TASIS England Alumni E-News Summer 2013

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TASIS ENGLAND ALUMNI E-NEWS

SUMMER 2013 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3


SUMMER 2013 2

Dear Alumni...

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Letter from the Headmaster

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2013 Founder’s Day Reunion

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Alumni Legacy Pavers

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Who is Your Class Agent?

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Upcoming Reunions and Alumni Events

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Alumni Spring Concert: Daniel Jepson ‘98 and Ai-Ying Chui

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Faculty Focus: Rob Hudgens

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Recent Visitors to Campus

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Lost Alumni: We Need Your Help

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TASIS England Classifieds TASIS Mission Statement

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TASIS Summer Programs TASIS Schools

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Royal Blue Runs in the Family Alumni Art Talk with Marcia Page

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TASIS England Summer Reading!

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Alumni Profile: Evan Kelly ‘01

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Donor Profile: Chawki Karam ‘03


EDITOR Ruth Anne Snelson PHOTOGRAPHY Ruth Anne Snelson Hanna Hardesty Alalwan Family, Bye Family, Hall Family, Hanley Family, Heeren Family, Hurst Family, Krisanda Family, Lawton Family, Lord Family, Mbu Family, Pino Family, Rayner Family, Reddy Family, Rickert Family, Serra-Hospital Family, Silantyev Family, Smalley Family, Vause Family, Watson Family Evan Kelly ‘01 Chawki Karam ‘03 GRAPHIC DESIGN Ruth Anne Snelson COMMENTS? CONTACT Ruth Anne Snelson alumni@tasisengland.org +44 (0)1932 565 252 SPECIAL THANKS TO Frances Lovett Virginia Majewski Mary Mitchell Maura Power CLASS NOTES & ADDRESS CHANGES alumni@tasisengland.org TASIS England Alumni Relations Office Coldharbour Lane Thorpe Surrey TW20 8TE

Dear Alumni... A special welcome and congratulations to our newest alumni who graduated this past June. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Alumni Spring Concert in May. It was a wonderful to reconnect and listen to the musical talents of Daniel Jepson ‘98 and his wife, Ai-Ying Chui. We hope that you can join us for the Founder’s Day Reunion weekend coming up on 30-31 August. In September, we are hosting two special alumni art talks with Marcia Page, who will present at The Wallace Collection. Registration for these events will open in latesummer. All reunions and alumni events are free to you and your guests and are sure to be a fun time. We hope you are able to join us. We have been blessed by having a number of alumni and their families come to visit campus in the last few months. See our ‘Recent Visitors to Campus’ . If you are planning a trip to England, we would be thrilled to see you in Thorpe! With advance notice, we will set up classroom visits and lunch with your TASIS England favorites. If you are not London-bound this year, stay connected via the alumni pages on our website. Our online alumni community is one more way to keep in touch with your classmates and the School. It is also the perfect place to update any changes in your contact details. Warmest wishes, Ruth Anne Snelson Advancement Associate for Alumni Relations alumni@tasisengland.org

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Register today!

2013 FOUNDER’S DAY REUNION WEEKEND Friday and Saturday 30 & 31 August 2013

Friday

11:30 AM to 1 PM Alumni Luncheon 2:30 to 3:10 PM Convocation 6:30 to 8 PM Cocktails at the Headmaster’s Home Saturday 5:30 to 6:30 PM 7:00 to 11:00 PM

Campus Tours, Thorpe Place Foyer Celebratory Reunion Dinner, Thorpe Village Hall

Join us to celebrate the legacies of Mrs. Fleming and you. This all-classes reunion is for all former students — those who graduated as well as those who were here for a year or two. All parents of former students are invited, as are all alumni faculty and staff of TASIS England. We will be honoring the classes of 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2008, who will be celebrating milestone years. Please contact your class agent and the Alumni Relations team for more details. Also, if you would like to volunteer, please let us know.

Click here to register today!

Contact the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@tasisengland.org for more information.

