Labyrinth: The long walk - HKIS Alumni Home

DRAGON
The Alumni Magazine of HKIS
Labyrinth:
The long walk
New Head of School
announced
Foshan: Return to
innocence
Winter 2010/2011
letters
Dear HKIS Alumni
David (D.J.) J. Condon
Welcome! T
his issue of DragonTales is being
finalized in the midst of Christmas
celebrations at HKIS and all around
Hong Kong. While it is a special time for
Christians, we have recently celebrated
Chanukkah and Diwali
at the school. The end of
the year is a superb time
to reflect and recognize
the many different faiths
that surround us. It is one
of the things that makes
HKIS special for so many.
Our Mission underlines what HKIS is all
about and is a key aspect when we look
to the annual Bob Christian Alumnus/
Alumna of the Year Award, which recognizes alums that are doing just that. Do
you know a special alum that is making
a difference? Our previous awardees are
great examples to us all and we know there
are more of you out there for us to engage
with and share your story with the HKIS
community around the world.
This is also a good time to reflect on happy
memories – the Middle School Band playing in the Stanley amphitheater – now in
its 10th year! the all-school Christmas
assembly, the Holiday Basketball Tournament – now 41 years young, and the return
to exams in January! All things that alums
tell me they remember clearly from their
time here. What will you reflect on from
your time at HKIS?
I wish you all a happy and healthy New
Year and encourage you to keep in touch
on Facebook, Twitter, our website or by
dropping our alumni team a note – we
would love to hear your stories.
Keep in touch!
Best regards,
David J. Condon
Head of School
Rohini Chotirmal
E
ach time DragonTales arrives, it gives me
the opportunity to reflect on my devotion to HKIS. As I crack open the magazine
in anticipation, it reminds me of why I am
so engaged – even though it has been over
twenty years since I proudly
received my diploma.
It is all about the people.
Our fellow alumni are an
amazing group and in this
edition, you will hear about
a few of them. From Martha Collard ’76 who worked with the High
School to build the world’s largest labyrinth, to Grant Abel ’77 who heads up the
huge zoological operations and education
division team at Ocean Park, HKIS alumni
are involved, impassioned, and incredible!
Our future alumni are no less inspiring.
You will be floored by the service learning opportunities that our students get
involved in at an orphanage in Foshan.
They are making a tangible difference in
the lives of these kids.
It is our collective commitment to community, forged by our days at HKIS, that fires me
up when I think about our school. Whether
you attended from reception one all the way
through grade 12 as I did, or whether you
spent your sophomore year here before moving on, you are part of a proud family.
As we enter a new decade, I encourage you
to reflect on your time here, and how it
helped shape who you are today. I also encourage you to stay connected, and to get
even more involved. I promise you from
firsthand experience, it is one of the most
rewarding things you will ever do!
Get involved!
Cheers,
Rohini Chotirmal ’89
President, Alumni Association
Contents
2
Letters from our leaders
n News from Head of School and
18
Happy Hour: Hong Kong
n Our latest Hong Kong gathering.
Alumni President
Anyone here you know?
4
Giving thanks
n A community gathering with a difference
New Head of School
n HKIS has announced a new Head of
9
Class of 1990 Reunion
n San Francisco was the scene for a
20-year gathering of HKIS chums
School – here’s all the background
21
Football Focus
n A HKIS Alum team took on the best of
current HKIS soccer stars. Bruised shins
aside, it was all good fun
10
Alumni Challenge
20
n The Alumni President has a challenge –
Jane Goodall
are you up to it?
22
n Dr Jane returned to HKIS and Repulse Bay,
Bob Christian Alumnus/
Alumna of the Year Award
to wow and inspire students and faculty alike
12
n Do you know any alum who has been
24
n Do you want to give back to HKIS?
living the Mission?
14
Foshan: Revisited
Annual Fund
n Touching reflections from High School
ClassNotes
27
n A bumper crop this time around, featuring
students on how Service has helped them
lots of faculty updates and news from
alums all around the world
W i nte r 2010 / 2011
Editor
Jon Walsh
Contributors
Genny Chin
Spencer Chiu
Betty Chung
Erik Dierks
Ellie Furuya
Jessica Jordan
Rachel Kim
Robbieanna Leung
Irene Loh
Becky Mak
Marty Schmidt
Jon Walsh
Kathy Wong
Thank you
Martha Collard
Bill Leese
Marty Schmidt
DragonTales is a product of
the HKIS Advancement team:
Chief Advancement Officer
Erik Dierks
Webmaster
Alan Beaufoy
Public Relations Manager
Connie Chan
Alumni Coordinator
Irene Loh
Administrative Assistant
Prudence Ng
Communications and
Publications Manager
Jon Walsh
Development Coordinator
Kathy Wong
HKIS Alumni Board:
President
Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89
Get in touch!
Vice-President
Joyce Yin ’89
Alumni
Contact Irene Loh via [email protected]
Members
Lincoln Chan ’88
Spencer Chiu ’93
Justin Hardman ’99
Natasha Khan ’03
Kenneth Rohrs (faculty)
E-Board member
David Kohl (former faculty)
Features for DragonTales
Contact Jon Walsh via [email protected]
Giving
Erik Dierks via [email protected]
Annual gala
Connie Chan via [email protected]
Advisors
Robert Dorfman ’72
Kenneth Koo ’79
Design and print Impressions Design & Print Ltd.
Follow us on Twitter via @HKIS
service
Walking around
in circles
There is more than one way to give
thanks and for the American holiday of
Thanksgiving, the High School humanities
department came up with a recordbreaking plan
N
ot many people know what a labyrinth is, what it signifies,
or what it can be used for. But the HKIS High School humanities department is always exploring different ways to help
students develop character and their own spiritual identity. But
just how did something that could help with development come
to be one of the most talked about Community Gatherings HKIS
has ever seen? And grow into a possible placing in the record
books? Some of the best ideas grow organically, taking on a development of their own, and that’s exactly how the plan to have a
‘giant labyrinth’ on the Tai Tam sports field came about.
A teacher of 20 years at HKIS, Marty Schmidt initially invited
Hong Kong based HKIS alum Martha Collard ’76 to speak at his
Service, Society and the Sacred (SSS) back in September. “The
class is elective – the students don’t have to take it – but they do
and they are here to explore and enjoy what it on offer. The idea of
using a labyrinth in the classroom is just another way of pushing
the boundaries and look at what we can do to benefit students”
Marty told us back in September.
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Martha Collard is the only qualified labyrinth builder in Asia and
brought a ‘classroom-sized’ labyrinth to HKIS for the SSS group
– a massive canvas sheet with a red labyrinth painted on it (see
photos above). She presented the ideas and philosophy behind
labyrinth walking and the students set to it.
