intern at BMW in the finance and budget in the “Technishe Integration: Absicherung Gesamtfahrzeug” (production). Currently, working at Criteo in the data analytics team.

Did you enjoy the work?

I had so many opportunities to meet people of all kinds of backgrounds and loved working in different industries! Internships are really great to get to know a company/ industry. You have to push through them but it’s so worth it! Also, having work experience looks good on your CV and you can earn some money! It was nice to get to know some larger, more global companies!

I definitely enjoy an international workforce where people are at least bilingual!

My parents lived in China 2016–2018, in Chengdu (Sichuan) and I went to visit them a few times.

Must see: Pandas!

What are you up to now?

Masters and part-timing in Munich. Just started, so will be here for the next 2 years!

After then….well: the world is your oyster!

Anything interesting that has happened to you in the last few years that you want to share?

I visited Leona Repnik in Switzerland which was like a micro-AAS-reunion!

Honestly moving out and getting a new apartment in a new city! In addition, travelling a lot to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, Canada, London, etc…

Cool thing that happened was that I met Doreen Lew (Mrs. Larson) in Chengdu!!

Mr. Larson was the director of the Leman International School there while my parents were in Chengdu – also an AAS reunion, but halfway around the world!

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Me in eastern Canada

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GREENSPIRITS A VEGAN CLOTHING LINE

DESPINA KATSIROUBA, A FORMER STUDENT AT AAS, CLASS OF 2017, TELLS US ABOUT HER LIFE AND CLOTHING LINE. What University did you attend after AAS and what did you study?

After a bit of shuffling around, I decided to study at the University of Surrey and I’m currently studying Entrepreneurship as part of my Business Management course.

How did you choose your study?

Since I was young I have always been eager to bring my creative ideas to life.I have always been someone that wants to do everything and could never choose one thing to focus on. That is why I chose Entrepreneurship as my field of study because that will enable me to bring all my ideas to life in a business context.

In 10th grade after taking Geography as a course at AAS, I started to realize that I was extremely passionate about

University of Surrey

sustainability, so my university course had to be something that would enable me to literally change the world for the better.

I think business is a very broad subject that could apply to every single aspect of our lives, and you can do what you actually love for the rest of your life with a degree in business. Whether you’re into fashion, economics, the arts, sustainability or even gaming, you’re going to be able to apply the skills you learn in a good business course in the field of your interest and bring value to any company you apply to work for.

What did you like and not like about your University?

The University of Surrey is a very diverse campus which can be good and bad.

I love being able to have thought provoking questions about different cultures and our ways of living, but there are some downsides. My course is heavily focused on group-work so organising ourselves can be challenging, especially considering that there are

A L U M N I U P D AT E S : D E S P I N A K AT S I R O U B A 1 9 valuable and thought provoking each course was and you were able to personalize your classes in order to learn what you actually care about.

On the other hand, UK universities have standardized classes for your course which do not allow for tayloring your degree to your interests. However, the coursework is very similar to what I learned in the IB at AAS, which makes the study hours less, and thus you are able to focus on your interests on your free time.

One of my close friends and AAS alumni, Milla Ivanova, wearing a Green Spirits t-shirt

people that simply want a degree, and others that want to rank on top of the class. This affects the efforts each person puts and can be extremely difficult to collaborate evenly on our project.

I am very thankful for the freedom that my course allows. Unless I am studying for exams, I am able to use my time when I’m not at the lectures to grow my own side business focused on sustainable fashion, and improve on my hobbies.

How was it living in the US? And in the UK? Living in both the US and UK has had a huge impact to me as a person because of how different they were.

They US university courses are very rigorous and coursework heavy. Even though it is challenging, I loved how

What do you miss about AAS? AAS has given me a lot, and I am very thankful I got to experience the education and culture of this school.

One of the most important aspects that made AAS feel like home and that I currently miss is the community.

Everyone knew each other, we said hi to each other even outside of school and it created a safe zone that in other schools you do not have. Of course there is the usual “drama” but at the end of the day we could all rely on each other for absolutely everything, both students and teachers Even years after graduating I’m still best friends with everyone I was close to in high school. We support each other, we’re there for each other, and I would never change that for the world.

