Panorama Magazine 2023

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

6 Giving Back Dr. Marc-Frédéric Ott

ON CAMPUS

8 Congratulations to the Class of 2022 LAS Advancement Team

10 Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship

Michelle Turner P’22, ’24

12 The Return of Cultural Trips

Richard Campanaro ’95

14 The LAS Parent Association

Cindy & Fenton Peterken P’25

15 Campus Then & Now

Kira Johnson ’89

SUMMER IN SWITZERLAND

18 Through the Eyes of Their Children

Clayton Gentry ’93, John Sutton ’98, Liz Bernier Saucier ’97 and Chris Saucier ’96

ALUMNI PROFILES

21 The Impact of an LAS Scholarship

Mattias Horseman ’10

22 Magic Mountain Magnetism

John Gidding ’95

24 An Alum Returns Home

Tep Khemarin Chan ’21

Mattias Horseman ’10

an o r a m a

Vol. 37 No. 1 / SPRING 2023

On the Cover

Members of the LAS Alpine Institute hike Combe d’Audon at Glacier 3000 before skiing the descent.

Editors

Michelle Turner, Katy Maguire

Lushman, Ben Walker, Molly Taylor, Emma Dixon

Graphic Design

Chalk Design

Contributing Photographers

Michelle Turner

Panorama is published annually for alumni, parents, and friends of Leysin American School in Switzerland. ©2023, Leysin American School. Readers may send address changes, letters, news items, and e-mail address changes to Leysin American School or e-mail to: advancement@las.ch. Letters and news, which are welcome, may be edited for length and clarity.

The opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect those of LAS or Panorama

Families of LAS Alumni:

If this magazine is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the LAS Advancement Office. Thank you.

Submit Letters and Questions to:

Advancement Office

Leysin American School

Chemin de La Source 3

1854 Leysin, Switzerland

Phone: +41 24 493 4888

Web: www.las.ch

Email: advancement@las.ch

Leysin American School Governance

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

44 Full Circle Philanthropy

Bonnie Ellison ’64

45 Young Alumni and Alumni of the Year

LAS Advancement Team

46 Experts in Their Fields

Ben Walker

48 Sharing the LAS Experience

LAS Admissions Team

50 Young Alumni Updates

LAS Advancement Team

Marc-Frédéric Ott

Head of School

LAS School Board

Stefanie Ott P’18 Chair

Pascal Stefani P’18 Vice Chair

Marc-Frédéric Ott

Jeff Paulsen

Sarah Wohnlich Kane

LAS Foundation Board

Doris Ott President K. Steven Ott Vice President

Stefanie Ott P’18

Maurizio Fabbri

Philippe Baudraz

What do our abbreviations mean?

Our guide below explains the shorthand you’ll see throughout Panorama

LAS Leysin American School

BEC Belle Époque Campus

ICE Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship

SIS Summer in Switzerland

MMAC Magic Mountain Athletic Center

JOHN SMITH ’98

John’s graduation year from LAS was 1998.

JOHN SMITH S’98, ’99, ’00 John attended the summer program at LAS in 1998, 1999, and 2000.

JOHN SMITH P’14, ’16

John has two children who attended LAS and their graduation years were 2014 and 2016.

Giving Back

A New Focus for the Future

By Dr. Marc-Frédéric Ott, Head of School

The year 2022 brought much to celebrate—our LAS Global Family gathered in Leysin to celebrate 61 years of LAS, we celebrated the academic success of our students, we implemented exciting changes to the LAS Summer in Switzerland program, and we fostered a sense of cultural understanding amid geopolitical challenges. I am happy to report that LAS is not only surviving but thriving with many exciting plans for the future! LAS kicked off the 2022-2023 school year with the theme “The Spirit of Philanthropy.” Giving back both as an institution and as individuals is more important than ever.

Last June, LAS and the Leysin community opened their doors to alumni, former faculty, board members, and our entire LAS Global Family from the four corners of the world for the 61st Celebration. Over 1,000 people (representing every single one of the 61 years of the school’s history!) attended the fourday event, which included a Welcome BBQ and Celebration Banquet (at a grand pavilion constructed specially for the event), Dinners by Decade (hosted at restaurants across the village), and dozens of activities on and off the mountain. Read more about how our Global Family reconnected with LAS and each other on page 34.

This year we celebrated successes and implemented exciting changes to our academic and summer offerings. The Class of 2022 had an incredibly strong finish, with 100% of candidates earning their IB Diploma (including a high score of a perfect 45!), our travel program is stronger and more purposeful than ever, and our summer program is moving to a new structure. You’ll find more detailed information about these changes later in the magazine.

As members of an international boarding school community, LAS students show compassion and cultural understanding toward others every day. This was more apparent than ever in February 2022, when our students from Ukraine and Russia came together with our faculty and administration to support and care for one another despite their countries being at war. And thanks to the generous support of the LAS Board, we welcomed two additional Ukrainian students to campus after spring break 2022 on humanitarian scholarships, along with several refugee families.

Our LAS mission to develop innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world, along with our vision to provide an education with impact around whole child education, ICE (innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship), and global family, keep us focused on

what is most important every day. In addition, we will soon add three newly defined LAS values around belonging, the environment, and giving back.

The theme of the 2022-2023 academic year is “The Spirit of Philanthropy,” which highlights a long-standing value of LAS. Over the years, our Global Family has donated their time, talent, and treasure, which has resulted in new buildings and renovations (Belle Époque and the Magic Mountain Athletic Center), financial aid for 35% of our current students, and projects supported by the LAS Impact Fund, all of which you can read about later in this edition of Panorama. The 61st Celebration was just one way for us to thank you for your ongoing support—your generosity gives us a sense of what LAS means to you.

Thank you for your trust and support in LAS. I wish you all the best for 2023.

Cordially,

Dr. Marc-Frédéric Ott Head of School

As members of an international boarding school community, LAS students show compassion and cultural understanding toward others every day.

Marc-Frédéric and his daughter Anna Claire in Llanes, Spain

Class of 2022

Welcome to the Newest Members of the LAS Alumni Community!

Congratulations and welcome to the LAS Alumni Community, Class of 2022! As graduates of LAS, you join an international network of alumni across the world. As an alum, your lifelong affiliation with LAS begins now! We can’t wait to hear about your successes, support you as you enter the world beyond LAS, and catch up with you either at a nearby event or back on campus.

Keep in touch! Let us know how you’re doing and share your advice with upcoming graduates at the QR code below.

Share Your Advice.

Here’s how:

Above: Xavi Estanyol, Rin Chawaldit, Divyansh Jain, and Wenyu Ma

C E

NNOVATION REATIVITY NTREPRENEURSHIP

By Michelle Turner P’22, ’24 Director of Institutional Advancement

Innovation and business acumen are valuable traits in today’s everchanging world and workforce. Successfully stepping into the entrepreneurial landscape takes courage, creativity, and critical hard and soft skills. Without guidance, entering this landscape can feel nebulous and unnerving, which is why we like to connect our students at LAS with experts in the field who can help them along the way!

Over the last two years, the LAS Advancement Office has paired our students with local businesses to give them real-world, hands-on experience and advice related to running a successful business. We prioritize partnerships with companies who have a demonstrated track record of sustainable and ethical practices so that students also spend time thinking about significant global issues (and how to be part of the solution rather than the problem!). This experience helps students solidify the concepts they learn in class and allows them to connect those concepts with the real world. Our partners also value the time spent with our bright young students, so this is a rewarding venture for everyone involved!

We have partnered with Cadesio (Swiss chocolate), Les Trois Terres (vineyard and winery), Horizonte (coffee roastery), and Goldfinger (bespoke furniture from reclaimed wood). We have additional partnerships on the horizon for the 20232024 school year, and we are thrilled to be able to positively impact our students through these collaborations!

Partnerships with Local Businesses Enhance Our Curriculum

Cadesio

“ Cadesio’s entrepreneurial approach to creating and selling gourmet chocolate was really inspiring for my business students. The owner, Paola, discussed how important it is to follow your passion and dreams and use that energy to make a positive change in your community. After leading students through a blindfolded taste test of nine chocolates, she connected their responses to the overarching humanitarian efforts with the sale of each chocolate, including Association Alzheimer Vaud, Association Les Ateliers du Cœur, Association Paires, and Fondation Planètes Enfants Malades. Thanks to Paola's engaging presentation, LAS students identified a real world example of how entrepreneurship can be a tool in making positive change.”