Soon after, High School humanities teacher Bill Leese got together with Marty to brainstorm how they could incorporate a
‘walk’ into the spiritual life of the school, but rather than limit it
to a class, take it as wide as possible, to a labyrinth for all High
School students and faculty. The idea took shape and as soon
as they discovered that Martha was available for on November
23, the date selected itself – a unique school-wide Community
Gathering close to American Thankgsgiving was born. Bill was
under no illusions it was a “...rather unusual plan”. He was right.
Bills ‘World Religion’ class got to work on logistics and brought it to
life with a video shown to all High School homerooms. Classroomsized trials took place and the before they knew it, November 22
had arrived. A very different team took to the field that evening.
The labyrinth was 50 meters in diameter, marked out with surveyors tape with around 800 fist-sized bags of sand attached every
couple of feet. It took 25 people four hours to fill the plastic bags
(using sand from the long jump pit) and then lay out the plan.
Martha modified the labyrinth slightly so it had four entrances to
allow more people in quicker and keep them moving. The HKIS
sports field had become home to the world’s largest temporary
labyrinth. Tomorrow, they hoped to get as many people in and
through it as possible.
Marty Schmidt takes up the story, “With melodic wind chimes
enchantingly playing in the background, students and teachers
took a 45-minute break from the intensity of school life above to
contemplate anew the many good things found within our community. Following an introduction on the significance and usage
of the labyrinth as a tool for mindful introspection by alumnus
Martha Collard, the entire community entered through one of
four passageways onto this metaphorical model of the journey of
life.” Some walk fast, some slow. And it can appear that you are
walking further away from the ‘goal’ in the centre when you are
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5
service
taking so many left and right turns – just when you think you’re
close, another turn guides you away.
After the event, Marty noted in his blog, “A labyrinth walk symbolizes a message of underlying unity amongst diversity and
complexity. Members are at different stages in the journey; some
move quickly, while others find a slower pace. But there are no
dead-ends, no tricks, no attempts to derail. This is not a race or a
competition to sift out the ‘most fit’ to survive at highly soughtafter universities. To the contrary, one common path leads all
walkers in a meandering trail towards home, a place of security,
satisfaction, and gratitude.”
So, didn’t we mention something about a World Record? Martha is the perfect person to ask – as the only qualified labyrinth
builder in Asia she reached out to her colleagues in her com-
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munity to find out. Nothing this size had been attempted with
so many people at once. Photos taken from the eighth floor were
examined and about 650 heads counted on the labyrinth at once.
Lawyers were at the walk to verify the event and the information
sent to Guinness World Records – now we must wait. The results
won’t be known until Chinese New Year. Bill Leese, “…the record
is more of a novelty. The purpose was to experience a tranquil
moment of reflection express gratitude for the blessings in our
lives. Students and faculty walked carrying a paper leaf on which
they wrote those things for which they were thankful. It appeared
that the vast majority were taking the experience quite earnestly.”
However, does it really give time to de-stress and reflect? One response to the Marty’s blog by ‘Christopher Huie’ suggests so, “The
labyrinth walk is a powerful tool for relaxation and meditation.
When done correctly, it can help students forget about the vari-
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7
service
ous stresses in their day. It’s a quasi-transformative process that
almost forces individuals to listen to their thoughts, think about
what’s important to them and, consequently, reflect on their lives.
Each time I did the labyrinth, I was extremely stressed-out beforehand. For example, on November 23 I was bombarded with
various quizzes, tests, and projects, but the short yet relaxing
walk through the labyrinth acted as a fleeting escape away from
reality. It let me brush aside all of these worries and focus on the
sounds around me and the sounds of my own thoughts. It was
near Thanksgiving and the serene time I had in the labyrinth
gave me the opportunity to think about what I was thankful for
– an opportunity I rarely get. I believe that by further immersing
myself into activities such as these, I can achieve a clearer, more
controlled state of mind.”
Speaking with people at the event and noting these posts on
Marty’s blog, it was obvious the unique Community Gathering
was a hit – record or not. Some found it difficult to ‘tune in’ and
some thought it was a ‘good bit of fun’, but overall there was an
underlying theme – it was time to reflect, time out of the classroom, time to walk and time to give thanks. There isn’t enough
time and space to do that in Hong Kong these days – walking
around in circles seems like the way forward.
Martha summed up the ‘walk’ when responding to students
questions and comments, “Remember that there are no hard fast
rules for walking the labyrinth. Some people burst into song, others tears, some become somber, some laugh or dance. To each
their own. Embrace the diversity and the fact that for a few minutes on a sunny November day, the entire senior school student
body was a united community walking together on their journey
celebrating thanks.”
Count for yourself…
Want to check the numbers and see this
amazing event for yourself? Take a look at
the video on YouTube by logging on to the
HKIS YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/
HKISlive
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alumni update
Betty Chung ’90 – [email protected] – writes to us
with news from a special anniversary get together:
O
n a very chilly August weekend, HKIS alumni gathered
in San Francisco to catch up and laugh about old times.
Thanks to all who made it and we missed those who would have
liked to be there! It was a great excuse to reconnect, even if only
on Facebook. Please mark your calendar – our 30th anniversary
reunion will be in Hong Kong!
Coming
around again!
A whole bunch of HKIS alums decided
the 20th anniversary was time for a
good get together. Welcome to San
Francisco!
There was a whole bunch of Class of 1990 alumni around for
the gathering; Ed Altwies, Tara Butler, Anthony Chang, Betty
Chung, Curt Detweiler, Bill Gemmel, Bob McNeel, Duncan
Ip, Pat Nihan, Ryan Petersen, Jennifer Price Smith, Mike Stich,
Nick Stocker, Becky Bassett Swanlund, Dan Tukacynski, Trevor
Wright, Eric Yang, and Jeff Yasuda.
But it is always good to have more friends along, so a whole
bunch of other alums decided to join in the party; John Blomeyer ’91, Benny Choy ’88, Angela Stich Easterwood ’89, Kerry
Ford ’89, Lexi Garschagen ’92, Sue Harris ’91, Hilary Lahey ’91
and Karen Lee Wright ’89.
Our thanks go out to Betty Chung ’90
who put together a healthy gathering
of HKIS alums in San Francisco one
chilly weekend in August.
We can help!
If you are thinking of your class
reunion, do let your Alumni Office
know. We can help you spread the
news on our alumni website and the
monthly alumni enewsletter. We can
also help you source HKIS souvenirs
for the reunion party. For more info,
please contact Irene Loh at iloh@hkis.
edu.hk or [email protected].