I also miss the athletics at AAS. I loved being able to “let go” for a couple of hours each day and work out not only physically but mentally.

A vegan friendly pancakes recipe I created for my Instagram and Youtube

2 0 A L U M N I U P D AT E S : D E S P I N A K AT S I R O U B A What did you learn at AAS that was useful to you later on?

All of the “cliches” we used to hear by our older friends, family and teachers came out true. It’s really hard to grasp how for example sports are going to help your teamwork or how long essays will help you be more professional in the future, but they really do.

I have come across so many people that do not know how to write a basic essay, or cite their sources, and it makes you feel very proud to be ten steps ahead of everyone else.

Yes, I have learned a lot of biology facts and can solve complex equations, but the subconscious knowledge I received throughout the 4 years of studying at AAS is truly priceless.

What do you wish you had learned at AAS? Or known before you left?

I wish I had learned more “real life” skills, like nutritional advice, money management and the basics of taxes and other bureaucratic responsibilities I had to face once out in the “real world”.

sustainable and vegan apparel called Green Spirits. The designs are focused on spreading the sustainable message and I have also had the privilege of working with Nona Dimitrova, also an AAS graduate and collaborating together on a couple of designs for Green Spirits.

In addition, I am running an Instagram blog focused on sustainable living and veganism called Learn to Love our Earth, which I have been growing for about a year now. I am also launching soon a website that will get a “go-to” for people that want to travel, shop and live sustainably with city guides and brand directories available for free to anyone.

It will also include one-on-one coaching sessions with people that are interested in transforming their everyday lives into something more eco-friendly.

One of the designs another AAS alumni, Nona Dimitrova, created for Green Spirits on printed on a sustainable hoodie made from organic cotton and recycled polyester

If you have worked what jobs have you done?

After High School I used social media as a creative outlet but it is slowly becoming more like a job. From getting brand deals with companies that align with my values to creating my own business through social media, I consider that a side job.

I also do a bit of freelancing with photography and editing, social media management, and some basic graphic design.

What are you up to now?

Right now I still have 2 years left of my course but on my free time I have started my own brand around ethical,

Find out more at www.shopgreenspirits.com

AAS TEAC HER: MIC HAEL MERRIC K 21

E X PA N S I O N O F T H E T H E AT R E P R O G R A M When did you realize you want to be an actor? What was your first acting gig?

I was 10, playing the main role in the school production of ‘Ahmet the Woodseller’… a Somali folktale that somehow became a beloved musical in U.K. schools in the 70s. Thank you BBC! What profession would you choose if you had not followed this passion for Theatre?

In the late 1980s and early 90s I was a computer programmer/systems designer, so in fact I’ve already experienced the regret of not following a passion… that time in the IT industry has been invaluable however. There is so much tech in Theatre, and thankfully none of it frightens me!

22 AAS TEAC HER: MIC HAEL MERRIC K Tell us more about your background – where are you from; what did you study; which international schools did you work at?

I grew up in Droitwich Spa in England, a small, sleepy town that one dreams of escaping (it has since grown into a satellite mega-suburb of Birmingham that I imagine residents still dream of escaping).

I’ve worked at schools in Birmingham, London and Rio de Janeiro. In Rio, I also ran an audio production company and a community theatre company… I was extremely busy in a town most people associate with a more hedonistic lifestyle.

How did you come to work at AAS Sofia?

After upgrading my teaching qualifications at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (a quick plug as an alumnus myself), I was then able to apply for international teaching jobs and met former AAS director

Leahy at a London job fair in 2010. I was intrigued having been to Greece so many times but never made it to Bulgaria.

I was especially attracted by the idea of introducing an all-new Theatre programme.

How has the Theatre program grown in recent years? What are your plans for the future?

Well, our whole Arts programme has grown so much in recent years and our focus on public outcomes means that you never need to wait for more than a week or two for a show or an exhibit. We are looking forward to introducing some performance technology electives next year, as well as major expansion in Design and Technology. We would also like to see Dance extended into the Middle School curriculum. The future is a sustainable balanced Arts programme!