Jeremy Gleason, LAS faculty

Upcoming Partnerships

Goldfinger Design Social enterprise based in the UK designing and crafting beautiful furniture for homes and businesses from upcycled materials

Schenker Storen Global Family-owned Swiss business offering custom sun and weather protection for homes and commercial buildings

Blüemlisberg Innovative and sustainable Swiss goat farm producing Swiss Alpine artisanal products

Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact us at advancement@las.ch

Horizonte

“ Working with Horizonte was an enriching experience both in terms of learning how to run a small business and also how difficult and complex it is to produce just a single cup of coffee. I look forward to applying the lessons that I learned to my IB Business Management class in the future.” —Jack ’24

“ This hands-on experience deepened my understanding of the functions of business and the hard work that goes into each and every cup of coffee.” —Madison ’24

Les Trois Terres

“ While helping with the grape harvest at the vineyard, we discussed how the environment links to our study of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. This was my favorite part of the day. I had fun with my friends and had a unique experience, all while learning about the cycles from biology class.” —Maidi ’25

“ For someone that often chooses hot chocolate over coffee, I never understood how technical it was to make a great cup of coffee. I learned in greater depth about the concepts we’ve been studying in IB Business Management and will continue to apply what I have learned during this experience later on.” —

Aiden ’24

The Return Cultural Trips of

By Richard Campanaro ’95, IB Global Politics Teacher, Theory of Knowledge Teacher & Department Head

How happy am I that cultural trips have returned? Very.

One of my strongest memories of being eighteen is a trip I took with Fred Sharp to Florence, the city of Michelangelo and Brunelleschi and the Medici bank. I remember standing in line outside the Uffizi Gallery and asking Mr. Sharp if he believed in déjà vu. His response: “How many times have you asked me that before?”

This year, a measly 30 years or so after my trip to Florence, I found myself waiting outside the Accademia Gallery in Venice. One of my long-suffering TOK students turned to me and asked, “How many times have you been here?” All I could think was, “I believe in déjà vu.”

I honestly don’t remember a lot of my junior year here at LAS. It was 29 years ago, after all. That said, I remember my trip to Prague with Jamie Skove and Kim Oppenheim

in October 1993. I remember that Mr. Skove had to get off the train and go back to Zürich with a few students who didn’t have the right visas. I remember that Vincent Price died while we were there and that the Czechs know how to make delicious dumplings. I remember getting fined for not having a valid ticket for the Prague metro. In the maelstrom of events and decisions and people that defines high school, cultural trips stand out as discrete moments, giving shape to the years I’ve spent at LAS first as a student and now as a teacher.

When I learned that we were able to travel with students again after two years of COVID restrictions, I was thrilled. Finally, I could get back to my beloved Venice with my TOK class. Finally, I could share my love of the place with a new set of minds. Finally, the school year could return to its proper shape—a shape defined by that wonderful week of art and history and food and friends.

How happy am that cultural trips have returned? Very. Or have I said that before?

Cultural trips are as much a part of LAS as skiing and assemblies. They’re a chance for us to get off the mountain, to see the wider world around us, to eat and drink and see and smell new things. Sometimes we go back to the same place again and again, seeing it with new eyes as we get older (and wiser).

The LAS Parent Association

Improving Our School Through Active Involvement

By Cindy & Fenton Peterken, P’25, Heads of the LAS Parent Association

In August 2021 we were asked to head the LAS Parent Association. For the past two years, we have been thrilled to have the opportunity to represent and assist LAS parents. In this role, we actively engage in dialogue with the school and love connecting with fellow parents. We are very passionate about LAS and all the opportunities offered to the diverse student community.

After a few years of restrictions, we were very excited to see a full family orientation week return this past fall. What a great way to open the academic year and set new families up for success. We relished the chance to represent the LAS Parent Association and personally welcome new families to the Magic Mountain. It is a privilege to be able to meet so many families and develop connections with the LAS family community.

Although the pandemic was a challenging time, it also presented opportunities to unite our Global Family. The Q&A Zoom sessions with the Leadership Team and Parent Association are a great way for us all to connect. During the pandemic these were an essential part of communicating with families around the world and we feel they are still an integral part of giving the community the opportunity to connect with each other and the LAS team in Leysin.

THEN & NOW

Another event that returned to the LAS calendar this year was Family Winter Week in February. This was a great occasion for families to connect with LAS and with each other. The middle of winter term is the ideal time of year to experience the spectacular winter wonderland Leysin offers our students. During this week together, families enjoyed a student art exhibition, an evening concert, met the faculty during parentteacher conferences, learned more about university advising, participated in family activities, and spent time socializing at parent events. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Family Winter Week!

LAS families have created a wonderful community with so much to offer. We would love to let our Global Family know that they are very welcome to be actively engaged in the community in various ways. All families can connect with the school and take on an active role in whichever way they are most comfortable. Please join us in supporting the school to build a lively Global Family community and make the school better for our kids and the future of LAS. A community is only as strong as its members, and the school gets better when more people become involved—we hope you’ll join us!

It’s Never Too Late to Come Home

By Kira Johnson ’89

Remember walking down the hill from Esplanade to Savoy with friends on a snowy morning, slipping and sliding but rarely falling? Remember the weight room in the bomb shelter of the gym (who needs natural light)? The balconies, wide open and the perfect way to move from room to room?

A lot has changed on campus over the years. Buildings have been added to accommodate growth. Balconies are largely a thing of the past, except for those enjoyed by the seniors at the stunning Belle Époque campus. Since my time there as a student in the 80’s, additions include Vermont, Eden, Beau Site, Mont Riant, Beau Réveil, and of course the new Magic Mountain Athletic Center (MMAC), where students and staff can lift weights, run, rock climb, play basketball, do yoga, and more…with actual Swiss sunlight!

All of us have different memories of the LAS campus and how special it was (and still is) to us. Even though the campus

has grown, the magical feeling is the same as it has been since the school opened in 1961. Through all of the changes and additions to the campus, the feeling of family is still strong.

I’ve been lucky to return to Leysin each summer for the past seven years as a teacher for the LAS Summer in Switzerland program. The campus seems to simultaneously be a bustling town and its own international village, all while preserving a close-knit family feel. Thinking back to a time when the only buildings were the Esplanade, Savoy, Clairière, and the old gym, I marvel at the fact that this place has retained this essential characteristic while continuing to expand. When most places grow they lose the thing that made them unique. Somehow, though, LAS has not only held onto but has cultivated the very trait that originally made it special for me. This isn’t surprising when I think of how this magical place always makes people feel. It’s comforting to know that what made the school special to all of us hasn’t been lost.

Don’t be afraid to return to campus. LAS is unlike any other place or memory; it will draw you right back in and you’ll feel like you never left. It is the Magic Mountain, after all.

Above: Cindy, Xander ’25, and Fenton on holiday in Italy.

THEN & NOW LAS THROUGH THE YEARS

Nothing beats the view from the Savoy

Skiing has always been a core component of the LAS experience.

The Belle Époque Grande Salle has had many functions over the years and is now a multi-purpose space used by the LAS community.

Graduation at LAS has been held at the Feydey church for decades.

The Kuklos restaurant has long been a great place on the mountain to grab lunch or a hot cocoa.

Theater productions give students a creative outlet to show off their skills.

Prafandaz is a favorite lookout spot for current students and alumni.

The LAS prom is now held at the nearby Château d’Aigle.

terrace.

Through the Eyes of Their Children

Alumni Experience LAS All Over Again

LAS was one of the best experiences of my life, as I know it was for many alumni. So when I had kids, I knew I wanted to share the LAS experience with them. This past summer was just the first of many that my kids will spend in Leysin at the LAS Summer in Switzerland program.

My son, Sheldon, called me after just two days in the summer program not because he was homesick, but because he

already wanted to extend his time at LAS. He is still in regular contact with many of the friends he met last summer in Leysin and visits them often back home in New York City. At age 13, he’s already beginning to build his own LAS alumni network.

Next summer, both Sheldon and my daughter Ava (11) will be attending LAS Summer in Switzerland. They can’t wait for their next Leysin adventure.

John Sutton ’98, US Advisory Board Chair

The first time I arrived in Leysin was in July 1994 to take a tour of LAS with my father. I was “on loan” to him for the summer, far away from Texas where I lived with my mother. I had never been away from home before, so laying eyes on the unfamiliar buildings and surroundings, I was nervous about the idea of going to boarding school. Our tour began in the Savoy building and while we were wandering through the hallways, Doris Ott suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, with her arms wide open and called out “Welcome John!” From that moment, I knew I had found my new home.

