Integrating the Arts - Compass 2022

COMPASS ASALI – American Section of the Lycée International 2 bis rue du Fer à Cheval C.S. 40118 78105 St. Germain-en-Laye Cedex, France Phone – 33 1 34 51 74 85, Fax – 33 1 39 10 94 04 www.americansection.org

3 Director’s Corner “Ars Gratia Artis” 4 Lower School Integrating the Arts 6 Middle School Getting Creative with Clay Exploring Family Culture 8 Upper School Exploring the Business of Fashion Art and Creativity 10 Student Voice Friends Making Films 11 Faculty Voice Art Integration: Connecting Art and Academics 12 Students in the Arts 15 Faculty in the Arts 19 Class of 2021 University Destinations 22 Development Report 27 Alumni Focus Alumni in the Arts

The magazine is distributed without charge to current parents, alumni and former faculty and staff, and parents of alumni and other friends of the Section.

Director: Adrienne Covington (adrienne.covington@americansection.org) Editor: Margaret Jenkins (margaret.jenkins@americansection.org) Graphic Design: Karen Willcox, Margaret Jenkins Printer: Imprimerie Jasson-Taboureau Contributors: Carol Cambefort, Tifany Champouillon, Elisabeth Christensen, Adrienne Covington, Mary Diard, Jan-Willem Dikkers, Clementine Djomby, Dorian Echasseriau, Beccy Haugen, Charlotte Jarquin, Margaret Jenkins, Solmy Lee, Rebecca Lafon, Tiphène Lechleiter, Mélodie Michel, Wilhelmena Peace, Graham Speier Photography: Margaret Jenkins Illustrations: the CP, CP+, GS, and MS students Vol. 11 Number 1 Copyright 2022 by ASALI. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this magazine. If you have any questions, corrections or comments please contact the editor, Margaret Jenkins, at margaret. jenkins@americansection.org.

We provide an outstanding American educational and cultural experience within the context of the Lycée International.

Fostering intellectual curiosity and self-confidence, we help students reach their full personal and academic potential. We actively prepare students to play dynamic roles in the world by developing their leadership abilities and nurturing a sense of responsibility towards others.

Please address admissions inquiries to Director of Admissions, Lisa Stephens, at admissions@americansection.org.

“ARS GRATIA ARTIS” This year’s Compass Magazine focuses on the importance of art in education and in our daily lives, with features on alumni, faculty, staff, and current students who devote themselves to the practice of art for art’s sake. This particular focus is a departure from past issues of Compass in that a career in the arts is not necessarily one that is associated with American Section graduates. Yet as you will discover, a substantial portion of our community-inspired by the Section’s Mission to create engaged, lifelong learners--has embraced art as their way to make their mark on the world.

Human society cannot live without art. It bestows life to a community and possesses the power to ennoble both the creator and the viewer, while offering a deeper vision of the world. Art brings society to higher philosophical ground; it can hold up a mirror to society’s ills, eventually inspiring action towards correcting them. During such challenging times, the world needs art more than ever.

Those of us who work in the American Section are fervent believers in the importance of art. American pedagogy focuses on the importance of teaching the whole child, and the synapses triggered by creative imaginings can perform of good in a young person’s mind. In A creative, artistic atheworld classroom, we see the effect it has on project offers children students of all ages, and all levels. A creative, project offers children the opportunity the opportunity to learn artistic to learn something new about themselves. something new about Whether it is illustrating something from (close, studied observation is a great themselves. Whether it life way to learn more about the world around is illustrating something us) or stretching one’s imagination to create truly unique, art allows us to from life or stretching something discover a hidden part of ourselves.

one’s imagination to create something truly unique, art allows us to discover a hidden part of ourselves.

In Section, we are also advocates for the healing power of art and creating art. During these particularly challenging times, we have learned that giving our students an artistic project to complete becalms some anxious spirits and fosters mindfulness.

In addition to all the positive factors mentioned above, there’s even more good news. Recent statistics confirm that people who visit art museums, or who engage in cultural activities, enjoy better mental health than those who do not. In other words, enjoying and appreciating art is literally good for you!

So, here’s to ars gratia artis. Whether you practice art or merely appreciate it once in a while--the American Section has long recognized its redemptive hold on the human mind. I hope you enjoy this issue of Compass and the exciting articles that lie within its pages.

Adrienne W. Covington, Director

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INTEGRATING THE ARTS

Students most remember the lessons that involve more than books, paper, and pencils. Frequently, it is our projects that create the most memorable moments in an American Section Lower School education. Student work includes many forms of creative expression, such as paper bag book reports, creating book characters out of bottles, dressing up as a favorite planet and reporting on it, or integrating gestures and songs to enhance lessons. Adding a creative element to an assignement is a valuable way to enhance learning and make it more fun (see related article on page 11).

We have a fantastic art program in which students learn about line, shape, and color. They build observation skills and produce amazing work. But art in education involves much more than creating art. It is an integrated element of our curriculum, with students from first through fifth grade benefitting.

True and deep integration of the

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arts with academic learning is a powerful way to enhance student enthusiasm and improve information retention. The crux of it all is that the ‘arts’ skill is studied equally to that of the targeted academic skill.

Instead of just drawing a picture, students master the skill required to make that drawing. The depiction is then representative of academic learning.

Imagine studying the metamorphosis of a butterfly.

Then think of the powerful difference between gluing pasta to a paper plate versus dramatizing that learning through movement and dance.

Both teach the various stages of a butterfly’s life, but one is vastly more engaging, imparting a long-lasting impact on learning. Extending our level of integration, we can study the science of metamorphosis and better understand the movements and gestures that

would then be combined to perform the dramatization – a full immersion in the subject. Add a costume that represents the metamorphosis and you have a real winner.

Incorporating this type of deeper study into our sixhour per week curriculum is a real challenge and, admittedly, it does not happen every day. It takes a lot of knowledge, planning, coordination, and experience to be successful. We do a lot of our deeper integration during the Lower School’s Project Week. This dedicated week gives our students a true experience in arts integration, as they study a subject tied to a particular theme while completing a creative project that embodies the knowledge gained from the lessons.

Last year, for example, Project Week found students studying portraiture while learning about the life and artistic techniques of creators such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, or Alexander Calder. They examined works by the artist and, in so doing, were able to apply their learning to produce their own piece

of creative art in the style of the artist. This was not a lesson in copying an artist’s work. Students were tasked with using their thinking skills to make an accurate representation of themselves in the final piece. They also mastered the artistic skills involved in producing a recognizable piece of art. The finished products were amazing.

In previous years, we have studied topics such as comics and animation. Students learned about stopmotion animation and paired that with story writing.

They first prepared a storyboard and props, then, they used an iPad to make their own stop-motion video.

Once, many years ago, the theme of Project Week was water. Students studied oil spills and learned about the reactions of oil on water. Building on this knowledge, they learned to make marbled paper. Another year we learned about orchestras and conductors. Students then made costumes, dressed up as conductors, and dramatized the act of conducting.

Project Week is often one of our students best memories from their Lower School years. For over 30 years, Project Week has also allowed us to give our students a quality experience with arts integration.

Beccy Haugen, Lower School Principal

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GETTING CREATIVE WITH CLAY: PRACTICING MINDFULNESS WHILE CRACKING ANCIENT CODES As an educator and a potter in training, I love sharing my passion for ceramics with my students. There is something deeply therapeutic about molding clay. In our school context, where grades and evaluations are the driving force of a student’s life, clay provides children, who are driven by results, a way to find comfort in a process, without obsessing over the outcome.

The idea of having students work with clay came up last year during an informal conversation with my history colleague, Marisa Cavin. We were discussing the urgency of offering more creative outlets to our students, both to offset the anxiety produced by the pandemic and to benefit general pre-teen-squirreliness. Engaging in a creative activity to improve their quality of life is a recurring theme in the American Section’s health and wellness program.

While many students find time outside of school to engage in creative pursuits, in the Middle School we have come to realize that including the arts directly in the curriculum is essential. Marisa, who had previous experience working with clay in an educational setting, came up with the idea of using it to produce ancient clay tablets.

As part of their history unit on ancient Mesopotamia, our Quatrième students examined the arcane intricacies of

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cuneiform. First developed around 3200 BC to record business transactions by Sumerian scribes in present-day Iraq, cuneiform writing was formed by using a reed stylus to make wedge-shaped indentations in clay tablets. Recreating the ancient script with clay allowed students to experiment with ancient technology, and brought to life important elements of their studies of both Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.

The classroom lesson came about naturally. Students first watched a video from the curator of the British Museum, Dr. Irving Finkel. They followed up by writing down a short coded message, or their names, using a simplified version of cuneiform, then each student was given a ball of clay, a makeshift stylus, and instructions on how to create a tablet. Most of them relished the opportunity to model the clay before the actual writing part. “It is so therapeutic!”

exclaimed student Amélie Nicolas, responding to the mindfulness produced by exercising the creative part of her brain.

The workshops were deliberately planned the week before the December vacation, when students were ready and eager to release weeks of accumulated tension. And release they did! Balls of clay were slapped onto the tables and kneaded thoroughly to obtain the perfect consistency.

Some of the kids enjoyed it so much that they tried it at home. The cuneiform lesson is vivid proof of the value of combining creativity with a history lesson--a rendition of arts integration at its best.

Charlotte Jarquin, Middle School Administrator

EXPLORING FAMILY CULTURE Our Quatrième students are currently preparing the American Section’s first annual Culture Fair. This project is an innovative way to celebrate our students’ varied experiences and cultural backgrounds while simultaneously acknowledging their belonging to the greater Section community.

For the past few months, students have been researching some aspect of their family’s background and culture, such as a traditional Passover dish, Zouk music, or a chair that has been in the family since westward expansion, and are expected to find a connection to two generations other than their own. Sara Hartani, a Quatrième student declared “I have had a lot of fun working on this

project. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about my family history.

My grandmother, mother, and I had a wonderful time talking about the Yennayer (the Berber New Year).

Our discussions were fascinating!”

focal point of the project, which will be used as the background to their display.

Quatrièmes from both campuses will present their projects to their families and other guests at the firstever Culture Fair evening in March.

In addition to a short presentation and a written report, students are preparing a large white presentation board, the

Mary Diard, Head of Middle School History

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EXPLORING THE BUSINESS OF FASHION

When she arrived at the Lycée as a Seconde student, Clementine Djomby took quick stock of the school’s extracurricular offerings and found them lacking. An accomplished seamstress with a keen interest in fashion design, she makes some of her own clothes and takes design classes in her spare time. She has also been exploring trend forecasting, visual merchandising, and brand management, all key facets of the fashion business. Clementine wanted a club where creative students could delve into the tangible and the intangible aspects of fashion, and in its absence decided to simply create her own, hoping that she wasn’t the only one in the whole school interested in the fashion business. The “Club Business Mode” was born.

