GLOBAL EXCHANGE 2018
T H E A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E O F AT L A N TA I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
Global Exchange
2017–2018
OUR YEAR OF ACTION
ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2017–2018 CHRISTIAN FISCHER, CHAIR VERNA JENNINGS CLEVELAND, VICE-CHAIR SHELLEY GIBERSON, TREASURER WENDIE HAYLER, SECRETARY
MEMBERS DAVID ATKINSON
SCOTT BRITTON
SUSIE COGAN
ROLAND JOHN
ARNDREA KING
BETH KYTLE CHANDLER '98
MIKE MCCARTHY
SUSAN MORRIS
SUSANNAH PARKER
SHEFALI PATEL
BARBARA QUIROGA
THOMAS BAHNSON STANLEY III
FRANK THOMAS
BENNY VARZI
ADOLFO VILLAGOMEZ
CHIARA VISCONTI-PERVANAS '95
GINA VITIELLO
JOYCE YAMAATO
EX OFFICIO KEVIN GLASS, HEADMASTER, EX OFFICIO TRUSTEE GERRY HULL, CHAIR EMERITUS OLGA PLAUT, TRUSTEE EMERITA, FOUNDER ROY PLAUT, CHAIR EMERITUS, FOUNDER MONIQUE SEEFRIED, CHAIR EMERITA DEBORAH SUDBURY, CHAIR EMERITA LAURA WINCHESTER, TRUSTEE EMERITA
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 2017–2018 HEADMASTER KEVIN GLASS HEAD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL SANDY MACKENZIE HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CAMILLE DU AIME HEAD OF RESEARCH AND LEARNING DESIGN SHELLEY PAUL HEAD OF ADMISSION, FINANCIAL AID & MARKETING REID MIZELL HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT KENDYL MOSS HEAD OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCE PAUL SAEGER UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TAMBI TYLER
Mural Reveal at the ELC In March this year the mural "Such Great Heights" was revealed at the Early Learning Center. Arts teacher Kaharin Bennett and her father Linc Bennett are the visionaries behind the beautiful display of colorful animals, monuments, kids playing and our students' handprints. Special thanks to Ms. Bennett, her father and all the teachers and staff who offered a hand to make this mural a reality.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL KEVIN ONABIYI UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ALAIN POIRAUD LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL LYNDA SARELIUS EARLY LEARNING CENTER PRINCIPAL MARIA VOUTOS
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS PILAR GUZMAN STRIULI VISUAL DESIGNER RUKAYAH OLURONBI
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING AND STEWARDSHIP CHARLOTTE SMITH DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS ARIANA SANTIAGO SENIOR ALUMNI ADVISOR SANDY FERKO DEVELOPMENT INTERN SAURAV BHANDARY ‘12
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F AT L A N TA I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L
Global Exchange 4
Letter from the Board Chair &
21 ISTA MS Festival Panama 2018
Headmaster
22 Serge Petitpre: Voyage To India
Around AIS
Class of 2018
5
Full STEAM Ahead
23 Congratulations Class of 2018
6
We're Growing: A New Primary Learning Center
AIS Alumni Stories
Celebrating the First Anniversary of The
26 Jordan Brown
Heritage Language Program
27 Q&A With Thomas Rudderow
8
Hitting The High Notes
28 Claire Duggan
9
Fall and Winter Sports Wrap-Up
29 Ritu Verma
11
Travis Harper
7
Giving Update
12 Yannie Tan
Learning for Action & Impact
30 Spring Benefit 2018
13 #MyFreedomDay
Staying Connected
14 From Houses to Homes: Guatemala
33 Alumni Reunions
15 March For Humanity 2018
35 Alumni Class Notes
Globetrotter: In Their Words
38 Community Scene
17 Grade 5 Annual Journeys Abroad 19 Our Two Weeks In China Was An Adventure Of A Lifetime
SOPHIA DAVOUDI '21
ELLIE ISENBERG '22
THOMAS RUDDEROW
ARIANA DECROSS '20
RUYA RUKIYE KASIKCI '25
JOSÉPHINE SEUGE '25
DEE DEE DENNIS
CHRISTINE KELLEY
OLIVIA SUSSMAN '22
PILAR GUZMAN STRIULI
CAMILLE DU AIME
ADAM LAPISH
YANNIE TAN '19
CLAIRE DUGGAN
SOFIA MACAULEY '21
ANTIGONE THEMISTOCLEOUS
CONTRIBUTORS
VICTORIA ERDMAN '22
JUTTA MARTINEZ
CECILE TURNER '22
JORDAN BROWN '15
VIRGINIA FERANDEL
MARSHA MAXWELL
RITU VERMA
ALICE CAPPELLETTI
SANDY FERKO
OSCAR PETITGENET '18
ELIZABETH SANCHEZ CHANG
TRAVIS HARPER '19
SERGE PETITPRE
JB CLARK '25
GREG HUCKS
DANTE ROMAGNOLI '26
EDITORS KENDYL MOSS CHARLOTTE SMITH
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Message from the
Dear AIS Community: This year has been one of engagement and action for our students across many areas. We have seen our students place 5th in the Carver Division of the First Robotics World Championships in Houston and our Secondary School student club, AIS Against Human Trafficking, connect with students and organizations around the world as they partnered with CNN International and Delta Airlines to raise a voice on a global day of action against human trafficking.
CHRISTIAN FISCHER Chair of the Board of Trustees
KEVIN GLASS Headmaster
We saw our choirs performing in Carnegie Hall and our students Marching For Humanity on the anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. We had two middle school students earn scores through Duke Tip that are equal to or higher than the 90th national percentile rank for college-bound seniors taking the SAT and ACT. Our students participated in the Creative Learning Festival where they explored the human journey through interdisciplinary learning, including multiple subject areas and multiple forms of expression from theatrical performance to interactive museum exhibits, and our Stock Market Club placed first among Atlanta schools in the investment competition. We saw a record 97 students graduate in May with acceptances to 154 universities in the US and abroad, bringing our alumni number to 1,480. Those alumni continue to shape the world around them through their own action and engagement. We have alums leading development programs at the UN, inventing transformative bone conduction technologies, working as teachers, lawyers and community leaders, and actively supporting our current students through mentoring, coaching athletics, and so much more. This issue celebrates the engagement of our students, alumni and faculty as our community continues to work for positive change in the world. Wishing you a wonderful summer, Kevin and Christian
Christian Fischer, Board Chair
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Kevin Glass, Headmaster
Around AIS
FULL
STEAM AHEAD
CURRICULAR ENHANCEMENTS
ROBOTICS
This year, we have enhanced our Primary and Secondary curriculum with more programming opportunities. For the Primary School, coding has made inroads in our Physical Education (PE) department where students in grades 4 and 5 have been using robots to track and enhance their physical performances. In grade 2, students are exercising their spatial thinking, mathematics, and visual arts skills using Minecraft to create a Museum of the Future and pyramids similar to the ones from Ancient Egypt.
Our FIRST Lego League Jrs (FLL Jr), FIRST Lego League (FLL) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams had successful seasons. The FLL and FLL Jr teams reached the Central Georgia Super Regional Competition at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins. The FRC team had their most successful season in many years with outstanding performances at State Qualifiers in Gainesville and Columbus, where they won the Industrial Design Award. In the State Finals, they won best Industrial Design again, and at the FIRST Championships in Houston they placed 5th in the Carver division (out of 68 teams from around the world) and were alliance captains.
In Secondary, the entire MYP curriculum has been updated to focus on real-world applications of computer science such as robotics, app development, and social entrepreneurship. A successful pilot of our new Experiential Learning track for grade 9 has been initiated. In this track, students learn computer science with a hands-on internship model.
BEYOND AIS
AIS COHORT CHOSEN FOR ISTE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPLORATIONS
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), an organization that serves educators interested in how to better use technology in education, selected a team of 10 AIS faculty spanning from 3K to grade 12 to participate in a 10-week project-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) course. The participants explored aspects of AI technologies that have the potential to facilitate and leverage learning, and solve real problems in K-12 schools and communities. They also completed capstone projects that had them directly apply their learnings to add AI to PYP, MYP, and DP courses at AIS.
From Primary to Secondary, both academic and co-curricular, AIS faculty and staff have not kept this year’s learnings to themselves, but have shared their findings on a global stage. From the Primary School, the work of Frederique McGirt and Carine Bouton teaching coding through robotics and AI was featured in the webzine We Are Teachers. Their journey integrating AI will also be featured at the 2018 ISTE Conference in Chicago. Dr. Marsha Maxwell, our Head of Educational Technology, also had the privilege of being an invited speaker for the 2018 FIRST Championship Conferences in both Detroit and Houston. Dr. Maxwell shared her work with robotics in education at AIS in the talk: Back to the Future? How Robotics Education Re-Engages Young Women in STEM.
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Around AIS
We're Growing: A New Primary Learning Center What a difference a year makes. Just last summer a groundbreaking ceremony in the small primary school playground marked the start of the new Primary Learning Center (PLC). Today an innovative, three story, brick building stands on the same space, complete with architectural features that tie it to the original Shutze design. Linked to the existing Visconti di Modrone Library building via a new glass pavilion and to the primary school building on each floor by ramps, the new PLC creates a home for all classes from 5K to Grade 5. This geographic proximity will promote cross-age and cross-curricular connections and a sense of community that parents, students and teachers are anticipating with increasing enthusiasm. Of course a successful, speedy build is only possible after meticulous planning and the architects involved primary school teachers and the AIS board committee for Buildings and Grounds in every stage of the design process. Together they identified and created ways to promote student-centered learning and flexibility throughout the reconfigured spaces. There are 21 classrooms each of which spills out onto a shared
“The resulting building maximizes social interactions between students, teachers and parents. � AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
space for collaborative work where students can use couches, ottomans or regular seating depending on the project. Each floor houses all the classrooms relevant to two grade levels and these students and teachers will go to recess, lunch and assemblies together, creating a sense of community and belonging. In addition to the new building and glass pavilion, the ground floor of the Library building is being completely gutted and redesigned as a Primary School Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Room and a Makerspace. Food will be served in the new facility using environmentally friendly cutlery and plates and the new Makerspace will be run by two STEAM coaches. The PLC renovations will also include the construction of a Music wing on the ground floor of the existing Primary school building. Two large rooms, one with a choral emphasis, the other focused on instrumental music, will be complemented by five practice spaces as well as storage for musical instruments. On the second floor, a new Visual Arts wing will feature pottery wheels as part of an expanded ceramics program. Finally, the play equipment which was removed in order to build the PLC, will be replaced next to the black-top. In conjunction with the new playground at the side of the track and access to the black-top and field, there will be ample and varied recreation spaces. There are still final challenges, not least packing up and moving every class over the summer, but the August opening of the PLC is on schedule, under budget and overwhelmingly exciting!
Around AIS
ARABIC
DUTCH
FARSI
GREEK
HINDI
ITALIAN
CELEBRATING THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE HERITAGE LANGUAGE PROGRAM The Heritage Language Program was first launched one year ago to serve the cultural and language needs of the AIS community. The after-school program offers classes to students from 5K to grade 5 in Arabic, Dutch, Farsi, Greek, Hindi and Italian. It helps build cultural and linguistic bridges between languages spoken at home or with relatives, as well as developing skills such as reading and writing. Classes are made fun and varied by including STEAM components (e.g.
science, art, drama) alongside hands-on activities which stimulate communication and expand thinking and language skills. In order to support the program, the library now has a range of books for all six languages for everyone to enjoy. As we celebrate the program’s first anniversary, Global Exchange reached out to parents and students who have benefited from the Heritage Language Program to see what it has meant for them.