9
alumni update
Alumni Challenge
Alumni Association President, Rohini
Balani Chotirmal ’89, took on the role
with a clear mission in mind – one she
calls the ‘Alumni Challenge’. We meet
some people that are taking it on.
We spoke with Rohini in the last issue of DragonTales and
she made her mission clear – to forge closer relationships
between HKIS alums and the school. She is hoping to
increase alumni participation in events in Hong Kong –
and around the world – and encourage more alumni to
give back to the school.
And we’re not just talking about cash! Anything goes...
whether it be a quick email to ClassNotes to let your
friends know where you are and what you have been
doing, to helping nominate someone for the Bob
Christian Award or to organize a reunion. Meet five
people who are helping to keep the ball rolling.
Dave Kohl – High School Art
Faculty 1973 – ’80 on getting
together with like-minded
HKIS people
Edward Tsui ’00 and Trisha Yeh Tsui
’00 on organizing more get-togethers
for our class
W
e stay connected with HKIS because some of our closest
friends are the ones we made during our time at HKIS.
It has been a blessing to see so many classmates from the Class
of 2000 return to Hong Kong. At our wedding in 2010 we had
over 50 of our HKIS friends attend and we had a blast! Our goal
for 2011 is to organize more get-togethers for our class so more
of our classmates can reconnect.
T
eaching at HKIS in the 1970s was the Camelot experience of my teaching career.
Fun interactive classes, intelligent and positive
students, adventuresome young people and a
crackerjack collection of fellow teachers. For
me it was like being at a large summer camp
set in woodland with rocky ravines, all under
skies ranging from crystal clear to typhoon laden.
My friendships with several students and faculty continue strong
to today. Hong Kong oozed the glory of the Colonial past while
preparing for a modern and efficient future. I count it an honor
to be part of the Alumni Board and to help with organizing reunions. Getting people together who loved Hong Kong and HKIS
floats my boat.
10 DragonTales
Grant Abel ’77 on
giving back
I
stay connected with HKIS because the school is a unique
place for kids of many nationalities.
My High School years at HKIS
provided me with the educational
resources I needed to further a career working with marine animals in zoos, aquariums and in their natural environment, which eventually brought me back to
Hong Kong five years ago to work at Ocean Park. In my role at the Park, I see many young people aspiring to work with animals
in various fields from veterinary sciences, conservation, education or as keepers at zoos and aquariums. Ocean Park exists for the
people of Hong Kong and is able to provide hands-on opportunities in the form of internships for students with a genuine desire
to work with exotic animals such as pandas, dolphins, birds and many species of fish, including sharks.
While I am in Hong Kong, I would like to think there may be young people at HKIS who could benefit in their future careers from
opportunities that Ocean Park can provide and I would like to help connect those people. The future world needs balanced and
proactive minds for managing human impact on our environment.
I mostly stay connected with HKIS through the Alumni website. Work commitments keep me very busy. I get satisfaction seeing
young people expand their knowledge and confidence moving forward in life with the means to make a positive difference.
Spencer Chiu ’93 on
the future
I
’ve always tried to stay in touch
with my fellow alumni and now being a part of the Alumni Association
Board gives me a chance to officially
connect with HKIS. There’s a lot of
work to be done and in the long run
it would be great to be able to help
shape how alumni can contribute and
a make a difference at HKIS.
DragonTales
11
mission
The Bob Christian
Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award 2011
Each year we take time to reflect on the HKIS
Mission and Student Learning Results (SLRs)
and see who has been living out their true
meaning. We need you to help nominate those
inspirational alums
The Bob Christian Award
recognizes HKIS alums who
have been living the Mission
and SLRs. To receive
recognition requires help
from you. Please nominate
someone who you think
has been living out the true
meaning and making them
come to life.
If you would like to nominate
somebody, simply go to
www.hkis.edu.hk and
click on the ‘alumni’ tab to
start nominating. To find
out more about the Bob
Christian Award, take a look
at our previous winners and
their inspirational work.
What’s it all about?
The Award was established in 2006 to
recognize the tremendous service of Bob
Christian, the very first Head of School for
HKIS from 1966 to 1977. The aim is to give
recognition to the Alumnus/Alumna who has
made a strong, positive contribution to HKIS,
our community, and the wider community.
The selection criteria used is that
candidates:
• Exemplify our Mission and Student
Learning Results
• Contribute to the HKIS community,
the local community, or the broader
community
The Award’s Selection Committee will meet
to review and consider nominations on their
merits. Nominations are welcome from
everyone, however, be quick as nominations
close on February 1, 2011.
Award Selection Committee
Mission
Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion,
and our lives to service and global understanding
An American-style education, grounded in the Christian faith,
and respecting the spiritual lives of all
Student Learning Results (SLRs)
• Academic Excellence • Spirituality • Character Development
• Self-Motivated Learning • Contributing to Society
• Chinese Culture
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The committee is made up of members from across
the HKIS community. This year, it includes:
David J. Condon
Head of School
Dr Bruce Kelsh
Principal – Upper Primary
Vicky Seehafer
Director of Admissions
Rohini Chotirmal ’89
HKIS Alumni Association
President
Lincoln Chan ‘88
HKIS Alumni Association
Board member
Zella Talbot
Faculty – High School
Previous AWARDEES
2009 – Ken Koo ’79 and
Charles Watson ’09
K
en Koo ’79 and Charles Watson ’09 might have graduated 30
years apart, but as joint winners of the Bob Christian Award
last year, they have each fully embodied the true spirit of the
HKIS Mission and SLRs. It was a golden year to have two alums
that perfectly exemplify the Mission and SLRs.
Ken was selected for his dedication to supporting HKIS over a
number of years. He served as Alumni Association President for
six years and, along with Desmond Chu ’91, set-up the James
Handrich Service Endowment, itself a project that continues to
fertilize and grow the true meaning of the HKIS Mission and
SLRs in today’s students.
2008 – David ’94 and
Josh Begbie ’96
T
he Crossroads Foundation has not passed many people
by. It is an educational and service organization that
sprouted from humble beginnings in 1995 to reach over 100
countries around the world today. Its founders, brothers
David and Josh Begbie, were judged to have truly lived the
HKIS Mission and SLRs and so were jointly awarded the Bob
Christian Award in 2008.
What started as donations to a disaster in China has grown
into a UN partnership operation that has seen them connect with NGOs the world over, linking supply with demand, hence the name Crossroads. It has even generated an
educational division that includes a ‘refugee simulation’, so
people from all walks of life can experience the processes
that millions have to endure around the world. In 2009, the
brothers were invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to give world leaders a taste of refugee life
through their educational program – UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-Moon joined the program.
David and Josh were presented with the Bob Christian
Award at the HKIS graduation ceremony in June 2009.