Four years later, Doris and I hugged again, this time on the graduation stage at the local village church. The time in between was marked by incredible experiences, the formation of lifelong friendships, a healthy dose of soul searching, and the confidencebuilding that formed the foundation of who am today.

Because of my own LAS experience, the decision to send my two children (9 and 11) to Leysin this summer for the 2023 LAS Summer in Switzerland program was not difficult. can’t wait for them to jump out of their comfort zone and experience the magic that few places on earth can offer.

Liz Bernier Saucier ’97 and Chris Saucier ’96

It’s not an overstatement to say that our experience at LAS changed the course of our lives. After all, the two of us met as students at LAS in 1995 and were married seven years later! That’s why when our children, Austin (17) and Taylor (14), came along, we knew that when the time was right, we had to give them the opportunity to share our LAS experience.

We wanted them to not just hear our stories about Leysin, but to have their own experiences and generate their own stories! For us, LAS Summer in Switzerland was the perfect opportunity for them to do just that. The friends they made from around the world and the activities they took part in at SIS have left them positively changed.

When we picked them up, we noticed that even in just the few short weeks that they were in Leysin, the kids’ vocabularies had changed. They were talking about places like Eagle’s Nest and the Savoy, taking the cog, the crazy bus rides down the mountain, hiking in Les Diablerets, and eating spaghetti while sitting on the glacier.

It warmed our hearts to hear them share these stories with us, without us even telling them that we had many of the same memories; it’s WAY better to hear it from them. And perhaps the icing on the cake was that Taylor was assigned to Savoy room 508, the same room where Chris lived his junior year. While the rooming assignment was completely by chance, we like to think that it was meant to be.

Clayton Gentry ’93, US Advisory Board Member

The Impact of an LAS Scholarship

We are constantly humbled by our Global Family’s generosity and embodiment of the LAS Spirit of Philanthropy. With 35% of our students receiving some sort of financial aid, we are incredibly grateful to you, our donors, who help provide the LAS education to so many students from around the world from varying backgrounds.

Recently, we had the pleasure of talking to an alum who benefitted from our incredibly supportive community through a scholarship that made his LAS experience possible.

By Mattias Horseman ’10

I will never forget my scholarship interview for LAS. I was sitting in Marc Ott’s office and we were going through the usual interview questions when Steven Ott walked in and asked me “Where’s home for you?” Without hesitation, I said “here.” And in a lifechanging sentence, Steven said “Well then, I guess we’ll see what we can do.”

My first experience with LAS was as a student in the summer program. From the moment I stepped foot on the Magic Mountain, I felt at home. Whether I was in the Black Box theater working on a play, in activities, classes, or walking into the village with friends, I felt safe. At the end of the two week program, I’d formed such a strong connection with Leysin that I didn’t want to leave.

There is no way that I could have attended the full academic year program at LAS without the scholarship I received, and being given that opportunity so early in life taught me a valuable lesson that has stuck with me ever since: dreams can come true if you have the guts to pursue them.

I know that anyone who has been lucky enough to live in Leysin thinks fondly of the incredible environment that surrounds you there. Leysin is such a beautiful place to be and like many of you, I got to exist there under the colors of a thousand different skies. There’s nothing quite as magical as looking over the folds of the earth every single day from your dorm room in Switzerland.

I credit my time on the Magic Mountain for shaping my sense of community. Through LAS service trips, I learned how to care for people outside of my immediate environment. And

“Most people think that you send your kid to school to learn about maths and science… the truth is that I think I came to LAS to learn how to live. I will never forget the impact that LAS had because it underpins the way that I walk through this world. To ask what LAS means to me is to ask the story of who I am.”

as a boarding student, I learned how to be there for people who were around me, day in and day out.

There’s something beautiful about having to navigate worlds within worlds, and that has set me up for success. I now travel extensively as part of my job, interacting with so many cultures and different types of people, and I can look back and realize that my global experience at LAS prepared me to enter the ever-changing world that we live in now.

A scholarship is an investment in someone’s future and their potential for good; these donations don’t go into the school, they go to a student, a kid just like me. The tools that an LAS education provides will kickstart the rest of that student’s life.

Make an Impact.

Here’s how:

With time comes understanding, and I’m more grateful than ever for the opportunities I received at LAS—experiences that have shaped how I move through the world. There’s no greater gift than showing a kid that their dreams are achievable, and I have carried that gift with me throughout my life, continuing to pursue my dreams after LAS and positively impact the world.

MAGIC MOUNTAIN MAGNETISM

By John Gidding ’95, Design and Entrepreneurship Teacher

The Magic Mountain must be magnetic—once you’ve resided within its gravity field and felt its presence, you will feel its absence wherever else you go. Perhaps it has to do with the tectonic history of the Alps, the dramatic peaks which tell their story of sudden subduction, the collapse of long-lost ocean floors, and the rapid welding of entire continents along a jagged seam only 100 kilometers at its widest. Geologists, unwrapping millions of years of history by measuring the direction of magnetic minerals frozen in place when lava fields cooled into rock, can confirm my theory of Magic Mountain magnetism—but perhaps they haven’t yet focused on the little town of Leysin, which seems the epicenter of its own gravity field; all who enter, even once, find their way back. Surely there’s a body of research waiting for analysis on this curious Leysenoud effect?

My first time on the mountain remains an indelible “peak” experience (pun intended). I still remember arriving alone as a fifteen-year-old to Geneva’s gray airport, being whisked away by the LAS welcome crew on a bus driving up the ever-windier roads, and arriving at a postcard-perfect village called Leysin. The high altitude and southerly attitude meant that, for the first time in my life, I could see the sun from dawn to dusk without a single object getting in its way—no buildings tall enough, no urban canyons, no city blocks...not even the clouds could cover me, the fluffy tops of which I would gaze down upon from my new perch. Was this real life, or was this just fantasy?

Academically, I was initially an average student. I arrived with poor study habits and a procrastination problem. It took a few years, but by the time I graduated the gears of my academic machinery were so finely tuned that I matriculated at Yale for one degree and Harvard for the next, entering the field of architecture soon after.

The connections I made at LAS have remained a source of support and my lifelong companions, yielding exciting career opportunities and travel experiences. I built a design practice that produced projects all over the world thanks in large part to having maintained a global community, just like they taught me at my high school in a little village on a mountaintop.

Recently, something funny happened. I felt a strange gravity. Or rather, I noticed its absence. It had been almost 30 years since I’d felt the draw, but that magical suture zone between tectonic plates was calling me back. A quick deployment of feelers to my LAS alumni network yielded rapid results—someone had heard that LAS was looking for a design teacher. Three emails and four interviews later, I found myself back in Geneva, the airport now slightly less gray, recently renovated.

Today, teach 10th, 11th, and 12th grade Design and Entrepreneurship at LAS. A lifetime of applying principles of design and building businesses is helping me take on my most rewarding challenge yet: supporting the next generation of innovators, creatives, and entrepreneurs whose brilliance and hard work we will depend on as we build the connected, global, and sustainable society of tomorrow.

Fellow alumni visiting the school: please stop into my classroom where you’ll find students researching emerging

technologies, building investment strategies and foundations of personal financial responsibility, designing fashion collections alongside business concepts, and using technical drawings and storytelling techniques to express their ideas for the future. It’s still early days as LAS embarks on an exciting new chapter, investing broadly in the areas of Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE), but from where I’m standing, there’s sun above the snowy peaks as LAS students work and play, and the future looks bright.

An Alum Returns Home The Impact of an LAS Education

By Tep Khemarin Chan ’21

I had no idea what to expect when I traveled in 2018 from Cambodia to attend Leysin American School in Switzerland. But over the next three years, I had some of the best times of my life and have LAS to thank. The academic experience and the people I was surrounded by at LAS inspired me to pursue my passion after graduation: combining my artistry with the leadership skills I gained at LAS to bring awareness to Cambodian culture and help communities in need.

During my time at LAS, I was in the International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) and took the Higher Level Visual Arts course. One of my favorite things about taking this particular IB course is that it encouraged me to be curious. I started painting long before coming to LAS, but the arts program helped me advance my skill. The beautiful art studio space in the Belle Époque became my second home where I had complete artistic freedom.