The purpose of the Club Business Mode is to introduce students to marketing concepts as well as creative and designing techniques. In essence, the club is an introduction to a university Fashion Business degree. It is a blend of

theoretical and practical aspects which helps members develop a better understanding of the industry. There are currently a dozen members. One student wishes to continue her studies in the fashion industry. Others are creatives and think they may study design. And finally there are those who liked the poster, came to the first meeting, and stayed, because they thought the concept was great and want to be part of the project.

As of this writing, the club is working on the creation of the Lycée International’s 70th anniversary merchandise collection, including sweatshirts, tote bags, and mugs. It is an impressive first project! From logo design to compiling and analyzing market statistics, adapting a concept to physical constraints, or simply meeting deadlines and hosting meetings, it is essentially taking club members through the whole process of small business creation. As president, Clementine hopes the project will be successful, demonstrate that the club is capable of taking on large-scale projects and open new doors in the future. She also estimates that if this

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ART AND CREATIVITY IN HISTORY CLASS year is full of excitement and creativity, the club will attract more members.

Unsurprisingly, Clementine aspires to pursue fashion business studies at university and to eventually make it her career. She is looking forward to a summer school program at l’Institut Française de la Mode in Paris. In the meantime, she is thrilled with the direction the Club Business Mode is taking, and is proud to be its founder.

“I really like convincing people, making eye-catching presentations, speaking publicly, managing groups, sewing, drawing, designing… I didn’t create

this club for my college applications.

Creating a club has just been a personal goal of mine and I am just grateful that everything is going smoothly so far.”

We’d dare say she’s on the right path.

M a r g a r e t Jenkins, Assistant Director for Development, Communications & External Relations

Art and creativity may not be the first things you think of when you think about history, but that does not mean there isn’t any room for them! To the contrary, in our history class, art and creativity are essential in some of our projects, bringing them alive in ways that not only demonstrate our historical thinking, but can help us more easily understand the important role they have played in our world.

Two specific projects come to mind when I think about art integration: the first is our Première Poetry project, where students write poems and arrange them in creative and artistic ways to enhance the meaning of those poems. I’ve had students even go so far as to draw bullets, because their poems were about battles and warfare. Another project where our creative students really shine is the Propaganda project, also in Première, where students have to make a piece of propaganda for our school. They must come up with powerful ways to convey and promote emotive reactions from either students, teachers, or parents. I’ve been truly impressed by how original and interesting some of these pieces are. It just goes to show that there is always room for creativity in all our classes and subjects, and I love being able to allow those students who excel in the arts to shine.

Graham Speier, History Teacher Sleep poster designed by Hector Acket and Antoine Corbani, Terminales Covid poster – designed by Celeste Deudon, Terminale

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FRIENDS MAKING FILMS “Quiet on the set!

Roll! Slate! And… action!” These are some of my favorite words to say.

I have been producing my own videos since primary school, actually ever since I’ve been able to hold a video camera. During my Lower and Middle School years, whenever given the choice, I opted for video as the medium for my school projects. Most of these productions featured me as a news anchor. One year, when I was in Texas over the holiday break, I used my grandfather’s university office and played a university professor helping a student with his work.

The upside of the first Covid confinement was that it gave me the opportunity to try my hand at longer films. As most people were at home during the summer of 2020, bored and looking for something to do, it was the perfect occasion for me and my friends to have a crack at it. Claire Gallet, Première, had been working on a film script about a hacker, which we decided to bring to the screen.

We recruited current and former

Lycée students as our cast and crew to produce an hour-long feature.

Everyone had an incredible time, and they were all hungry for more. So we subsequently produced a 30-minute short film about an executive who is betrayed and must fight to regain what is his during the summer of 2021.

Our cast and crew includes Première students Luc Denissel and Gabriel Esteve-Franco as well as Secondes Galadriel Baron (Ecole Diagonale), Margita Fabianke, Audrey Hart-Da Silva (Ermitage), Lili Lundy, Vanisha Mishra, Gioia and Ilay Seynaeve (NL), and Maya Vardanyan. Even though a few of these students are no longer at the Lycée, our film projects still bring us together. One day we hope to submit a short to a film festival.

While I am mostly self-taught, I have learned a lot about directing, filming, and producing thanks to YouTube and on-line articles. There’s a wealth of knowledge right there at

your fingertips. Claire and I have made the most progress in logistics and organizing. It’s quite complicated to get a film set running! But I know I still have a lot to learn. Little things matter when you are making a film -- some

well-positioned 60€ lights can make a world of difference, to say nothing of decent mikes. You can work around bad video, but bad audio will break a film! I plan to major in engineering and minor in film in university. The link between the two fields isn’t obvious, but I can’t ever see myself ever abandoning film, even if I am simply working on passion projects on the side.

We are now planning on making two films, a 10-15 minute coming of age story about someone with major anxiety and a fun 30-minute short about someone who gets sweptup into organized crime. The most amazing thing about our films is not the end-product, but the experiences the cast and crew share and the talent everyone brings to the table. From Vanisha’s acting to Maya’s artistic input, and from Galadriel’s tireless assistance to Claire’s perceptive screenwriting, everyone contributes in a meaningful way and the final result is better because of it. Moreover, we have a great time filming even during some of the more difficult scenes!

Dorian Echasseriau, Seconde

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ART INTEGRATION: CONNECTING ART AND ACADEMICS Picture yourself walking down a school hallway. From one door singing is heard. You pop your head inside and find students practicing vocabulary for an upcoming history quiz as alternative lyrics to the latest song by the artist, Adele. In a classroom across the hall, students wiggle and sway, choreographing dance movements to showcase their understanding of the digestive system. In yet another, you find students huddled together, enjoying each other’s homemade pinball machines, constructed solely out of cardboard and recycled materials, to highlight the functioning of simple machines.

This is art integration.

According to the Kennedy Center’s “Changing Education Through the Arts” program, art integration is “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. (...) a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.” Art integration allows teacher and students to look beyond the often confining and rigid walls of academics and invites them into a way of learning that can be more memorable, powerful, and meaningful. It stimulates right-brain thinkers, providing them better access to traditional academic subjects.

For example, during a third grade unit on the Human body, I wanted my students to understand the process of digestion while utilizing their bodies to express what they learned in class. Together, we discussed and practiced the Five Elements of Dance (Body, Action, Space, Time, and Energy), then they were charged with creating a dance to showcase their functioning of the digestive system. Though they were at first a bit hesitant, students were rapidly captivated and created a choreography that was both fun and enriching.

Long before concepts like “multiple intelligences theory” and “multiple-discipline education” were coined, humans intuitively used techniques that drew upon two or more regions of the brain to better retain information. Medical

students are sometimes taught an Ancient Greek method called “memory palace” where information is placed within ‘rooms’ in a mental visualization of a physical space. In a recent study, medical students who were taught the method were twice as likely to have a perfect score on a test than those not taught. In that same study, students taught a 50,000-yearold Australian aboriginal technique that incorporates “elements of placebased narrative, image, and metaphor” were three times as likely to score perfectly over the control group.* Students are more engaged in the classroom when more of their brain is engaged in learning; the arts pull students’ minds toward the creative and triggers parts of the brain that are not usually activated by pencil and paper.

When young children learn the alphabet by singing a song and following a rhythmic beat, art facilitates learning.

Why stop at the most rudimentary parts of education?

Arts integration is a technique that successful teachers have employed for thousands of years. By formalizing the concept, teachers at all levels can be more mindful about practicing these methods to enrich learning—even for advanced concepts. For instance, students analyzing the tone and mood in the novel, Don Quixote, could embody their understanding by performing a traditional flamenco dance.

Work in the 21st century is increasingly creative, and brings together multiple disciplines to address new markets and to solve new problems. Often these disciplines must be learned on the job, in the moment. Learning how to better learn and how to draw connections that are not obvious— arts integration helps students do exactly those two things!

So the next time you want your child to learn something, consider enlisting the help of an artist and marvel as they beat-box the names of the key figures in the American Revolution, or create a mural with a knight in alkaline armor trying to save a halogen princess from a dragon that breathes noble gases. Choreograph a dance for the order of operations. Design puppets and perform a show commemorating the Underground Railroad.

Now, doesn’t that sound fun?

Tifany Champouillon, Lower School Teacher * Resner, David. Australian Aboriginal techniques for memorization: Translation into a medical and allied health education setting. PLOS One. May 2021. (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal. pone.0251710)

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Maya Vardanyan, Seconde Although I’ve been drawing since I was pretty young, I only began practicing seriously at the beginning of the pandemic about two years ago, when I realized I might be interested in working in the field of animation later on.

I practice a variety of different artistic mediums, from pencil sketching, watercolor, and goauche painting, to digital art. Drawing and painting allow me to channel my inner thoughts and feelings into a tangible form. They provide me with the opportunity of creative release when school becomes overwhelming or when I simply want to relax.

Alice Wilner, Première

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Although I’ve never taken lessons, I’ve been practicing art for about nine years. I don’t have a particular style, subject, or medium. Instead, I prefer to “go with the flow” and use what comes naturally as I create. I usually lean towards graphite, color pencils, or gouache and watercolor. To me, art is relaxing. It gets my mind off things, reduces stress, and allows me to take a break from my everyday life. Apart from this, it’s also a way to exercise creativity and train my skills; it’s very satisfying to draw something from reality and have it turn out exactly like the blueprint, whether it’s a portrait or a landscape.

Zoé Ney, Troisième I’ve been playing guitar for eight years and I recently joined the school Jazz Band. Guitar offers me a chance to relax.

After a long day at school, it is really enjoyable to play my favorite song and calm down. Guitar also offers me an opportunity to concentrate and tackle challenges while learning new songs and techniques.

Clément Bouriaud, Terminale My artistic practice is the alto saxophone, which I have been playing for seven years. Having played in a band at different schools I’ve attended since 6th grade, I can definitely say it gives me energy and creates a great sense of community. The saxophone is a great instrument to express yourself, especially through playing solos. What I like to play the most is marching band and rock music.

Anne-Sophie Sarfati Rodriguez, Troisième My artistic practice is dance, more specifically, classical dance even though, over the years, I have tried most styles such as hip hop, jazz, contemporary, reggae, dance hall, and many more! I have been dancing for a decade as I started at the age of three. My level has now improved considerably, thanks to the Saint Germain Conservatoire, through which, were I to keep going for two more years, I could reach a professional level and transfer to the Opéra in Paris.