DANTE (GRADE 4):
ANTIGONE THEMISTOCLEOUS (PARENT):
“I wanted to learn Italian so that I could talk to my 92 year old grandma who lives in Italy. I have learnt so much this year and can now speak to her on Skype, I don’t need my dad to translate for me anymore. I can’t wait to go and visit her in Italy next Fall break....My teacher is great and I have really enjoyed all the different projects we did.”
“The Greek Heritage Language program has exceeded our expectations on all fronts: coordination, teacher quality and experience, level of learning, to name just a few! It has been a truly rewarding experience with many wonderful memories; drama plays by the children, numerous projects, creation of a Greek section at the AIS library and many others.”
CAMERON (GRADE 4): “I used to be able to understand Farsi at home but spoke very little. I can now speak well and I really like writing in Farsi. The teacher made classes fun with lots of hands on activities.”
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Around AIS
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Thirty five members of our AIS Upper School Mixed Chorale traveled to New York City this March to participate in the National Youth Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall. For three days our students, along with more than 300 singers from across the country, formed one large choir led by nationally renowned choral conductor Dr. Anton Armstrong. The following month, Middle School Band and Orchestra students and their directors earned Gold ratings, 90 out of 100 points, at the Worldstrides Heritage Music Festival in Orlando. The festival features 9 school ensembles with over 700 performers. AIS was one of the two schools from Georgia to participate and the Middle School Chorus also earned an invitation to perform at the National Invitational Festival of Gold.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Around AIS
17-18 Sports Wrap-Up SOCCER • Middle School Girls: MS A Girls won the MAAC tournament for the fourth successive year. Congratulations to those 8th grade students who have been part of a championship team throughout their time in the Middle School. • Middle School Boys: MS A Boys were MAAC Champions once more. • Varsity Girls: Despite many injuries throughout the course of the season, the Varsity Girls soccer team finished second in the area and went onto the State Tournament. They made it to the second round, only halted buy the eventual champion First Presbyterian School. • Varsity Boys: An extremely successful regular season saw our Varsity Boys soccer team finish #1 in Area 4. They entered the State Tournament as a #1 seed and progressed through games against Prince Avenue, Brookstone, Wesleyan (a), Athens Academy (a) but eventually fell to Paideia in the State Final in Macon, Georgia. A wonderful season for the team and the coaching staff of Jonn Warde, Matt Padula and Kerry Farnum. • Junior Varsity: JV Boys soccer finished the season undefeated with a 10-0 record. TENNIS • Middle School Boys and Girls: MS A Boys and MS A Girls finished their seasons as the respective #1 seeds in the MAAC but fell to Galloway and St. Martin’s in the MAAC final. • Varsity Boys:Varsity Boys Tennis was stuffed with untimely injuries and illness. They finished #2 seed in Area 3 regardless and fought hard in the State Tournament, getting knocked out in the quarterfinals by Pinecrest Academy. • Varsity Girls:This was a year where the varsity girls team
added a lot of new players. Their singles players were all underclass women and one of the new doubles pairings will be back next year as we bid farewell to long serving duo Colette Proctor and Eloise Cappelletti.
ULTIMATE FRISBEE • Varsity: Coach Booth was really impressed with the teams improvement from the beginning of the season until the final game. This was a great season for the Ultimate Frisbee team, with their run finishing in the quarter finals of the State Tournament. CROSS COUNTRY • Varsity Girls: Varsity Girls finished 4 in the area meet and advanced the the GHSA Finals. Reagan Mahoney, ‘20 finished 2nd in the state. • Varsity Boys: Hugo Levisse, ‘19 finished 6th in the area meet and qualified for the GHSA Finals. • Middle School Girls and Boys: After capturing the MAAC title, MS Cross Country competed in the State Championship finishing 11 out of 24 teams. TRACK • Middle School Girls and Boys: Both the MS boys and MS girls track teams captured their 4th MAAC title in a row! Christopher Hall led the boys team with pride and will look to do the same again in the 2019 track season. Cara Joyce and Tahlia Pemberton have had great MS years as part of the track team and are now looking forward to running cross country and track as part of the HS team. • Varsity Girls: Varsity Girls finished one of their most
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Around AIS successful seasons on record and the exciting part is that most of the student- athletes will be returning in 2019. Records fell throughout the course of the year and our relay teams and individual runners competed at the highest level at all of the State tournaments. • Varsity Boys: Varsity Boys had a season of growth and are looking forward to 2019 and what is in store for them, as their team will have the experiences of this year to build on.
SWIMMING • Varsity: The AIS Swim team sent six swimmers to the GHSA State Championship meet and had the most success at the event in school history. Nicholas Goudie, ‘19 finished 2nd in the 100 Butterfly final. • Middle School Girls and Boys: With over 50 swimmers, the team captured their first meet championship at the Riverside Military Academy Meet.
GOLF • Middle School Girls and Boys: A really successful season for this small team, with Emilio Belec and Nora Anderson finishing second in the MAAC scramble championship and Nora Anderson finishing as the low female medallist winning the MAAC female individual title. • Varsity Boys: With the largest team yet, the varsity boys finished their season with a 7-1 record and went into the area tournament, hopeful to qualify for the state tournament. The team fell short by a total of 12 shots but celebrated their great season with Edward Spinks being named as an All-Area player. • Varsity Girls: A really successful season for girls golf, with Meghna Grover finishing as a qualifier from the area tournament and then going on to score a 73 and 75 to finish 3rd in the state. Great season Meghna!
BASKETBALL • Middle School Girls: MS A Girls finished 2nd in the MAAC Championship. • Middle School Boys: MS A Boys advanced to the second round of the MAAC Championship for the first time in recent history. • Junior Varsity Boys: JV Boys basketball had the most successful season in program history finishing the season with a winning record. • Junior Varsity Girls: JV Girls Basketball finished the season with a winning record. • Varsity Boys: Varsity Boys Basketball won three consecutive games during the season. The team ended with the most wins in recent years. • Varsity Girls: Mina Loudermilk, ‘20 was named to the AllRegion Team and Sophia Hoffmann, ‘20 was named Honorable Mention.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Around AIS
TRAVIS HARPER CLASS OF 2019
"IF YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY AND BECOME COMMITTED, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE FOR THE BETTER."
WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN MOCK TRIAL IN THE FIRST PLACE? Funnily enough I got interested in mock trial, and in law generally, through the TV show Drop Dead Diva, which is nothing like the actual type of law I want to practice in the future. I had also been involved in theatre for a very long time and mock trial has a lot of overlaps with theatre. Travis Harper is a Mock Trial aficionado and a keen advocate of AIS’ extracurricular programs. He shared some of his experiences beyond the classroom with Global Exchange. First of all, many congratulations to you and Uwem Wilson ‘19 for entering the Georgia Student Law Academy with Honors having passed the Student Bar Exam with over 90%. Can you tell us more about this achievement and how you prepared for the exam? To attend the Georgia Law Academy, a weekend stay-away camp in Downtown Atlanta, we had to complete an application. At the academy, we took the Student Bar Exam after attending many seminars and lectures about mock trial and the legal profession. The exam was comprised of general legal knowledge (rules of evidence, charges, trial procedure), specific information from the seminars attended over the weekend, facts relating to the cases we read to prepare for the camp and finally a presentation where we wrote a closing argument that was presented in front of a group of jurors. In terms of preparing, I knew a lot of the general legal knowledge and trial procedure from being on the mock trial team at AIS so I didn’t have to do much studying. However, when it came to the case questions and the closing argument, I had to study the material I learned at the camp.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
SO ARE YOU THINKING OF STUDYING LAW AS AN UNDERGRAD? When it comes to undergrad, I’m not entirely sure if I know what I want to major in but I am certain I want to go to law school, which allows me the option to major in a lot of different fields. Currently, I’m thinking about theatre or philosophy.
YOU ARE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS EXTRACURRICULARS, IN ADDITION TO MOCK TRIAL. HOW DO YOU HAVE TIME TO BALANCE THE ACTIVITIES AND WHAT DRIVES YOU TO BE SO INVOLVED? Sometimes I’m not even sure how I do it. I’m somewhat of a workaholic; I’m always working and I like to get things done. I have been involved in chorus, student council, and mock trial. In the past I have been involved in theatre and basketball, sometimes all at the same time! On top of all that I have schoolwork. I will say that I love the feeling of achievement and finishing things, thus I know I have to dole out my time effectively, managing my work but still having time for friends, and binge-watching Netflix and Youtube.
IS THERE AN EXTRACURRICULAR YOU HAVE NOT YET TRIED BUT WANT TO? IS THERE ONE YOU THINK AIS SHOULD START? Similar to mock trial, there is an activity called Moot Court. Mock trial imitates lower court hearings, cases you may see on Law and Order and other shows like that. Moot Court, however, imitates appellate hearings with attorneys either for or against the ruling of the lower courts. It is a much more streamlined activity. There are usually two attorneys and no witnesses. The attorneys talk directly to the judge, not a jury. I would love to try this as it’s much more like debate but involves lots of interesting legal elements.
IF YOU HAD TO ENCOURAGE A STUDENT TO GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO INSPIRE THEM? My high school experience is, and will be what it is, because of my extracurriculars. I always look forward to being with my mock trial family and singing with the AIS chorus. If you find something you enjoy and become committed, it will change your high school experience for the better. Editor’s Note: As Global Exchange goes to press, we are happy to announce that Travis has been accepted into the 2018 Harvard Pre-College Program, a two to sixweek summer program for rising junior and senior high school students from around the world. During the program, students experience college life from living on campus to taking classes. Students are also given the opportunity to experience social events, trips, and activities.
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Around AIS
YANNIE TAN CLASS OF 2019
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CONCERT PIANIST TO PLAY MUSIC – YOU USE CLASSICAL MUSIC EVERYWHERE YOU GO, WHETHER IT’S FOR DEVELOPING FOCUS, ENDURANCE, OR DETERMINATION. MUSIC BRINGS YOU PLACES THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF.”
learning or relearning a musical instrument. As a result of my efforts, I am very honored to have been selected as one of the leaders of the 21st Century Leaders’ "20 Under 20" Georgia Youth Leadership Awards.
Yannie Tan, class of 2019, is an exceptional pianist who has already been awarded at many national and international competitions. In this article,Yannie shares with Global Exchange her achievements in the musical area and how these have become an inspiration to support her in other projects. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A SPECIAL ONE FOR YOU, CAN YOU TELL US WHY? This year has been an exceptional experience for me, as I have landed several prestigious honors including first place rankings in the AFAF International Concerto Competition, the International Piano Festival in Italy, the National Young Virtuosi Competition, LaGrange Young Artist Concerto competition, Augusta Young Artist Concerto Competition, among some others. Being recognized as a national first place winner for the 2016 Junior Piano Solo Performance, and again this year for the National Senior Duet Piano Performance was truly out of my expectations. Ultimately, I have learnt many different types of musical skills throughout this past year. The best award that I’ve ever received this year, however, was my ability to use my musical talent to serve our community. Because of my heartfelt passion for classical music, I have reached my goal to speak to over 10,000 students across Georgia with the intent to inspire them about classical music. I’ve received many positive responses from students and parents, and I think I’ve made an impact on the number of students AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
PLAYING THE PIANO AT YOUR LEVEL REQUIRES TIME AND INSPIRATION. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAS GIVEN YOU THE DETERMINATION AND INSPIRATION TO GET WHERE YOU ARE? I will summarize it in one word: passion. Passion drives me to find who I truly am, and what I genuinely want to do with music. Playing piano has become one of my passions as I have been using it as a way of expressing my feelings. By discovering who I am through music, I have been able to really understand the purpose of music. Something I’ve learned this year from my piano professor is, “You are what you play.” By putting that message to heart, I’ve been very inspired to continue learning more music to know how it contributes to my life, and the lives of others. WE KNOW YOU ALSO ENJOY OTHER SUBJECTS AND PROGRAMS AT AIS, CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THESE? I started an organization in my 10th grade Digital Design class called Astutia. I was very determined to create an impact on the lives of young female students at school and all across Georgia by encouraging them to participate and develop a passion for STEAM (Science,Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). Astutia encourages and empowers female students from ages 11-18. This year was Astutia’s inaugural competition. I have raised over $2000 for scholarship awards for the winners of the competition. I am very
proud that the 1st and 3rd place winners are from our very own school, Go Eagles!! And the second place was awarded to a student from Rockdale Magnet School in Rockdale County. I would like to use this occasion to thank all the judges, and especially Mrs. Peluchi Flores for her mentorship. I am developing my Astutia organization into a 501C nonprofit organization this summer, and I have been connecting with many corporations to hopefully raise more funds and provide a larger dollar amount of scholarship. WHAT ROLE HAS AIS PLAYED IN YOUR ARTISTIC AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT? Since I am a lifer at AIS, many teachers at school have shaped who I am today. I would really like to express my sincere gratitude to all the teachers and their continuous support throughout my whole life at AIS!. WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER SOME ADVICE TO YOUNGER STUDENTS? You don’t have to be a concert pianist to play music – you use classical music everywhere you go, whether it’s for developing focus, endurance, or determination. Music could bring you far – so keep playing. Music brings you places that you never thought of.