Through the school’s cultural trips, I was exposed to all kinds of art and architecture, like the Alhambra in Spain and

the Duomo di Milano in Italy. These trips and my years at LAS inspired and nourished my artistic spirit, strengthening my passion for architecture and art.

I was raised in an Asian culture where speaking up isn’t the norm, and I remember being impressed by how brave my LAS friends were to advocate for what they believed in. I was pleasantly surprised by the cultural differences in our backgrounds, but was also inspired to find my own voice.

LAS provided so many opportunities for me to foster my leadership skills; I served as the Chief Information Officer on the Student Council and as a Savoy dorm ambassador, and I was an active member of the Model United Nations (MUN) club. I’ve always been an introvert and have often been scared to speak up, but being involved in these activities at LAS helped build my confidence, a confidence I have since used to help others.

Shortly after graduating from LAS in June 2021, I moved back to Siem Reap, Cambodia, a stopover before heading to New Zealand for university. Looking for a project and inspired by a close friend I made at LAS (a fantastic writer and artist from Ukraine) I made the decision to write a book. In the six

Left: Tep’s skills as an artist were honed during his time at LAS. Top: Within a year of graduation from LAS Tep had published his first book. Above and right: Tep brought his design skills back to Cambodia and created a portable library with over 1,000 books for the local community.

months after graduation, I illustrated, wrote, and translated my book as a one-man team. This project allowed me to use the skills I had just recently acquired at LAS— skills like research (from my Extended Essay), illustration (from my HL Visual Arts class), and even cartoon artistry (from my cultural trip to the Netherlands).

In December 2021, Extraordinary People of Cambodia officially launched in both physical and digital formats. In the following months, the book was distributed to schools, cafés, NGOs, and libraries across Cambodia and received high praise from various institutions, like the EU Delegation to Cambodia. After being featured in numerous magazines and news outlets in Cambodia, the initial run of the book sold out by June 2022.

Shortly after the conclusion of my book project, I dove straight into something new. Throughout my years at LAS there were many student-run fundraising efforts, from organizing the Terry Fox run in Leysin to building a library in Morocco to coordinating an auction to support the Sethule Orphans Trust in Zimbabwe. These projects inspired me to pursue my own fundraising project in Cambodia.

With the help of friends, family, and even some LAS faculty members, I was able to raise $1,000 to design and build a portable library for a school I was volunteering at in Cambodia. I’ve always enjoyed designing but at LAS I learned how to use software to create designs and print in 3D, skills that came in handy for this project.

The portable library has become a study spot for Siem Reap’s impoverished community and has accumulated over 1,000 donated books. Besides being content with how the library turned out, I’m delighted to be able to help others with my design skills.

Given the experiences I had at LAS, the projects I’ve chosen to pursue postgraduation should come as no surprise. At LAS I was able to take advantage of a strong academic program, leadership opportunities, and a spirit of philanthropy that have since combined to inform the direction of my life after Leysin. I am proud to be able to bring the skills and enthusiasm that I gained at LAS back to my home country of Cambodia and be a small part of making the world a better place.

“I am proud to be able to bring the skills and enthusiasm that I gained at LAS back to my home country of Cambodia and be a small part of making the world a better place.”

The Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship

Ten Years of Honoring a Legacy

By Daryl Hitchcock, former LAS faculty

Each spring the Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a rising 12th grade student who best exemplifies Ted’s love of the outdoors, spirit of adventure, commitment to service, and enthusiastic pursuit of knowledge.

Ted Groom was a social studies teacher who arrived at LAS in 2004. As we approach the tenth anniversary of his death and the foundation of this scholarship, it seems a timely moment to reflect on Ted’s impact on the LAS community, the creation of the scholarship, and the enduring legacy of his memory the scholarship has ensured.

Ted Groom at LAS

Ted Groom quickly became a fixture in the community when he arrived at LAS. Leysin was Ted’s first experience living in

an alpine region and he threw himself enthusiastically into the beautiful environment around him. Already an avid hiker, he quickly became a fearless skier, unafraid to hurtle himself down any slope he could find.

A great lover of history, Ted taught students in his classes how to think and write critically and analytically. As a dorm head (first in Esplanade and later in Belle Époque), he was a fierce advocate for student success, even when the students may not have believed in themselves. In fact, Ted was a champion of any student who had the good fortune to cross his path. But his advocacy came with a caveat: he expected every student to not passively receive his support, but to actively participate fully in their own personal growth.

Ted believed in everyone and was known for encouraging students to achieve things they had not even begun to imagine for themselves. That doesn’t mean he was always easy—Ted was as tough as he was caring. He used his

tough love approach with his colleagues and administrators as well, and all of us who knew him were challenged to be better at everything we did.

But ultimately, to know Ted was to love him. Behind his sometimes-gruff exterior, his true colors shone through and there lay the heart of a giant who led the way for a generation of LAS students.

The Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship

Ted died in February of 2013 after a short but valiant fight with a rare form of cancer. In order to ensure that Ted’s memory would endure, the Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship was created.

Originally, our hope was to raise enough funds to keep the scholarship going for five years. But in an outpouring of support, students, alumni, faculty and Ted’s family all gave generously and we quickly exceeded our initial hopes; the scholarship is still given annually today, ten years after its founding.

The recipients of the Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship represent many of the very finest students who have attended LAS over the last decade and each of them contributes to Ted’s enduring legacy through their hard work and contributions to achieve success. He would be very proud of you all, of this I am certain.

Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship Recipients:

2014-2015 – HEORHIY MARCHENKO

2015-2016 – ALLISON FISHER

2016-2017 – WEN QI GAN

2017-2018 – ZAIKANG LIN

2018-2019 – ANNA ESTAÑOL GARCIA

2019-2020 – BENOIT DUBOSSON

2020-2021 – DARIIA PANASENKO

2021-2022 – ELINOR WIRTH

2022-2023 – ADAM SZYSZKA

2022-2023 Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship Recipient Adam Szyszka ’23

By Mike Brinkmeyer,

Athletic Director

As the 2022-2023 recipient, Adam Szyszka ’23 embodies the spirit of the Ted Groom Memorial Scholarship. During his two years at LAS, he has taken advantage of all that the school has to offer and has matured into a leader in many areas of school life.

Adam has a real love for the outdoors and has been very active in both the Alpine Institute and the International Award programs. He earned his Silver International Award in October 2022, and he has attended many trips in which he has been a team player and a skilled leader. An avid skier, he is also one of the first on the mountain and last off every LAS ski afternoon!

A big part of the LAS experience is life in the dormitory, and Adam is a leader in that domain as well. Selected to be a senior proctor in the Belle Époque Central dormitory, Adam helps the dorm staff plan events and run the dorm store.

As a student athlete, Adam has distinguished himself on both the football and volleyball teams. He has worked hard to develop his skills in both sports. His work ethic and positive attitude have impressed his coaches and teammates over the years. Adam leads by example and is always willing to go the extra mile for his team.

Beyond the accomplishments mentioned above, Adam (below, holding the trophy) is a friend to many on campus here at LAS. His adventurous spirit, compassionate nature, and open-mindedness make Adam a real example of what we strive to cultivate in all our students.

SPIRIT OF

PHILANTHROPY

The LAS Impact Fund

By Aaron Deupree, English Language Acquisition (ELA) Teacher & Department Head

How can a school truly measure its impact on students? In my experience over the last twenty years here, I have seen LAS recognize that as a boarding school, we have an outsized impact on students because learning takes place just as much outside the classroom as it does inside the classroom. Learning also happens in the dorms, on cultural trips, in the art room, or on a mountain adventure with the Alpine Institute. With that in mind, expanding access to programs, learning experiences, and resources is critical to making the LAS experience as impactful as possible.

To this end, LAS has shifted the previous annual fund to an Impact Fund, with an emphasis on immediacy and transparency. Funds raised must be used within the academic year and every franc is tracked carefully as it supports specific initiatives so that students can benefit directly from the generosity of the LAS Global Family.

How are funds allocated?

The priority of the new Impact Fund is to put the request for and allocation of funds directly into the hands of the LAS faculty and staff, who build strong relationships with students and see their needs firsthand through daily interaction in classrooms, activities, and the dorms.