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Who is your

CLASS AGENT? The Alumni Team is fortunate to work with a dedicated team of alumni who serve both their class and the School by keeping classmates connected, planning reunions, and helping collect Class Notes for the annual TASIS England Today magazine. Want to get in touch with your Class Agent? Find their details below. CLASS OF 1977 Class Agent Needed - Contact the Alumni Relations Team if interested CLASS OF 1978 Michele Key mke@southbank.org CLASS OF 1979 Brian Dalgetty dalgetty@us.ibm.com Suzanne Zebedee suzzeb@yahoo.com CLASS OF 1980 Carol (Zebedee) Kriesmer Carol@TheKriesmers.com CLASS OF 1981 Lilian Eilers lilian.eilers@theblueoceancompany.com CLASS OF 1982 Dan DeJoy ddejoy@rochester.rr.com Kristen (Jackson) Seymour kris1212@optonline.net CLASS OF 1983 Class Agent Needed - Contact the Alumni Relations Team if interested CLASS OF 1984 Harold McLeod III harold.mcleod@gmail.com CLASS OF 1985 Tope (Adeosun) Shonekan topeshonekan@gmail.com CLASS OF 1986 Eden Diver eden.diver@thedivers.net CLASS OF 1987 Jeff Klaus jeffklaus0630@yahoo.com Kristin (Casner) Wilson kristin.wilson@comcast.net CLASS OF 1988 Dave Decker ddecker92@yahoo.com Mike Partridge mikepartridge@verizon.net Tina (Garbiso) Ring tina@rynosoft.com CLASS OF 1989 Mary Ann Merikoski-Cashman mamerikoski@hotmail.com

CLASS OF 1990 Adria (Kelly) Pistell adria.pistell@gmail.com CLASS OF 1991 Janelle (Kottke) Chandek tchandek@msn.com CLASS OF 1992 Balaji Ramachandra balaji.ramachandra@gmail.com CLASS OF 1993 Class Agent Needed - Contact the Alumni Relations Team if interested CLASS OF 1994 Class Agent Needed - Contact the Alumni Relations Team if interested CLASS OF 1995 Kathryn (Tucker) Rutkowski tucker.kathryn@gmail.com CLASS OF 1996 Ashley (McKinney) Taylor ashley.mcktaylor@btinternet.com Nick Wormley nicholas.wormley@quinnipiac.edu CLASS OF 1997 Tracy (van den Heuvel) Laskos TVLittleT@aol.com CLASS OF 1998 Lara Mansour mansourlara@yahoo.com Anna Toonk atoonk@mantradesign.tv CLASS OF 1999 Carolyn Stack carolyn.stack@gmail.com Kaitlin (Keon) Taylor taylor.kaitlin@gmail.com CLASS OF 2000 Colin Nederkoorn colin@nederkoorn.co.uk CLASS OF 2001 Vishal Patel vishalpatel@gmail.com CLASS OF 2002 Jill Harte jillharte@yahoo.co.uk CLASS OF 2003 Catherine (McQuown) Eby cmquown@hotmail.com Chawki Karam clkaram@gmx.com

CLASS OF 2004 Tenley (Wood) Huste tenleyshaynewood@yahoo.com Lauren Nieuwland nieuwland.lauren@gmail.com Naim Takla nftakla@googlemail.com CLASS OF 2005 Caroline Troein caroline.troein@gmail.com CLASS OF 2006 Kenryo Mizutani kenryo.mizutani@gmail.com Chelsea Vincent cevincen@gmail.com CLASS OF 2007 Caitlin Cross caitlincross03@hotmail.com Alex Lowe lowe.alex@hotmail.com Josh Shin rinshin@gmail.com Brian Smith smudge368@gmail.com CLASS OF 2008 Haley Ham haleyham214@gmail.com Phillip Lomax plomax89@gmail.com Rebecca McGoldrick rebecca-mcgoldrick@hotmail.com CLASS OF 2009 Zach Isler zachisler@hotmail.com Sydney Manning snoellem@hotmail.com Alex Schmitt alexandracschmitt@gmail.com Anna Troein anna.troein@gmail.com CLASS OF 2010 Catherine Davison citcatdavison@yahoo.com Amro Elahwal elahwalamro@hotmail.com Gus Manzi gus.manzi@yahoo.com Joyce Tsao joycetsao_2002@hotmail.com

CLASS OF 2011 Eduardo Fasano fasanouk@btinternet.com Youn Kyung Lee younlee93@hotmail.com Vivi Kan kvi012022@gmail.com Julia Phelps sumatrahorse@aol.com CLASS OF 2012 Rohit Bhatnagar rohitbhatnagar94@gmail.com Ellen Jarman elliej3@hotmail.com CLASS OF 2013 Sanjana Jethvani sanjana.jethvani@gmail.com Seann Stubbs Seann.Stubbs@gmail.com Vince Vangaever vincevangaever@gmail.com Hannah Veitkus hmveitkus@gmail.com

Did you receive your copy of the 2012 issue of the TASIS England Today magazine? If not, send an email with your current postal address to alumni@tasisengland.org. We will send you a copy today.

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ALUMNI SPRING CONCERT 29 May 2013

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Alumni Spring Concert featuring Daniel Jepson ‘98 and his wife, Ai-Ying Chiu. The classical concert was split into three parts highlighting the works of Beethoven, Bach, Liszt, Messiaen, Say, Rachmanioff, and Tchaikovsky. The audience was thoroughly delighted.