Charles Watson won because he was a “role model in service leadership”. He spent his gap year in Nepal and Ghana working to bring
wider information technology and website access to education.
His work involves building and bringing computers to schools and
running them on solar power. He creates a local network within
the classroom, hooks it up to batteries and solar power and in under 40-minutes of arriving at a school can have children looking at
information on the internet. The computers are made from locally
sourced parts, so if something goes wrong, the children don’t have
to wait weeks or months for something to be shipped.
The two winners don’t just have the Bob Christian Award in common – Ken was so impressed with Charles’ projects that he has
helped to fund one of the projects in Nepal.
DragonTales
13
service
The Foshan
Experience
In May 2010, a group of High
School students went to visit
an orphanage in Foshan.
Leading them out was Marty
Schmidt – a veteran of over
70 visits. Here, they share
their intimate thoughts,
reflections and hopes from a
life-changing visit
Marty Schmidt – High School
teacher
M
y highlight of the Foshan weekend was meeting a
young woman named Ocean, who graduated from
high school and is attending college, thanks to our girls
scholarship fund. She is majoring in primary school education and Chinese. She also is passionately intent on
extending her grace and purpose to others, whether it be
babies at the orphanage or arranging a tutoring service at
her college for children at a nearby primary school. While
at the orphanage I invited Ocean to walk up one floor to
visit an 84-year old retired primary school teacher, whose
optimism and candor speak of a life well-lived. At one
point, I asked her, “What advice do you have for aspiring teachers like Ocean?” She paused for a moment and
then with hands held open said, “If you love your students,
they will love you.” With her characteristic beaming smile,
Ocean responded: “You are my role model.” This experience comes at a tough time for Ocean. Her 54-year old
mother is struggling to survive cervical cancer and her
74-year old father has difficulty providing for his family.
May Ocean have the courage to endure the present hardships with hope for the future.
14 DragonTales
Robbieanna Leung
I
was a freshman nervous with excitement
and anxious at the unknown when I had
entered the Foshan Orphanage for the first
time. Amidst the chaos and beauty of 80
plus babies stealing our hearts, four nurses
scrambling from room to room and 20 English World Cultures classmates swooning
over the babies, my eyes were still very focused on me. I saw physical deformities and
mental conditions that shocked and scared
me. I saw nurses running around, hastily
feeding and clothing babies and wondered
why they didn’t hold the babies like we did.
I saw ‘my’ cute baby replace my insecurities
with peace as she delighted in my unconditionality. The experience was magic and
affected me so much it never left my mind.
Or heart.
to the cutest baby, because I suddenly saw
each as God’s beloved. I saw the love and
emotional exhaustion behind the nurses’
hasty feedings and disciplinary reprimands. I saw broken hearts yearning for
attention and love behind every ear-piercing tantrum and cry. Within my arms,
feeble and aching from carrying babies
all day, I saw a precious life that deserved
to be carried. As a baby walked around
waving and saying, “Bye,” eliciting many
“awww”s, I saw scars of desertion when she
was unable to mimic my “Hi!”. In the distance I saw an older child, Hong Mei Mei,
longingly watch as we played with cute babies while she fed babies with the nurses.
The stench of injustice and bleeding hearts
was unbearable.
In the midst of revisiting familiar scars
from my first orphanage visit, my frustrated focus began to shift until I saw them,
instead of me. But this time, it wasn’t only
the babies. I saw six senior girls, passionately brainstorming a better orphanage
system, dreaming of a better world for the
children. I saw a toddler squealing with
delight while playing ball with seven year
old Micah. I saw two local women radiant as they cradled the sleeping babies in
their arms. I saw a young orphan tightly
hug Jenny and whose selective vulnerability was returned with loving patience. I
saw Mr. Schmidt beam and connect with
old friends in the neighborhood with fresh
excitement, albeit nearing his 70th visit to
the orphanage in nine years.
In May 2010, my desire to return to the
orphanage was fulfilled. Slightly disheartened, I saw that the orphanage was the
same – rooms filled a sea of babies, seven
year old mattresses, an occasional nurse
rushing through and fifteen pairs of eyes
that focused on whoever entered the room
– however, this time, I think I saw ‘them’
more than me. No longer was I a magnet
How did we get here? What have – or
haven’t – we done that resulted in the
abandonment of helpless babies? What are
– or are we not – doing that would cause
someone’s reality to be a mere existence in
a crib, row after row, woe after woe; a mere
face to be hastily fed, changed and stared
at – and then to be called lucky for getting
that mere ounce of personal attention?
The orphanage was the same – it was
magic. Once again I had seen how service scarred us all in the most beautiful
of ways, offering the gifts of love, hope
and a unified, fiery passion for justice. My
head was buzzing, struggling with how we
wrong others, but before me, my heart saw
everything that was right with the world.
Genny Chin
L
ying in my arms fast asleep was a baby,
she was normal in every way except
that one of her hands is shaped like a foot.
A birth defect, the nurse said. Although
this was my first visit to Foshan, the moment clicked as I first stepped into the
orphanage and was surrounded by babies
and toddlers. Before my visit I was curious: I had heard so many life-transforming
stories being told by those who visited and
I was curious what impact Foshan would
have on me, especially someone who has
been on many service trips.
Foshan is unlike any other service trip as it
is ultimately what you make out of it. We
were given freedom in deciding whether
to be engaged in many babies or stay loyal
to one. We could play with them, cuddle
them, feed them, or simply watch their
fluttering eyelashes as they fall asleep. I
chose to shower my attention on this particular girl who won my empathy as she
was the only child in the crib who didn’t
fight for my attention. The stony empty
stare bothered me. Her gaze did not belong
to a 10-month old lively baby, but rather an
experienced old man. That to me did not
seem right. Throughout the day her stony
expression continued and she didn’t even
crack a smile as I tickled her. I only realized
she was attached to me when she sniffled
– this pitiful little cry – as I left her in the
crib. Leaving her broke my heart.
As she fell asleep in my arms the next day,
I looked at her not as a baby in an orphanage, but as a girl who will be adopted and
have a bright future. This is when I realize
the ‘secret’ of Foshan.
service
Becky Mak
O
n the bus home from the Foshan Orphanage I realized, happily, that
I was feeling the complete opposite of what my ninth grade self felt
on her way back to Hong Kong on my first Foshan trip. My experiences
from my freshman year had evoked despair and distress in me. During
that weekend in November 2006 I had spent all three days with mentally
disabled orphans. At the end of the weekend, I was physically and emotionally drained and I could not stop wondering furiously about why such
sweet children were spending their youth and teenage years in the dark
and dank room. No matter how hard I looked, I could not find hope in
their situation of having to grow up without the personal attention and
care that all children need in their lives.