Several times per year, the Advancement team opens up a window for project funding applications and then a committee of faculty and staff from across all areas of the school reviews the applications, allocating the available funds according to need and what the committee members believe will have the greatest impact on students’ experiences. Regular and timely communication about how these funds are allocated, as well as follow up to

ensure that funds are being used on the projects they were approved for, are an integral part of the process to ensure transparency and accountability.

For me, it has been an honor to serve on the Impact Fund Committee to oversee the process, support my colleagues, and ultimately understand the bigger picture of what we can do to help students get the most out of their time on the Magic Mountain.

What does the Impact Fund support?

The first round of applications this autumn elicited many fantastic initiatives, and the committee ultimately decided to support seven projects, allocating CHF 25,000 that had been raised in the Impact Fund by that point in the year.

Among the funded projects this fall were:

• Scholarships for deserving students to attend the Model United Nations International Conference in the Hague where students tackle real-world problems through discourse and debate, representing 193 countries of the United Nations.

• iPads for the new design classes to give students the resources needed to advance their ideas through creative and user-friendly technologies.

• Robotics equipment and software (Vex V5) for the new Innovation Lab in Beau Site to augment existing equipment that builds on our ICE (Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship) program.

Projects like these have enhanced the learning of current students through the imagination and commitment of LAS faculty, ensuring students have the best possible experiences at LAS.

How can the LAS global family support the Impact Fund?

The Impact Fund has already been a catalyst for new ideas and the excitement it has generated has already led to more giving from our LAS Global Family. As a committee member, I am personally very excited to review each round of applications and see what creative ideas are proposed and supported.

LAS faculty have answered the call to support the Impact Fund: over 75% percent have made a donation. This level of faculty giving underscores the deep commitment and belief that we have in LAS to deliver on its mission to develop innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world.

Donate to the Impact Fund

“ This year, with the support of the Impact Fund, LAS is able to bring its largest-ever delegation to The Hague Model United Nations Conference (THIMUN), where we represented Ukraine. Our delegation included LAS’ first-ever Student Officer (the Vice President of the Sustainable Development Commission), as well as two members of the THIMUN press corps. Thanks to the Impact Fund, we were able to bring several of our strongest club leaders who wouldn’t be able to attend without financial support.”

The Impact Fund puts money where it is needed most—directly into our classrooms and dorms. It provides immediate support that enhances the student experience. Make a difference by donating to the LAS Impact Fund at https://www.las.ch/las-advancement/donate

Students work with new equipment in the Innovation Lab.

LAS sent our largest-ever delegation to this year’s Model United Nations conference in The Hague, where they represented Ukraine.

Alex Flynn-Padick, AP and IB History Teacher and Theory of Knowledge Teacher & Social Studies Department Head

Students Enjoy Updated Spaces

By Eric Turner P’22,

’24, Director of Residential Life

Whether students prefer to sit at a drum set or on a couch, LAS is making spaces for everyone. Thanks to the generous support of current families, alumni, and friends of the school, Leysin American School has been busy renovating spaces in our residential buildings for our students to use.

The Esplanade dorm has followed the lead of both the Savoy and Beau Réveil dorms, where music spaces have already been created. With the watchful eyes of Drake, Bad Bunny, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix looking down from the walls of their new jam location, students can practice drums, piano, guitar, and a host of other instruments in a new studio on Esplanade’s fourth floor.

Students looking for a social space in Savoy can go to Midpoint 23, the new student lounge built on Savoy’s first floor right next to the dining hall. The space has a beautiful view of the valley, work spaces, and plenty of room to relax and enjoy a casual conversation with friends. It is also a great place to enjoy a drink and a snack when the dining

hall is closed. This space gives all students a nice spot to hang out that is equivalent to the already-popular Red Frog and Valley View rooms of Beau Site.

Not to be outdone by the younger students, this year’s seniors have pledged to raise funds for their beloved Cave, by far the most popular place to hang out on the Belle Époque campus. Generations of LAS seniors have had great times watching movies, playing pool, and even having small dances in the Cave, but the time has come to put some new life into the space. Working with a top design team, the Student Council, and a group of excited students and staff, the school will give the Cave a major facelift and add new features to the already popular space. We can’t wait to see the end result!

All of these new and renovated spaces have been made possible as a result of the LAS focus this year on the Spirit of Philanthropy; contributions made for these specific projects allowed ideas to swiftly become reality for the benefit of our students and school community. We hope that you will join LAS in the Spirit of Philanthropy and make a donation to the LAS Impact Fund!

Bottom left and right: Students can now hang out, play games, and grab a snack in their own space in Savoy. Top right: The Esplanade Music Room sparks students’ creativity right in the dorm.

Celebrating the MMAC And the Philanthropy That Made It Possible

By Adlyn Holmes ’24

The MMAC’s incredible new infrastructure provides an excellent open space for not just students but the entire LAS community. The top floor includes a variety of cardio and strength machines as well as free weights, allowing students and teachers to work out freely, and also a running track and gallery that overlooks the space below.

The MMAC, which opened in the fall of 2016 on the site of the former Goat House (located just below the Savoy dorm) is used to facilitate classes, assemblies, and extracurricular activities. Throughout the school day, the MMAC is used for our LAS physical education classes and after school the MMAC is open for students to work out in the state of the art fitness center or practice their sport of choice during open gym time. During both the fall and spring activity terms, the MMAC is the venue for a variety of after school activities, including everything from strength and conditioning to volleyball practice.

But the MMAC isn’t just for sport; twice per month the entire student body gathers together for assemblies where announcements are given by the Student Council President and fun and informative activities are led by some of our wonderful LAS faculty. This year alone the LAS student body has hosted the Dorm Olympics and the Faculty Family Games, with students competing in relay races and activities of speed and skill to win coveted prizes for their dorms or families. Spirit Week, International Week, and the Cowbell Games all take place in the MMAC as well, continuing generations of LAS traditions within the school.

On the main floor is a large court that is used for a wide assortment of sports: basketball, volleyball, pickleball, tennis, badminton, and so much more! A large climbing wall covers one whole side of the gym and LAS recently hosted our first ever climbing competition with nearby schools. The wall is a frequent destination for both students and faculty when the weather isn’t conducive to climbing outdoors and provides a facility unlike those in other schools.

The lower level features lockers and changing rooms for students in PE classes and for competitions and games that LAS hosts on campus. There is also a multi-purpose room which is the site of yoga and Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes for students and faculty, as well as other activities.

But we can’t forget about the roof of the MMAC. In the warm weather, students can play basketball or football or even try their hand at boffering, a live action role play sport with foam weapons that is very popular with our students. And any activity held on the roof of the MMAC has the added benefit of the best view in Leysin against the backdrop of the Dents du Midi!

The Magic Mountain Athletic Center is truly a space for all LAS students. Friends often come together at the MMAC and bond over playing badminton, basketball, climbing, or simply working out. It is a fantastic communal space open to anyone at LAS.

Leysin American School was able to build the MMAC with the generous financial support of so many of our LAS Global Family members during the multi-million franc capital campaign. It is just one example of how our extended community continues to support current LAS programming and facilities, ensuring that each generation of LAS graduates has the best experience possible on the Magic Mountain.

If you haven’t been to Leysin recently, you may not have seen the newest building on campus: the Magic Mountain Athletic Center (MMAC).

Top right: The climbing wall gets used at all times of year by students and staff. Below: Boffering is a high energy activity that allows students to use creativity in live action role play. Bottom right and center: Team sports take center court both for practice and as well as for games and tournaments hosted at LAS. Bottom left: Academic events, exhibits, and showcases are another way the MMAC is a central hub for community at LAS.

“The MMAC is a place where everyone on campus can work out, play sports together, and have fun.” —Haley ’24

An Unforgettable Weekend

The LAS 61st Celebration was held from June 16-19, 2022. The Leysin community graciously opened its doors to all alumni, former faculty, and the entire Global Family to celebrate the 61 years of the school’s history.

Celebrating 61 Magical Years

Global Family Members Share Their Experience

By Katy Maguire Lushman, Associate Director of Communications and Strategic Projects & 61st Celebration Coordinator

With over 1,000 Global Family members from over 50 countries in attendance for the four-day event, it’s safe to say this was the largest event in LAS history!

During the weekend, the entire community gathered together in a grand pavilion constructed specifically for the occasion (brought up the mountain by 14 trucks!) in front of the Lower Sports Center: first at a Welcome BBQ and later at a formal Celebration Banquet. Alumni and former faculty also had the opportunity to gather by era at Dinners by Decade which were held in beloved restaurants throughout the village and on the mountain. There were Global Family members in attendance from every single one of the 61 years since the school’s founding in 1961!

