Dave and Rene Fossum visited AAS

David and Rene’ Fossum were teachers at AAS from 2007 to 2011. In September they returned to the school to visit old friends and see what had changed. We were able to catch up with them and help them reminisce about happy times and get their take on the changes they saw.

How did you come to AAS in the first place?

Rene: We retired in 2007 from the public school system in the USA after teaching for 34 years and decided that it was the opportune time to fulfill a dream we’d had since college, to teach overseas in the international school system. Through some luck and good fortune we ended up in Sofia and worked there from 2007 to 2011. We can’t imagine that we would have had a better experience anywhere else.

What did you teach while you were here?

David: While at AAS, Rene’ taught 3rd and 4th grade and I was the K-12 Resource teacher. Rene’ also helped lead the HOSIC (Hands On Student Involvement Conference) program for high school students and I helped coach the high school boys and girls football and basketball teams. When we started in 2007 we only had freshman (grade 9) and sophomores (grade 10) so we sometimes had to borrow students, not necessarily athletes, from the host schools in order to have enough bodies to field a team! Regardless, we were almost always competitive. Coaching sports and groups, such as HOSIC, allowed us to get to know students we would otherwise not have the occasion with which to spend significant time. These types of experiences made for unforgettable, lifelong memories

What is your favourite memory from your time in Sofia?

Rene: There are so many experiences from our time in Sofia that make us smile that it’s hard to choose just one or two. Our shared favorites have to be the amazing sight seeing trips of Bulgaria, organized by Elena, Elka, and Krassi.

One unforgettable memory was watching students from three or four nationalities walking along with arms over each other’s shoulders talking and laughing, obviously best friends. They would often get together as families and share their cultures. Isn’t this what it’s all about?

David: One of my favorite memories is when several of us went on a hike led by Kalina. If you know her well, you know how much she loves the outdoors and is constantly hiking, rock climbing and mountain climbing. She took us to a popular destination called Seven Lakes.

Read the rest of the interview in Issue 7 of the Alumni Magazine >>