Four years later, I stepped onto the same third floor that all the mentally
disabled children live on. It took only a few seconds before I felt little
hands pulling me and heard little voices calling “jie jie” (“older sister” in
Cantonese). But instead of selfishly hogging my attention, the children
who had reached me first were actually guiding me towards the other
children who were unable to make their way to the door, so that my attention would reach all the children. The love the children showed each
other, despite having rarely experienced it themselves, was overwhelming
and inspirational.
This weekend in May 2010 reaffirmed what I have learned since my first
trip to Foshan four years ago: there is hope in this world – it lies within
every single one of us, because we have the power to make a difference.
I am no longer consumed by sadness when I hear about injustices of our
world: I am now filled with a sense of duty to spread the love, and ultimately, the hope.
Rachel Kim
After four years of wondering whether teaching
English and holding babies are examples of service
I’ve come to the conclusion that yes, they are. The
first time I went to Foshan I took care of a young
girl with a tumor in her back. She cried when I
looked away and stared deep into my eyes when
I talked to her. She grabbed my hair when I bent
over her and slept peacefully when I played with
her ear. She was incredible and she made me feel
like the most important person in the orphanage.
Now I understand that all this little girl needed
was some attention and love. She helped me realize that even a young freshman like myself then
could make someone so happy for just a moment.
Recently I returned to Foshan as a senior and met
an infant named Ayi. Her face was perfectly round
and her fingers and toes were delicate. Her round
tummy and her plump little lips were adorable. Ayi
has a bump on top of her head. Whether she has a
tumor or a ‘water head’ I don’t know. Whether Ayi
will ever get adopted I don’t know. All I know is
that Ayi and I had a lot of fun that weekend playing
with my bracelet, listening to my horrible singing,
holding each other and laughing together. I also
know that by playing with her and holding her I
showed Ayi that the world really isn’t that horrible
a place. I showed her the love and compassion she
needed to feel.
Jessica Jordan
A
pplying to college was no easy feat. I chose to
write my common application about the one
event that ignited my passion for service and for
helping others. It seems pretty selfish that I used
this as a showcase for myself in the college application process, however I chose it because it was such
a meaningful event. The event sprouted my passion
for service and for communicating today’s needs in
the world:
“I cannot understand how any person could see
with his or her own eyes what I witnessed and not
be drawn to make a difference for these children.
How could it be that people with an awareness of
this situation have allowed these circumstances to
continue? If you know about it, why wouldn’t you
fix it? I know my questions may seem naïve, I am
still an idealist and I hope I always will be. Although
my fundamental understanding of the world has
grown and developed since this experience, I am
16 DragonTales
Ellie Furuya
A
fter getting past the absurdly long immigration lines, we
arrived in China. It was pouring outside. Conveniently,
cheap and low quality umbrellas were being sold at the exits. I
was carrying one of my mother’s favorite non-waterproof duffel
bags and an expensive SLR camera: a valued possession that a
special someone had trusted me with for that weekend. I handed
the woman 10 RMB and grabbed an umbrella. I ran through the
endless bullets of water and made it onto the bus relatively dry
with all my possessions intact. Not until later did I realize the
value this experience would have in my Foshan journey.
The weekend went by in a surreal blur. I had made it my goal
to get a genuine smile out of each child I spent time with, but
I didn’t have enough time to hold each one. As I tucked away a
baby that had fallen asleep in my arms, children in surrounding cribs started crying furiously, reaching their tiny arms out
towards me. Never in my life had I felt so incapable of carrying
out such a seemingly simple duty. All they needed was someone
to hold them. Here were at least eight parentless children crying
alone in their cribs and I only had one pair of hands, feet and
eyes. After each day at the orphanage, one particular question
tormented me: is it wrong to give these children a momentary
glimpse of being loved and cared for, only to snatch it away?
still struggling with how poverty and injustice can exist so
prevalently in this world and it appears so many people simply
want to ignore it. After leaving Foshan this need for me to
speak for individuals without a voice has expanded to serve
other causes. The desire to speak up for China’s unwanted
females, for the suffering people in Darfur and for my people
in Colombia who are being blackmailed and kidnapped by
the FARC, is what I found in Foshan. I have come to the conclusion that my life’s task is to speak for those whose voice is
unheard.”
I would recommend every freshman take ‘Humanities 1 in
action’, not just because of the trip to Foshan but because the
class offers an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the
world. The young generations of today need to learn about
current events and world needs and realize that it’s our generation that needs to change the world or watch it crumble.
‘Humanities 1 in action’ is more than just a class, it’s an opportunity to take a look at something larger than our daily
lives as HKIS students. It’s a moment in the day where we
become aware of the responsibility we have as global citizens.
I found myself angry about all the world’s problems. What could
I do to make a difference? I was only one person and these problems were of such an extraordinary magnitude in comparison
to me. I remembered my first day in China as I ran through the
rain protecting my things. I realized that I was that insubstantial umbrella. The raindrops were the world’s countless issues.
My ‘things’, were really the children I was protecting. I did everything that I could to provide one child with true love and
compassion, and that made all of the difference.
Foshan – a symbol of
hope and learning
Service is one of the key learning principles of HKIS.
The experiences shared by the faculty and students
brings into sharp focus the true meaning of tw of our
SLRs – contributing to society and spirituality. The
HKIS Annual Fund put this into action and we would
be delighted and grateful if you would consider a gift
to help this work continue apace. You can find more
information on page 25.
DragonTales
17
alumni update
Alumni Happy Hour
in Hong Kong
Hyde Lounge, Hong Kong – October 21, 2010
It’s always good to gather with old friends
and make some new ones. The last Alumni
Happy Hour did all that, and more. The Hyde
Lounge in Central, Hong Kong, was the latest
watering hole to see a gathering of HKIS
family, old and new. The ever present HKIS
Alumni Association sponsored the drinks and
before long the conversations were flowing.
der
Terence An ’79
oo
Kenneth K
el ’68,
7, Peter Fish
nt Abel ’7
son ’82, Gra
Many alums attended, aincluding former
president of the Alumni Association Ken Koo
’79, Peter Fishel ’68, Grant Abel ’77 and a
whole host of alums from the class of 2003.
There will be more alumni gatherings coming
up soon, so keep an eye out for news via our
Facebook page, through our website and also
on Twitter.