LEARNING for Action & Impact
#MyFreedomDay What Does Freedom Mean For You? The whole school unites for an emphatic answer… Just glance at the front cover of this magazine to get a sense of what happened one extraordinary day in March. The photo shows the entire school; all students, faculty and staff lined up on Klaus Field to form #MyFreedomDay. It was, by all accounts, an exceptionally powerful and moving moment. So, what is #MyFreedomDay? It’s a global day of action against modern day slavery and human trafficking. Celebrities, individuals and hundreds of schools throughout the world get involved to answer the simple question; ‘What Does Freedom Mean For You?’ Events are planned, and social media fully utilized to shine a light on this hideous industry. Kevin Glass, AIS Headmaster, was quick to point out “Learning for action and impact is at the core of the International Baccalaureate and it’s central to the mission of our school. As a global educational institution, AIS empowers students to become the leaders our communities need. March 14, 2018 was a day of youth-led activism on our campus, where students stood up and raised their voices in awareness of modern day slavery.’
Throughout the day all students united to make a difference. Grades 1, 3 and 4 made pencil pouches for She Is Safe, an organization that helps restore the lives of abused and exploited victims in high risk areas. Two Grade 4 groups shared presentations from their Beliefs unit addressing what modern day slavery means. Secondary school students sold Fair Trade Certified products all day, demonstrating ethical consumerism and showcasing products that are made free from child labor and students of all ages were interviewed by journalists from CNN International. The news organization was on campus all day, broadcasting the school’s activities and sharing them live. CNN were also there to talk to an extraordinary group of secondary school students, the club known as ‘AIS Against Human Trafficking’ (AISAHT).
Erika Hibbert, is a passionate supporter of the group. Ms. McDaniel helped the group to partner with CNN International and Delta Airlines as part of the Freedom Project. On Wednesday 14th March the power of that collaboration was clear for all to see. As she looked out across Klaus field, Sofia Varzi, one of this years AISAHT leaders commented: "The global reach is truly inspiring and a real testament to the power of students’ voices…but we should never forget that it’s coming together, at every level, that really gives the movement its power".
Formed seven years ago as a Community Action and Service (CAS) group, AISAHT works throughout the year to fight human trafficking, you will have seen some of their many activities featured in these pages. Veronica McDaniel teaches Middle and Upper school PE, she is also Individuals and Societies teacher and, along with Arts teacher 13
LEARNING for Action & Impact
From Houses to Homes Guatemala ARIANA DECROSS '20 “In August of 2017, I took a trip to Antigua, Guatemala, to build a house through the organization From Houses To Homes (FHTH) for a Mayan family. In one week, not only did our group of 6 build an entire concrete house, but also created strong bonds with people who initially seemed so different from us, yet turned out to be so similar. “The building process was a little tiring, but very enjoyable. The families were extremely welcoming, and we got to know the kids (and their many pets) very well. We took breaks to play ball with them and color the cinder blocks, which led to us practicing our Spanish. “We also visited the FHTH medical clinic and Escuela Kemna’oj, which is a completely free school that the organization founded for the families of Santa María de Jesús. “I felt so touched by this whole experience that I decided to base my MYP Personal Project around raising money for the school. As of March 2018, I have raised $2,000. I also ran the Early Learning Center clothing drive, and we will be taking all the donations to Guatemala when we return this August. I plan on continuing AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
my involvement with From Houses To Homes throughout the rest of my High School career, and hopefully into college as well.” OSCAR PETITGENET '18 “Participating in From Houses to Homes in Guatemala with Mrs Ferandel has been an unforgettable personal experience. In 5 days, with 4 other AIS students, we built a house for a mother and her 4 kids. Before that they were sleeping outside in really poor conditions. The last day, you give the key of the house to the mother, smiles and tears are on the faces of everybody and you leave Guatemala knowing that you have changed the life of this family forever.This experience will not happen many times in your life! “It is one of my favorite experiences from AIS as at the same time you work your team building skills, your muscles, you discover a country, you meet an extraordinary Guatemalan family, you spend a wonderful time with your friends. “Mrs Ferandel always paid attention to make our journey as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Thank you Mrs Ferandel for having suggested to me this unbelievable experience!”
LEARNING for Action & Impact
MARCH FOR HUMANITY 2018
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King Jr. Exactly fifty years after the funeral march of Dr. Martin Luther King took place, the AIS community marked the occasion by taking to their feet and embarking on a series of processions to commemorate this historic event.
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” MLK For Primary School and Middle School students this took the form of a march around Klaus field on the AIS campus. In their classrooms, our young students learned about Martin Luther King’s contributions to the civil rights movement and reflected on his quotes, some of which they then carried with them during the march. They were joined by Middle School classes after one lap around the track to symbolize how, when working to change society at a deep level, leaders and activists change over the course of time, passing the baton to a new generation.
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” MLK
It was heartwarming to see Middle School students holding hands and even carrying some of our younger students, bonding through the experience. On the way back from the march, students were urged to show the value they have for local action and our "beloved community" by picking up any trash they saw.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” MLK Grades 9, 10 and faculty members joined the March for Humanity in Downtown Atlanta organized by The King Center. As they marched down the roads of Atlanta starting at Ebenezer Baptist Church and finishing at the State Capitol some of our students were interviewed by media stations covering the event. One AIS high schooler commented: “I think it’s good that we all do this today because when Dr. Martin Luther King did it back then, people were fighting against them. I like that we’re such a large force and we’ll fight for the same cause again today.” While another reflected, “It’s so amazing to look back on stories from then and see how far we’ve actually come - and how far we still have to go.”
“Courage faces fear and thereby masters it.” MLK 15
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AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
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GRADE 5
annual journeys abroad Bringing the Curriculum to Life… Immersion in another language and culture is a hallmark of our IB Primary Years Program, and at AIS all that experience and hard work culminates in the much anticipated Grade 5 trip abroad. This Spring, in Costa Rica, Provence and Berlin, our class of 2025 Spanish, French and German students really brought every aspect of the curriculum to life. Exploring the history, geography and environmental science - not to mention the food! - of the cultures they have been studying at first hand, all whilst using their target languages in context.
A Rite of Passage For many, the ten day trip was the longest time they had been apart from their families. It was a time when appropriate social skills were honed, deep friendships forged and respect for the host countries culture nurtured. As one student put it: ‘this helped me prepare for middle school because you become more responsible and independent….the ten days go by really fast, once I got there, I didn’t want to leave.’ During their time abroad the students are required to document their experiences with pictures and keep a travel journal where they reflect, illustrate and document their excursions.
Fifth-Grade Spanish COSTA RICA The Spanish track enjoyed their time in Costa Rica where they learned how to dance merengue and salsa, practiced aerobics and volleyball in the pool, appreciated the scenery of Playa Hermosa and took part in monkey sightseeing.
"I learned how close to my grade I was." JB Clark
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Fifth-Grade French PROVENCE The French track visited Provence, where they learned prehistoric techniques for starting a fire and canoed down the Verdon Gorge river. They indulged in the French cuisine, learned how to milk cows and make cheese, and even shopped at local markets.
"You get to have fun with new people, and you can even have lots of fun with the teachers!" JosĂŠphine
Fifth-Grade German BERLIN The German track students visited Berlin. They toured the Bernauer StraĂ&#x;e Wall Memorial, interacted with locals at a traditional flea market and enjoyed a boat ride down the Spree river. Students saw the Story of Berlin museum and learned about the city's history.
"I think we grew individually and as a group each day and got closer to each other as friends" Ruya AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
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OUR 2 WEEKS IN CHINA WAS AN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME Cecile Turner and Olivia Sussman were amongst a group of ten Chinese language students who recently travelled from Atlanta to China on what turned out to be an adventure of a lifetime. The AIS Chinese class packed a lot in during the 2 week trip - from the futuristic modernity of Shanghai, to the rural charm of Huzhou and the ancient history of Beijing. They experienced a country of incredible contrasts and interacted with people who showed them about their way of life whilst making them feel more than welcome. Here they reflect upon what the trip meant to them.
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Our trip started off in 上海 (Shanghai) where we stayed at a sister school to AIS called Shanghai High School. Each of us were paired with a ‘buddy’ from the school and spent the next few days following them around learning about the Chinese school system and participating in cultural acclimatization classes.
We left Shanghai and our ‘new families’ behind to travel to Huzhou, a rural town about a two hour train ride away which is surrounded by beautiful landscapes. In Huzhou we experienced small town life including a visit to another school.
OL IVI A :
The students had never seen people from outside China and so were fascinated , and somewhat shocked I think, by the way we looked! They immediately wanted all of our Wechats (a very popular texting/ social media app in China) so as to share life stories with each other.
I personally really enjoyed the Kendo class where we learned the martial art of Kendo sword fighting and also the Chinese flute class where I actually got to use my flute to play a traditional folk song! We also got the opportunity to tour Shanghai, visiting the museums and the surrounding villages. C ECILE :
One of the highlights for me was visiting what is called the ‘water village’ which instead of roads is made up of water filled canals.
Then, that weekend, we left the school and went to our buddies’ homes for a homestay. OL IVI A :
O LIVIA:
As part of our time in Huzhou we also climbed a nearby mountain where we were taught about the long history of Chinese tea, both how it is made and how to drink it, The final part of our trip took us to Beijing, China's ancient capital. In Beijing the focus was on history and culture; we visited the forbidden city of the Chinese emperors and walked the famous Great Wall of China. CE CILE :
Honestly, I was a bit scared about the homestay with my buddy’s parents as they didn’t speak English and I was worried that I would not be able to communicate with them. However, the homestay ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip. I learned many new words like 好吃 (hao chi, delicious) and 小心 (xiao xin, careful). At the end of the homestay the real surprise was just how similar my family was to my buddy’s family; from the music our dads listen to through to the caring environment in the homes, what I learned was that, although we are separated by thousands of miles, family bonds and love are similar everywhere.
The Great Wall was breathtaking and literally like nothing we had ever seen before. What was particularly amazing is that it is about 2,700 years old and is still in such incredible condition.
C ECILE :
During our stay, we learned about the civilization and history of China and the habits of the Chinese people through the cultural differences between ourselves and the people we engaged with. Through a combination of the tours we took, the people we met and all the unfamiliar things we tried, we discovered new horizons that we had never known existed. It was two weeks that turned out to be an unforgettable adventure.