Josephine Brocas, Sixième

Dancing enhances flexibility and builds lean muscle strength, along with self-confidence. I love intricate choreography, and also enjoy the improvisation, surprises, and spectacular jumps which I incorporate into my dance routines. My favorite parts during our classes are the afterclass gossip sessions in the locker rooms and evaluations at the Theatre Alexandre Dumas, but the true moment of felicity is the year-end show, when we we perform for our proud parents and other guests.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t singing! It has always been one of my favorite things to do, and I simply cannot imagine my life without song.

I started taking formal lessons when I was in second grade, and hope to sing professionally one day. When I’m stressed out, singing calms me down.

I also enjoy drawing and sewing.

One of my friend’s mother taught me to sew four years ago. I enjoy creating much more than mending!

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Elena Durand-Georges, Terminale I’ve been drawing since I was two. I’ve done traditional art for most of my life but I really got into digital art in middle school. I taught myself how to animate in Troisième. I draw everyday, even if it’s just some light sketches or small doodles. While I mostly draw digitally, on a graphic tablet or computer, I still draw traditionally (with pencils and paper), and love both forms. I draw as much as I can in my free time, and also take art classes during the week. When I draw, I usually put on some music and just forget about everything around me. It’s like I enter this bubble where I feel safe and happy and there are no distractions. Drawing makes sense to me.

It is one of the most important parts of my life, so important that I wish to turn it into a profession. I hope to be an animator someday. I really want to be able to express stories visually and creatively and I really hope to give people that feeling of joy and amazement that I get when I myself see a beautiful piece of animation!

Féodora DouplitzkyLunati, Seconde Lucas Ebel, Cinquième I have been dancing for eight years. I practice hip hop, street jazz, tap, and contemporary. When I dance, I get a feeling that is not only fun but also a relief in the sense that all my worries slip away and the laughter and the chatter and the music just fill the room. I love it! I was selected to be a back-up dancer in the Eurovision Junior contest in December 2021. Our team came in third place overall, and was awarded first prize from the jury.

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I play the violin. I started to practice music when I was six, and now play 90 minutes every day, before and after school. I attend the Saint-Germain conservatory, where I play in the orchestra and perform chamber music. I also take music history and composition classes. I usually spend a month each summer at Interlochen music camp in the US. Music brings me a lot of joy. It is particularly demanding, but it is a form of aesthetic pleasure that is a good counterpoint to academic life, not to mention the lifelong friendships the I build in my orchestra and chamber music groups.

Lisa Demangeat Beccy Haugen What is your artistic practice? I enjoy anything that you can do with your hands. It could be drawing, painting, or even constructing something that requires power tools.

Coordinating creative thought with the eyes and hands is my happy place.

How long have you been practicing? I love to draw.

Even as a young child, I drew often. At the age of seven, my charcoal drawing of a horse head was entered in a contest at the summer day camp at our local park. I got second place. My older sister won first place. The judges thought that, surely, I had help with my drawing. At nine or ten, no one seems to remember, my charcoal drawing of the pipes under our bathroom sink was chosen for a children’s art exhibit at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was exciting to see my artwork on display.

Today, I still draw a lot, but on the Smartboard to illustrate words in first grade.

What do you get out of it? I love watercolor, collage, and coming up with new ideas for the Gala auction. I am not an expert in any one art form but I sure do enjoy learning new techniques and putting them into practice. I spend a lot of time searching on YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration and learning.

What is your artistic practice? Found object (surrealistic) sculpture How long have you been practicing? 30+ years What do you get out of it? Making connections....

Assembling found objects together is all about solving pieces to a puzzle and making connections: connections between objects, connections with my subconscious, and connections with the spectators. Because the final art piece is often an intriguing sculptural dreamscape, people share very personal responses as to what the sculptures mean to them. And that’s my very favorite connection of them all, connection to my species.

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Charlotte Jarquin What is your artistic practice? Pottery How long have you been practicing? I started attending an art school a little over a year ago and I am pursuing a professional degree.

What do you get out of it? Like so many people during the first confinement, I found myself trying different creative mediums, until I attended a wheel throwing workshop and fell in love with the process. I found myself fully immersed in the creative moment and it helped me find a balance among the other aspects of my life. It was as simple as throwing a piece of clay on the pottery wheel and trying to find its center.

The French expression “ça ne tourne pas rond” when indicating that something is not right or does not work, took on a brand new meaning for me. Finding balance in my life started with taking time out for myself alone, and making something with my own hands.

Margaret Jenkins What is your artistic practice? Painting, sculpture, framing, print-making, needle arts…

How long have you been practicing? My whole life.

What do you get out of it? I’ve been creating things as long as I can remember. I designed my own paper dolls in primary school and moved to cross-stitch, embroidery, and quilting in my teens. When my kids were little, I sewed fabulous costumes out of repurposed thrift store finds. The long, lonely days of confinement pushed me to practice art regularly. I’ve recently been enjoying mixed media collage and watercolor, and hope one day to have a studio where I can create sculptures from scrap metal (I did an intensive class a few summers ago and loved it).

For me it is about getting into a state of flow, and letting things happen intuitively. I lose track of time, something that never happens when I’m doing other things! Creating art helps me find my center.

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Marisa Cavin What is your artistic practice? Hand embroidery How long have you been practicing? Not long! I picked it up during one of the lockdowns, and in true ADHD fashion - fell down the rabbit hole!

What do you get out of it? While I’ve also been interested in handicraft, hobbies like crossstitching and knitting took way too much attention as there’s an awful lot of counting that goes on.

I became so enamored with embroidery because it’s like drawing or painting with thread! The actual act of using my hands in such a productive way is incredibly therapeutic, and something I enjoy doing while also engaged in other activities such as watching tv or chatting with others. A mindful way of keeping my hands busy, calming that anxious side of my brain, and creating something imaginative out of thread alone is a pretty wonderful way to spend my time.

Alice Lamy What is your artistic practice? 2D visual art.

How long have you been practicing? My whole life.

What do you get out of it? I’ve been doing 2D visual art since my parents bought me my first set of Crayola Crayons. “Making pictures” has remained an integral part of who I am. I became a properly committed artist in young adulthood, and still strive today to NOT take myself seriously, reserving that for my work. My art is a way of being. It is not the only creative activity I do, but my visual art permeates the way I feel and think about life, death, and all those other sticky bits in between.

Douglas PennerLacompte What is your artistic practice?

I enjoy a variety of painting techniques: acrylic, oil, mixed media, collage.

How long have you been practicing? I began taking evening art classes about seven years ago. I went to university with the intent of pursuing a graphic art degree, but abandoned that for teaching.

What do you get out of it? Painting challenges me to see the world differently, and allows me to think differently. As a teacher, it is good to be reminded of the difficulty and persistence that is needed to make a piece “work.” I am similar to my students when they, too, must struggle to solve a problem, so I’d like to think this makes me more sensitive to their own learning frustrations.

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Ang Sheldrake Laurence Le Caignec What is your artistic practice? Mosaic How long have you been practicing? I have been taking mosaic classes for the past 10 years with an amazing artist who is also fantastic at fostering a warm and friendly atmosphere at the workshop.

What do you get out of it? Mosaic combines the pleasure of creation, of playing with the colors and textures of the stone and glass and other materials to be cut into tesserae, with the satisfaction of mastering the cutting techniques. I enjoy forgetting everything outside of working on the piece itself, and emerging hours later with a fresh, relaxed mind.

Graham Speier What is your artistic practice?

I play guitar.

How long have you been practicing? More than 20 years now!

What do you get out of it? Music allows me to lose myself and without music I would be lost.

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C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

What is your artistic practice?

Oil painting, poetry, folk music How long have you been practicing?

20 years What do you get out of it?

The various media of expression are closely linked! Both the creator and the observer are involved in a feeling or thought at once removed from their ‘regular’ state and experience something that may, even for a moment, take them to some other remote part of their heart or mind they hadn’t previously considered or felt.

Look at the poem or dance as a map, guiding you towards the secrets of your own ethos. Look at the drawing as a guide to your dreams. The song has so much empathy. It knows you better than you do.

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021 The class of 2021 spent its entire Terminale year navigating the repercussions from the Covid pandemic. Demi-jauge measures necessitated online lessons at least once a week, activities were curtailed, and trips canceled. Baccalaureat exams were either converted to contrôle continu or modified at the last minute. We were therefore determined to give our graduates some festive celebratory moments to conclude their ultimate year at the Lycée. A proper prom wasn’t in the cards, so the Student Council organized a memorable inschool event, complete with prom finery, and goody bags for all Lycée Terminales, colorful decorations, and photo-booths to capture the occasion.

“Our tool boxes are filled with all we need to survive. We have an education, we have opportunities, we have privilege, we have ambition, and we have dreams, combined with passion and optimism, we have a plan.”

As for the graduation ceremony, we arranged a moving masked outdoor ceremony with just two guests per graduate. It was such a pleasure to be reunited to celebrate the tenacious class of 2021 that we (almost) didn’t miss the champagne toast!

Excerpt from graduation speech Nadia Hua ‘21

Class of 2021 University Destinations France: 25 * Dauphine PSL - London * ELSIV La Défense * Ecole Polytechnique B Sc * EDHEC BBA Global Business * EPITA (Anglophone track) * ESCP Europe BBA, London-Madrid-Paris * ESTACA ecole d’ingénieur * Lycée Blaise Pascal * Lycée Janson de Sailly * Lycée La Bruyère *Lycée Les Chartreux, Lyon * Lycée Notre Dame de Grandchamp * Lycée Ste. Geneviève (5)

* Sciences Po Paris * Université de Parismedicine (2) * University of FlorenceSorbonne dual law degree * Université de Nanterre, law CANADA: 10 * Concordia University * Huron University College, Western University * McGill University (6) * University of Toronto * York University

USA: 4 *Bryn Mawr College, PA *Eckerd College, FL *Wellesley College (2) UK & Ireland: 8 * Dauphine London * University of Bath * ESCP Europe BBA,LondonMadrid-Paris * Loughborough University * University College Dublin (2) * University College London (2) CONTINENTAL EUROPE: 13 *University of Amsterdam *Bocconi University, Milan

*EPFL Lausanne * Erasmus University Rotterdam (2) * ESADE Business School, Barcelona (2) * IE University, Spain * Leiden University College * LUISS School of Social Sciences, Rome * Maastricht University School of Medicine * University College Utrecht * University of FlorenceSorbonne dual law degree * Wageningen University and Research, NL

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Mentions, Class of 2021 number

%

Felicitations du Jury

6

10%

Très bien

25

43%

“Growing up together has been the greatest blessing.”

Bien

22

38%

Excerpt from graduation speech: Benedict Van den bussch ‘21

Assez bien

3

5%

No mention

2

3%

“Try not to be intellectually lazy: the reality of things is inevitably more nuanced, complex, riddled with human error and neglect than it appears at a cursory glance. Outrage and cynicism are too easy. Understanding and “unteasing” the knotty realities takes first-rate minds. What may seem tantalizing, spicy, and simple to examine is usually specious (Wordly Wise word!).