Elizabeth Liang ’04, Jane Sit ’03, Natasha Khan ’03, Erin Yeh ’03
Kenneth Koo ’79, Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89, Cynthia Shek ’89
and Joyce Yin ’89
18 DragonTales
ik ’86,
, Derek Kw
ordinator) er Leung ’98
o
C
s
n
o
ti
a
lumni Rel
and Fletch
Irene Loh (A ’96, Karen Chin ’97
g
en
h
C
a
Mari
8 and Derek
ung ’9
Fletcher Le
Cynthia Shek ’8
9, Rohini Balani
Joyce Yin ’89
Chotirmal ’89
and
Karen Chin ’97 and Natasha Khan ’03
Karen Chin
Laibond Chen
’98
cher Leung
’97 and Flet
g ’03, Natasha
Khan ’03, Jane
Kwik ’86
Alexander Lo, Timothy Chang, Laibond Cheng, Natasha Khan,
Erin Yeh – All from Class of 2003
Sit ’03
h
Timothy C
er Lo ’03
5, Alexand
on Chan ’0
ang ’03 , R
DragonTales
19
news
New Head of School
for HKIS
On November 8, 2010 HKIS
announced its new Head
of School. Kevin Dunning
will join HKIS in July
2011. Here’s the news and
background from an exciting
announcement
Kevin Dunning has welcomed the opportunity to lead the school. He said, “I am
overjoyed to be joining HKIS, truly the
pre-eminent international school in Asia.
It has a record of excellent results thanks
to the great foundations of faculty, administration and parent support at every
level. I fully embrace HKIS’ Mission and
Student Learning Results, which are the
foundation upon which the successes –
past, present, and future – of its students
is built.
“I look forward to continuing that good
work and helping HKIS to advance. My
wife Mary and I are eager to join this
diverse and engaged community and to
working with HKIS’ excellent students,
faculty, staff and alumni.”
S
ince the departure of Richard Mueller
as Head of School, HKIS has been in
the warm, experienced and extremely capable hands of David J. Condon. However,
Mr. Condon will join Canadian Academy
in Kobe Japan as Headmaster next year
and so the search for a new Head of School
has been underway.
Diligently managed, the search has been a
major discussion point in the HKIS community. But patience has paid off and a new
Head of School will be joining HKIS in July
of 2011. Say hello to Mr. Kevin Dunning...
With over 32-years’ experience as an
educator, Kevin is currently the Executive Director of Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High
School in Las Vegas, Nevada - the largest
Lutheran school in the United States and
the largest private school in Nevada. He
has served in this role since 2001 and before that was Principal from 1998.
Under his leadership, Mr. Dunning’s current institution has seen a threefold increase in student enrollment, a dramatic
growth in physical facilities, and the implementation of a one laptop-one student
environment.
20 DragonTales
Mr. Dunning has been a teacher and educational administrator for his entire career. Following his graduation from Concordia University Chicago, he went on to
earn an MA in Government and Politics
from St. John’s University in New York.
In 2009, Kevin Dunning was presented
the Master Educator Award by Concordia
University, Nebraska, and the prestigious
Paul Lange Award by the Association of
Lutheran Secondary Schools. In December of this year, Concordia University Chicago will award him an honorary Doctor
of Laws degree in recognition of his service to education.
Commenting on the announcement, Abbi
DeLessio, Chair of the Search Committee, said, “A comprehensive international
search for HKIS’ next Head of School has
been underway since March 2009. The
Search Committee and Board of Managers
are pleased that our school has attracted a
new leader with such outstanding personal
character, talent and educational experience, and one who will passionately support our Mission and Student Learning
Results.”
Chair of the HKIS Board of Managers,
Doug Werth, added, “The Board of Managers and the Head of School Search Committee very much appreciate the support
of the wider HKIS community during the
search process. Kevin is an outstanding
educator bringing rounded educational
and leadership experience to HKIS. We
look forward to him joining our school and
leading it to the next level of excellence”.
Kevin will take over from current Head of
School, David J. Condon, in July 2011 and
lead the school beginning with the 2011/12
academic year.
Board of Managers Chair, Doug Werth,
said, “We are extremely grateful to D.J.
Condon for his leadership and support
throughout this school year and are confident that the transition from Mr. Condon
to Mr. Dunning will be a smooth and productive one. The Board of Managers and
the Head of School Search Committee
very much appreciate your support. Please
join us in welcoming Kevin and Mary to
the Hong Kong International School family.”
alumni update
Football Focus
Nothing like a good kick-about
to get the entertainment flowing.
When the unbeaten HKIS Boys
Soccer Team met the Alumni led
team, that’s exactly what happened
Spencer Chiu ’93
HKIS Boys Soccer Team vs. HKIS Alumni Soccer Team
S
ince we all read about the magnificent achievements of the undefeated HKIS
Boys soccer team in winning the Hong Kong Boys Division 1 Championship,
a bunch of HKIS alumni decided to see for ourselves just how good the Boys
Team were on the pitch. And we weren’t interested in watching – we wanted to
play against them!
On a hot and blistering afternoon in June, a mixed group of the HKIS Boys A, B
and C teams players met an HKIS alumni led team for a friendly game of soccer
on the perfect artificial grass pitch in Tai Tam. We say perfect as many alums
remember playing on the not-so-perfect natural pitch during our time at HKIS.
Although the idea of an alumnus vs. current school team merited an enthusiastic
response, in reality, along with the 34 degrees Celsius heat, some alumni ultimately decided to sit this one out. This meant there was space for a few friends
to join in, so with Spencer Chiu ’93, Henry Chien ’92, Pravesh Narain ’92, and
Howard Tang ‘94, along with some of their soccer buddies, it was game on.
As soon as the whistle was blown, great passing, hustling, and rough tackles
from both sides made the game fun. The alumni led team scored the first goal
and at one stage was 2-1 up. Then the HKIS boys team decided it was time to
show their championship form and turned up the already stifling heat. Some
great goals and teamwork later, the game ended with the HKIS boys team coming out on top with a 4-2 win.
For me as alum, it was a great day connecting with the school and current students and as a result we are looking to make this happen again. In the mean time,
if there are any HKIS alumni soccer players in Hong Kong who are interested
to play soccer, do get in touch with me, Spencer Chiu, via spencerchiu@gmail.
com and we may be able to make this a regular game.
DragonTales
21
news
Dr Jane Goodall returns to HKIS
We first welcomed Jane Goodall to HKIS two years
ago. This time, she came back to visit the Repulse Bay
campus to share stories of growing up, working in the
wild and peace
J
ane Goodall visited Hong Kong again on her annual pilgrimage around the
world to promote peace and environmental awareness.
Never spending more than three weeks in any one place, Dr Goodall spends as
much time as possible on the road to get the message across that the environment
matters. Instrumental in this is the ‘Roots and Shoots’ program, aimed at children
around the world to help educate them about the environment and to generate
understanding between cultures.
HKIS alum Calvin Lo was instrumental in bringing Jane Goodall to the school
first time around, so this time he was an invited guest, sharing the experience
with so many from the Upper Primary and beyond, as HKIS opened its doors to
the wider community to share the visit from one of the most inspirational people
of our time. A host of other schools from around Hong Kong were invited and
attended Dr Goodall’s presentation.