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Out of these three – what do you like most – acting, teaching or directing?

Great question, luckily a theatre teacher gets to do all three. With directing you often get to do all three at the same time.

Certainly the people I have learned most from in terms of acting, teaching and directing… are directors.

What is the hardest and the most rewarding thing about your job?

The hardest thing, especially with students who perhaps think Theatre is an ‘easy’ option, is to establish a relationship in which you are able to give honest feedback. You have to care about the details out of respect for your colleagues and your audience. It is extremely rewarding to witness someone transform (themself) into a performer who will serve the needs of the group.

What in your opinion, are the most useful skills that a student can develop in Theatre class?

To know when the focus is on you and ‘deliver’ …and to realise when the focus is on someone else and support them.

What is the thing you like most about AAS? The school is never afraid to do something new, which requires creativity and collaboration. Creating new projects each year with colleagues who are not afraid to take risks in a school that grows and grows… is never boring! The opening of the Rila Renaissance Centre means more exciting times ahead for Arts and Design teams.

What are your “words of wisdom” to AAS graduates?

If you ever hear a voice in your head saying, “This isn’t really what I wanted to do with my life.” LISTEN TO YOURSELF, then act on it! … and don’t eat yellow snow!

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WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH ASD

BARBORA ŠLOSÁRIKOVÁ, A FORMER STUDENT AT AAS, CLASS OF 2015, TALKS ABOUT LIFE AFTER GRADUATION AND WORKING AS A LEARNING DIFFICULTIES ASSISTANT. My next journey after AAS was a bachelor’s degree at King’s College London. Since I graduated last summer, I’ve been living in London working as a Learning Difficulties Assistant at an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) nursery base for children aged 3 to 5 years.

I chose to study in England because many universities have great courses, make student loans available for EU students, and saw my IB qualifications as desirable.

I decided against America based on my SAT scores and the incredible cost. I wanted to go to university and become self-sufficient, which the Student Loans Company in England allowed me to do. I highly recommend this to anyone who would like to become more financially independent (from their parents) and take responsibility into their own hands; however, you will need to pay back tuition fees once you begin earning money after graduation.

When I was supposed to establish my final choices on my UCAS application,

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I had to choose between a Psychology course at UCL (University College London) and an English Language and Linguistics course at KCL (King’s College London).

At the time, I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future and AAS offered little insight into either of the fields. After much research, I chose Linguistics as it seemed more broad as a field of study. Linguistics is a social science that analyses language and communication. I was not 100% sure what the course would entail, but I knew that upon completing it I would have the options to go into PR, HR, journalism, psychology, education, etc.

It was not until I started university that I actually fell in love with linguistics, more specifically psycholinguistics, which analyses the connection between language and the human psyche. Amongst many other things, I learned about the speech patterns of psychopaths, the language of artificial intelligence, Klingon and other made up languages, various speech impediments and common disorders associated with them, first/second language acquisition and qualitative and quantitative research methods. This was the outcome of my own module choices, and many of my peers went into different fields such as language and media, marketing, analysing or teaching English, philosophy

of language or the history of human and animal communication. The great thing about university is that you choose your own classes based on your own interests.

Looking back, I was lucky I managed to get into a course that I was curious about.

I know others who decided to drop out or change course part-way through their studies because they did not enjoy it. I think it’s important to choose a course you think you’ll be passionate about even if you have no idea what to expect of it; if you do realise that it’s not for you, know that it’s ok to switch to something you find more stimulating. So my best advice for anyone that’s currently in the process of choosing a university is to do something that you will enjoy, not something anyone else wants you to do, not something that will make you more money, not just something you are good at and “have the grades for” or something that “makes sense”. Study whatever it is you want to learn more about in depth, and I assure that will bring you joy.

My faculty, of Social Science and Public Policy, was quite small and located at the Waterloo campus. When I started my course, there were only 45 people in my year, far fewer than other courses with over 300 students. The style of teaching and overall approach of the professors was very different to AAS. Lecturers would

2 6 A L U M N I U P D AT E S : B A R B O R A Š L O S Á R I K O V Á not hunt you down to help with your work, conversations outside of the lecture hall were quite infrequent; for the first time in my experience of education, the approach was very hands off and it became the responsibility of the student to get in touch and visit lecturers during their office hours.