David Jepson, Tom Jepson ‘07, Azad Salimi, Mary Jepson ‘01, Daniel Jepson ‘98, Ai-Ying Chiu, Ting Hsun Chiu

Headmaster Michael McBrien and Betsy McBrien, Alumni Parents

Mrs. and Mr. Reddy, Alumni Parents

Alumni Parent, Russell Jarman, Marcia Page, Jayne Jarman, Alumni Parent

Current Faculty, Marcel de Lannoy and Susan Daugherty, Alumni Faculty

Current Faculty, Jonathan Kendall and Maria Vazquez, Counselor

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Tom Jepson ‘07, Alison Martin, Robert Davison, and Anne Ludlow, Alumni Faculty

Gretal Veryard-Arcay, Learning Resource Specialist with a resident of Thorpe Village.

Residents of Thorpe Village

Current Faculty, Eva Snyders with John Gibbs ‘98 and Sara Gibbs

Alumni Faculty, Paula Rollo and Katherine Rollo ‘04

Academic Dean, Michele Bett and Clive Ungless, Alumni Faculty

Residents of Thorpe Village, Gillian and Bernard Dickman

Jacob ‘13, Yasuko ‘13, and Antonia ‘15 greet guests

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ROYAL BLUE RUNS IN THE FAMILY!

Congratulations to our most recent graduates! Welcome Class of 2013 to the TASIS England alumni family! In June we had 22 graduates with siblings who are also TASIS England alumni. Do you recognize any familiar names and faces?

Faris ‘05, Adam ‘13, and Ramiz ‘06 Alalwan

Emily ‘11 and Lucy ‘13 Hall

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Cameron ‘12 and Colin ‘13 Bye

John ‘05, Cara ‘07, Lisa ‘09, and Brian ‘13 Hanley


Greg ‘13 and Megan ‘11 Heeren

Christian ‘10 and Jack ‘13 Hurst

Katie ‘11 and Libby ‘13 Krisanda

Sophia ‘10 and Livvy ‘13 Lawton

Katie ‘11 and Brian ‘13 Lord

Jeremy ‘13 and Toby ‘11 Mbu

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Patty ‘13 and Milo ‘11 Pino

Shantanu ‘13 and Saarla ‘10 Reddy

Barbara ‘13 and Luis ‘11 Serra-Hospital

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Jessica ‘11 and Charlotte ‘13 Rayner

Michael ‘09 and Katherine ‘13 Rickert

Vlad ‘12 and Ed ‘13 Silantyev


Thurston ‘11 and Owen ‘13 Smalley

Ben ‘11, Will ‘13, and Harrison ‘09 Vause

Other 2013 graduates and their sibling alumni... Photographs not shown: Alex Bruno ‘13 and Alona ‘04 Bruno Shannon ‘13 and Brian ‘10 Doherty Dejan ‘13 and Ivana ‘06 Jelic Celia ‘13 and Andrew ‘09 Watson

Congratulations to all of our 2013 graduates!


ALUMNI ART TALK WITH MARCIA PAGE Marcia Page and the Alumni Relations Team are working together to bring you two distinctive alumni art talks in London. One is set for alumni and the other is for parents of alumni. Save the date! Thursday, 19 September 2013, 11 AM for Parents of Alumni Sunday, 29 September 2013, 11 AM for Alumni Marcia will take us on a tour of The Wallace Collection. Highlights will include the history of the collector, looking for evidence of taste and personality, observing and appreciating the building housing the collection, learning about historical visitors, and then looking at the artwork itself. This event is free to all alumni and parents of alumni. These events are limited to 20 attendees per session.

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Registration for this event will take place in the late-summer. The alumni community will be notified via email when registration opens.


TASIS ENGLAND SUMMER READING! We asked a few people around campus to tell us what they would be reading over the summer. Here they shared their reading lists with us. Stephanie Stokes Middle School Grade 5 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most by Elizabeth Benedict The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean

Jason Tait Upper School Dean of Student Life The Social Animal by David Brooks Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Virginia Majewski Advancement Assistant to Marketing Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Rick Stein’s India by Rick Stein Not Dead Yet by Peter James

Anne Hutchinson Upper School English And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Courtney Hawes Upper School English The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Quiet by Susan Cain The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Tracy Murch Head of Lower School House Rules by Jodi Picoult Hold Tight by Harlan Coben Where Great Teaching Begins by Anne R. Reeves