“A comforting, over-arching unified field theory that explains all of history, current events, social trends, past assassinations, AND UFOs is, well… unlikely. In knowledge--as in friendship or love — that which is had too easily is usually not worth having. So go deep!”

Andrew McGovern, Head of Upper School English

University Destinations of American Section Graduates:

20

10 Year Total

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

England

152

6

12

27

14

19

19

25

17

9

4

France

150

25

17

8

15

16

11

11

8

16

23

USA

97

4

7

5

6

7

15

15

10

14

14

Canada

63

10

7

9

4

9

6

3

2

8

5

Netherlands

35

7

3

1

8

1

4

4

4

3

Gap Year

14

2

1

3

2

2

2

2

Ireland

12

2

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

Switzerland

10

1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

Scotland

6

Spain

6

3

Italy

2

2

Singapore

2

Denmark

1

1

Malta

1

1

Australia

1

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

1

2

2 1

1

1

1

2

1

Evolution of mentions in the American Section 2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Très bien

53%

67%

56%

59%

40%

41%

49%

49%

44%

31%

Bien

38%

24%

29%

20%

40%

41%

47%

39%

37%

56%

Assez bien

5%

9%

14%

15%

20%

15%

11%

10%

19%

9%

No Mention

3%

0%

2%

6%

0%

3%

2%

2%

0%

4%

“If COVID has taught us anything, it is that human interactions, once made rare, become incredibly precious. As one student acknowledged in her college essay this year, in much too elegant French to survive translation, la joie profonde que je qualifierais ‘d’authentique,’ celle qui me remplit d’une paix intérieure, ne vient pas de moi mais des autres, dans une rencontre qui donne de grandir.

“So cherish the community you’ve made here, even as you venture forth to explore the new worlds that await you—if past experience is any guide, ten years from now, some of your best friends will still be the people sitting right here.”

Catherine Boalch, University Counselor & Head of Upper School History

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KEY STATISTICS 2020-2021 Total Fundraising Income: 80,314€ The American Section raised more Total Annual Fund Income: 58,445€ than 80,000€ as a result of its dedicated (includes Annual Fund, Raise the Paddle, and fundraising efforts in 2020-2021, mainly Senior Class Gift) through the Annual Fund and the Gala.

Average Annual Fund Donation: 281€ Significantly, community participation rates in fundraising this year were very high: with 100% participation rate by trustees, faculty, and staff, 91% by the Terminale DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE class, and a family participation rate of 39%. On behalf of ASALI, I would like to thank the parents, (OVER 2500€) grandparents, members of faculty and staff, and Lorna and Frank COLARUSSO* Camille and Baudouin CORMAN alumni listed on these pages for their generous Pascal DURAND and Louis-François gifts to the American Section. Thanks to their GOMBERT support, our school continues to provide our students with an outstanding American educational experience in a multi-cultural environment, teaching them ASALI BENEFACTORS crucial life-long skills they will take with them wherever they go.

This result is particularly significant given the fact that for the first time in (1000€ TO 2499€) American Section history, one of our major fundraising and social events, the Ian BURDON and Laurence CAPELLI Gala, took place virtually. Indeed, while the American Section had to scale back BURDON its fundraising activities to conform to sanitary regulations, the Development Carol and Pierre CAMBEFORT Committee took this as an opportunity to find new ways to increase participation Tara PATEL and Eric DESBLANCS* in this event. From the comfort and safety of home, families tuned in to watch Edeltraud and Jason FABIANKE the online celebration and shared in their collective pride and support for the Cédric and Marisa FONTENIT American Section. Consequently, participation rates at the celebration were higher Elizabeth and Arnaud GUERIN than expected resulting in significant donations.

Nora and Stephane HUSSON These contributions provide essential resources for key programs and Evelyn CHIEN and Ken LIN enhancements in the American Section--such as financial aid, the many coKatie and Jean-Christophe MIESZALA curriculars offered to our students, library and technological resources, summer Stéphanie ANDRIEUX and Keith NEY scholarships, guest speakers and visiting authors. This year, in line with the Evialina SHALIMAVA ROBIN and Xavier American Section’s strategic plan initiatives, the focus will be to further strengthen ROBIN the student health and well-being program, ensuring our students and families Caroline and Nicolas ROUSSEAU have the resources to manage the challenges they face in these uncertain times.

Robert and Yuko SPRUNG Please know that every donation, no matter the amount, contributes directly or Christophe and Martine VOLARD indirectly to strengthening the educational experience for every student in the *Alumni or Alumni Parent Donors American Section. In gratitude to the many benefactors to the American Section, please allow me to again thank you for your continued support for our school.

Carol Cambefort President, American Section Board of Trustees

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C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

ANNUAL FUND PARTICIPATION RATES 100%

100%

Board

Faculty & Staff

91%

Terminale class

39% Family

COMMUNITY BUILDERS (500€ TO 999€)

Marie-Josephe and John ANDERSON Jacques and Fabienne ASCHENBROICH* Stamatia NIKOLAKAKIS AZAR and Joseph AZAR Elena BARBULESCU and Jean François CHATAIN Sandrine JALLON-COURDUROUX and Pierre COURDUROUX Marie Adeline NEVES and Bruno COUTINHO Nicky and Eric DOLADILLE Mireille FRANCO and Jose ESTEVE OTEGUI Sabrina LOI and Marc FOURNIER* Matthieu GOULAY and Christine DRISCOLL GOULAY Helen and Tom HICKEY Christelle and Raphael LLOBREGAT Nora and Guy MULLER Annelise and Jean-Paul RIVAL Beth PAUL SAUNIER and Maël SAUNIER Nathalie and Stéphane SOUCHET Iliana RODRIGUEZ and Santiago VIZCAINO

SECTION PARTNERS (250€ TO 499€)

Mary and Jerome ADAMY Yasmin and Francesco BALLARIN* Mui Gek and Olivier BARON Steven BERZIN* Agathe and Pascal BONEU Emmanuelle GRELIER and Samuel BONAMIGO Elise BREFFORT FERRAND and Guillaume BREFFORT Mandana ZAVOSH and Rodolphe BRUMM

Lise HARTMAN and Bertrand DE FOUCHIER* Laure DEMEESTER Judith ROSARIO and Marc DENISSEL Matthew and Gwenola DOCKINS Karine DOUPLITZKY and Thierry LUNATI Caitlin ECHASSERIAU Catherine and Bill FAHBER Sharon and Marc FISCHLI Kate SPENCER and Michael FLEMING Muriel ESCOLA-FLOCH and Ronan FLOCH Laure and Antoine GENEVOIS Anne-Laure and Toni GIUSTINI* Violaine GOMAR and Laurent BENSUSSAN Kimberly MOCK and Nordine HACHEMI* Laure-Elise and Fabrice LEBEAU Anne-Laure and Francois LEFEBVRE Ana Cristina and Olivier MENARD Lennys and Giorgio MILANO Anne and Sean MULLEN Paul and Martina NAVRATIL Anne-Hélène and Mark O’MALLEY Carolyn and Eric PENOT Jennifer DALRYMPLE and Luis ROTH* Laura MONROE SINGER and JeanMarie SINGER Thirawan STYLEMANS Marlène PANES VIVEROS and Philippe TORDOIR Olivia and Pierre VANHOUTTE Laurence and Olivier VENENCIE Livia and Andre VINCENT Lorraine and Paul WHITFIELD 2 anonymous donors

DONATION INCOME 2020 - 2021 Misc.1,656€ Gala Corporate Sponsoring 7,017€

Fundraising Gala; 21,166€

Club International Events; 3,716€

FoASALI Donations; 6,259€

Annual Fund; 56,612€

SENIOR CLASS GIFT Noa, Yamina, and Stephane AUDETAT Magdalena, Xavier, and Beata BERTIN Elisa, Marine, and Alexis BLANCHET Paul, Agathe, and Pascal BONEU Nadia and Olivier HUA, Dana BOUSQUET Juliette BRAUN and Laure DEMEESTER Lucien, Frederic, and Kathleen BUHR Charlotte and Ian BURDON, Laurence CAPELLI BURDON Lucy, Carol, and Pierre CAMBEFORT Jeanne and Benoît CHAMPION, Delphine LALIZOUT Luke, Nicky, and Eric DOLADILLE Matthieu, Jenny, and Gilles DU CREST Juliette, Valérie, and Anthony EAGLETON Enys and Mehdi ELHAOUSSINE, Sonia MADJERI Alysson and Thomas FISCHER, Michelle BROWN Thomas and Marie-Laure GASTELLU Amalia and Aymeric GAUFROY, Sylvie PENA-GAUFROY Nicolas, Sophie, and Laurent GILHODES Marc, Marie-Laure, and Claude GRISEZ Louis, Vincent, and Peggy GUERANDEL Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Arnaud GUERIN Stella, Stephanie, and Yann JONVILLE Sonia, Catherine, and Rajesh KRISHNAMURTHY Tanis, Geraldine, and Peter LASH Thalia, Marie, and Thierry LETRILLIART Camille, Ilona, and Brian LOCKHART Maïa, Susan, and Fabien LUNDY Adeline and John MATHIEU Jana and Andrew MCGOVERN Elisa, Ana Cristina, and Olivier MENARD Marie, Anne-Hélène, and Mark O’MALLEY Noa and Xavier OLIEL, Janelle WATERSOLIEL Tom, Catherine, and Jean-Christophe PANDOLFI Pedro, Isabelle, and Ricardo SANCHEZMORENO Sydney, Naida, and Stan SIMOTA Julie, Nathalie, and Stéphane SOUCHET Chloé and Thirawan STYLEMANS Louis and Gary THOMPSON, Emmanuelle LIOUSSE George, Sharon, and George THOMPSTONE Adrien, Nathalie, and Antoine TIRARD Raphaël, Frédérique, and Olivier TIREAU Pauline, Nancy, and Alexandre TREMBLOT DE LA CROIX Bénédict and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE, Emmanuelle RICARD Philippe, Liliana, and Eric VERNIAUT Louis, Christophe, and Martine VOLARD

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PROGRAM SUPPORTERS (UP TO 249€)

Marta SABAN and Lucas ARANGUENA Yamina and Stephane AUDETAT Femina AFFANDI-BAUDOT and Gautier BAUDOT Stéphane BELON and Kimberly MURPHY Alexia CASSIMATIS and JeanPierre BERROD Xavier and Beata BERTIN Patrizia RAMONDA and Vincent BILLY Marine and Alexis BLANCHET Catherine and Philip BOALCH Vincent BORDMANN and Delphine MONTAZEAUD Ting WU and Denis BORTZMEYER