Jane Goodall was appointed a ‘Messenger of Peace’ by the United Nations in 2002
and during this visit to HKIS she took time to record a video that was shown
around the world, for International Peace Day on September 19, that talked about
her projects that are planting seeds of global peace through ‘Roots and Shoots’.
We hope to see Dr Jane Goodall back at HKIS again in the future!
22 DragonTales
Jane Goodall arrives to some fantastic Peace Banners
HKIS welcomed schools from across Hong Kong to share the occasion –
these kids came from Canadian International School
There was a whole lotta hugs waiting for Dr. Jane at HKIS
No shortage of questions!
The Girl Scouts were pleased to meet Dr Jane...
and share their story of how they turned waste plastic bags into reusable bags
and raised money by selling them
DragonTales
23
news
Calvin and Emily Lo next to Dr Bruce Kelsh,
Uppper Primary Principal
24 DragonTales
ClassNotes
Welcome to the latest updates of who’s been
where, for how long, when they were here and
how long they’ve been there! It’s a bumper
crop of ClassNotes this issue.
We’ve been contacted by so many people
we’d like to say a big thank you to all. If there
is someone in particular you’re trying to get
in touch with, let us know and we’ll try our
best to help establish and reignite those
connections.
If you want to be included in ClassNotes and
let everyone know where you are and what
you’re doing, get in touch with Irene Loh via
[email protected]
Get involved!
www.facebook.com
www.twitter.com/HKIS
www.hkis.edu.hk
DragonTales
27
classnotes
Theodore (Ted) Loh ’82
March 9, 1964 - 2010
I
In Memoriam
n September, we lost Ted Loh ’82, who had been battling liver cancer since his diagnosis at the end of last year. Ted left behind a wife
and three school-aged children.
We are saddened to hear of
these losses since the last issue
of Dragon Tales. Our thoughts
go out to the family, friends
and classmates of our former
students
Julie Noethlich Carlson ’89
October 6, 1971 - 2010
J
ulie Noethlich Carlson, 38, of Sebring, Fla., passed away July 25,
2010, surrounded by her family who loved her dearly.
She is survived by her husband, Jeff Carlson; son, Logan Alexander;
daughter, Morgan Ashley; parents, Neal and Marilyn Noethlich of
Estero, Florida; brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Annie Noethlich
of Sebring; sister and brother-in-law, Shelley and Christopher Toulson
of Weston, Florida; parents-in-law, Bill and Donna Carlson of Sebring;
brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Stacy Carlson of Tampa;
nieces, Lauren and Heather Toulson; and nephews-in-law, Trey, Jacob
and Jon Luke Carlson.
Julie graduated from Hong Kong International School and University
of South Florida, where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.
She embraced life, loved music and she touched, in a special way, everyone who knew her. She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister,
aunt and friend. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
The funeral service was held on Friday, July 30, 2010, at First United
Methodist Church, Sebring, Florida. Donations in memory of Julie
may be made to Susan G. Koman for the Cure or Lance Armstrong
Foundation Endowment.
While we are always sad to hear the news, if you would like to share
a passing, please contact us via [email protected]
28 DragonTales
Where are they now?
Former Faculty Update
Dave Kohl
High School Art Teacher
1973 – ’80
D
ave is retired from the classroom, and
researching his third book (his second book was the 2007 ‘Dragon Tales’ collection of HKIS alumni stories). He is now
researching the history of the Missouri
Synod Lutheran missions in China for its
centennial in 2013. HKIS was founded as
part of that mission in 1965 and opened
in 1967. Lois Voeltz (1973-80 & 1996-03)
is also involved in the research. Anyone
with interest or materials (like old photos,
background stories and information) is
welcome to contact Dave directly.
Contact:[email protected].
Victor Guy
High School Band Teacher
1970 – ’72
M
y name is Victor Guy but at the
time I was teaching at HKIS I was
known as Victor Lee. I was the Band
teacher at HKIS and worked with and was
mentored by Werner Von Behren. It was
the beginning of my teaching career and
much of what I learned at HKIS I carried
on throughout my years as a teacher. I returned to Vancouver, Canada in 1972 to
pursue my Master’s Degree at University of
British Columbia and in 1973 I was hired
by the Vancouver School Board to teach
at Britannia Secondary. The music superintendent at that time thought I would be
a perfect fit at Britannia because its student body was 90% Chinese and that I had
taught in HK and could speak Cantonese!
Anyways later on I became Fine Arts department head and much of what Werner
taught me stood in good stead in showing
me how to become an effective department. head let alone in becoming a decent
teacher. My 2 years at HKIS are some of
my fondest memories of my teaching career. At HKIS we started the first high
A faculty children’s birthday in 1979. Families represented are Voeltz, Kohl, and Van Andel
school jazz band in Hong Kong and it appeared on TVB’s program “Enjoy Yourself
Tonight”. In 1972 HKIS won its first ever
Kiwanis Band festival competition by being named the best band in the competition. The prize money from the competition went to pay for a celebratory banquet
in the Hilton Hotel The other activity that I
did was being coach of the Boy’s Volleyball
team which was a lot of fun for me.
So after 40 years I still managed to see
some of my ex HKIS students, Robert Dorfman ’72, Liz ’71 and Jon Von Behren ’73,
Alfred Siu ’73, Scott Lazenby ’72, Sandra
Grimsley, Lynn Barrett.
I am married to a wonderful woman who
is an artist and our son is a pediatric reconstructive surgeon in Montreal and is
an assistant professor at McGill University
and heads the surgical resident’s program.
I have been retired for 6 years now but still
love teaching so I substitute teach in Vancouver. I play a lot now and perform in 2
university ensembles, a jazz band ensemble, my own sax quartet and I conduct the
North Vancouver Community Band and
am the chief administrator of the British
Columbia Band Association. So much for
retirement!
Well HKIS, thanks for the wonderful
memories and allowing me to be part of a
great school. I have Bob Christian to thank
for that!
Contact:[email protected]
Dr. Mike Meyer
High School English Teacher
1993 – ’98
I
am happily settled in Chicago since my
return to the States. I taught Lit and
Comp at DePaul University in the Lincoln
Park area for the past ten years retiring
in 2009. Now I am an editor for Rodopi
Press Amsterdam and an author Lit Crit
for several other presses including Palgrave Macmillan in London. Still loving
Steinbeck and my most recent books are
‘The Essential Criticism of Of Mice and
Men’ and ‘The Grapes of Wrath: A ReConsideration’. American Studies students
DragonTales
29
classnotes
take note – the latter is 2 volumes and
over 900 pages long. Mrs. Kho would be
proud!! Presently working on volumes on
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ set to appear in
the fall and on ‘All the King’s Men’. The
King’s Men volume is dedicated to my
1996 AP class at HKIS where we dissected that novel in detail and had so many
great conversations. I have been able to add
some of my former students on Facebook
but would love to hear from more of you.