At first I didn’t want to go with my buddy (even though she was very sweet) because I was apprehensive as this would really take me out of my comfort zone. As it turned out, I was actually sad when my stay ended as I had had so much fun with my buddy’s family - I wished it could have been longer!
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
O LIVIA:
Going to the Great Wall was an amazing experience. I had read about it and always wanted to go, but never thought I would be able to. Pictures of the Great Wall do not do it justice, it is so much more impressive in real life. I also loved learning about China’s history and understanding how different architectural styles changed along with the calligraphy in each dynasty.
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ISTA MS Festival PANAMA 2018 “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” Albert Einstein PANAMA, A PATH BETWEEN THE OCEANS, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCE FOR OUR THEATRE STUDENTS.
Each ISTA festival is a unique, immersive experience which places students in an environment in which international mindedness can flourish.They bring people - educators, artists and young people together to collaborate, regardless of age, nationality and experience. Festivals develop cultural literacy through interaction between people, place and perspective. This festival focused on tales and stories of the different Panamanian devils who have frightened and distracted the people of Panama for hundreds of years. Our students inquired into cultural rituals, the use of masks, and how they protect themselves from what they don’t understand or fear. Festivals culminate with each group ensemble sharing their inquiry through theatre. They engage the audience in their process, with the ensemble work acting as the stimulus for the inquiry and uncovering the discoveries they have made. "As a teacher, and a member of ISTA, I truly believe that the festivals are life changing; creatively affirming special one-of-a-kind experiences that form the scaffolding in young people’s lives" said Sherry Weeks, AIS Theatre teacher.
Ellie Isenberg (Grade 8)
ISTA has impacted me in so many ways. I have learned so much about the Panamanian culture and devils. I loved getting to meet so many new people from around the world and getting to spend time with a host family that showed us Panamanian culture.To me, ISTA is a place where I can be myself in front of my fellow theatre nerds! I am able to have fun and learn at the same time which is not something you do much in school.
Sofia MaCauley (Grade 9) In the few days in our escape to Panama, not only did we get a taste of extreme heat (a break from the Atlanta weather), we got immersed into a small, colorful and very diverse community. ISTA introduced us to the main theme of 'Masks In Society' a subtopic to the cultural Devil Mask parade in Panama, which prompted us to look at ourselves to discover our own "masks". In the workshops such as the Panamanian dance class, we worked together with enthusiastic instructors who solely wanted us to enjoy ourselves and come out of our different comfort zones, which I noticed really brought out the true personalities and creativity of all the participants.The incredible ISTA artists at the International School
of Panama gave us the necessary materials to make group scenes in just 3 days, reflecting and using skills learned in other workshops such as props, clocking, and stage fighting; giving the mixed age group an opportunity to work together and learn crucial theatre skills to advance in later years. Out and about in Panama City and Casco Viejo, we found a strong contrast of new and old tradition, not just in citizens but in architecture as well, which we brought back into brainstorming sessions. Supported by Señor Cárdenas, who was our Panamenian host and tourist guide, and Señora Samanes, our MYP Coordinator, who helped with translations for those non-Spanish speakers among us, our experience was really unique. By the end of this trip, the unforgettable host families, the Casco Viejo devil dances, and the Panama Canal experience made us so comfortable, that is fair to say, we all put our masks down.
Victoria Erdman (Grade 8)
I have attended three ISTA festivals - Atlanta, at our school, Jamaica, and Panama last month.What I love most about ISTA is their approach on studying culture. In every place where the festival takes place, we experience their history and culture by going on trips and visiting beautiful and historic locations. After doing this, we turn the history into theatre. Each ensemble comes up with their own piece of theatre, working for three days on something that the students get to design. This year, in Panama, the topic was their mask making traditions. Our ensemble's performance piece was about the masks that people wear in society.We stay with host families from around the world which enables me to meet new people and get a greater view of the world. ISTA teaches me valuable life lessons, it enriches my knowledge about the world, and overall is an incredible experience that we will always remember.
Sophia Davoudi (Grade 8)
I have been doing the ISTA program for three years and every year I learn something new. ISTA gives us an amazing opportunity to travel the world and learn so much at the same time. During the final sharing of work, I learned something new from each point of view and how it had an effect on the history of that country and the world. In real life situations ISTA has helped me in history class and making connections in class and discussions. Overall, the best part of ISTA for me is meeting new people. Every year I make so many friends from all over the world and we still stay in touch.When I first started ISTA I thought that theatre just involved acting. I then realized that there are so many components and elements to theatre. ISTA is a true learning experience in helping us to understand collaboration, different perspectives and encourages us to inquire and learn different skills to learn about the world through theatre. 21
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SERGE PETITPRE
VOYAGE TO INDIA
Full disclosure here…. this was never meant to be a farewell piece. It was simply a tribute to our intuitive, imaginative, incredible ‘Monsieur Serge’ - an opportunity for everyone to discover more about this much loved French teacher and his intrepid past. However, as Global Exchange went to press, we discovered that, after eleven years at AIS, Serge was moving on. So it is now, by definition, a piece about his future… and to fully understand that, we must briefly look back… Born in Algeria and raised in Northern France, as soon as Serge Petitpre became an adult he started to travel. His journey took him from Niger to Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Benin… along the way he met his beloved American wife Martha and they had three daughters. After four years back in his native France the family felt the lure of Africa once more. The French Lycee Charles de Gaulle in Bangui was followed by six years in Dakar and three years in Morocco…culminating in a move to the USA and a position in the PYP at Atlanta International School. How lucky we are to have kept this curious traveler in our midst for over a decade. During the past eleven years Serge has enriched the lives of many Primary school students – the oldest of whom will graduate this year. As an active member of the AIS community he has given back in so many ways beyond the classroom, from coaching tennis teams to chaperoning trips abroad. It was during one 2012 trip with AIS that the seeds for Serge's next step were sewn. He went to India to help in a boys home in the Tamil Nadu, the experience was a profound one. Six years on, Serge will return to Chennai in India, to Tamil Nadu, as head of a French school. We wish him well in the next phase of his wonderful journey.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Class of 2018
CONGRATULATIONS,
CLASS OF 2018
To the class of 2018, Everyone at Atlanta International School would like to congratulate you on everything you’ve done and everything you’ve tried to do during your time with us. Millennials can sometimes attract a bit of criticism for being unable to fail… we live in a time where a lot of people believe “everyone gets a trophy.” Well, that is not true of this class. Our seniors are both ambitious and resilient. If they’ve received a trophy (or even a metaphorical one) it would have been achieved through hard work. Our seniors have pushed themselves to try new things, they’ve stepped out of their comfort zone and they have achieved so much more than many young people of their age. We’re particularly proud of any seniors that have tried and failed, only to try again and again. A wise person once said, “Success is the ability to move from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.” That’s been attributed to everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Winston Churchill, but whoever the real author, I think the message has
been wholeheartedly embraced by our seniors.Their enthusiasm has been one of their finest traits and they have worked hard to succeed in the face of adversity. I want to congratulate our seniors on aiming high and for exceeding even their own expectations. For turning those 2s in the first semester of DP into 5s for example or for being faced with a workload that at times seemed impossible, but somehow and someway, was navigated with no shortage of success. We all know just how demanding the IB can be, and to face these challenges with determination and enthusiasm is admirable. I want to congratulate our seniors on juggling their many accomplishments in sports, film, theatre, music, art, MUN, mock trial,TOK, EE, CAS… The list goes on and on. The impact that these contributions have had on the school, the wider community and even the wider world has been tangible. And our seniors did all of those things, while somehow managing to juggle 6 different classes and maybe even managing to have some sort of social life in their (limited) spare time too. We wish our seniors all the best as they finish exams, look towards graduation and then a busy summer of work or travel. The long summer before they enter higher education as freshmen is well-deserved and a wonderful opportunity for many to relax and recharge. We look forward to hearing stories of the summer and tales of their freshmen years at schools both in North America and Europe. We’re proud of all of the fantastic schools and courses our seniors have been admitted to and we hope our newest AIS alumni will stay in touch and share their experiences with us. Class of 2018, you were definitely worth the wait. Always, Adam Lapish Head of Year, Grade 12 23
Class of 2018 Adler, Alia, USA
Gonzalez Varela Saborio, Julia, Mexico
Adler, Langdon, USA
Gordon, Matthew, USA
Ahmad, Aishah, India
Griessbach, Avril, USA
Albers, Lucas, USA*, Brazil, Germany
Grimard, Bastien, France
Alibaksh, Marco, USA
Grover, Siddharth, USA
Alibhai, Nizar, USA
Guenther, Celine, USA
Amazonas, Theodoro (Theo), USA
Hall, Taylor, USA
Avent, Thomas (Trey), USA
Harvey, Rocio, USA
Bako, Kenny, Burkina Faso
Hidalgo Monroy Lerma, Bruno, Canada*, Brazil
Baltes, Mika, Germany*, South Africa Barral-Secchi, Felipe, Chile
Jian, Xianqi (Shannon), China Jones, Kaylan, USA
Reardon, Zoe, USA
Kacharava, Natalia, USA
Reiling, Andrew, USA
Kadam, Sachin, USA
Reschauer, Jasper, Germany*, Brazil
Kane, Josephine (Josie), USA
Rieker, A, USA
Kilic, Ada, USA,Turkey
Roberts, Denver, USA
Klaus, Christopher (Will), USA
Ruenger, Katharina, Germany
Madrid, Gil, USA
Sachs, Eli, USA
Marshall, Isobel, United Kingdom
Safarkhani, Armin, USA*, Iran
McGuinness, Aonghus, Ireland
Schroeder, Maria (Maria Christina), USA
Memarzadeh, Lilia, USA
Semrau, Maximilian (Max), USA
Mesian, Ricardo (Rigo), Equatorial Guinea
Shayne, David, USA
Mitchell, Evelyn (Evie), USA
Singh, Yashovarman (Yasho), India
Moody, Malachai, USA
South, Sara, USA
Morris, Walker, USA
Swann, Alexandre (Alex), USA
Nemeti-Chipkes, Elizabeth, USA*, Sweden
Terwindt, Nicolas, USA
Chudy, Nora, Germany
Olayeye, Kunmilayo (Mimi), United Kingdom
Varzi, Sofia, USA
Cohen, Connor, USA
Pahlsmeyer, Simon, Germany
Vercruyssen, Mats, Belgium
Croom, Lailah, USA
Paradies, Logan, USA
Viala, Baptiste, France
Cueto, Emily (Emily Sofia), USA
Parks, Kaylynn, USA
von Platen, Leonie, Germany
Darlis, Jason, USA*, France
Patel, Meejan, USA
Washington, Jandolyn, USA
Dean, Clark (Will), USA
Paton-Smith, Katherine, USA*, United Kingdom
Weissenburger, Benjamin, USA
Barron, Athena, USA Basford, Emily, United Kingdom Beadles, Joshua (Josh), USA Berland, Mathis, France Berman, Ellina, USA Binder, Thomas, USA Bond, Clarissa (Clary), USA Botto Barilli, Bautista, Italy*, Argentina Brene, Joel, Cuba Britton, Clarke, USA Brown, Hayden, USA Brown, Katherine (Katie), USA Cappelletti, Eloise, United Kingdom Chang, Elizabeth (Liz), USA*, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
DelCampo, Corina, USA Duval, Chloe, USA Finley, Patrick, USA Fischer, Luisa, USA*, Germany Fox, Jasmine (Jazzy), USA AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Perez, Nicolas (Nico), USA Petitgenet, Oscar, USA Pilmore-Bedford, Alasdair, United Kingdom Proctor, Colette, USA
Wilson, Rohan, USA*, Jamaica, Nigeria Wimmer, Moritz, Germany Wong, Amanda, USA*, Malaysia Yeates, Jeffrey (Brock), USA Zakarian, Emil, USA
Class of 2018
CLASS OF 2018 Agnes Scott College Auburn University Babson College Boston University Brown University University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago Clemson University Colgate University Concordia University (Montreal) Cornell University DePaul University Duke University Elon University Emerson College Emory University Florida Polytechnic University Furman University The George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia State University University of Georgia Hotel School The Hague IE University (Madrid) Lancaster University (UK) Louisiana State University
Loyola University, Chicago University of Massachusetts, Boston New York University The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Northeastern University Quest University Canada Rochester Institute of Technology The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (UK) Savannah College of Art and Design University of Southern California Southern Methodist University Syracuse University Temple University Tennessee Technological University The Academy of Contemporary Music (UK) The New School Tulane University University College London (UK) University of Bristol (UK) The University of Edinburgh (UK) University of York (UK) Vatel International Business School Hotel and Tourism Management (France) Virginia Tech Washington and Lee University Wellesley College
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AIS Alumni Stories
AIS ALUMNI STORIES JORDAN BROWN CLASS OF 2015
"I WANT TO USE MY LANGUAGE SKILLS TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED ACROSS THE WORLD."