Caroline and Axel BRACHET* Frederic and Kathleen BUHR Ashinsa BOPEARACHCHI and Cyril CAVALIE Marisa CAVIN Lea and Laurent CHAMBAUDBOUDET Benoît CHAMPION and Delphine LALIZOUT Tifany and Nathan CHAMPOUILLON Ann and Christophe CHAUVEL-GOBIN Hélène and Chris CLARK* Tonio COLONNA* Sharon and Christophe COMTE Adrienne and Richard COVINGTON* Amy and Philippe CRIST Anthony and Juliette DELAMOTTE Lisa DEMANGEAT

Sophie DEUTSCH and Alain ROLLAND Mary and Emmanuel DIARD Kathleen and Gaël DOMINIQUE Guotao TIAN and Feng DONG Jenny and Gilles DU CREST Garima and Piyush DWIVEDA Sonia MADJERI and Mehdi ELHAOUSSINE Laure and Guillaume FAURE Samira and Frank FEMIA Michelle BROWN and Thomas FISCHER Mary FRIEL* Sophie GALLET-PONTHIER and John GALLET Mariana CHETEREVA and Ivaylo GANCHEV Thomas and Almenia GARVEY Marie-Laure GASTELLU Sylvie PENA-GAUFROY and Aymeric GAUFROY* Hugues and Caroline GERARD

5 YEAR CONSECUTIVE DONORS Marilyn GELLNER and Thorkild AARUP Marie-Josephe and John ANDERSON Jacques and Fabienne ASCHENBROICH Yasmin and Francesco BALLARIN Mui Geh and Olivier BARON Carol and Pierre CAMBEFORT Camille and Baudouin CORMAN Richard and Adrienne COVINGTON Karl COX Tara PATEL and Eric DESBLANCS Nicky and Eric DOLADILLE Kathleen and Gaël DOMINIQUE Catherine and Bill FAHBER Mireille FRANCO and Jose ESTEVE OTEGUI Michelle BROWN and Thomas FISCHER Sharon and Marc FISCHLI Muriel ESCOLA-FLOCH and Ronan FLOCH Elizabeth and Arnaud GUERIN Kim MURPHY and Brahim HALMAOUI Stuart and Beccy HAUGEN Helen and Tom HICKEY Nora and Stephane HUSSON Margaret JENKINS Emmanuel and Ashlie KASPEREIT Cécile and Arnaud LE TIRAN Bold - 10 year Consecutive Donor

24

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Christelle and Raphael LLOBREGAT Caroline and Richard MARSHALL Andrew MCGOVERN Katie and Jean-Christophe MIESZALA Laure and Jacques MULBERT Isabelle and Douglas PENNER-LACOMPTE Carolyn and Eric PENOT Annelise and Jean-Paul RIVAL Jennifer DALRYMPLE and Luis ROTH Rachel LUPIANI and Xavier SIMLER Laura MONROE SINGER and Jean-Marie SINGER Nathalie and Stéphane SOUCHET Thirawan STYLEMANS Frédérique and Olivier TIREAU Marlène PANES VIVEROS and Philippe TORDOIR Beth PAUL-SAUNIER and Maël SAUNIER Lisa STEPHENS Emmanuelle RICARD and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE Christophe and Martine VOLARD Anne-Claire PAILLE and Guillaume VUILLARDOT Lorraine and Paul WHITFIELD Chrystele and Mark WINDRIDGE

Sophie and Laurent GILHODES Marie Laure and Claude GRISEZ Vincent and Peggy GUERANDEL Muriel and Thierry GUILLAUME Kim MURPHY and Brahim HALMAOUI Cécile and Hsin Hau HANNA Beccy and Stuart HAUGEN* Christina HAUSER Isabelle and Thierry HERNUSFEIR Michelle HOFFMAN Olivier HUA and Dana BOUSQUET Charlotte JARQUIN* Margaret JENKINS* Naoual BELLAGQIH and Tarik JKINI Stephanie and Yann JONVILLE Eun and Xavier JOSEPH Alice and Emmanuel JOUSSELLIN Perrine and Sébastien JOUVIN Emmanuel and Ashlie KASPEREIT Catherine and Rajesh KRISHNAMURTHY Alice LAMY* Geraldine and Peter LASH Claude and Eric LAVAUD Laurence LE CAIGNEC* Hélène LE SAOUT-CAO and Ronan LE SAOUT Cécile and Arnaud LE TIRAN Marie and Thierry LETRILLIART Oksana VOITENKO and Oleksii LIAKHOVETSKI Jacinthe BRILLET and Antoine LIMAGNE Ilona and Brian LOCKHART Susan and Fabien LUNDY Skye MacKENZIE Alice and Vincent MAFAITY Caroline and Richard MARSHALL Sanaa BOUGAZZOUL and Issam MARZAQ Adeline and John MATHIEU

Friends of ASALI Board 2020-2021

WHERE DONATIONS ARE BEING SPENT 2020-21 Fundraising Administrative Costs – 15,000€ Financial Aid – 40,000€

Library – 15.372€

Strategic Plan Initiatives; 14,300€

Scholarships 11,000€

Pastoral Care – 10,000€ SAT Classes – 600€

Student Awards – 6,500€

Curriculum Mapping – 3,700€

Donation of Gala Auction Proceeds – 2,000€

Technology Upgrade 50.952€ Classroom Technology Upgrade Zoom – 2,700€ Turnitin – 3,400€ Roblox – 4,000€

Ludovic MAUPAIN and Colette MORAN Andrew McGOVERN* Daminica and Patrick McPHILLIPS Alexandre-Pierre and Fabienne MERY Ryma BOUCHAREB and Adnane MEZIANE Michele and Guy MORGAN Karine and Jerome NICOLAS Delphine LARGETEAU and Jean-Luc NOCCA Catherine and Jean-Christophe PANDOLFI Morten and Annie PEDERSEN Isabelle and Douglas PENNER-LACOMPTE* Nathalie VAISSAUD POUDENS and Olivier POUDENS Alexia and Pierre-Yves PROST Fanny RAT-FEREL and Fabien RAT Hasina and Thierry RAVOAJA Reza and Anahita REYHANI Janet and Bernard RUBINSTEIN* Isabelle and Ricardo SANCHEZ-MORENO Sean SARFATI and Maria RODRIQUEZ Sabine KENNEDY-SAYAG and Hugo SAYAG George SHANTZEK and Valérie BENZAQUINE

Lower School Classroom Renovations – 12,000€

Marcel Roby Classroom Renovations – 4,177€

Sara and Amir SHARIFI Rachel LUPIANI and Xavier SIMLER Naida and Stan SIMOTA Sara and Trevor SNYDER Isabelle SOLAL* Graham SPEIER Lisa STEPHENS* Gary THOMPSON and Emmanuelle LIOUSSE Sharon and George THOMPSTONE Nathalie and Antoine TIRARD Frédérique and Olivier TIREAU Nancy and Alexandre TREMBLOT DE LA CROIX Ursula NICOLAU and Antoine TREPANT Christian VACHON Emmanuelle RICARD and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE Mikayel VARDANYAN and Nara MATINYAN Liliana and Eric VERNIAUT Anne-Claire PAILLE and Guillaume VUILLARDOT Xavier OLIEL and Janelle WATERS-OLIEL James CHO and Ursula WELLEN Chrystele and Mark WINDRIDGE Shelley ROBERTS and Simon YARWOOD 5 anonymous donors

OFFICERS President: Lorna Neligan Colarusso Vice President: Alexi Remnek ‘87 Treasurer: Felix Tabary ‘10 Secretary: Leigh Schlegel

MEMBERS AT LARGE Evelyne Pinard David Renard ‘91 Elizabeth Sheehan

We thank Friends of ASALI for their generous support of our Summer Awards program.

The Friends of the Association de la Section Américaine du Lycée International (FoASALI) is a non-profit organization composed of former American Section students and parents. FoASALI’s purpose is twofold.

The first is to act as the American Section’s philanthropic arm in the United States, participating in the Section’s development by funding specific projects, namely program enhancements that advance the mission statement. FoASALI’s second objective is to provide networkingrelated activities for the American Section’s alumni community. Anyone wishing to get involved or build his or her American Section network, please let us know at foasali1@gmail.com.

Lorna Colarusso, President

I N T E G RAT I N G T H E A RTS

25

Total Gala Proceeds: 33,422€ Online and Live Auctions: 16,888€ Raise the Paddle Donations: 12,688€ A Night In, our 2021 fundraising event, was a vivid illustration of the American Section’s closeknit community.

One of the most memorable moments of this virtual Gala was the kick-off itself, when the waiting room opened and guests started popping onto Zoom screens. We tuned in from over 160 different screens, in 160 different homes, yet the sense of togetherness was palpable. To add to the festive ambience, there were scores of students in attendance, visibly excited about participating in their first gala!

Gold Sponsors (2,500€+) Poconos Springs Camp Silver Sponsors (1,000€+) Camp Cody Dior Shiseido Emea Benefactor (700€+) Robert & Yuko Sprung

26

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Earlier that day, 220 gourmet meals were delivered via six pickup locations in St. Germain and the surrounding towns. Families enjoyed their dinners while watching a fabulous

to the members of “A Night In” Gala Committee: Alina Almiri, Fabienne Aschenbroich, Caroline Brachet, Agnès Catton, Sandrine Jallon-Courduroux, Kimberly Mock, Kim Murphy, Marie

program of entertainment, including four different musical numbers, a caricaturist drawing live portraits, and an astonishing magic show. During the last portion of the evening, guests moved in and out of “breakout tables,” chatting with each other until the wee hours of the morning. There was even a “dance room!” We would like to thank the many members of our community who contributed to this unique fundraiser. Be it making or facilitating auction donations, volunteering skills and time, curating a class basket, or packaging and distributing gourmet dinners, the gala was made possible by the efforts of many.

A special note of thanks to the Section’s Faculty and Staff who so generously contributed their time and talent to the auction. Finally, kudos

Neves, Annie Pedersen, and Pauline Warneck. They were assisted by Robert Sprung and Frederique Tireau.

The funds raised at the Gala and our Annual Fund will enable us to invest in programs and projects not covered by tuition, including classroom technology, financial aid, global citizenship endeavors, and the classroom renovation project. Every € raised directly benefits our students.

On their behalf, we thank everyone who took part in this atypical fundraising event!

Partner (300€+) American Library of Paris 1Food1Me ASF Pilates Raynald Baïa Isabelle Bardoux Mui Gek Baron Big Apple Yoga La Boutique du Vélo Katie Buhr

Margaret Jenkins Assistant Director for Development, Communications, and External Relations

Jérémie Castin La Cave du Vieil Abreuvoir Sharon Chan Comte Dharma Yoga Eclat de Verre Golf de Fourqueux Sophie Jaeger Peggy Lapierre Metal Works Club du Bienêtre

Mike Patrick Ysra Prietzel Sandrine Roussel SAME Club Simply French Online Talisman B&B Liliana Verniaut Christine Washington Woods Huston Tax Services Diane Wu

Alumni in the Arts Wilhelmina Peace ‘08 When did you attend the Lycée International? I began at the Lycée International in 1996 at the tender age of six.