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ALUMNI PROFILE Evan Kelly, Class of 2001 Evan Kelly is from Niskayuna, New York where he lived until the age of 16 when his family moved to England. After graduating from TASIS England in 2001, he went on to the University of Colorado, Boulder. At the moment, he is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and hopes to finish the distance of 2,663 miles by the end of September. We caught up with Evan, while on his hike, to learn more about his unique perspective on raising volunteering hours through a project he set up called Community Bootsteps. five months in South America through Chile, Argentina, and a little piece of Bolivia. While there, I worked for two months as a raft guide on the Fue and Enco rivers in Chile. I also hiked and camped in the beautiful Torres de Paine, Parque Nacional Glacier, and Tierra del Fuego National Parks. After South America, I spent another summer rafting on the Arkansas River in Colorado and saving money to travel again. In March 2007, I left for a new nine-month vagabond trip, this time finding my way around South East Asia, China, Tibet, Nepal, and a bit of northern India. On returning from Asia, I waited tables and skiied Winter Park before returning for another season on the Arkansas River. In 2008, I moved up to Bozeman, Montana and quickly found work Where did you go after leaving TASIS England? waiting tables on Main Street. I spent the next two years I went on to study at the University of Colorado, Boulder. there, working and playing in the beautiful Montana While in Colorado for college, I worked as a whitewater mountains. raft guide on the Arkansas River every summer. After university, I spent most of my time traveling, rafting, What volunteering opportunies have you done? skiing, and generally enjoying life. I backpacked for In September 2010, I began a new journey working for How did your days at TASIS England prepare you for life and your current interests? I moved to England at the beginning of my junior year. I often think that my time at TASIS England was a turning point in my young life. During my two years in England, I was able to start traveling and exploring the world in a way that I had never been able to before. Between school trips to different parts of Europe (and Nepal!), to family holidays road-tripping to Paris or Amsterdam, I developed a life-long addiction to experiencing new places and cultures and people. Seeking those new experiences is what has driven much of my life since leaving TASIS England and venturing into the world.


14 the US Peace Corps. I was assigned a posting in Ukraine and for the next 26 months, I lived in a beautiful town called Zalishchyky in western Ukraine. I was a fulltime middle school and high school English teacher (TEFL) during the school year and helped to create and run summer camps for Ukrainian students during the summertime. While there, I wrote two federal grants and did more rafting. All in all, it was a great learning experience and I often feel for all of the time and energy that I put into my work, I gained just as much from the personal growth and life lessons. I also learned a cool language and made lifelong friends (both Ukrainian and other American volunteers). Tell us about your current project. My current project is called Community Bootsteps. It is essentially a volunteerism drive, raising volunteer hours as opposed to raising money. I began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on April 25, 2013, and I hope to finish the 2,663 mile trail by the end of September. Maybe a little sooner. Followers of Community Boosteps are asked to volunteer one minute for every mile that I hike along the PCT. On the project website there are links for potential volunteers to find volunteering opportunities in their area. The real goal is to get people a little more involved in the things that are important to them. There are a lot of great ways to volunteer and one of the best things is meeting all of the great people out there volunteering with you! What inspired you to get involved and create Community Bootsteps? I came up with the idea for Community Bootsteps when I began planning my hike during my second year of Peace Corps in the Ukraine. I was already set on doing the hike,

but I was trying to figure out how I could do something positive with this adventure. I thought of doing a fundraiser and raising more money for a cause, but there are so many good causes out there that I wasn’t exactly sure where I would want the money to go. I also didn’t really like soliciting money from friends and family. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, we were doing lots of educational projects with students around the country. Through volunteer-organized summer camps and school events, we were working to promote democracy and civic involvement in schools throughout Ukraine, and I got thinking about how I could help spur on more volunteering back home, too. Community Bootsteps was the result!

Community Bootsteps

To get involved and begin volunteering your time, check out the project’s website where you will find blog entries about life and stories from the trail. www.communitybootsteps.wordpress.com Get in touch with Community Bootsteps on Facebook or directly via email at CommunityBootsteps@gmail.com.


DONOR PROFILE Chawki Karam Class of 2003

Chawki Karam currently lives and works in London. After three years of working for HSBC, he now works for Wedge Alternatives, a placement firm sourcing alternative investment opportunities for the institutional investor community. At the moment, he is training for a halfmarathon and helping to organize the ten year reunion for the Class of 2003. Why do you give to TASIS England? How does it make you feel? Throughout my three years at TASIS England, the School gave me a lot—a great education, friends for a lifetime, and memories I will always treasure. The very least that I can do at this stage is to give back. I feel very honored and blessed to be able to give back to TASIS England.