I also had the opportunity to take some modules in the English department where the teachers were in my experience more relaxed, especially my professor who liked to take us around art galleries and end his lectures in a pub.

KCL has about 5 campuses, which was not an issue during the first year of my studies. Later however, I had lectures across two of them and it became a little more stressful to get to my classes on time.

Nevertheless, this was not a deal breaker for me as I got to walk across the river Thames, sipping my coffee and enjoyed the view of London, plus each campus of KCL is unique, some with beautiful buildings dating back to 1821. On the other hand, some of my friends were at campus universities which sometimes seemed more convenient. They had dorms, lecture halls, bars, shops and canteens all together in one area, which sounded lovely to me, yet they reported getting bored rather often. Moreover, a lot of the campus universities associated with

London like Brunel or Royal Holloway are significantly outside of London, more than two hours from the city centre, whereas KCL is in the very heart.

Perhaps the most striking similarity between KCL and AAS would be the international environment and accepting atmosphere. There were people from all over the world and I believe that the university made everyone feel welcome.

It also supports and enables many minority social groups, including for example the LGBTQ community, with gender neutral bathrooms on every floor of every building.

There were societies for pretty much anything you can imagine, for instance wine and cheese, marxism, Harry Potter, pizza, etc. It was again the responsibility of the student to go to the introductory freshers’ fair or find information on society meetings online. I was part of various societies but two of them are the most memorable.

Playing football at AAS made me want to join the women’s football team at KCL in my first year. Funnily enough, a lot of my teammates there were actually once our opponents from the ACS. The other society, which I participated in throughout my studies and still collaborate with on various projects today, is the Czech and Slovak society. I was the event officer, planning all of our charity events, parties, activities and ensuring they ran smoothly. Coming from Slovakia, it helped me get to know many Slovak people and take part in events and conferences, which was impossible while living in Bulgaria and studying at AAS. I encourage anyone and everyone to join societies because it may help you find a sense of home wherever you might be, and allow you to develop your latent interests in diverse activities in a social environment.

London is a beautiful city, despite being quite busy throughout the year and raining almost incessantly. It is filled with opportunities to learn and grow as a person. There is always a fulfilling way to spend your free time. One drawback about life in London is the fact that it’s quite an expensive city. It’s large geographically, so you end up spending lots on travel. Driving is

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expensive too thanks to congestion charges and parking. The living cost is also a lot higher than in Bulgaria, and equivalent rent will get you far less for your money as good location demands a high price. Hence, to truly enjoy the London experience and have some spending money I would recommend getting part time jobs and internships. This also turns out to be necessary experience to find employment after university, which is something many of the more privileged arrivals fail to think about until after graduating, forcing them to start their careers with very basic jobs despite holding degrees.

During my studies I had two key jobs; I was a barista at Costa Coffee which was an easy, well-paid and flexible job that worked well around my university schedule.

During the weekend, I worked in a Slovak kindergarten, supporting the development of three- and four-year-olds and learning about Early Years Foundation Stages. I loved this job because it felt like a family away from home, and one of my colleagues even turned out to be the best friend of my cousin back in Slovakia, which further demonstrates just how small the world can be. I also worked with a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder for the first time and realised that a lot of interventions I was taught in my degree are applicable and give great results, paving the way for the job I do now.

Working with children with ASD is not an easy task, but I’ve grown to be very passionate about it, especially when I see the results. Many of them are non-verbal and we communicate through Makaton (simplified sign language) and PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System).

I offer the children various therapies such as speech and language therapy and paediatric occupational therapy and Attention Autism groups. These interventions, especially when implemented early, can make a real difference to their lives and are the first step in turning them into functioning members of society. This will be the end goal for the foreseeable future, as there exists no known cure to autism at this time.

