Alumni Making Moves
Communications & Public Relations Jared Anderson ’95 The Tech in Toothbrushes With a keen interest in technology nurtured at HKIS, Jared Andersen ’95 has engineered a career in getting people excited about technology.
TOP: Jared, with his sister Alice ’05 and brother Aaron ’00 at the top of the Tower of Pisa this summer. RIGHT: Jared speaks with astronaut Scott Kelly two weeks after spending 340 consecutive days on the International Space Station. This was a few minutes before he would go onstage at a Microsoft event to speak with CEO Satya Nadella.
What did you enjoy about being a student at HKIS?
I attended HKIS from kindergarten to twelfth grade. At the time, I don’t think I really understood what made HKIS different from other schools. I’ve since come to appreciate two things: I made friends from every part of the planet who very much shaped my world view and interests. I was also fortunate to have many memorable teachers who encouraged me in areas that defined my career.
What did you do after you left HKIS?
I got undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business and Information Systems at BYU and then went to work for Microsoft in 2003. While at BYU, I also met my wife Jennifer, and we were married in 2001. We now have two kids and two cats.
You were chief techie in High School, obviously interested in computers and the emerging Internet; how did HKIS help you explore these interests? I’d argue that I was one of several in the Class of 1995: Charles Tsui, Arpan Shah, and Andrew Scannell also pursued careers in technology. Arpan actually works with me here at Microsoft.
Mr. Elliott was the teacher who had single biggest impact on my career. He taught me how to use the Apple II in second grade, how to program using Logo in elementary school and then using Pascal in High School. I probably took more classes from him than any other teacher at HKIS. Mr. Elliott was very forward thinking about how to use technology at HKIS — making it interesting, approachable, and so much fun.
Can you talk about the early days of the Internet at HKIS — what was it like? Was it a niche interest or something a lot of students were in to?
We started with a local school network called the Dragon Bulletin Board System (BBS) which was not the Internet, but was absolutely a precursor. We had our own system for mail, chat, discussion boards, and even online games. I have vivid memories of wasting many hours between and after classes playing Tradewars, The Pit, and Global War.
Jared and his wife Jennifer in Beijing at the Summer Palace.
Despite how primitive it seems now, the Dragon BBS was surprisingly popular among students and teachers. In fact, we were likely one of the first high schools in the world with teachers assigning homework over electronic mail (this was the very early 1990s when the Internet was primarily used by government institutions and universities). We piloted the Internet at HKIS in 1993, with a couple of PCs with access to the “World Wide Web” (all browsing was textbased then). Over time, we gave broader access to students and parents who wanted to e-mail kids who were attending university overseas. It wasn’t until after I left HKIS that the Dragon BBS was replaced with the Internet as we know it now.
You’re interested in technology, but as the Director of Communications for the CEO of Microsoft the bulk of your work is public relations-focused. Can you tell us a bit about that? I think of myself more as a storyteller than as someone in PR. I’ve always loved taking incredibly complex and technical ideas and making them approachable. At Microsoft, I’ve had roles in product marketing, strategy, and now speechwriting — but through all of that, I’ve really been doing the same thing. Working for the CEO of Microsoft is an unparalleled learning experience. To write his speeches, I need to get inside his head and be able to speak in his voice. Satya [Nadella] is constantly absorbing and synthesizing new ideas — It really isn’t easy to keep up with him, but I’m having a lot of fun trying. The role also gives me a front row seat into what’s happening across Microsoft and the technology industry. I think there’s never been a more exciting time to work in this space — where we get to make science fiction become reality. We’re on the cusp of artificial intelligence and augmented reality becoming a part of our everyday lives. The toothbrush I use in the morning has more sensors and intelligence than PCs did ten years ago. I could go on — you can tell I love to talk about this! n Keep the conversation going! Get in touch with Jared: jareda@outlook.com SUMMER 2016 DRAGONTALES
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