HOW MANY LANGUAGES ARE YOU PROFICIENT IN AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LEARN SO MANY? HOW DID AIS PREPARE YOU FOR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION? The IB curriculum teaches you to adapt to challenges and handle them emotionally and technically. AIS also taught me how to interact with different people with a myriad of different experiences from all over the world.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND PRINCETON AND STUDY ECONOMICS? I chose to attend and pursue economics at Princeton because my economics course junior year at AIS with Mr. Padula influenced me, as we studied and analyzed problems and their impact across markets.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AFTER GRADUATING FROM PRINCETON? I am thinking about going into business or law school after undergrad. I want to use my language skills to help people in need across the world.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
In 9th grade, I really got inspired. I was motivated by my Italian best friend to learn about his culture and language so I ended up teaching myself Italian. After being able to learn and speak three languages (French, Spanish, Italian) I decided to teach myself German for my 10th Grade Personal Project.
HOW ARE YOU CONTINUING YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING AT PRINCETON? I am in a Princeton University program that translates documents from one language to another. I use this to keep up with my French and Spanish.
RIGHT NOW YOU ARE LEARNING PORTUGUESE IN COLLEGE, WHAT IS THE NEXT LANGUAGE YOU WANT TO LEARN? I probably want to learn Mandarin, but I want to keep working on Russian as well. *Editor’s Note: After graduating from Princeton University, Jordan plans to attend business or law school.
AIS Alumni Stories
Q&A WITH
THOMAS RUDDEROW '06 AIS INVESTMENT CLUB ADVISOR & ALUMNI LEADER reactions were really quite funny. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING AS THE YEAR PROGRESSED AND YOU SAW THEM DOING SO WELL?
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE INVESTMENT CLUB?
AIS is truly a special community and I find myself coming back to reconnect with my favorite teachers or to meet up with fellow alumni at events (not to mention all the delicious food at Worldfest each year). After years of discussions about the need for personal finance in school curriculums, I saw an opportunity to teach the importance of healthy finances through the Investment Club. A friend suggested the Stock Market Game to spark the conversation and attract a crowd. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RETURN TO AIS AS AN ALUM AND GIVE BACK TO THE STUDENTS HERE?
At the expense of sounding corny, AIS inspired me to give back. Looking back, one common interest among all of my AIS friends is community service. It's in our DNA. WHAT DOES THE INVESTMENT CLUB DO?
The AIS Investment Club is a focused group of high school students that both compete in the Stock Market Game and discuss various personal finance topics. About half of our time is dedicated to understanding the stock market and the characteristics of different investments, while the other half of our time is learning about the value of money, impact of taxes, and what smart decisions we can make to avoid big financial mistakes. Personal finance is all about risk management, so if we can identify big mistakes to avoid, perhaps we will be better suited to navigate life's many obstacles. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR FOR THE INVESTMENT CLUB?
While I'm proud to say we got 1st place in Atlanta and 5th place in the state for the Stock Market Game, I'd say my favorite highlight of the year was Senior Day. PO President, Kristin Dean, and I built a "Game of Life" scenario where AIS seniors budgeted for one semester in college. Many of the students received thousands of dollars in fake money at the beginning of the semester only to find that rent and meal plans ate away 80% of their funds. Some of the
Honestly, my goal with introducing the Stock Market Game was to teach the students how quickly a bad decision would burn away their money. Each team (3 - 5 students) received $100,000 to invest but only had 10 weeks to maximize their earnings, so I was hoping that we could learn from a few mistakes. So when I saw that one of our teams reached 30% gains in just a few weeks, I wanted to make sure they didn't think that investing was so easy.With only a 10 week timeframe, much of the game is luck. I thought we would have a few big losses that we could compare against more diversified investments and discuss the importance of limiting mistakes. Luckily, our Spring 2018 session gave us some good material to discuss in Fall 2018. HOW DID YOU FEEL REPRESENTING AIS, THIS TIME AS AN ALUMNI LEADER, AT THE FOX THEATRE?
Hopefully, our 9th grade team had as much fun as I did at the Fox Theatre's Egyptian Ballroom for the SIFMA Stock Market Game awards.The field trip definitely brought back memories of basketball or class field trips, so the nostalgia was meaningful as well. WHAT OTHER WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH AIS SINCE STARTING THE INVESTMENT CLUB?
Since starting the Investment Club, I've started working with some of the parents and faculty to develop Senior Day events as well as educational sessions outside the club hours.We are also working with some very entrepreneurial Emory students to pilot an interactive application for the Investment Club. We plan to launch Fall 2018, so stay tuned for more soon! ARE THERE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM OR ENCOURAGEMENT YOU WOULD OFFER TO OTHER ALUMNI WHO ARE CONSIDERING WAYS TO GIVE BACK? WHAT ABOUT FOR ALUMNI WHO ARE NOT LOCAL?
For starters, staying engaged in the AIS alumni community is essential. Reach out to your AIS friends and get coffee. Reconnect. Call a friend you haven't spoken to in years. One of the hardest parts of being an Atlanta-native AIS alumni is that everyone seems to move away! Staying in touch requires active engagement. Pick up the phone and don't rely on others to do it for you.To be involved you have to stay connected. For those who want to give back, AIS is certainly welcoming but you have to find a need and then follow your passion. Starting the Investment Club has not been easy; staying with it and building momentum is key. I'm certainly willing to introduce other alumni that are in town throughout the year and would love to have a helping hand. Feel free to contact me if you're interested in helping out or have questions about how to get more involved in the community. 27
AIS Alumni Stories
CLAIRE
DUGGAN '06
Becoming a teacher was never a dream of mine, at least not at the elementary, middle, or high school levels. Never have I wanted to work with children that need to be brought to the bathroom or don’t understand that a tissue can often be a far better implement than a finger in certain situations. I had thought about teaching at the college level, Sociology specifically. I even started a PhD program in Sociology at Boston University, with the intent of working at a small liberal arts college where I could focus on teaching, rather than research, writing, and publishing. In my first few years as a graduate student, I did quite a bit of the latter. In fact, that was all I did, until my third year when I was offered a position as a Teaching Fellow. I LOVED it. SO MUCH. I’d find myself dedicating far more time to my prep-work for my one-hour sections that met weekly, than to my actual research, which was on the amazingly fun topic of craft breweries nonetheless! While the research was particularly enjoyable, I felt that nothing in the dissertation process filled me with as much joy as seeing a pre-med student understand the role that social variables such as race, class, and gender play in access to quality healthcare, or watching a freshman undergraduate engaging in a social breaching experiment. My father passed away my first year at BU. He had always said I had a gift at working with people, and that my time would be “wasted” shut away in an office, in an Ivory Tower somewhere. His words echoed in my mind week after week while planning lessons, leading discussions, and giving feedback on essays written by my students. He was right. I needed out. I needed to be in the real world, working with my students on a daily basis, not just once a week for a brief hour. After countless phone calls with my mother, I made the decision to try my hand at teaching full-time. As you would probably guess, there aren’t many schools out there offering full-time jobs for high school sociology teachers. However, thanks to the wonderful French programs at AIS and Boston College, where I completed my Bachelors in French and Sociology, I was able to pass the required exams to become a public educator and French teacher in the state of Massachusetts.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Several interviews and demonstration lessons later, I was offered a position at Sharon High School, 22 miles south of Boston. I spent three years there, teaching many different levels of French to somewhere between 80 to 100 teenagers per year, leading a Sociology club, and working with an amazing team of colleagues, including my mentor, Kathy Turner and 2013 Massachusetts Teacher of theYear. I learned so much about language instruction and classroom management, but also the importance a teacher can have in a student’s life. I reflected upon many of the relationships I had formed with teachers at AIS. I quickly came to realize that teachers are so much more than just educators. We are mentors, advisors, cheerleaders, experience creators and curators, counselors, nurses (like the time I had to extract lead from a student’s hand because the nurse’s office was closed), event planners, trip planners, emergency escape route planners, entertainers, influencers, bug catchers, and so much more. Never in my life have I felt more needed. Never in my life had I felt the potential to do so much good. After three amazing years at Sharon, I took a job at Beaver Country Day School, only 3 miles away from home. It’s a different school than SHS, with a huge variety of course offerings, smaller classes, a state of the art Research and Design Facility, and what I believe to be some of the best cafeteria food ever. While the surroundings have changed, my job has remained the same. It is my responsibility to put my students’ interests first and above my own. It is my job to think of them when others might not. And it is my job to create a safe and welcoming space in which they spend several hours of their week. Starting this July, I will be assuming the role of Modern Language Department Chair, and I am looking forward to seeing how my role as an educator will evolve. How many new hats will I get to wear?