I graduated in 2008, after a very challenging few years preparing for the behemoth of the Bac. Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée. I took a gap year after graduation and worked in a café in the heart of Paris. I then relocated to Belfast to study cultural anthropology at Queens University. Shortly after getting my Bachelor’s degree, I found out I was pregnant. My son Silas came to me as a blessing and a bomb. I spent nearly all my 20s raising him, taking on odd hospitality jobs and trying to tune out the destructive relationship I had with his father. In the midst of this, I came to the blinding realization that I wanted to be an artist. I began to treat my arts practice as an actual job, despite the fact that it brought me zero financial income.

Any chance I got, I was either drawing or learning about art. Very slowly, I built up my skills and my confidence and began to submit my works to group shows. I started working in Belfast’s Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) so I could be immersed in art. After building up a substantial body of work, I was accepted to the Fine Arts program at Ulster University and quickly gravitated towards printmaking. Around the same time, serendipity led me to become part of an incredible artist community in the heart of Belfast called Vault Artist Studios. When I began to lean more into my arts practice, I finally had the strength to end my very broken relationship. Although I had vowed to give love a rest, I met someone who opened my heart again and empowered me to embrace my creative potential to its fullest. We now have a little baby boy named Ilan who is the incarnation of bliss.

What is your current profession? What in particular do you enjoy about your field? The umbrella term for what I do is “freelance visual artist.” I necessarily have to create my own opportunities if I am to stay afloat. For example, I’ve created independent art courses, given workshops from my studio, made art for festivals, designed posters, illustrated book covers, sold work at markets and fairs, and submitted my work to galleries. Being freelance means you have to be incredibly outgoing and organized, and this is even more true when you are an artist. The business of being an artist can be divided into three strands. The first is creating new, exciting and challenging bodies of work. The second is sharing your work and skills through galleries, social media, shows and fairs as well as teaching courses, giving “artist talks” and facilitating workshops. The final component is writing up funding applications. Where I am, based in the UK,

there are countless opportunities to apply for government or arts council funds. These provide the money for me to buy materials and equipment, create new projects, and experiment with new ideas and collaborations.

I can’t pinpoint when my interest in art started because it has always been there. I can, however, summon a couple of instances when I met the right people in the right place that catapulted me in exactly the right direction. I formed some valuable connections at mother and toddler groups in Belfast.

One artist mother invited me to the Vault when it was still in its embryonic state and I have been devoted to this creative community ever since.

Another time I volunteered in a printmaking workshop outside of the city. I volunteered because I thought it would allow me to get my foot in the door, network, learn tricks of the trade, have access to equipment, help on various projects, and steep in a world that I was certain I wanted to be part of. This proved to be a very wise move because in addition to all the above, it has also put me on the radar and offered me exciting new opportunities to work with local schools.

I enjoy absolutely everything about my work but if I had to pick one thing in particular, it would be the perpetual dance between solitude and sociability. Both are necessary to my practice as an artist and I enjoy trying to find a balance between the two.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? I think about this question a lot. I have absolutely no regrets about my kids, but I must say to the young adults and teenagers reading this (parenthood spoiler): it’s hard. So hard. Give yourself the chance to grow and make mistakes.

Otherwise you’ll make them while running after a toddler. As for me, I guess I really could not have done this any other way. Every choice I made, the good ones, the bad ones, the ugly ones...they all brought me to who I am today and for that I am grateful. Most of life’s defining lessons are learnt the hard way. But I repeat to all you young readers, just wait before committing to parenthood.

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices?

In the classroom, I learned how to write, how to think critically about a piece of work or a historical event, how to dissect a question in order to answer it pertinently, how to fall in love with literature, and how to present information and material in an engaging way. Learning how to write a proper essay can seem tedious and aggravating, but I am so glad I picked up that skill. I was shocked and frustrated at first by how much writing is required from visual artists (I draw pictures, I don’t write books!) but when I finally accepted that it was an immovable pillar of the artist’s career, I came to enjoy writing

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and the constant challenge to describe and explain my ideas in as concise and clear a way as possible.

Another thing I gained from my experience in the American Section is grit. To this day, I have never met any kids that work harder than the Lycée students. As hard as it can be to have nine hour days and astronomical amounts of homework, it does pay off in the long run. Grit is of paramount importance to artists because we need to keep working in spite of so many things: minimal financial return at the beginning of our careers, self-doubt, lack of inspiration, the pen running out of ink... Artists, like the Lycée students, are some of the hardest working people you will ever meet. They work like their lives depend on it because, well, it does.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now? My first word of advice is just do it. If you want to be an artist and you know in your heart of hearts that that is what you want to do – just do it. Do not wait for validation from anybody else. Do not do a job that is “almost” what you want to do but “not quite.” That’s not to say you need to shun all jobs that are not exactly what you want to do -you may have to take on a couple to build up some income, but always keep your eyes on the prize, be clear about what you want, and make very clear plans on how you are going to get there. If you set your goals right, everything will fall into place and you will feel fulfilled with each step you take towards them. So, be bold! If you want to have a solo show in the MoMA before you’re 40, go for it, plan for it and expect that of yourself. You can do it. You are not separated from

Rebecca Lafon ‘15 When did you attend the Lycée International? I attended the Lycée International from CM1 to Terminale and graduated in 2015. My brother and I joined the American Section because we had become bilingual after living three years in Batesville, IN. We moved there when I was only five years old, at which point your vocal cords don’t struggle to get a new accent.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée? After graduating from the the Lycée, I attended Middlebury College in Vermont. I craved real winter (be careful what you wish for) and wanted to attend a school

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your goals by a number of years but only by a number of actions.

Another word of advice is to embrace failure and expect rejection. The art world is ruthless. If you are doing things right, you will experience failure, you will experience rejection and disappointment, you will feel very lost at times, and you will suffer from imposter syndrome. Every artist does. A failure does not mean that you are a failure, it only means that you tried. Not trying is the real failure.

Anything else you would like to add? This bit is where I say what I wish I had heard when I was at the Lycée, and it goes out to parents as well as students. If you are struggling to stay interested in your core studies, if you are nursing a rebellious streak and feeling like ditching everything, just hang on and try some kind of creative activity.

Find people who make beautiful things and hang out with them for a bit. It might change everything for the better.

Finally, I want to blow apart the myth of the starving artist. This may be somewhat contentious because a lot of artists do experience financial hardship at some point in their lives. But do not be dissuaded to go into an arts career because there is no money in it. It will take hard work, exceptional organizational skills, courage, resilience, an iron will, and an unshakeable belief in yourself--but it is achievable. Cultivate business sense. Do not be ashamed to want to make money and want to make art. The two are not mutually exclusive, quite the contrary. If you want to be an artist and you feel like you have something to say, just start small. Rome was not built in a day. Practice. Very soon you will be creating work that says more than you could ever articulate with words.

The world needs your vision, so start exploring it now, take creative risks and just see what happens! that allowed me to pursue very different paths. I intended to pursue a double major in Organic Chemistry and Theatre and ended up graduating with a double major in Political Science and Theatre, with a joint focus in Acting and Costume Design.

While reflecting on my time in college, I realized some of the best experiences I had were in the filmmaking world. I had audited a filmmaking course, used my last month of college to create a short film, Breech, which won several awards, and interned for two filmmakers in Los Angeles. With this in mind, I decided to apply to graduate cinema studies.

I was accepted into the American Film Institute Conservatory, but COVID hit and everything was delayed. I made the most of the year

off and took on a new project: a documentary feature on domestic violence during COVID in France. Adeline du Crest ’15 and I built it from the ground up. We interviewed about 15 professionals from different sectors dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence. The film is currently being shown in festivals.

What is your current profession? I am currently a fulltime student at the American Film Institute Conservatory in the producing field. Most of my classes are dedicated to the creative work of the producer: find new source materials or original ideas, pitch films, read and write scripts, give creative notes to screenwriters, build a creative team, etc. While it is very challenging, I doubt I could find the same thrill, dedication, and joy anywhere else. As a producing “fellow” I will graduate from AFI with five-six produced short films, two feature film outlines, and a complete feature script to my name.

Can you identify the events that led you to where you are / what you are doing now? I think the main thing that got me to where I am now was reaching out to the visiting professionals who came to my college for a week and asking them to take me as an intern. It showed me what the field was truly like and some ways for me to become a part of it. Of course, there were several events that led me there, most of which were interactions with professors and people I admired. Having positive feedback and encouragement when I took risks in creative assignments gave me the courage to seize opportunities.

What in particular do you enjoy about your field? I am lucky enough to be surrounded by equally passionate people in my field. The level of collaboration I have experienced in filmmaking is incomparable.

Truly nothing can get done without everyone putting in their best effort.

I love that. Another big plus is waking up every morning knowing I have about 10-20 things to get done that will get me closer to having produced a film. The thrill of that is enough to keep me actively working for weeks at a time without taking a break.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? That’s a tough question, because you ask yourself very different questions in highschool than you do when you’re past that point in your life.

I used to ask myself: What do I want to become? How do I make myself proud? Who am I? Whereas now most of my questions sound a little like this: Is this script working?

How is catering going to fit in the budget? When’s the last time I asked my friend how they were doing? When do my director’s and cinematographer’s schedules line up? In other words, we tend to go from questions directed at ourselves to questions directed at others or our work. With this in mind, I’d want to change everything, go back and answer those questions for myself to save some time, but the truth is high-school and undergraduate studies are there for you to ask these questions and it’s important to take the time to

answer them. It’s because I had the time to question myself that I now get to direct my questions towards my work and my surroundings.

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices?

The American Section gave me the right foundations, especially because I chose to go to the US after high-school. The American and French school systems are very different, and the American Section was closest in its methodology to US colleges. I would add that while I didn’t particularly enjoy it while I was a student, I now see the positive impact of the workload we had as Section students. The classes themselves were also important. I adored every minute of literature classes and text analysis, which are now the foundation of my work as a producer.