Can you share a special memory about a person, place, or event at TASIS England? I will never forget the first day I arrived at TASIS England as a boarder at the age of 16. I was extremely worried that I would not be able to handle the boarding life well, especially as there were no other boarders from my country. However, with the support I received from the faculty and other students, it was extremely easy to What would you say to TASIS England alumni to encourage adapt and make friends rapidly. I am so thankful that I them to give? didn’t give up on this exceptional experience. Giving back to TASIS England is something that I would encourage each alumnus/a to do. The School is What would you like to see happen for the future of TASIS committed to helping students grow—it was a home England? and a place to learn to many of us. Alumni should always TASIS England has always put great effort in delivering remember that there are many generations to come, quality education. The School has always had its doors and to ensure they go through a great experience of a open to students from different backgrounds, brought lifetime like we did, the School needs your support. smiles and tears of joy to so many of us and, most importantly, it has established a strong educational/ What’s one fact or point of pride that you would want career platform for each of us. I would like to see this others to know about TASIS England? continue to happen for all upcoming generations, and I left TASIS England in 2004, and since then, I have been for TASIS England to grow and perform strongly versus visiting the School on a regular basis. I can assure you other schools in England. that the School has invested strongly in the campus and its facilities—new buildings, classrooms, dorms, student center, and so on. This shows that the School is To learn more about giving to TASIS England or to make a donation, go to www.tasisgifts.org. always developing and undergoing changes to ensure it remains fit and competitive. The only key thing that has not changed since I graduated are the students’ smiling faces and and the faculty’s continuous warm welcome.

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Dear TASIS England Alumni, As members of our vibrant alumni community, please demonstrate your commitment to fostering a culture of learning, where students are inspired to be and to do their best. Join those who have already stepped forward to make a gift to the Annual Fund—including Board members, current and past parents, alumni, faculty, and staff. Your gift will help the School: • • • • •

Purchase technology and equipment to enhance classroom instruction Provide professional development opportunities for teachers Host visiting authors, artists, and speakers Launch new educational initiatives Fund campus improvements

With your support, I hope to celebrate a record increase in participation in the Annual Fund and add your name to the School’s 2013–2014 roll of donors. Every gift, regardless of the amount, brings us closer to this goal. With thanks, Michael McBrien Headmaster Ways to give: Online – You may use either a US or UK credit card. In both cases, your gift amount will appear in US dollars, but your British account will be charged in sterling. Click here to make an online donation. By GBP Check – Submit your check, made payable to TASIS England, along with a completed giving form to the Advancement Office. By USD Check – Submit your check, made payable to The TASIS Foundation, Inc., along with a completed giving form to the Advancement Office. You may also choose to support the School and become a lasting part of our campus by joining the Legacy Paver Program, which benefits the Annual Fund. Each paver that you order will be engraved with the name of your choice and set around campus to honor and recognize students, alumni, classmates, families, faculty, and staff. For more information, go to www.tasisgifts.org or contact giving@tasisengland.org.

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Have you ordered your ALUMNI LEGACY PAVER? Join us! Become a permanent part of Mrs. Fleming’s vision. Join TASIS England in a program that gives alumni and alumni families the opportunity to become a lasting part of the campus. Engraved brick Legacy Pavers are set around campus to honor and recognize families, students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We invite you to purchase a Legacy Paver, a symbol of your experience at TASIS England, a milestone in your life. To purchase a brick, please click here. If you have questions, please contact the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@tasisengland.org. Pictured above: the Upper School Science Center, dedicated in 2011 and site of the Legacy Pavers

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UPCOMING REUNIONS & ALUMNI EVENTS REGISTER AND SAVE THE DATE!

COMING SOON!

Founder’s Day Reunion Weekend 30-31 August 2013 Click here to register today!

London Alumni Networking Event November 2013

Alumni Parent Art Talk with Marcia Page Thursday, 19 September 2013 Registration will open in late-summer Alumni Art Talk with Marcia Page Sunday, 29 September 2013 Registration will open in late-summer Alumni Relations Sponsored US/UK Tax Seminar Tuesday, 1 October 2013 Registration will open in September Notifications for event/reunion registration will be sent via email. Please log in and update your contact details on our online alumni community.

Shakespeare’s London with David Jepson Spring 2014 Washington, D.C. All Classes Reunion Spring 2014 Spring Alumni Concert Featuring Fraser Churchill‘07 Spring 2014 London Eye Alumni Event Spring 2014 London Alumni Networking Event Spring 2014

MEETING UP WITH YOUR TASIS ENGLAND FRIENDS? Tell us about it. Send a photo of the group with a brief description to be included in the next TASIS England Alumni E-News to the Alumni RelationsTeam at alumni@tasisengland.org.