AAS taught me a lot of skills that have helped me later in life. It taught me how to write my first essays, and after the EE, my university coursework of thousands of words didn’t seem as scary. It made me want to learn more and made me wonder about the world. It has definitely opened the door to numerous possibilities for me, for which I am eternally grateful. Being part of CEESA has also brought me many networking opportunities, as lots of international school students move on to universities in England and study fascinating things. AAS showed me the importance of community, and how there is always a way to find it or create a new one, with the right support. What do I wish AAS had taught me in retrospect?

How to do my tax returns and survive Brexit, but apparently there are some things only life can teach you…

I wish everyone who is about to embark on their next journey in education the best of luck and implore them to enjoy it! Study what you want to know more about, do things that make you happy, get engaged, be active and don’t forget to smile and be kind.

28 AAS COMMUNITY

HISTORY OF

SALT STUDENT ACTIVITY LEADERSHIP TEAM In the fall of 2015, the AAS secondary school had a small, yet dedicated group of likeminded, active and enthusiastic students in eleventh grade who were beginning their International Baccalaureate (IB) studies. As a requirement for the IB diploma, students are required to participate in a certain number of hours related to CAS (Community, Action and Service). The group wanted to raise the profile of sports and activities at our school and thus, the Student Activity Leadership Team (SALT) was created. In its infancy, the group spent countless hours meeting with staff sponsors; Athletic Director, Andie Urquhart and Physical Education teacher Bastien Tremblay.

With a laundry list of initiatives and a belief in the program, the troupe met with persistence, every C day during their lunch period. They spent innumerable time developing plans, making lists, designating jobs, enlisting other community members

2019

2018 such as; the PTO, administration, local schools and student council. The focused plan was to involve as many people as possible to share their vision of elevating the level of status for sports and activities and spread the word about what it means to be a spirited WOLF and the purpose of SALT was born: The Anglo American School Student Activity Leadership Team (SALT) will serve as a bridge between the Department of Athletics/Administration and the student/ athletes at AAS. The SALT will also be involved in community efforts, activity and athletics promotion and promote unity amongst students and the various programs at AAS. This includes all the CEESA events hosted at our school, as well as events such as the music gig, the HS musical, the athletics and activities celebrations and much more.

Some further examples of student initiatives are; organizing events, designing Athletics gear, promoting Wolves host program, planning local tournaments, designing tournament t-shirts, organizing fun intramural activities to get students involved and sponsoring charity events. Members of the group dedicated their time, energy and passion to make a difference for the lives of our students. The crew meticulously planned all of the events, with every detail being thought of.

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After a few years of hard work and dedication, the team had established a unique professional identity. Our SALT group displayed a fresh perspective, as it was solely driven by student involvement. By setting a high standard for local and CEESA competitions this inspired numerous athletic directors around the region to ask to adopt our model.

Today, SALT is at the core of the CEESA Athletic and Activity Events hosted by AAS.

Under the leadership of the Athletics and Activities Director, Ms. Kylie Olsthoorn, they have helped organize and manage every CEESA competition in Sofia, from sending out letters of invitation to organizing social events, coming up with designs and assisting to both coaches and players whenever needed.

On a school level, SALT aims to organize the best possible tournaments for our teams, but it also stimulates school spirit and encourages students to support our athletic and academic teams in both their hard work and their competitions.

SALT was founded by some of our current alumni. In the beginning, it was a very small group of dedicated students. During the years, it has grown into a large organization of equally motivated students who seek to create the best events for the school community. We hope that as AAS grows, there will still be a large number of students interested in and willing to sustain the legacy of the SALT team, as it is a truly unique project, unseen at any other CEESA school.

SALT is all about working together as a team for the benefit of our fellow students.

The most amazing thing about the team is how the whole high school comes together to collaborate. Every year, we manage to achieve results that had not been previously conceivable.

All we can say is thank you to the alumni and Ms. Andie Urquhart, who helped create this organization. Also, thank you to Ms. Olsthoorn and Mr. Proulx (our staff advisors), Mr. Mitko and the rest of our SALT team for their continuous efforts in making the school a better place through the activities they organize.

MEMBER PARTICIPATION 2015–16: 6 students 2016–17: 17 students 2017–18: 17 students 2018–19: 30 students

2017

3 0 T H E AT R E P H O T O G A L L E R Y

HS MUSICAL

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