I confess that I dreaded attending history and geography classes...yet I went on to study Political Science at Middlebury College. All this to say, the love the faculty put into teaching us at the Lycée ultimately had a great impact on the choices I made.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now? It’s difficult to prepare for a creative field, because the myth tells us it all relies on inspiration, talent, and gift, all of which feel out of our control. While these do help, they aren’t necessarily what will build a career or make you a good filmmaker (or a good creator in general). Inspiration can be found if you learn how to search for it. It’s elusive and frustrating, but you can find it again by prompting yourself to find new ideas, new shapes, new points of view. Go on a walk, that’s step one to feeding your creative needs. Then there is talent, what I consider the forbidden word of my field. Don’t strive to be the talented artist, instead strive to be the working artist. Use every assignment you get as a way of strengthening your workload capacity. There is so much effort needed ahead, but you’ll learn to appreciate that. The mountain can be a means to getting to the other side of it, or a hike up to a beautiful view. It’s all dependent on the perspective you use.

Finally, be open and daring. Look for the opportunity, for the silver lining. Reach out to those you admire and to those you believe you can learn from. If your gut tells you to feel intimidated, that’s a good sign you should take a leap. The filmmaking world is the best example of this: not everything is your “big break,” but everything has the potential to be.

I strongly believe that’s true of any field in the sense that showing you are open to new things, new people, and new challenges, will ultimately open doors.

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Sonia Lange ‘11 When did you attend the Lycée International? I attended the Lycée International from 2003 as a Lower School externé until 2011, when I graduated.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée? My parcours mainly consists of “falling forward.” After attending the Lycée International, I studied at the Winchester School of Art, which is part of the University of Southampton, in a Graphic Arts course. I wanted to study photography but feared the job market would be too competitive. Motion graphics was a new discipline at the time and the pathway had only started the year before. My dad pointed out that screens were popping up everywhere (cafés, public transportation, stores) and there would be a need to populate those screens with animated content.

I chose motion graphics because it’s a combination of graphic design, illustration, and photography.

After graduating, I travelled to Zimbabwe then to South Africa, where I got an internship making graphics for big events. When I returned to France, I worked part-time for an artist as a digital creator. Meanwhile, I enrolled in an online course to refine my animation knowledge (again the entire discipline was very new, so the community online was instrumental to figuring things out technically and professionally). I worked for several years as a motion designer in Paris for agencies and freelancing. A highlight was animating content for journalists at Franceinfo.

I then moved to Johannesburg for one year, where I was freelancing for French clients remotely, and collaborated with my previous South African colleagues. When I returned to France, I continued to freelance and started a Youtube channel called Copycat Motion Design, to discover more about motion design as a craft and help guide designers during the decision-making process.

What is your current profession? Can you identify the events that led you to where you are/what you are doing now? I was hired as a senior animator at a video production company, Somersault, in Cambridge last year.

I live in Bath so I work for them remotely and visit them when Covid allows it. My strength was that I had a lot of

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experience freelancing and that gave me a strong work ethic for professionalism and business. I could deal directly with clients but had also stayed up-to-date with animation methods and techniques. While I was freelancing, I was a one-woman show. I had already dipped my toes into all the different roles around video production. What I love about the field is the fun and enthusiasm of creating. If you push yourself, you can always be challenged and reach new levels.

I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near the best I can be, and I’ve been in the industry for several years now. I am a senior animator and come in as a creative lead on projects now, but I’m working my way up to becoming a creative director in several years.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? I wish I knew how much business knowledge you need to be a freelancer. Art school didn’t teach me business and it’s wrong to think that any creative job doesn’t require business and marketing skills.

You need to market yourself, and I’m not very good at that.

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices? Being international opens a lot of doors, you can choose what country you want to live and work in or easily adapt to different people and customs.

Being at the Lycée International was like mental gymnastics when you had to switch and perform in different languages every day. That taught me how to adapt quickly and gave me a great global perspective on how the world works.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

For motion design, I would recommend brushing up on business, marketing, and learn to love math. Because it’s a technical practice, math is everywhere in motion design and it’s even better if you enjoy coding. Also, a hybrid type of learning, university combined with online courses, is the best way to go, in my opinion.

Anything else you would like to add? Motion design is not an obvious choice for a career but it’s a booming industry and it’s very fun.

Solmy Lee ‘09 When did you attend the Lycée International? My father was a South Korean diplomat, so I grew up moving regularly.

In 2004, we were transferred to Paris and my parents and one of my brothers (who also attended the Lycée) discovered the Lycée campus on their way to visit houses.

They spontaneously visited the American Section and that visit turned into a fruitful conversation about admissions.

Note that it was a Saturday during summer, so this whole encounter was very lucky!

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée? After graduating, I briefly attended Université d’Evry to study Arts du Spectacle. After one semester I decided to pursue a career in classical singing. For the next six months, I prepared auditions for national music conservatories in Paris. But part of me was unsure about that decision, so I also applied to Sorbonne’s department of Lettres Modernes Appliquées. Thankfully, I was accepted to both the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR) in Versailles and Paris Sorbonne IV. I attended both simultaneously.

After graduating, I moved to Seoul and worked in television broadcasting. After about two years, I shifted my profession to luxury fashion retail and eventually began preparing for graduate school in the USA, this time circling back to my real passions: music and peace. I wrote my thesis on the potential of music in the Korean peace process and graduated with an MA from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study in May 2021. Soon after graduation, I began an internship at the United Nations Office for Partnerships and signed a full-time contract with them in January 2022.

Can you identify the events that led you to where you are/what you are doing now? I can highlight two things from the Lycée. First, Quatrième Français Spécial. Most people who went through FS would agree with me in saying that it is HARD! And the year that follows FS is even more difficult. I barely made it through! I received the very generous support of a few teachers to whom I will forever be grateful. Those years helped me build patience in letting myself learn, which is extremely important in the professional environment.

Second, I stayed active with extracurricular activities at the Lycée. I was part of the Student Council, played flute in the orchestra, created a gospel choir, was part of the basketball and volleyball teams, and participated in a performance of The Sound of Music. And those talent shows!

Without hesitation, I can say that those activities kept my non-academic side alive. If I had only focused on academics, I doubt that I would have been accepted to the Arts du Spectacle program, nor the national music conservatory! I eventually leveraged those activities for job applications in the creative industry.

What in particular do you enjoy about your field?

Working at the UN only makes sense if it is a higher calling and a vocation. This is both a blessing and a curse – but for now, more of a blessing. It is a demanding job with few

benefits and I am constantly informed of many horrifying issues around the world. But we also have the privilege of seeing the amazing things people do that rarely get media coverage. I work in a creative department where we coordinate new partnerships and projects for sustainable development goals. I work with heads of state, royal families, movie directors, athletes, singers, fashion designers, corporate CEOs, etc. It’s creative, collaborative and exciting.

But the grind behind it is very real. We are constantly asked to think outside the box while respecting the bureaucratic protocols of a large international body. That’s not easy!

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? Theoretically, no. We still live in a time where professional trajectories are clearly defined. If you wish to work in international relations, majoring in IR is still the ideal path. If you wish to be a successful musician, simultaneously attending a full-time university is not helpful – the time and discipline that a professional musician needs is not something anyone can half commit to. But in reality, I wouldn’t change a thing. The Lycée opened doors for me that I never dreamed of. The subtle but clear distinction between an IB and an OIB can be life-changing, and the demanding bilingual system helped me build rigor and interdisciplinary abilities.

My success as a graduate student in an interdisciplinary and very independent program was possible because of the same skills – which of course, I did not know I was building at the time.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now? Being in the “in-between” can be a hit or miss. You can become the “neither this nor that” person or you can become the “this AND that” and much more.

My current boss told me that she hired me because of my unusual background. My time in the television and fashion industry is not considered an advantage in a system like the UN. However, as the department where I work is focused on building unusual partnerships, the fact that I lack an international relations background does not matter.

I still have to work very hard, don’t get me wrong. I stay up late at night catching up with the IR and political science content that I missed in school. But when you find your place, everything about your life – at least most things – line up: your background, the extra-curricular activities you chose, the subconscious training for difficult circumstances…

Anything else you would like to add? Don’t take the international environment of the Lycée for granted. I’ve become so used to it that I sometimes don’t see the countless advantages of being part of it. There is so much to learn and appreciate from your classmates. Also, have fun! The Lycée has more activities and resources than you might think. So don’t let the academic workload become an obstacle. Who knows, you might have super time management skills. You never know until you try!

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Tiphène Lechleiter ‘14 When did you attend the Lycée International? I joined the American Section in 2009, and remained until my graduation in 2014. My parents chose to put me into the American Section because they wanted me to experience a very handson, personal, and supportive learning style: a very “American” type of education. They were also very keen on the access to resources, trips, and after-school activities. I am very glad they made that choice.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée. At the Lycée, I chose to specialize in the sciences, and Biology (SVT) in particular. After graduating, I ended up studying Biomedical Sciences. I was largely unhappy during my first year; I struggled to make connections and worked very hard to do well in an area of study that I was not sure I even liked. At the end of that year, I dropped out, believing that moving back to France would make me happier. Since it was all I felt qualified for and all I knew, I enrolled in another biomed course, this time in Paris. That did not last long, and I soon stopped again, this time having developed a very serious anxiety disorder and depression. It took me a lot of time to come back from that. Long-story short, I just graduated with a Bachelors in Digital Arts from the University of Kent, a subject seemingly totally out of left field, and I absolutely loved it.

I had a fantastic year at a company in London, completed several other internships, made loads of friends, and discovered an entire industry I never imagined I’d be a part of before.

What is your current profession? What in particular do you enjoy about your field? I just began a new role as a Junior Visual/Product Designer at a digital solution company in Madrid, which means I design digital interfaces like websites or apps for different clients. I would say that I am where I am now because I tried a lot of different jobs in my field, and said yes to a lot of opportunities (including moving to Spain!). The world of digital design is massive, and there is definitely room to try different roles since the skills are very transferable. For example, I just moved to this job from a graphic design role, and before I worked in web design. This field is great for me because it is super creative and having colleagues trust your vision is extremely rewarding, but it can also be very applied -

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designers do a lot of research and data analysis to support their thinking. I enjoy that duality, which also leaves a lot of room for you to move either way in the field while staying in digital arts.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? Yes, absolutely. I was never going to learn as much as I did about myself if I didn’t fail, or do the wrong thing. Nobody’s journey is perfect, and all that matters is continuing to take small steps towards your dream life and career.

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices? I was a very shy young girl, and I know that my time in the American Section helped me come out of my shell. It pushed me to be a critical thinker, develop thoughts and support my points of view. I credit the Section with making me a great writer, which has helped me at every stage of my career, especially getting me in the door with a good cover letter. My best gifts from the American Section are the friends that I made there.

We arguably went through a really challenging time together, as teenagers, and that has ensured we stay friends for life. I’ve been lucky to see those same friends through some amazing milestones recently.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now? Digital Art is not a field that is mentioned a lot in schooling, especially in France. However, it is a massive industry and one that is growing quickly. Specialties like 3D modelling, animation, graphic design, videography, product design, and web design are immensely sought after, and there are roles that let you use or learn more than one of these. If it is an area that interests you, I would suggest creating a portfolio. If you do not have any digital art skills, such as knowing a particular software, it might not matter, as long as you find other ways to showcase your creativity and originality. I would also say, focus on finding a good course with modules that you like, and worry less about which university is teaching it.