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FACULTY FOCUS: Rob Hudgens Rob Hudgens first came to TASIS England in 1985 when he was hired by Lyle Rigg as an Upper School History teacher and Dorm Parent in Thorpe Place 1. Now he works in the Middle School, teaching 8th grade American History and Introductory Latin. The Alumni Relations Team had a moment to catch up with Rob and learn more about this master teacher.

How did you discover your passion for history? I’m not quite sure how I discovered my passion for history, but I have always had it. When I was five-years old, I would run around the neighborhood with a towel as my tunic, a football helmet and shoulder pads as my armor, a WWI bayonet to serve as my gladius, and a trash can lid as my shield. I’m sure everyone thought I was a little weird, but in my mind I was Horatius at the bridge or Julius Caesar, or whatever famous Roman I wanted to be. Later, I was able to help the South win the Civil War, and there I was at both D-Day and Iwo Jima. This take on history had pretty much a martial nature about it, but as I got older my interests in social and cultural history grew. For a long time now I have really gotten into examining the personalities of people in history—how the events in their lives shaped their character, beliefs, and achievements. I love a good biography!

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What roles have you played in your time here at TASIS England? I have had a fair few roles here. My teaching responsibilities over the years have included Ancient and Medieval World and US History in the Upper School, and 6th and 8th grade History, as well as Introductory Latin in the Middle School. I lived in the dorm for one year. For two years, I counted the role

of Busing Coordinator as mine. I helped to create the Middle School Constitution that was in use for many years, and helped develop the current system of student leadership in the Middle School. I’ve served on a number of committees and I have also served on the Faculty Benefits Committee. I am one of the sponsors of the Viking House and I’ve probaby served more detentions than anyone in the school, as my afterschool activity is monitoring detention. Fortunately, I generally have few customers because we have great kids. Before that, I participated in a wide range of after school activities such as the archaeology club, running club, and I have coached MS softball for a few years. Currently, I am Head of the History Department, a role more demanding that I thought it would be, but satisfying nevertheless. One word: Describe TASIS England... Stimulating. The place has a buzz about it. There are so many creative people and so many things going on that you can’t help being drawn into the excitement. What do you value most in your TASIS England students past and present? The students at TASIS England are phenomenal! I don’t know if I’m necessarily surprised by it, but I am


impressed that they are great kids. They are kind, hard working, thoughtful, and intelligent. I feel honored to teach them, and humbled by the experience too, because I learn so much from them. If TASIS England kids are running the world when they get into adulthood, the world will be fortunate indeed. As a writer, who are your favorite authors? I don’t know if I have a favorite author as such, but I do have a lot of favorite books. Chronologically speaking, they range from Aesop’s Fables, with their pithy moral lessons, to the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, a book that has had a profound effect on my life. One of my mantras from that classic is, ‘Today I have got out of all trouble, or rather, I have cast out all trouble, for trouble was not outside, but within, in my opinions.’ It is good advice. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin has such wonderful insights into human nature and so much wisdom. One of my favorite quotes from it is when Uncle Tom sort of sums up the purpose of life, ‘We does for the Lord when we does for his critters.’ Should I mention The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas? Yes, I should. An excellent discourse of the power of faith. Two of the best historical novels I have ever read were The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, a gripping story, and her brilliant take on King Arthur in the book Sword at Sunset. I’ll stop with Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, a non-fiction book on the Lewis and Clark expedition, a moving and inspirational account of that epic journey. I like language and the way words and phrases can create wonderful images in your mind, how they can allow you to express your feelings, and help you understand others’ thoughts, how they can make you experience and understand the world around you. I have written several children’s books. Sadly, only one of them, Marcus and Julius Find a Friend, has been published, and I had to do that myself! It was a great experience, though, and I have the immense satisfaction of knowing that I have a book that is in The British Library, and will be there as long as there is a Britain. I also wrote a young adult novella, Cursus

Honorum, with a young Marcus Aurelius as the main character. I published it as an e-book through Kindle Direct Publishing. It is read by my Latin students! Maybe if I could just have the world as my classroom! What do you do when you are not teaching? Reading is my passion. I read at every opportunity. I also work out in the fitness center on campus two or three times a week, but I do that because my wife makes me. Sharon and I like walking, too. When we get the chance, we walk along the Thames towpath, which is really scenic and quite varied. Weekends will often find us pottering in the garden. What is the best thing that has happened to you since you started working at TASIS England? It is easy for me to tell you the best thing that ever happened to me at TASIS England was meeting my wife, Sharon! She was the first person I met in England. At the time she was the Headmaster’s secretary and she picked me up from the airport. I was smitten immediately! I knew she was the one for me. She has been for twenty-seven years and will be forever.