Throughout the 61st Celebration, Global Family members benefited from incredible meals served in both of our dining halls by Chef Fabrice and his team, childcare supported by our LAS Summer staff, dorm accommodations supported by our residential life and housekeeping teams, airport transfers facilitated by our transportation team, and over four dozen activities staffed by our LAS faculty. Alumni, former faculty, and their families hiked the Berneuse, completed ropes courses, paddle boarded on Lake Geneva, climbed the via ferrata, ziplined from the top of the Belle Époque, and so much more.

We’re so grateful for everyone whose efforts made the 61st Celebration possible and we were incredibly excited to welcome so many treasured Global Family members back to LAS. For those of you who weren’t able to make it back to Leysin for the event, we have a few alumni who can take you through what it was like to come home to the Magic Mountain!

Hyuk-Min Choung ’10

I only have great things to say about my experience at the 61st Celebration. The event itself was so well organized— each session highlighted and appreciated alumni and we got to learn about the plans for the future of the school. It was so helpful to think not only about the school’s past, but also the future.

On my way to the first dinner of the weekend, I sat next to alumni from the 80s and 90s and it was so interesting to hear about what experiences we shared from LAS despite being in Leysin in very different eras. There are so many commonalities across the generations at LAS and one that was highlighted for me was the diversity that LAS provides. It has always been a place where people from all over the world can come together to learn with and from each other.

The Dinner by Decade was my favorite event of the weekend since I had the chance to see the people with whom I shared my time at LAS and hear about their lives.

Right: Min caught up with Steven Ott and many others during the weekend’s festivities.

It was an incredible opportunity for people from different countries who haven’t been able to stay in close touch to come together in person and catch up.

Coming back to LAS reminded me that while the campus hasn’t changed much since my time in Leysin, there have been massive changes for other people. I was in the first class of students who lived and studied at the Belle Époque campus and while those improvements and additions aren’t something you think about when you’re a student, seeing the changes through the eyes of older alumni really makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger. You can see the developments in photos but nothing compares to being on campus and seeing it for yourself. You can feel the history. As more distance has come between me and my time at LAS, I’ve realized that while you make a lot of friends throughout

Sergii Slepkan ’15

The 61st Celebration was absolutely amazing. From the very first moments of the weekend, you could feel the warmth from everyone as they greeted friends from across the years. Coming back to campus was an emotional experience because every single time you come back, it feels like you have come home. Leysin definitely is a Magic Mountain.

Even though I had been able to visit campus recently, at the 61st Celebration there was more time to sit down with teachers and reminisce. At LAS, the faculty are more than just teachers; they treat the students like their own kids and truly care about them. Mr. Padick was one of these teachers for me and we got to go on a bike ride together during the weekend. It was so cool to reunite with my former teachers, tell them about the business that I’m running, and see their genuine excitement for me, knowing that they contributed to my future in such a concrete way.

the different eras of your life, the connections I made to the people I met at LAS have really stayed with me. We came together from all over the world, stuck in a little village on the top of a mountain, surrounded by nature, having come to Leysin to study and share our cultures with one another. We had such pure motivation. We were so young and we grew up together. I don’t have that level of connectivity, that level of importance, in any of the relationships I have made with friends since.

Over the years I have been to some smaller regional LAS events, but coming back to Leysin, driving that same route up the mountain that I did for four years as a student, was so incredibly meaningful. I feel like I’ve returned back to the LAS community and can’t wait to continue that connection into the future.

Peggy Love ’66

I graduated from LAS in 1966, one of the earliest classes to graduate from the new little boarding school on top of a mountain in paradise. In those days, the students were mostly American expats living abroad because of our father’s jobs. We were the luckiest kids in the world but I don’t think we actually knew it at the time. Like all of the LAS alums, my experience was life changing in so many ways. After college I married a military officer and continued a life of travel and expat experiences with three children, moving every couple of years. Though I stayed in touch with a few of my LAS classmates, I never really connected with any alumni groups until 2020 when I joined the LAS US Advisory Board and the amazing experience of LAS was rekindled for me.

I had such a great moment with Mr. Hitchcock during the 61st Celebration. I hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to him before he left LAS during the pandemic, but he was one of the first people I saw at the opening event of the weekend. We were chatting and catching up and I asked about his wife, Ms. Krause. When he mentioned that she was arriving at the Leysin Village train station a few minutes later, I suggested that we hop in my car to go pick her up. It felt so crazy to have Mr. Hitchcock in my car! I felt like a kid, excited to go on an adventure with my former teacher. I realized that the relationships that built with the LAS faculty will stay with me forever.

At one point during the weekend I was talking to an alum who graduated in 1969 and we shared a little bit about the comparison of our LAS experiences. Despite some of the obvious differences, we could see that the throughline of what is important at LAS hasn’t changed: we both cherish the community, openness, and learning about different cultures. Those values were true from both of our LAS experiences, his from the 1960s and mine some 50 years later. From our conversation I realized that I was so lucky to be a graduate of LAS, lucky to have this massive network around me. I can go anywhere in the world and meet up with fellow LAS alumni and we always have something to talk about.

Even amidst everything going on in the world, the 61st Celebration created a little spark in me: a reminder of my belief in humanity and in people from around the world. Being in Leysin that weekend really enhanced the feeling of being an LAS alumni and what that means: being part of a community of people from all over the world. Seeing the Global Family so connected was really cool and can’t wait for more opportunities to come together.

After two years of virtual meetings, we were all more than excited to attend the LAS 61st Celebration last summer in Leysin. I have visited Leysin only three times since 1966, but the memories are as fresh as they were the day I drove away with my parents after graduation. Little things like Sunday mornings at Orchidee’s to “study” and eat the delicious French toast, Madame Linden and her eagle eye on us for our safety and well being, Prafandaz and fondue…the list goes on and on. I relived those memories so many times in my head through the years, but the opportunity to do so in person with friends and former classmates was something I can’t describe.

I am so lucky to have LAS in my life all these years later. The school has changed in many ways, but the impact it has on young lives is as critical as it was in the early days of the school and the 61st Celebration gave all of us the chance to relive those memories. Walking up and down the hills, riding the cog, taking the lift up to the Berneuse, sleeping in a dorm, eating breakfast at Savoy in the same dining hall I

ate every meal in so long ago. Many thanks to the LAS team for an experience that can never fully be put into words. I look forward to doing what I can to help others rekindle their LAS experiences.

Kim Oppenheim P’16, ‘20 English Teacher

After our truly unforgettable gathering last June, I have heard countless people—from past teachers to alumni from every decade going back to the 90s when LAS became my home—describe that event as one of the most memorable times of their lives, just like the experience at LAS had been.

I can only say that for me it was pure unfiltered joy to have been able to reconnect and celebrate this awesome place with past colleagues, past students, and current ones as well. Please come back, again and again…

Sergii (left) reconnected with many LAS faculty and staff, like Emma Dixon and Mike Brinkmeyer.

Above: Peggy enjoying the sunshine in front of the Belle Époque campus.

Left: Kim (right) reunited with former faculty: Morgan Topman Taylor, Robina Moore, and Betsy Boland.

The 61st Celebration Skyline Challenge

By Andie Flett P’25, Director of the LAS Alpine Institute

The 61st Celebration was both a reunion for old friends and an opportunity for people to make new connections within the LAS Global Family. Hiking the iconic towers above Leysin with alumni that spanned the decades, sharing stories about ski days, dorm life, and classmates animated the thread that connects us all to the Magic Mountain.

During each academic year, the LAS Alpine Institute offers and supports the Skyline Challenge, giving participants the goal of summiting all the peaks you can see from Leysin. Students aim to summit as many peaks as possible during their time at LAS, and this year we have students who took advantage of the clear autumn weather and have already conquered six peaks! Some of the peaks visible from Leysin, like Mont Blanc (4809m), require time and maturity and

are often saved until after graduation as a hike with a small group of friends who have bonded while cutting their teeth together on the local peaks.

But anyone can embrace the Skyline Challenge when they are in Leysin. Many of our LAS faculty and staff carve out two or three weekends a year and chip away at the challenge, building skills and friendships as each outing inspires new objectives, like summiting the more challenging peaks with ropes or skis.

