There was Skip Day, when Angelo prepared his signature sandwiches at the break of dawn for the entire student body before they set out for a day on Mushroom Meadows. Every semester’s In-Program Travel experiences around Europe were conducive to building different relationships. And who can forget our post-winter break encounters in the snowy mountains of St. Moritz for Ski Term?
shoes! My wish was to someday gift the same experience to my two children. To quote Mrs. Fleming: “Make a difference in the world. These are big hopes and dreams, but you have to hope big and dream big to have bigger dreams come true.” [Graduation speech, 1998] I still feel privileged and grateful for the experience of that little piece of paradise we all called home, for as short or as long as we endured it. As we reconnect 40+ years later, whether at a large, medium, or mini-reunion, the undeniable TASIS family bond is incomparable! It engraves an image of memories in our minds that will forever be cherished. Sometimes, you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
One of my most memorable events was a performance produced by our teachers and staff members. The Return of Rock sock hop was an event which took weeks to prepare: students took 50s dance classes prior to the big event, and the night itself featured slicked-back hair, motorcycle jackets, poodle skirts, bobby socks and saddle
Sandra Hechler ’00 spent 11 years on the TASIS campus, summer and winter, from age seven to 18. She works for Continental as a business development manager in Frankfurt. 1989.
I finally felt that I belonged. As the afternoon sun shone on me, I was warmly welcomed and introduced to my teachers, dorm parents, and roommates. I was excited to finally learn English and to play sports, create in art, drama, and singing classes, go camping at a place where the water in the river matched the blue of the skies, Valle Verzasca, and perform in our all-school play for our parents at the end of the summer. What I did not find so wonderful was the fact that I had to make my bed every morning, but my mom seemed to like the idea.
“Mausi, we are here!” My dad stopped the engine, turned around and smiled at me. The Ticino summer air was filled with a heavy blossom scent and the sounds of children’s laughter. This was the place where I would spend my first summer away from home and on my own.
My seventh summer was a very special one and was the foundation for many wonderful experiences to come. In only four weeks, my eyes were opened to so many wonders of the world, cultures, and languages. I was pushed to learn many things about myself: how to battle homesickness, how to communicate and be understood by others even if we didn’t speak the same language, how to make friends and find the crucial common denominator between individuals. I became more courageous and confident. But most importantly, I finally knew that it was not me who is different from my white friends back in Germany, but that we all were but tiny fragments that
“Château des Enfants…” I read out loud. “Mama, what does that mean?” “It is French and means castle of the children, Schätzchen,” she said. I was excited. I felt I had arrived at a majestic place. As a German with Singhalese roots, I was somewhat acquainted with international people but I clearly remember my surprise at seeing so many children with different ethnic backgrounds playing in one courtyard. For the first time in my life, I did not feel like the exotic flavor in a vanilla ice cream dessert but sensed a far greater deliciousness.
made one big, colorful world! 41