Have you enjoyed reading this article? Which faculty member would you like the Alumni Relations Team to interview next? Register your vote today by clicking here. 20


RECENT VISITORS TO CAMPUS

Anjali ‘18, Aeysha ‘16, and Kae Kaley, Alumni Parent

Hope (Mortimer) Pilch ‘81, husband Stephen, son Matt, and daughter Hopie.

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Mickey Casner, Alumni Parent, Michael McBrien, Headmaster, Bela Wilson (daughter of Ben ‘88 and Kristin (Casner) Wilson ‘87), and Marie Casner, Alumni Parent


Christina Lantero ‘10 and Chris Bowser, Current Faculty

Dimitri Ingram ‘12

Carol and Cecil Avery, Alumni Parents

Steve Mirer, Alumni Faculty

Erica (Crews) McCleskey ‘98 with sister, Nicole, and Mike and Reneé Crews, Alumni Parents

Alex Lowe ‘07

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Robin (Guthrie) Fawcett ‘96 with sons, Henry and James, and classmate Ross Maxwell ‘96

Alison (Cocks) Hamilton ‘87 and daughters, Lauren and Maddie

Billy Kilian and Shane Elmachtoub ‘08

The Alumni Relations Team also enjoyed visits with Sharyn Crabtree St. Clair and Susan Daugherty. If you are planning a trip to England, please stop by and see us! We would love to show you the exciting and new things taking place on campus, as well as reconnect you with your favorite TASIS England staff, faculty, and administrators. 23


David Oswald, Alumni Faculty and Joanne Churchill, Current Faculty

Michael Peevey ‘81 with daughter, Lydia and wife, Ozlem catch up with Eddie Cross

Morna West, David West, and Eva Wei ‘08

Greg and Candy Johnson, Alumni Faculty

If you have visited campus recently, send your photos to alumni@tasisengland.org to have your photo published in our next TASIS England Alumni E-Newsletter. ., 24


LOST ALUMNI Uh-oh...

We seem to have lost touch with the following members of our alumni community. Do you have contact with any of these alumni? If so, please ask them to contact the Alumni Team at alumni@tasisengland.org. Class of 1978 Class of 1993 Marijke (Mandemaker) Christopher Allen Balchin Beatrix Andueza Cynthia Dankowski Michael Bangs Pia (Brautigam) Harou Grant Byerley Parto Kooshyar Jose Castellano Arne Mijne Rafael Conde Nancy Roberts Jennifer Cooper Paige Drobny Class of 1983 Jeffrey Emswiler Nabeel Al-Adsani Elizabeth (Van Brederode) DeEtte (Dick) Altvater Ferguson Simone Doevenspeck David Fitzmaurice Kim McCaffrey Kyle Johnson Paul Mitchell Sireen Khalifeh Andrew Patterson Yujiro Kusunoki Nakagawa Clara Pereira Pamela (Gardom) Lang Heath Powell Tara Lenaghan Eric Refalvy John Lindros Nuri Shakeer Antonia Lohmann Robert Steele, Jr. Glenard Loy Christina Sybertz Jason Miller Anne Taucher Mami Morita Mark Trautman John Murphy Ilia Nathanail Class of 1988 Danielle Noiret Amy (Christensen) Jayne O’Malley Beaulieu Kindra Phillips Gillian Brill Phillip Purvis Stewart Hallett Gemma Rodriguez Ulrika Klauser Belen Sales Robert Mancini Ijeoma Ude Sabine Miller Katherine Zelasko Eric Roux Angela (Torrado) Schiffner Class of 1998 Gregory Thomas Erik Asplund Kathryn Barker

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Danah Behbehani Jason Belt Alejandro Bona Phoebe Bosworth Sherina Daswani Jonathan DeMarti Emily Demund Tim Dooley Jason Forte Scott Franson Anders Fristedt Jeffrey Geehan Matthew George Charlie Goff Marisa Harrison Natalie Hemsi Michael Hornby-Smith John McEachern Stacey McKenzie Flavio Medeiros Paola Molano Julia Moore Sibyl Nelson Jeffrey Sweet Douglas Thunen Carrie Tyner Krista Vassie Megan Whitlock Reiko Yui Class of 2003 Trey Adams Michael Appleby Brian Blood Brittany Buelter Cameron Clark Rebecca Coleman

Kimberly Conolty Jeremy D’Souza Emily Estochen Ryan Firth Gunilla Funch David Grodzki Julie Haenecaert Joshua Hildebrand Emily Hughes Ryan Keelin Christopher Kelsch Nicholas Lechner Charles MacKenzie Michelle Madeley Timothy March Brittany Martin Courtney Matthews Sota Nakazawa Marina Nunes Conor O’Sullivan Vanessa Plugge Eriko Shigeoka Phillip Supple William van Wassenhove Steven Waters