AIS Alumni Stories
RITU VERMA '98 As is the case with many children of Indian immigrants, I did not have much of a choice when I entered college and declared myself a pre-med major. At birth, the career paths of Indian children are generally narrowed down to 2 options: medicine or engineering. Being a doctor was obviously the greatest achievement of all time, but if you wanted to be a slacker, you could settle for being an engineer. Most of us didn’t even know there were other options for majors. Wait, what? You can major in something called Art History? Anthropology? Psychology? Well, the last option could lead you to be a psychiatrist, which is technically a doctor, so that would be deemed acceptable. I say all of this partially in jest, of course, but there is some truth behind having your career path chosen for you in my culture.When I look around today, this has worked out very well for many of my friends and family members. They are incredibly successful and now reap the benefits of their parents having pushed them down a particular path. I always knew, however, that practicing medicine was not in my future. It took one year of struggling in my college science and math courses and a very intense meeting with my college advisor and parents for me to “give up my dream” of being a doctor. I began to focus on the two courses in which I had received the highest grades in the class – political science. All of a sudden, I was pre-law and loving every minute of it. In high school and even as a college student, I had always been inclined to help families in some way, shape, or form. My next-door neighbors adopted two children, and I often overheard them discussing the legal obstacles they faced during the process of their domestic adoptions. Something clicked inside of me and I set my sights on law school to pursue adoption law. Several years later, I enrolled at the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. Unbeknownst to me at the time, you do not “major” in a specific field in law school. Instead, you take core curriculum classes (Torts, Property, Contracts, Constitutional Law, etc.) and then have the opportunity to take a few elective courses to focus on those practices that actually interest you. Adoption law was unfortunately a particularly niche practice within the larger realm of family law. Having clerked with a local firm prior to heading to law school, I was aware that 90% of a family law practice was divorce and not exactly an area I wanted to practice in. So, I looked for other opportunities and was offered and accepted a clerkship with the Atlanta firm of Kumar, Prabhu, Patel & Banerjee, LLC after my first year in law school. During my time with KPPB that summer, I was exposed to all of the firm’s practice areas at the time: hospitality and lending, litigation, immigration, real estate transactions, corporate transactions, and estate planning. I enjoyed the corporate and estate planning practices the most and went back to school with an idea of what I may practice after law school. Close to graduation, I was offered a unique opportunity to work on a political campaign back home in Atlanta. I quickly jumped at it and
was sucked into the Georgia political scene for 3 years before returning to practice at the very firm I had clerked for so many years before. I had little legal experience, but a major benefit of working for a small firm is that it allows you to grow and learn fairly quickly.You have face-to-face meetings with partners and clients alike; it’s often an “all hands on deck” atmosphere, and everyone is a phone call away or a quick walk down the hall. I am now in my 10th year of a thriving estate planning and probate practice with KPPB, and happy as can be. The biggest perk of working for my firm is that I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance while still advancing my career. The big firms and billable hour requirements were just not for me, and I appreciate the “work hard, play harder” approach to life. I wanted to do good work, make a difference in people’s lives, and enjoy my own life in the process. I don’t sit in the office all day, every day, grinding out documents and racking up bills. I meet with clients face to face to discuss their particular families and goals with respect to their estate plans. While doing this, I learn about their lives and where they came from and what they see for their futures. I routinely work with clients’ financial advisors and CPA’s, developing relationships and learning about what added value certain resources can bring to my other clients. I give complimentary consultations to families who have just lost a loved one and don’t even know where to begin. I help people during very difficult times in their lives, navigating the intricacies of probate court, notification procedures, hearings, guardianships, conservatorships, and bond requirements. I try to give back to the community as well, serving on the Board of the South Asian Bar Association of Georgia for 3 years, President for 1 year, and participating in the State Bar of Georgia’s annual “Law Day” initiative, which is held in collaboration with Georgia Public Schools. I am also able to maintain close relationships with both my family and my friends. So what is the take-away here? In my experience, it is to understand that there is no one-size-fits all path to a career in law and that you can have both a prosperous and fulfilling legal career without having to work yourself to death. Personally, I enjoy making a difference in people’s lives by making the legal system accessible and understandable to them. It is what I am most proud of and what keeps me coming back every day.
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GIVING
On May 5, 2018 Atlanta International School hosted the 32nd Annual Spring Benefit: Moroccan Nights. Guests were transported to the culturally rich landscape of Morocco through its art, food and music, and entertained with authentic Moroccan dances by Beth Mendez and Elgiz Antione. AIS’ Primary School Chorus, represented by Grade 5, were led by Karen Peters with a wonderful rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” from the movie Moana. A very special thank you to alumnus Mohammadullah Hassan ’13 for sharing his journey from Kabul to AIS graduate. Our students are amazing! This year’s Spring Benefit raised more than $500,000 for Atlanta International School. The Stand & Pledge campaign for financial aid, which took place after an amazing live and silent auction, raised $136,000.This night in Morocco was all made possible by the dedicated Spring Benefit Committee and Authenticity Committee.We would like to thank Myrna Antar, Ashley Floyd, Stefani Glass, Monica McLary, Remedios Rodriguez, Rupal Romero, Semira Safarkhani, Stine Sides, Richita Surana, Nawal Aquachar, Jawad Bisbis, Fatima Ghzala and Khalid Moreno. And we certainly are grateful for our sponors, live auction and gift in-kind donors. The Spring Benefit began in the late 1980s to support AIS’s mission of providing the increasingly global Atlanta community with an outstanding independent school. All proceeds from the Benefit contribute towards financial aid scholarships, faculty development programs and continued preservation of the historic campus buildings.
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
GIVING Update AIS Recognizes the Generosity of Our CORPORATE SPONSORS DIAMOND SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
Auction Donors
barre3-South Buckhead
Diptyque Paris
1KEPT Kitchen & Bar
Beautycounter- Lisa Box
Dr. Martina Badell
Adam Schindler Arts
Bella By Alethea
Eclipse di Luna
Agnes Girardeau and Thomas Chollet, AIS Parents
Beth Bristow Tutorial Services
Equity Estates
Billy Newman Photography
Fatima Ghzala and Khalid Moreno
Bon Glaze Doughnuts
Fattoria Varramista S.p.A
Buckhead Orthodontics
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Cameron and David Paredes
Foliage Aromatherapy
Camp North Star Maine
Francois and Company
Anja and Chris Koslowski
Carlos Gonzalez and Cristina Bondolowski
Garden Hills Pool and Park Association
Art by Sheila Mae
Cherry Blow Dry Bar-Buckhead
Georgia World Congress Center Authority
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Chris and Jutta Archer
Getaway2Give
Atlanta Business Products Inc.
Christian and Anke Fischer
Atlanta Falcons Football Club LLC.
Christopher Lowell
Holly Brooks Design- King Landscaping
Atlanta Hawks
College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-Fil-A Fan Experience
IMG College Licensing
AIS Students Alice + Olivia Align Health Coaching Alliance Theatre Anis Cafe + Bistro FRIENDS OF AIS
Atlanta Kick and Operation Boot Camp
Inside Out Skincare
Cooks & Soldiers
Jackson Fine Art
Atlanta Movie Tours
Crossfit 404
Jawad and Nawal Bisbis
Atlanta United FC
Dad's Garage Theater Company
Jeffrey and Jenny Grossman
ATTOM Concept Store
Darrah Photo Fine Portraiture
Jewels by Julie
AussieKids Golf Academy
Darren and Lauren Howard
John Stoj & Kimberley Haluski 31
GIVING Update Joie Buckhead
Tower Beer, Wine and Spirits Buckhead
Kane Boutique
Warby Parker
Kevin and Stefani Glass
Wendy and Jeff Clark
Mr. James A. Harvey and Dr. Lilia C. Cuesta Harvey
Kouros Zarrabi
Stand & Pledge Donors
Mr. Trace Hawkins ’93 and Mrs. Emily Hawkins
Lewinale Fine Art Lindamood-Bell Little Italia Experience-Maestro Gio DiPalma Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta
Mr. Ahmed Ahmed and Ms. Alisa Scalley Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Axelrad Dr. Rahul C. Basole and Dr. Anita P. Basole
Mr. Robert Habl and Dr. Ada Gavrilovska Habl
Ms. Paula Holfeld and Mr. Pablo Perella-Berdun Mr. and Mrs. Darren K. Howard Mr. Roberto Ioriatti and Mrs. Federica Comai
Ms. Remedios Rodriguez Ms. Dina Rosas Ms. Marlys G. Brothers '92 and Mr. Gordon Rowcliffe Mr. and Mrs. Paul Saeger Mr. and Mrs. Eric Salsbery Mr. and Mrs. Sachin Shailendra Mr. and Mrs. Winburn E. Stewart III Mr. John Stoj and Dr. Kimberley Haluski
Mark and Susan Gambardella
Mr. Tobias P. Behrenwaldt and Mrs. Cheryl Yul-Behrenwaldt Dr. ChiChi Berhane and Mrs. Sineet Tesfay
Mary and David McCarney
Mr. and Mrs. Ian Bolin
Mr. and Mrs. Gareth Joyce
Mr. James Tausche and Ms. Jane Kamenz
Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Bombeck
Mr. and Dr. Thierry Kartochian
Mr. and Mrs. Stefan J. Terwindt
Michael and Heidi Coble
Mr. and Mrs. Scott P. Britton
Mister Car Wash
Mr. and Mrs. Will Brooks
Dr. George Katsitadze and Mrs. Natia Silagadze
Mr. Chad Theriot and Dr. Tanya S. Theriot
NARS Buckhead Boutique
Mr. and Mrs. David Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Andreas Kimmich
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Van Horn
Nourishing Life- Juliana Nagy
Mr. and Dr. Andrew M. Ladd
Mr. and Mrs. Richard van Nostrand
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lawrence Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Vanier
Orangetheory Fitness- Buckhead
Mr. Darrell Butler and Mrs. Kenyatta Taft-Butler Mr. James Cheeks and Mrs. Wendy Gutierrez
Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Long
Mr. and Mrs. Benny Varzi
Patt Tuff, AIS Grandparent
Dr. and Mrs. William H. Cleveland II
Mr. Zennie Lynch
Ms. Chiara Visconti-Pervanas '95 and Mr. Angelos Pervanas
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Coble
Ravela- Yesim Ozbarlas, AIS Parent
Mr. and Mrs. Milo Cogan
Resort to Laura Madrid Expert Travel Planning, AIS Parent
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Cohen
Mark and Anne Baucom Mark and Ansley Callaway
O-Ku Atlanta
Roy and Olga Plaut
Mr. and Mrs. Darrin L. Collins Mr. Gustavo A. Cueto and Dr. Katia Castillo-Cueto
Royal Air Maroc
Mr. Dennis Dean
Saks Fifth Avenue
Mr. and Mrs. Ross DeDeyn Dr. Elinor Douglass and Mr. Robert Douglass
Rocio Fabbrini
SkyView Atlanta Spitzmiller and Norris, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Harlyn A. Jerrold Dr. Ajay K. Joshi and Dr. Richita C. Surana
Mr. Sandy Mackenzie Mr. and Mrs. Thomas MacQuillan Mr. Sam Martz and Mrs. Kristen Stein Dr. and Mrs. Matthew J. Mazzawi Mr. and Mrs. Chandler McCormack Mr. and Mrs. Chris McCoy Mr. and Mrs. Andy McGuire Mr. Guillermo Saavedra and Mrs. Sophie Merven
Mr. Guran Yet and Mrs. Ozben Iyigun Yet Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J.Young III
Myrna Antar
Mr. and Mrs. Cory Moss
Ashley Floyd Stefani Glass
Swatch Box Beauty
Dr. and Mrs. Alec N. Elchahal
TADA- The Atlanta Dance Academy
Dr. and Mrs. Mikhael Elchami
Dr. Tracy Nailor
Taverna Buckhead-Lombardi Family Concepts
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Exarcos
Dr. Farhad F. Nia and Dr. Bahareh E. Nia
Thao LLC.
Mr. and Mrs. Christian Fischer Mr. William G. Foglesong and Mrs. Heidi E. Deringer
The Mendel and Yehudai Families
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Yamaato
Mr. and Mrs. Dean W. Morris Mr. Fasil Muche ’93 and Ms. Muna Saadi
The Gifted Ferret
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Woodworth
2018 Spring Benefit Committee
Starbucks Coffee Company
Dr. and Mrs. Norman L. Firchau
Mrs. Christina Clark and Mrs. Maria Voutos
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua K. Moffitt
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Doyle Mr. Mark Randall and Mrs. Maja Ebiary Randall
Stability Pilates and Physical Therapy
Ms. Deborah A. Sudbury and Dr. Heinz-Bernd Schüttler
Monica McLary Remedios Rodriguez Rupal Romero
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Olson
Semira Safarkhani
Mr. Michael D. Page and Ms. Paula V. Pardinas
Stine Sides Richita Surana
Mr. Jesse Furr
Mr. and Mrs. W. Mason Parker III
Thunderbolt Power Yoga
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Gambardella Mr. Brad Gerdeman and Ms. Carolina Menezes
Dr. and Mrs. Manish Patel
Tina Clark
Dr. Alienor S. Gilchrist
Jawad Bisbis
Tod's Buckhead Atlanta
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Glass
Mr. Roy Plaut and Mrs. Olga Gomez Plaut
Toni & Guy Hair Salon-Westside Provisions District
Mr. and Mrs. Stephan Guenther
Mr. Greg Prentice
Khalid Moreno
The Savvy Cellars Theory Buckhead
Tootsies
AIS GLOBAL EXCHANGE | Summer 2018
Mr. Bharat Gupta and Ms. Tiyash Bandyopadhyay
Mr. Dominique Petitgenet and Mrs. Sylvie Dardoise
Dr. and Mrs. Krishna Rao Mr. Michael Reschauer and Mrs. Amair Marques
Patty Webb Authenticity Committee Nawal Aquachar Fatima Ghzala
STAYING Connected
Alumni Reunion: LONDON In January 2018, 20 AIS alumni living, learning and working in London gathered together to catch up, network, laugh, and reminisce. Alumni were excited to reconnect and share funny stories, and talk about their life journeys since graduation. Headmaster Kevin Glass and Alumni Director, Ariana Santiago, provided new updates on the School and the future of the alumni community. AIS is looking to launch a UK Alumni Chapter in London next year. Many alumni have indicated that they are really interested in engaging in social events and professional networking opportunities with each other more consistently. These are just a few of the ideas that alumni in London have in mind for the UK Alumni Chapter.