Anything else you would like to add? The internet is an incredible resource. You can learn anything there. Do it.

Jan-Willem Dikkers ‘91 When did you attend the Lycée International? I first attended the Lycée International in 1979. We moved back from Zambia, and I was a perfect candidate for CE1 Français Spécial. My mother is American and my father is Dutch and we spoke English at home so the American Section made sense. I ended repeating the year as French (and not much else) was sticking. Mid-way through Troisième we moved to the US for a year. I was not good at math and sciences, but as I continued to spell as if I was in grade school, when I returned to the Lycée I was put in Seconde scientifique. At the end of the year, knowing I would not pass due to terribly low grades in math and physics, I was able to negotiate a change into Première D (Natural Sciences) as I somehow had a really high mark in biology. I was one of two students who had doit faire ses preuves. Over the last few months I studied on my own with study guides and surprisingly I ended up nine points away from a mention.

Applying for college was a nightmare, as I needed letters of recommendation from my teachers and I had straight Ds. I convinced them that since the US high-school diploma was earned at the end of Première, I had already accomplished getting into college by simply being in Terminale, and that they should therefore just fill out the form as if I was an excellent student whose grades did not reflect his capacity. Somehow it worked, probably due to me wearing them down, and those letters landed me a spot at Northwestern University’s engineering school.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée? I attended Northwestern University and landed on academic probation right away even though I had placed out of a year of classes. By the end of my first year, I switched to economics and marketing and slowly developed a studying ethic by dating a girl who spent a lot of time at the library. My senior year I took a class in creative advertising and by spring, knew I needed to make that my career. This was the first time I was choosing what I wanted, as everything leading up to this point had unfolded based on avoiding roadblocks.

My first job was an internship in fashion advertising with one of the leading creative directors of that time. I was exposed to the best of that industry, helped with whatever was needed, and absorbed everything. After a few months of getting paid $3 per hour I was referred to a position earning seven times that at DKNY. My hard-working, débrouillard attitude served me well, and by 23 I became creative director at

Armani Exchange. I met with Giorgio Armani every three months to review campaigns. Over the following few years, I started my own small agency working for fashion brands and magazine projects. Shortly thereafter I launched my own magazine, Issue, and learned the hard way what it means to publish and run an editorial. I was fortunate to collaborate with many very talented people and as I always prioritized doing great work over making money, things went up and down a lot.

In 2009 I became Amazon’s first creative director and was responsible for creating a differentiated experience for those shopping for clothes and other “soft-line” product categories.

Over the following 10 years, my projects became a bit of a mixed bag in large part due to the rise of e-commerce and social media, which directly cut into creative budgets as well as dramatically shifting the nature of the work. I was lucky to be at the forefront of this shift and help define best practices, yet little by little it lost its appeal. Being a creative director in the fashion industry in the nineties was like being a part of the art world.

It evolved into being the head of a catalog house.

What is your current profession?

What in particular do you enjoy about your field? About three years ago, I went back to school to get my master’s in clinical psychology and have been working for the last two years as a psychotherapist in mental health and addiction. I realized that my new career is similar to what I was doing previously. What interested me in art and film has always been what’s going on in someone’s mind and understanding what makes them tick. Interestingly, I get to continue to collaborate with some very talented people, many of whom are artists in different careers, some with significant notoriety, and although I’m not involved directly in their work, I recognized that when I worked as a creative director I actually wasn’t either—it’s always been psychology. I’ve been really fortunate to land a new career and inherit a good 25 years of experience indirectly.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? For sure. You can learn and grow from everything.

The real question is whether we actually have a choice at all!

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices? What was special about the American Section is that it was and hopefully remains a utopic, community-oriented, leftist, critical, knowledge-seeking organization that synthesized the best of what the US could ever be, sheltered from its stateside dominant racist, narcissistic, and

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consumeristic culture by being in France. My kids attend the Lycée International of Los Angeles as it’s the closest I could find here that can give them the same open-mindedness and some ease from rigid US culturally-engrained thinking.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

Anyone who wants to go into the arts or psychology should do so as long as their heart is in it. The best preparation is being curious and not being afraid to follow what you are passionate about and being mindful of your own wellbeing.

Most importantly, avoid wasting too much time being entertained and consuming unnecessarily. Looking back at my life as well as the lives of many people I know, it’s clear

Mélodie Michel ‘21 When did you attend the Lycée International? I spent all of my childhood in the American Section, from Mat 2 to Terminale. My parents decided it was the best choice for me, considering we lived nearby, I was bilingual, and my mom had been a student in the American Section when she was a child.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée? I didn’t get to travel much after the Lycée because of COVID, but while I was in Première, I had the privilege of inaugurating the concert organ in the Zaryadye concert hall, in Moscow, Russia. I played at 6 am for one hour, because the event was a marathon in which 24 international concert organists took place at the console, one after the other, nonstop. I was there to represent the USA! Since then, I have regularly given concerts on the organ and on the piano. I recently won First Prize at the Marchal Competition, and I am a laureate of the 24th Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival of Hartford competition for young organists. I just premiered a piece at the Saint-Sulpice choir organ with a choir for the Saint-Sulpice composition competition, and the piece I played won first prize. I also had the chance to play a four-hands part on the piano in a symphony at the National French Orchestra with my father and my organ teacher. I am now composing pieces, and I had the pleasure

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that the most significant things that happen and define what has been significant are not things that any of them made happen but rather just happened. It’s important to make enough room in your life to allow for opportunity to present itself and to establish a foundation upon which great things can flourish. It’s not necessary to try to force outcomes.

Sometimes being able to just accept that not knowing what to do or what’s next is the best way forward.

Anything else you would like to add? If you happen to not have the best grades and you’re not sure how much is sinking in, trust that you are getting an exceptional education, and make sure to take advantage of being exposed to French thought and culture, and the true privilege of being immersed in such a diverse international community.

to listen to my own piece being played by professional musicians at the Salle Cortot, in Paris.

What is your current profession? What in particular do you enjoy about your field? I am a concert organist, and I would also like to become a pilot. I am studying aeronautical engineering at ESTACA concurrently with my musical studies at the National Superior Conservatory of Paris. It is of course these studies which have shaped and continue to shape my professional life, but going back to the roots, I have to thank all of my teachers, at the Lycée International and at the Versailles Conservatory, for always being so supportive, encouraging, and simply for believing in me. Each of them has contributed to who I am, either by giving me the opportunity to give a concert in the Royal Chapel of the Versailles Palace, or by explaining the noumenon and the phenomenon, in other words, by opening doors to unknown and enchanted places which continue down the same air lane.

I love that music is a language. It can express so many things that reflect the soul and emotions that one could not express with words. I love that in music, we go beyond the human world, we travel into another universe where only we exist, surrounded by a spiral of notes in a unique galaxy. I love the solitude there is in being a musician, but also the contact with the audience while performing. The transmission is incredible.

I love thinking about the generations and generations of musicians, who have all been writing and playing different pieces, each of them based on a palette of only 12 notes.

I love the paradox of music: how can one thousand people all listen to the same music which is written one way, and each feel it in a different way? And how can the musician’s interpretation change the audience’s interpretation? I love how music reflects life: it has a beginning, it lives, breathes, and dies. I love how it stays in one’s heart, and how it can be associated with certain events or feelings, or even colors. I love how music can be a story, how elements can represent a landscape, or a person. In one word, I love its life.

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices. I have gained so much from the American Section! I learned to always work hard, to prepare oral presentations to write commentaries and thematic essays, to analyze critically, to think, to overthink, to question, to over question, to find answers, and sometimes to find that the answer is that there is no answer. I learned fantastic literary terms like palingenesis or epanadiplosis which I rarely will have the opportunity to use, but that give me a wide culture, just like the incredible study of more than 300 years of history. Further back, I learned to convert a

Elisabeth Christensen ‘92 When did you attend the Lycée International? I attended the Lycée from 1989 to 1992, Seconde through Terminale.

Please give a quick synopsis of your journey after the Lycée. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Stanford University and a Master of Music in Viola performance from the New England Conservatory. I spent six years as Executive Director of the Crowden Center for Music in the Community in Berkeley, CA, followed by seven years as Director of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School in Boston and I’m currently in my tenth year as Managing Director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

I have also been active as a violin/ viola teacher and freelance violist, including 13 years as Principal Viola of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra.

What is your current profession?

What in particular do you enjoy about your field? My full-time employment has always been in arts leadership/administration, but I’ve maintained part-time work as a performer and teacher. I spent my junior year of college organizing an orchestra tour to China and worked during graduate school as the orchestra manager for a youth orchestra. I was recruited by a former professor to take an arts admin job for the summer immediately following grad school and ended up staying for six years, then continuing on in the field. I like the opportunity to impact a lot of people and to build commu-

shoebox into the Sonoran Desert, to understand the Solar System, and to write whitebooks on diverse subjects. The American Section also gave me the gifts of tolerance, of knowledge and understanding, of light, and of my best friend. All of these obviously (or discreetly) contribute to my current life, and I miss the American Section so much!!!

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now I would say that organization is a fundamental aspect, and that finding an equilibrium is also a key. Being in a comfortable sphere like the American Section already gives lots of confidence and it also leaves space for emancipation. Being a student at the Lycée brought me lots of epiphanies, and I think you should treasure them, and treasure all of these moments with Virginia Woolf, Moby Dick, and many more, and with your friends and your teachers, to then be able to open yourself up, to open your own universe, all of which will empower you to spread your wings and fly off toward new horizons.

nity in a way that I’m not able to do as solely a performer or private lesson teacher.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again? Had I set out to get where I am, I wouldn’t have taken the path I took, but I think it’s worked out well for me overall. I’ve had some unexpected opportunities, learned a lot, and met a lot of interesting people along the way. No major regrets, but I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up!

What do you feel you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices?

I am constantly surprised at the number of people I interact with professionally who have never learned to write well. The training I received in the American Section (from Mrs. Lynch in particular!) continues to serve me in my professional life. Being surrounded by peers who were engaged in thinking about the world around us also had a huge impact on me. Without that peer group, I wouldn’t have even considered applying to a school like Stanford.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now? I think the best advice I could offer is to be open and receptive to opportunities that arise and to engage with the people around you. There are so many doors that can open unexpectedly if you make yourself available. In performance there are no shortcuts to simply doing the work in a disciplined manner. Time spent practicing, thoughtfully and consistently, is never wasted and can’t be faked or replaced.

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