Class of 2008 Lindsey Andersen Benjamin Bennett Griffith Bigler Ben Briceno Rachel Brubaker Caitlin Cushing Elizabeth Ditroia Allison Evenski Kevin Gilmore Lindsey Goode Nikki Jordan Caitlin Lastres Anders Lind Allyson Murtlow Michael Nickson Joshua Schrom Chelsea Scott Alyssa Small Christopher Smith Caitlin Solomon Jack Valentine David Walker David Welch Mary Wise Lizzy Woolford

Have you changed your email address lately? Made a move to a new city? If so, let

us know so we can send you reunion alerts, alumni news, and updates from Thorpe! Contact the Alumni Relations Team to update your details at alumni@tasisengland.org.


TASIS England Classifieds ALUMNI IN BUSINESS

WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING

The Blue Ocean Company Brussels, Belgium/International www.theblueoceancompany.com Ask for Lilian Eilers ‘81

Cherry Blossom Events Washington, D.C./Alexandria, Virginia www.cherryblossomwe.com +1 (513) 546 9073 Ask for Kaitlin Przezdziecki ‘06

ENTERTAINMENT Stew Nelson Show Austin, Texas facebook.com/stewnelsonshow Ask for Stew Nelson ‘95

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

VACATION RENTALS, INTERNATIONAL Passepartout Homes London, International www.passepartout-homes.com +44 (0) 207 513 2876 Ask for Paola Fiocchi Van Den Brande

CORE Real Estate - Luxury New York City tsargent@corenyc.com +1 (212) 500 2105 Ask for Tony Sargent ‘82

To place a classified ad, please email the Alumni Relations Team at alumni@tasisengland.org. The deadline for the 2013 Winter Alumni E-Newsletter is November 22. Advertise to 11,000+ fellow alumni, alumni families, alumni faculty, alumni staff, current faculty, staff, and families.

TASISMissionStatement TASIS is a family of international schools that welcomes young people from all nationalities to an educational community which fosters a passion for excellence along with mutual respect and understanding. Consistent with the vision of its founder, M. Crist Fleming, TASIS is committed to transmitting the heritage of Western civilization and world cultures: the creations, achievements, traditions, and ideals from the past that offer purpose in the present and hope for the future. Seeking to balance the pursuit of knowledge with the love of wisdom, and promoting the skills of lifelong learning, an appreciation for beauty, and the development of character, each school combines a challenging academic program with opportunities for artistic endeavor, physical activity, and service to others. Believing in the worth of each individual and the importance of enduring relationships, TASIS seeks to embody and instil the values of personal responsibility, civility, compassion, justice, and truth.

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TASIS SCHOOLS TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN ENGLAND offers an American college-preparatory curriculum to day students from Pre-K-13 and to boarding students grades 9-13. Located 18 miles southwest of London on a beautiful 46-acre estate of Georgian mansions and 17th-century cottages, TASIS England combines an excellent academic program for art, drama, music, computers, and sports. TASIS England also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a full ESL course of study, and Advanced Placement courses in all disciplines. The School makes full use of its proximity to London, the cultural capital of the English-speaking world. TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN SWITZERLAND offers a challenging college-preparatory academic year program on its Lugano campus to day students (Pre-K-13) and boarding students (grades 7-13). With over 50 nationalities, TASIS takes advantage of its location in the heart of Europe to provide an outstanding educational program with an international dimension. In addition to a strong American college-preparatory program, the School offers the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and ESL courses, along with many travel opportunities. A winter highlight is the annual January Ski Week, when students and teachers relocate for skiing, snowboarding, and iceskating to Crans-Montana, Switzerland. TASIS DORADO is a coeducational day school with English as its language of instruction from pre-kindergarten through high school. Located in Puerto Rico, it offers a top-quality academic program within the most modern physical facilities and attractive natural surroundings. The School will continue to add a new grade each year until reaching twelfth grade, with a total capacity of 800 students.

APPLICATIONS

To receive a catalog with application materials or for more information, please contact: TASIS The American School in England, Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE, England Tel: +44 1932 582316 • Fax: +44 1932 564644 Email: ukadmissions@tasisengland.org for academic year applicants or uksummer@tasisengland.org for summer programs

IN THE U.S. CONTACT:

TASIS Schools and Programs, 112 South Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA Tel: +1 (703) 299 8150 • Fax: +1 (703) 299 8157 • Email: usadmissions@tasis.com


TASIS The American School in England Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE, England Tel: +44 (0) 1932 565 252 Fax: +44 (0) 1932 564 644 Email: alumni@tasisengland.org www.tasisengland.org/alumni


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