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STAYING Connected
Alumni Reunion: LOS ANGELES In January, Rob Warren, AIS Director of the Arts, travelled to Los Angeles, California where he was greeted by two recent alumni, Gabe McCarthy and Lewis Forde, studying at UCLA and USC respectively. This warm welcome was followed by a fascinating trip to Disneyland in the company of AIS alumnus and Manager for Digital Product at Disney, Altay Sedat Otun. Rob is hoping to bring Altay back to AIS next year to talk to students about his work and the application of design-based thinking in the real world. A planned alumni gathering had a great turnout including three members of the Akhavan family, Alex, Arsalan and Jasmine. Also present were Jessie Cohen and Giselle Fernandez, who are both working on season 2 of the popular Netflix based series GLOW, alongside a third AIS alumni Chris Lowell.
Alumni Reunion: NYC The 2018 New York Alumni Reunion was held on a bright, sunny day in April. Alumni gathered together representing many alumni classes of AIS. Alumni were also joined by Alumni Educator Franรงoise Monier, and enjoyed catching up with her. Franรงoise was overjoyed to reconnect with former students and see how their lives have blossomed since graduation. Alumni were also able to learn more about the how the AIS campus is growing and adding new programs for current students. This probed alumni to consider how they can lean in to further support current students and programs through their time, resources, and networks. AIS is also looking to launch an NYC Alumni Chapter, with so many alumni concentrated in the New York area.
STAYING Connected
Alumni AS TOLD BY SANDY FERKO
1992 and 1993 Members from both classes gathered at the home of Silvia (Di Giovanni) Sarcinelli ’93 in London. Joining her were Matthias Erhardt ’92, Thomas Striedinger ’92, and Trace Hawkins ’93, from the US; Sebastian Rublewski, from Germany; Mark Jones who lives in the UK. 1992–1995 Chiara Visconti di Modrone '95 and Angelos Pervanas hosted a group of alumni at their home in January. The group discussed what makes AIS special and shared wonderful memories. 1995 Amy Wing visited Atlanta and her sister Kirsten Gromatzky ‘97 for three weeks in April. Amy and her son, Ryan, visited AIS. Amy worked for CARE in The Sudan. She and her family are currently living in Beirut, and she is taking time off to be home with Ryan. 1997 Classmates Fran Smith Burlingham (San Francisco) and Paige Davis de Turbeville (London) gave birth within a few days of each other in November. Fran welcomed Ash Burlingham, and Paige welcomed Evelyn de Turbeville. Condolences and a big hug to Kirsty Slater Simmons and her three children on the death of her husband Rick who passed away in January. Yann Bouan is living just outside Paris with his wife, two sons ages 10 and 8, and his daughter age 2. Yann works in biometrics and identification which “makes” him travel the world quite a bit. Stephanie Fitje du Preez, her husband, Jaco, and their three children traveled from their home in Australia to Atlanta in March while en route to Florida. Classmates Kirsten Wing Gromatzky and Veronica Plaut McDaniel put together a mini reunion so that local alumni could visit with Stephanie. Ilse Moon is married and living in Lawrenceville, GA. They have six children and she homeschools. Her oldest is getting ready to graduate and the youngest is 2! 1998 Rhyan Haynie-Lavelle moved to Seattle eight years ago after having hopscotched all over in her 20’s. She lived in Chicago, London, Northern Ireland, Oregon, Key West, and Montreal – with
a few years in Atlanta where she established an urban gardening program at a women’s shelter. When she and her husband moved to Seattle, she worked in community engagement around food security issues with a Seattle gardening program. After her son Rohan was born, she started a sustainable gardening company called Rise Up Gardens. Tyler Hume celebrated his three-year anniverary working for Vita Coco Coconut Water. He writes that it is “a great company that makes a healthy product in an ethical and environmentally positive way.” Tyler lives in Nashville and has a 12-year old son. Tyler Hume recently saw classmate Caroline Smith who visited Nashville to see a United vs Nashville pro soccer game. She is an environmental engineer in Atlanta and plays in an adult soccer league. 1999 Saila Hanninen ran the NY Marathon in November and then, in early December, she moved to Denver where she will still be working for Google. At latest text, she is doing well! And plan on a halfIron Man in late June, on the first anniversary of her cancer diagnosis. John and Janine Cooper have a third son, Will. Jenny Morrell Lilley and her husband Tom, now living in Los Angeles, have a new son Bodie!
test which he described as more like a Tough Mudder Race. Do I remember when the entire Hirsch clan did a Tough Mudder Race? Lisa Herbrechtsmeier Eger and her husband were in Hong Kong for his job this past year. Luckily Lisa’s international law firm has a Hong Kong office and she was able to transfer to that office and continue her specialty in anti-trust law. They traveled all over Asia in that year, but they are now back home in London. Ben Lemoine was married in Florida in fall 2017. Classmates attending were George Khvitia, Paul Seefried, and Nathan Jove from Atlanta, Adrien Charles from Japan, Timothy Picarello from France, and Nic Malta-Bey from London. The one missing was David Rueckel from Munich, but he did make it over for the bachelor party! Estefania Gamarra made a surprise visit to AIS when she was in Atlanta last spring. She is in Panama, running a boat rental company. 2002 Stephanie Blount and her parents dropped by to say hello. Stephanie and her fiancé, who both finished the MBA program at UPenn, are consultants in New York City. They were married in May in Atlanta. Call Felipe Oliveira by the title of Doctor; he recently completed his PhD studies from Uppsala Universitet in Sweden.
Gurudarshan Khalsa is battling back after a terrible automobile accident in August, 2017. Simultaneously feeling grateful to be alive and wondering how long it will take to get back to normal, she is showing tremendous strength and faith. Obviously words of encouragement from friends have helped her have more good days. Look at her art at www.gdkartist.com – it makes a lovely gift for someone special to you. Check out her Facebook page for updates.
Dr. Nayla Khoury and her husband (married in April, 2018) will move from Seattle to New York State where she will become a faculty member in child psyciatry at SUNY Upstate. Her husband will be a faculty member in social work at Syracuse University.
Francisco Martin-Rayo is in Washington DC working for BCG as a strategy and organizational transformation specialist.
Alexandra Hirsch recently completed four years of Army training for the JAG Corps and has been commissioned as a full Lieutenant.
2001
Nicolle Kuritsky and her husband have a daughter, Georgia Ruby Gray. They have recently moved from London to South America where her husband is with the U.K. foreign service.
Christina Hayes Shiel and husband, Kevin, had a baby girl Catherine Elizabeth on February 1. She’s quite busy – aside from completing her nursing degree from Emory, she has agreed to become co-class agent with Paul Seefried. Drew Thodeson and wife, Brianna, became the parents of James Anthony Thodeson in November, 2017. Jeremy Hirsch is still in school at Quantico with all his Marine classmates. He recently took a PT
2003
2004 Halley Malison was married to Clarence Lum in 2016. Stacey Latham Bailey and her husband Adam became the parents of Copeland Michael Bailey in October, 2017. She is the director of BlueKey in Charleston and occasionally does improv at Theater 99.
STAYING Connected Armand Leblois is engaged to Elma Halatsi. Tiffany Peon is engaged to Chris McIntyre. The wedding will be next fall. Chris Mischaikow and his wife are parents to a new son, Thomas. John Hartung is living in the Chicago area working for a pharmaceutical company after “educational time” in Atlanta, New York, and Pasadena. This year, John and his wife, Andrea, became new parents to little Charles! Martina Mustroph completed her MD/PhD studies in May at University of Illinois and started a residency in Neurological Surgery at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in June. Carina Box and her husband Luis also left Seattle to move to Boston where he is working on an MBA at Harvard. Carina is working for CODE. org remotely while in Boston. On a Harvard Business School trip to Colombia with her husband, Carina met up with Hortense Badarani ’10 who is a classmate of Luis. Hortense moved to Boston from London where she has been working for several years. See McElhaney in 2017 section. 2005 Do you remember what a talented photographer Phillipp Batta was? Well, after completing his degree at Rochester Institute of Technology, he moved to Chicago and worked as a photographer and videographer. Presently, he is studying outside Vienna. The program is very difficult and, by the third year, about 40% of the class has dropped out. He writes, “As tough as this is, I am really enjoying everything I’m learning and the classmates are wonderful, supportive folks.” Eden Smith Parks and her husband had a baby girl, Meredith Isla “Millie” Parks – no trip to Atlanta this year for the winter reunion! But they are enjoying life in San Francisco! Anna Collura moved from New Orleans to New Haven, Connecticut. While in Louisiana, she was a public policy fellow with the Louisiana Department of Education which gave her a good look behind the scenes of education reform. It was an incredibly informational opportunity and helped her understand that she wants to work on program design and implementation rather than policy and politics. Since moving to New Haven, she is working independently as an education consultant for K-12 districts, schools, and start-ups and trying to move into higher education student success. She completed a certificate in Government Analytics through Johns Hopkins which helped her realize she wants to ensure that students like those she taught in New Orleans make it “to and through” their higher education experience and into a middle class sustaining career. You go, Anna! Dr. Emilia Hermann is about to complete her in-patient rotation as a resident. She writes, “It’s
crazy how time flies when you’re having fun (and working 80-hour weeks!)”
for the Union Settlement, a favorite charity of his classmate, Benji Schuttler.
2006
Merlin Fabian and wife, Katie, are the proud parents of Jolene Noel Fabian, born in December, 2017.
Claire Duggan is teaching French in Boston! She recently was inducted into the Beaver Country Day School Cum Laude Society with 17 seniors as the new faculty inductee. She has also recently become engaged to Peter Karl II.
Olivia Jones, living in London, boarded a flight to Amsterdam and found classmate Simon Kolbert on the flight. They met Sjoerd Witteveen for a drink. She also met up with Marcus Kiessling ‘11. In London she sees Tegan Madden Oglesby ’13 who recently moved there. She is also meeting up with Peter Gogarty who works in Canary Wharf. She is an alumni director all on her own! Join her and others at the January reunion in London.