During last summer’s 61st Celebration, the Alpine Institute offered two Skyline Challenge hikes for attendees. On the first day of activities, a group of alumni and family hiked to the summit of La Riondaz (1950m). On the way back down, we stopped at the refuge de Solacyre, enjoyed a drink together and shared stories and high fives.

Alumni from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s remember when Solacyre was the top station for the ski lift just past Savoy, the lower station now housing a skateboard park for local kids. The lift was closed in 1998 and the top station updated to a foot-access restaurant in 2015 that is staffed and cared for by local volunteers. Many of our teachers take one weekend a year to open this hut and serve drinks, fondue, and planchette to red-cheeked hikers and ski tourers.

From the deck of Solacyre, Justin Keyes ’05 looked across the valley at the Dents du Midi, which he summited as a student, and reminisced about the trek. Later that evening we shared a drink at L’Embuscade and his former teacher, Ethan Harris, laughed and told the story of how Justin carried a large rock down from the summit as a souvenir. Justin laughed and told us “I still have that rock!”

The next day offered clear skies and summer sunshine for the Skyline Challenge hike to Tour de Famelon (2143m). The mood on the way up was reflective, owing perhaps to some fatigue from the prior evening’s festivities, though we still managed to make steady progress towards the rocky summit along the craggy flanks of Le Truex.

We gained the summit of the Tour de Famelon by noon and installed ourselves on the welcoming limestone for a sandwich and a survey of the vast view surrounding us: the Oldenhorn (3122m), Les Diablerets (3210m), Dents de Morcles (2969m), Le Grand Muveran (3051m), and the

Dents du Midi (3258m) circled around us, offering a stunning panorama and the temptation of future outings.

On the summit, asked the group a bit more about their time at LAS. In turn, they asked me more about the Alpine Institute, the mountain safety training that we do with our students, and how the outdoor programs have evolved. I told them about the Skyline Challenge, the avalanche safety days, the new freeride ski group, and our partnership with the local guides bureau led by Fabian Pavillard ’01. As we chatted, I realized that their time at LAS included the winter of 2007, when LAS student Spencer Akers died tragically in an avalanche while skiing off-piste. As it turned out, my fellow hikers were friends of Spencer’s and were on the hike to remember him.

In the wake of Spencer’s untimely death many changes were made to further manage and minimize risk in the ski and mountain programs at LAS, including avalanche education and off-piste skiing with certified UIAGM guides, ski checkins, and a greater staff presence on the mountain. No one wants to take away from young people the thrill, adventure, and learning that happens in the mountains, but equally we know that no mistake should cost a life and we strive to provide for our students the highest quality of education both in the classroom and outside.

It is always a joy to have visitors to the Magic Mountain and it was very special for me to share these experiences with alumni spanning the decades, and particularly with Spencer’s friends.

From left: Eva Peytcheva ’07, Stephanie Wisner ’04, Roxanne Wisner ’07, and Joe Haden ’07

During each academic year, the LAS Alpine Institute offers and supports the Skyline Challenge, giving participants the goal of summiting the peaks you can see from Leysin.

61 MAGICAL YEARS CELEBRATING

Take a trip down memory lane and relive your favorite moments from the Magic Mountain as we celebrate six incredible decades of LAS through photographs! Do you have a memory or a photograph to share? We would love to hear from you at advancement@las.ch (and a few of our favorites will even make it into the next issue of Panorama)!

Full Circle Philanthropy LAS Alum Making a Difference in Her Community

By Bonnie Ellison ’64

LAS philanthropy starts with the desire to educate, nurture, and create caring world citizens. I was one of the first to get an LAS education, enrolling as a student the very first year the school was open: 1961. Philanthropy works in a circle; it is not what I gave to LAS, but rather what LAS gave to me that I now give to others.

My first introduction to an international environment took me from Montana (USA), to Nepal, to Libya, and finally to LAS. Navigating multiple cultures at a young age could have fostered a lack of confidence or low self-esteem. But instead self confidence, along with humility, was instilled in me by

my parents and was then re-enforced and broadened by my experience at LAS. The confidence gained at LAS propelled me to navigate cultures and find success in my professional career as a producer in advertising.

When I decided to retire at age 55, returning to Nepal to take care of abandoned children was an obvious choice for me. Nepal has always been my soul place and I felt I needed to do something to contribute. My circle was complete when I became the Country Director of Ama Foundation in Nepal.

Caring for abandoned children by creating an environment that promotes self confidence was my basic goal. Self

Young Alumni and Alumni of the Year

confidence doesn’t come easily to children who suffer the psychology of abandonment, but the simple recipe of a constant structure of care and love seems to be working and the Nepali staff that raise these children are the real heroes. With a hard working Ama Foundation Board in the USA and the generous gifts of many, Ama Foundation has raised 45 young adults with self confidence, and we currently have another 45 learning the same lessons.

LAS has been very generous by giving two full scholarships for the LAS Summer in Switzerland program that we auction off at our annual Ama Foundation fundraiser. Beyond the scholarships themselves, LAS continues to give by nurturing the summer program students as they start their education to become caring world citizens…and the circle continues.

Thank you, LAS, for the special place you hold in my life. What an honor it was to feel the same spirit from my fellow LAS alumni from not only the 60s, but from graduates of every year at the 61st Celebration this past summer.

Each year the Leysin American School recognizes two alumni who have made a significant impact in the advancement of the school. This year we are thrilled to honor Kymani Montgomery ’12 as the Young Alumni of the Year and Clayton Gentry ’93 as the Alumni of the Year!

This autumn, Kymani was the inaugural LAS Alumni Visiting Scholar, forging a path for future successful visits. He engaged with every member of the LAS community during his week-long visit, presenting sessions and leading workshops with students and staff on how to create an inclusive environment for everyone. As a leader in the 2SLGBTQ+ non-profit space, Kymani is providing education that is leading to more compassionate communities, and in that way is representing the LAS mission out in the world.

We are so grateful to Kymani for sharing his expertise and experiences during his recent visit, and we can already see his lasting impact on our school community.

Clayton has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the LAS community in the last year. Leading by example, he is an active member of the US Advisory Board, has connected the admissions team with prospective LAS families, and even attended a recruitment fair last fall. Clayton has hosted a Global Family event at his home and is sending his children to the LAS Summer in Switzerland program for the second time this coming summer. He is also a regular monthly donor to the Impact Fund. Each and every one of these engagement points constitutes a huge contribution to the advancement of the LAS mission and we are so grateful for Clayton’s ongoing support.

www.ama-foundation.org

Bonnie (right) at the annual Ama Foundation fundraiser where LAS Summer in Switzerland scholarships are auctioned off.

Kymani Montgomery ’12

Clayton Gentry ’93

Experts in Their Fields

The Inaugural Year of the Alumni Visiting Scholar Program

By Ben Walker, Associate Director of Advancement

LAS aims to create a lasting impact on the students who are part of our community, and we hope that when those students grow into adults, they will remain connected and engaged with us. We have several thousand alumni in the LAS Global Family who are out in the world as experts in their fields and we are eager to bring them back to campus to share their knowledge with our current students.

To that end, this year we launched the LAS Alumni Visiting Scholar program to great success! We have already hosted two accomplished alumni, Kymani Montgomery ’12 and Sarah Wilson ’09, who came back to the Magic Mountain to share their expertise in the areas of 2SLGBTQ+ issues and STEM, respectively, and plans are already in the works to bring more alumni back to campus in the coming year.

Kymani Montgomery ’12

Kymani Montgomery ’12 (he/him) works as Programs Manager of the Ten Oaks Project, a charitable organization that works to help children, youth, and families from 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Kymani attributes his time studying at LAS with empowering him to make a change in his community. Aside from waking up next to beautiful mountain ranges, learning about different cultures, and experiencing skiing as part of the curriculum, he believes that the boarding aspect of LAS inspires students to think about community in a more comprehensive way and encourages alumni to continue a life of taking care of others.

During his visit to the Magic Mountain, Kymani spoke candidly about his happy memories from his time at LAS and his desire to give back to the community that has made him who he is. He reflected on the students and faculty who “become your family for that period of your life.” We aim to cultivate a stable, caring, and supportive environment, and

it is always a joy to hear that students forged those bonds during their time at LAS.

The leadership opportunities available at LAS are also an integral part of encouraging student agency. Kymani reflected that he always finds “so much joy in seeing students take on leadership roles and advocate for themselves and others.” After visiting LAS as an alumni, Kymani said he felt fulfilled and was thrilled to return to a place that contributed to who he is as a person today.

Sarah Wilson ’09

During his visit as an Alumni Visiting Scholar, Kymani engaged with every student and member of faculty through workshops where he informed people about issues impacting the 2SLGBTQ+ community and what steps LAS can continue to take to be a supportive environment for all students. It was clear that our current LAS students very much appreciated Kymani’s perspective as a member of the LAS Global Family and we are so grateful that he returned to campus to share his expertise.

When I decided to attend LAS, I knew was setting off on an adventure that would change my life. But when I arrived in Leysin at sixteen, and even when I left full of memories and academic learning two years later, I couldn’t possibly appreciate the ways LAS would continue to change me.

I’m not sure how I found the gumption to ship myself off to boarding school, but for me to commit to a school on a different continent, in a town I’d never visited, where I knew nobody was a massive risk. But when I leapt, LAS caught me. I learned that I really could just go do cool things with my life. I didn’t have to wait for anyone to show me the way. Following a path others had blazed meant that I’d only end up where others had gone. That willingness to cut my own trail, to pursue the wild and unconventional, has been the single greatest driver of success in my career and personal life. Now, when I get a crazy whim in my head and my gut says it’s a good idea, I just leap—because if 16 year-old Sarah could do THAT, then certainly I can do this.

As bold and adventurous and driven as I was in high school, I had a surprisingly narrow view of what college and my career would look like. All my role models had picked one specialty and had stayed on that path their whole lives. However, I began my career in an era of unprecedented technical innovation; the job title I hold now isn’t one that existed when I was in college, so it wasn’t a job I planned to have! Instead, I’ve changed roles and have evolved with the tech boom—a flexibility I’m certain I learned from travel, cultural exposure, and the big life curveballs I experienced while a student at LAS.

If I could go back and give my high school self one piece of advice on choosing a college major and a career path, it’d be to keep an eye on the exponential explosion of computer power and all the technology, computing, and engineering disciplines that are opening up because of it. I came back to LAS to share that mindset with students: that technology is being built now to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to be a part of it. If you want to go change the world, just go do it. You won’t need a road map because the roads don’t exist yet.

Want to sponsor an LAS Alumni Visiting Scholar? Learn more here.

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Of course, my experiences on the Magic Mountain shaped my worldview, but more importantly they transformed how I take risks and adapt.”

Sharing the LAS Experience

Connecting LAS with the Next Generation of Students & Families

Expanding our Global Family and giving the next generation of students the opportunity to experience LAS life on the Magic Mountain is of utmost importance to our community. One way the Global Family can further engage with LAS is by introducing us to prospective families who might benefit from the LAS experience. We spoke to members of our admissions team, who shared their experiences working with current families as well as alumni to bring new people into the LAS Global Family.

Tamara Yahfoufi Director of Admissions in the Middle East & Turkey

Current families are such great supporters of LAS when they tell their networks about their experience with the school. So often they open up their homes to their circle of friends for receptions, like one that was held recently in Saudi Arabia, where an LAS admissions director can answer questions and talk about the benefits of attending a boarding school to prospective families. Our current LAS families are a huge support to our team by sharing their knowledge as parents of boarders and describing how valuable the LAS experience has been for their own children.

Paul Dyer P’06, ’16 Director of Admissions in the Americas & Corporations

Emma Pinto P’15,’18 from Mexico City has seen two of her children thrive in the LAS environment and has subsequently drawn on that experience to actively support other parents in the community. Emma remembers being anxious and a bit sad when she dropped off her first son in Leysin. However, as the years passed, she became an expert about all things LAS and saw how her two boys benefitted from their time on the Magic Mountain.

When her sons went to university, Emma missed her visits to LAS and asked me if there was some way she could help new parents. Et voilà…Emma became a Parent Ambassador! She now attends new student orientation at the beginning of each year and supports new families as they cope with the excitement and nervousness of having a child away at boarding school. Emma also serves as an advisory board member on the LAS International Council and assists with LAS recruiting efforts. And when she is back in Mexico, she is a world-renowned chef! Gracias, Emma!

Ira Miles P’24 Director of Admissions in the Americas & Spain/Andorra

Working with Clayton Gentry ’93 this year has been a valuable addition to the recruitment process for LAS.

Clayton’s passion for and understanding of the LAS culture and mission resonates with prospective families. He brings a true sense of community to our admissions work as he can speak as a parent, a student, an alum, and an advisory board member, which gives prospective families a holistic sense of the life-changing opportunities that exist at Leysin American School in Switzerland.

Viwan Opanukij Director of Admissions in South Asia

Current families and alumni are incredibly helpful in building the LAS network and one of the highlights of being on the admissions team is the connection I get to make with our community. Our LAS Global Family supports our team by referring the school to their families, friends, and colleagues. For new and prospective families, it is reassuring to be able to meet current or past families and to learn about LAS from people who have experienced it firsthand. Long after students have graduated, they are still part of the LAS family. Our alumni are one of the greatest assets of the school; they are a great source of help by sharing their professional experiences and knowledge. Whenever I call on an LAS alumni or family, they always graciously offer their help by volunteering their time at fairs, providing expertise in their field of work, and giving feedback and suggestions to the school. Some of them even act as ambassadors for our school! Their generosity reflects our school’s mission statement, “developing innovative, compassionate, and responsible citizens of the world.”

Right: Clayton Gentry ’93 answers prospective families’ questions at an admissions fair in Aspen, Colorado. Below: Viwan connects with the Ko Family (an alumni, current, and future LAS family!) in Taipei.

We are so grateful for all the supportive families in our LAS community. We really couldn’t do it without you! If you would like to share your experiences with prospective LAS families and students, please let us know at advancement@las.ch.

Young Alumni Updates From

Around the Globe

Send us your news! Share updates with us at advancement@las.ch

Olivier de Charriere ’03, after years in the making, opened Xstream Park leisure centre in Collombey-Muraz with his brothers in August 2022. Amongst other incredible activities, the park boasts Switzerland’s only indoor Wavesurfer™! Go to xstreampark.ch to plan your visit!

Ioana Nedelcu ’08 has once again been ranked as a leading individual in The Legal 500. They said Ioana ‘is a tenacious and a fearless advocate’ who specializes in modern slavery and organized crime. Congratulations, Ioana, on this much deserved accolade!

Shiqi Wang ’13, recently re-engaged with LAS and is actively helping us build the Global Family in his home city, Beijing, and all across China. Shiqi credits LAS with helping him develop into a global citizen and says ‘from the bottom of my heart, LAS is my second home’. Thank you for all your work, Shiqi! If you’d like to help us build the community in your local area, please get in touch with us at advancement@las.ch.

Anastasia Eremina Collins ’18 got married last August in The Woodlands, Texas. Congratulations to Anastasia and her husband Cody!

Cecilia Roy ’03 re-engaged with LAS after the 61st Celebration, and she is the model LAS alum—she went to college in Colorado, pursued a career in snowboarding, and then became an entrepreneur! Snowdrop Creative is a content marketing and graphic design business working with companies and private clients in the US. Visit snowdropcreative.com to learn more!

Jordan Whitaker ’08 the LAS Esports coach and Professor of Esports for Syracuse University, has also recently joined George Mason University as Course Developer and Professor of Esports. The college program that he oversees won six national championships at the Junior College level and he was personally congratulated by the governor of Virginia for this accomplishment. But even more importantly, Jordan and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed their son Theodore to the world in March 2022! Maybe a future LAS graduate?!

Fabienne O’Loughlin Wüst ’09 and husband Tom welcomed a new addition to their family this year. Their daughter, Charlotte Lily O’Loughlin was born January 8, 2023. Congratulations Fabienne and Tom!

Maria Szuster '21 is a Political Science and Government student at Sciences Po in Reims. This year, alongside her studies, Maria undertook an internship at the Polish Embassy in Paris and is keen to connect with those in law and diplomacy! Maria is the founder of Druha We Mnie Masz (You Have A Friend In Me), an international non-profit organization connecting young Poles willing to help their peers from Ukraine who were forced out of their country due to war. This organization has attracted international attention for its humanitarian efforts and has supported over 12,000 young people to date! Maria will head to the Philippines for an exchange semester this fall.

Zachary Arriaga ’16 joined the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University last August. After graduating in International Studies and starting a promising legal career, Zach has decided to go back to school—good luck! Zachary lives in South Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., and is keen to build the LAS network in the area.