Claire also wrote that Enrique (Cheo) Sanchez ran the Boston Marathon in some of the worst weather on record! Way to go, Cheo! Cheo stopped by school to drop his daughter off with his mom who teaches in the primary school. He is doing a Master’s program at Duke….he lives and works in Atlanta and travels to Duke Manuel Grunenfelder and his wife Karen are on a “self-assigned” sabbatical. They arrived in South periodically for classes. America (where they visited southernmost Chile’s Alex Akhavan, living in LA, is managing partner Torres del Paine National Park and the Perito of The Akhavan Firm. Moreno megaglacier in Argentina among other Graham Belton is now living in Qatar, working places.) Before hitting South America (and visiting for an oil company. He works very hard for a Manuel’s parents), they were in Bali, Fiji, Australia, month and then has a month off for R&R. Luckily New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, the he was in Atlanta and was able to join us at the Philippines and Thailand. Their blog can be found at https://www.nomaderthedistance.com. alumni reunion. Joaquin Carbonell is a student in the Kennedy School of Public Policy at Harvard. Aria Curtis has completed her graduate work in Arizona. Marcus Morrisette has moved from Washington DC to Munich, Germany and visited with Graham Belton when Graham was in Germany. Thomas Rudderow, working for Raymond James, volunteered to form and lead the AIS Investment Club. The club placed fifth in Georgia against many bigger Atlanta schools! Thomas looks forward to building the club even more, working with Saurav Bhandary ’12, who is working at AIS. 2007 Emerence De Potesta bumped into former AIS teacher Rachel Hovington in Spain, who is presently Director of the Hannover International School. Emerence was en route to a friend’s wedding which she had helped to design. Emerence currently lives in Brussels where she runs her own successful design business Potesta Designs. Sashi Leff gave her family two weeks’ notice that she was getting married to Braden in Rancho Palos Verde!! They eventually travelled to Indonesia and Vietnam for their honeymoon. She just got her dream job working for an NGO, End Fund, which does health-related work in Africa. Nico Hawley is in New York working with Edenworks, growing leafy greens and fish in their indoor aquaponics pilot farm. They now sell their greens to the local Whole Foods. Edenworks is close to launching their flagship farm which will incorporate the newest equipment and methods. 2008 Ethan Lyle ran the NY Marathon and raised money
2009 Joel Kern is a Masters candidate at RISD. Alejandro Gutierrez is a marketing consultant in San Francisco. David Collura is still in Texas if only in terms of his legal residence. He decided to take a serious run at a golf career and turned professional in September, 2017. According to him, it is much easier to qualify abroad and then work your way onto the U.S. tour after getting experience playing in professional tournaments elsewhere. This means he has to attend qualifying tournaments around the globe. So far he's played in Portugal, Australia, and Thailand; this week he has been knocking the rust off his Spanish in Bogota, Colombia. Alia Reid recently completed her pharmacy studies and was matched to her first choice, Emory St. Joseph's, in Atlanta. 2010 Sophie Hawley-Weld, half of the singing sensation Sofi Tukkur, has much to celebrate. A song she and her partner wrote made it to the Top 40 charts in the US as well as being the theme song for the new APPLE iPhoneX. Charles Laurent married Elizabeth Rodriguez this fall and is working as a software engineer for Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts. He works in Atlanta remotely. Emmaline Campbell was recently sworn into the State Bar of California, and she is working for the San Francisco District Attorney’s office. She and her husband are living in Berkeley. Nikisha Amin works for Warner Brothers in London doing international digital marketing.
STAYING Connected Bjorn Krupp left AIS before the graduation ceremony to pursue his ice hockey career. It was obviously a good decision because he played for the German ice hockey team in the recent Olympics; he was a big part of their path to the semi-finals by beating Sweden. In the semi-finals, Germany beat Canada. In the finals, they lost a very competitive match against the Russian Olympic athletes. But Bjorn and his teammates went home with a silver medal. An interesting fact – before the Olympics, they were rated 60-1 against winning a medal! Congratulations to Bjorn and Germany! Hortense Badarani – see 2004. 2011 Alyona Forbes Shkurenko and her husband are living in Ukraine with their son, Daniel. James Forde is working for the UK Embassy and spending a lot of time in Washington, D.C. Condolences go to the family of Roberto Bernardo who passed away on January 29. Joy Khotchasenee completed her studies at Georgia Perimeter and began a degree in accounting at the University of Georgia. 2012 Gisele Fernandez is working in acting and production in LA. Word has it that she is also doing voice-overs. Alec Nash came to visit in the spring. He is now working in Japan. Julianna Ortiz visited AIS and classmate Saurav Bhandary in fall 2017. She graduated from UGA in December, 2017.
work for COVETEUR. No more internships for her…she now has a full-time paying position! After graduating from UGA, Emily Forde completed an internship with 22Squared, an ad company in Atlanta. She is now working for Miller Zell, a retail company that does research, design, and implementation of interior store/ restaurant layouts for companies like Walmart, Home Depot, and Chick-Fil-A. Emily does the graphic design work for various clients. Anisa Amin moved from Canada to London and is working for Deloitte. Hugo Cap finished a BSc in Chemistry from McGill last spring. He loved Montreal and the balance between a great social life and a rigorous education. Even though he enjoyed his time in the sciences, he learned through internships in product development (R&D) at Unilever and Valrhona (a chocolate manufacturer in France) and another internship in Belgium with a small green coffee trading company that he wanted to change direction. He started a Master’s degree in Management at ESSEC Business School in France with the goal of specializing in agri-food commodities trading. He’ll be alternating every six months between internship and classroom studies. 2014 Congratulate Dev Gore! He was recently signed by Double R Racing as part of the British BRDC Formula 3 racing team, the first signee for the 2018 season. For more information, go to www.BritishF3.com and read about Dev’s new adventure!
Caroline Hutchison graduated from DePaul University’s Theater School with a major in theater management. She is now an Assistant in Corporate & Foundation Relations at the Maura Fitzpatrick, after graduating from Bryn Kennedy Center for the Arts. She was hired Mawr, recently started her own mental health after interning with the Kennedy Center Honors advocacy nonprofit, America Out Loud. The program aired on TV. She wrote on Facebook, group worked with students at AIS January“Dame Julie Andrews smiled at me, and I am March, 2018. Thomas Rudderow ’06 is on the feeling ‘supercalifragilistic expialidocious!” Advisory Board for the nonprofit. Neeki Memar, a graduate of Georgia Tech, Chloe Colberg is working for UBS in NY. completed a study abroad at Sciences Po in Paris Kieran Kristensen was recently accepted to and an internship for Congressman John Lewis in Emory Medical School. his office on Capitol Hill prior to graduation. This past spring, she served as Conference Chair for the Leah Cumming is in Atlanta completing graduate Georgia Tech Women’s Leadership Conference, level classes at SCAD. which she has worked on since her freshman year. Colin Johnson is working on an MFA in writing She is currently interning for Senator Cory Booker. at Columbia University. See Stebbins and Simkins-Walker in 2015. Vanessa Topp is studying at Sciences Po in Paris. Lydia Katrin graduated from Boston University Caroline Gould is working in Atlanta, and and is moving to Oregon to attend the Oregon traveling a lot for her job. College of Oriental Medicine which specializes Derek Hirsch is training to be a Blackhawk pilot. in acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and therapeutic masage. 2013 2015 After graduating from Emory, Aaron Freedman Claudia Leslie and Liam Simkins-Walker ’14, moved to Seattle to work for Amazon. both students at Furman, went to a Mock Trial Ivanna Martinez recently moved to New York to Kenzie Hagan is living in NYC and shared that her brother, Connor, works for LEK in Boston.
competition at Duke University and met up with AIS alumni Deniz Sezer ’17 UVA; Niall Gamble ’17 and Sarah Stebbins ’14, both at Georgia Tech. Hallie Lonial, a student at Emory University, was recognized by the United States Swim School Association as a National Educator of the Year in October 2017. Hallie works with children at Swim Beyond in Atlanta. Hallie also gave a TED talk at TEDxEmory last fall on disparities in drowning deaths and making swimming a more inclusive sport. 2016 Lewis Forde, a student at USC, completed an internship with Killian Fischer ’12 who is building a filming company. Olivia Cappelletti spent last semester at UC Berkeley and will return to Kings College, London, this fall for her third and final year. Last summer she interned at 22 Squared with Emily Forde ‘13 and she’s currently back in Atlanta interning at Coca Cola and catching up with many AIS friends including Gabrielle Ivanier ‘16 who will also be studying at Kings College, London this fall. 2017 See Sezer in 2015. How many of you remember Julika Schmidt who left AIS to move to Germany around grade 9? She graduated last year from Bavarian International School and is now a first year law student at Queen Mary University in London. I am happy to say that she has reached out and asked to be connected to her many friends in the class. If you are in London for the reunion, look for her to join the fun! 2017 alumni Sabrina Light, Alex Ward, and Isabel Jordan, met up with Rob Warren, Sherry Weeks, and Simon Bell when they took the IB Theater class to NYC for ISTA. They also ran into Emily Preis, former AIS student, studying at NYU, Sherri Sutton, former AIS Theater Arts teacher, and Brian McElhaney ’04 who was on his way to a SNL rehearsal. Rayya Khoury visited AIS to pick up her IB Diploma. She is working long hours at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, but enjoying every minute.
COMMUNITY SCENE
Back to School Picnic
Diwali
German Christmas Market
La Feria
Worldfest AIS | Summer 2018
GIVING Update
To all our AIS donors,
THANK YOU! we appreciate your support.
2016-2017 Annual Giving Report Available Online: https://www.aischool.org/page/giving/annual-report 2017-2018 Annual Giving Report Coming December 2018
IT'S IT'SCOMING! HERE! THE AIS CONNECT APP CONNECT WITH THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY FOR NETWORKING, MENTORING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WWW.AISCONNECT.VINEUP.COM
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2890 North Fulton Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Our To meet the challenges and opportunities of our interdependent, fast-changing world as responsible citizens, young people require flexible intellectual competence, self-discipline, and a global outlook. To achieve these goals, they need rigorous academic preparation and a passion to become the best they can be. To thrive in and contribute to this world, they must have a solid sense of self and respect for others—as individuals, as members of a group, as citizens of their nations, and as members of the global community. Extraordinary individuals will be called upon to shape the 21st century. The mission of Atlanta International School (AIS) is to develop such individuals. To fulfill this mission, AIS commits itself to the following goals: --to sustain and grow the exemplary level of teaching and learning that has earned it a world wide reputation for excellent standards in international and multilingual education within the framework of the International Baccalaureate; --to develop each child fully by helping each one to live our core values: the joy of learning and purposeful effort as well as mutual respect and understanding in a diverse setting; --to maintain an optimal size and composition of faculty and students to maximize the opportunities for learning and shared understanding that are necessary for a healthy community;
The joy of learning and purposeful effort We want our students to experience joy in their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development. At AIS we will create a safe, stimulating educational environment, promoting the wonder and curiosity that motivate a student to explore learning in and beyond the classroom throughout life. We believe that achievement derives from sustained, purposeful effort and that our potential is best developed by learning to think critically, debate confidently, and push our limits. Ours is a community that nurtures and celebrates disciplined and myriad intelligences, and we approach teaching with the expectation that every student will be successful. Mutual respect and understanding in a diverse community We believe that every human being is valuable and deserves respect. We further believe that respect springs from understanding and that the best way to understand others is by learning to see the world from other points of view. Since each language reflects the values, history, and way of thinking of those who use it, learning another language is a particularly effective means of understanding and respecting others. We believe that a cohesive community of students, faculty, staff, and parents from many backgrounds— socio-economic, ethnic, racial, linguistic, national, and religious—provides an ideal setting for the development of respect and understanding and helps prepare students to thrive in a diverse, interdependent world.
--to help shape and improve local and global communities through the committed participation of its multilingual students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.
AIS
Our
Atlanta International School practices a full non-discriminatory policy in all school-administered programs and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender preference in all of its admissions, educational and employment policies, programs, and practices.
What We Believe Is Fundamentally Important We believe that encouraging each student to discover the intrinsic joy of learning and purposeful effort will help each one to set and achieve high academic standards. Furthermore, we believe it is vital to nurture mutual respect and understanding among all members of our community. Together we cultivate a spirited sense of hope in human potential. We believe the diversity of our community provides an extraordinary opportunity to enable our students to communicate, create, and collaborate in order to build a peaceful future.