Come “Friend” me and write on my wall.
Sending my love. Doc
Contact:[email protected]
Rev. Karl Boehmke
HKIS chaplain and religion
instructor
1967 – ’73
R
ev. Karl Boehmke has recently published ‘Forgiveness – Never Easy/Always Possible: Healing Rifts among Families, Friends and God’. A number of alums
from those early years at HKIS have renewed Karl’s acquaintance through reading the book. For a look at the cover and to
review some of the sample chapters, take
a look at www.ForgivenessPossible.com.
Rev. Karl says “Many thanks and greetings
to all!”
Contact:[email protected]
Zita Thompson
Elementary Teacher – Grade 4 and 5
1982 – ’93
T
he big countdown has begun….retirement is on the horizon with the end
of this school year. For the past 17 years,
I have been teaching at Westminster
Christian School in Miami, Florida. I left
HKIS with 18 boxes of personal education
materials, and trust me, when I retire…
NOTHING EXCEPT my dictionary, Bible,
and a very few desk items are following me
home. I would like to hear from some of
my former 4th and 5th grade students…
where you live, how you are spending
your time, are you single or married, have
children, etc. Over the years, I have been
tracked down by a few and often wonder
about others. Two questions that I want
30 DragonTales
Cathy Stephens (centre) and family
answers for: Is Tony Welch still considering a career in government? And has William Stevenson posed for any other billboards? So Tony and William, are you out
there somewhere? Do get in touch via my
email below.
This summer, I had the opportunity to see
and take care of my two grandchildren;
Madeleine age 5 and Riley who was born
this past August. One day, I would like to
take them on a trip to Hong Kong, and
yes, I do expect their parents to go as well!
With retirement, I will be able to hit the
road “on the off-season “and also make it
a point to attend some of our Hong Kong
reunions.
We have a Florida group which gets together often ; soon, I will be able to make
those on a regular basis. Keep those emails, Christmas cards and letters coming; and I hope to see many of you over the
next few years in person.
Contact:[email protected]
Cathy Stephens
Upper Primary and Middle School
Teacher
1978 – ’82
I
taught in the Multi-Age Group program
(grades 4, 5 and 6) known then as MAG.
I have very fond memories of my years in
Hong Kong, especially being a part of the
HKIS family. I’ve attached a picture of my
family taken last summer. From left to
right are my son-in-law Dave Mangian,
my daughter Nicole Mangian, myself in
the middle, my son Tyler and my husband,
Jon (whose job with Caterpillar is what
brought us to Hong Kong).
We were transferred back to the United
States in December 1982 and Nicole was
born 4 months later. Since that time, we
have lived outside of Peoria, Illinois. I
spent several years at home with the kids
and returned to teaching in 1996. Presently I am the Facilitator of Media and
Library Services for a large school district
outside of Peoria. My daughter and sonin-law visited Hong Kong in 2009. While
Dave attended an international law class
there, Nicole explored the city where she
was almost born. She ventured out to Repulse Bay and was warmly welcomed with
a tour at HKIS. She posed for a picture
with Carol Austria who was on the staff
when I taught – how fun!
From the pictures it looks like the campus has really changed since I was there.
Jon and I hope to take a trip back to Hong
Kong ourselves – it’s certainly on our todo list! I appreciate reconnecting with
HKIS through Facebook and look forward
to ClassNotes.
Contact:[email protected]
1977
Tom Burkard ’77
[email protected]
ClassNotes H
ey there all ye long lost classmates!
News? We’ve moved our family to
Okinawa in August and are enjoying the
slower pace of island life, semi-tropical
weather and a view of the ocean from our
new home, just 90 minutes to Taiwan and
two hours to Hong Kong. So, if you’re one
of my long lost classmates, think about
stopping through for a visit to Okinawa
on your way in or out of Hong Kong.
Our oldest, Stephanie began her music
major studies at Old Dominion University
in Norfolk, Virginia this fall. Our remaining three teens are attending Okinawa
Christian School International and finding
it to be quite a change from home schooling and attending the Japanese public elementary school. My son and I are continuing our surfing, paddle boarding and
I’ve begun building an 18-foot Hawaiian
sailing outrigger. Some of you might recall
that I built a 10-foot sailing outrigger for
the science fair in Grade 9 at HKIS with
classmate Dave Hockette. Love to get in
touch with him again, but have no contact
info for him. Are you out there Dave? Does
anyone have a contact? It would be great if
you could let me know.
I’ve recently taken the dive and opened a
Facebook account, but with no promises to
keep it updated very often. Oh yes, I also
work! I’m continuing to grow my ADHD
therapy business in Japan and am assisting
with a new church plant here in Okinawa.
Blessings to you all!
1978
Richard Grayson ’78
[email protected]
I
’m currently working for ConocoPhillips
in Houston coordinating inland barge
movement of crude oil, refined products
and special project movements. Bev and I
celebrated 21 years together in 2010 – we
have two great sons and four even better grandkids (I skipped a step). Enjoying
Facebook and the opportunities to keep
in touch with old friends, and meeting
new ones whose paths I crossed in Tokyo,
Singapore and Hong Kong. It was truly exciting to run across John Torgerson who
came to HKIS after I left but I found working in my group at CoP. John and I shared
many stories of mutual friends. This year
we attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans
and I was invited to ride on the Baccawoppa float in the Krewe Of Bacchus, an
opportunity I highly recommend.
Richard and Beverly Grayson
1979
Robert Piccus ’79
[email protected]
I
have been living in Bangkok with my
girlfriend, Salisa, whom I met here and
is a textile weaver, collector and designs
her own style of Thai Sarong, skirts and
other silk and cotton accessories.
I was investing in property for a while, then
became a partner in a large pool lounge/
sports bar in the center of town. I also
work as a consultant for small hotels assisting them in being more environmentally
friendly and with yield management. I’m
also in the process of organizing a charity
to assist in collecting aluminum pull-tops
from beverage cans, which we use to make
‘joints’ for artificial limbs. These are then
donated to victims of unexploded ordnance in the countries bordering Thailand
and have problems with many unexploded
bombs left over from conflict. The pull tops
are now collected in Thailand, where there
DragonTales
31
classnotes
is increasing awareness and I’m trying to
increase awareness to include other Asian
countries and the United States.
1980
Patrick Pang ’80
[email protected]
W
e have only seen each other occasionally since our days at HKIS but
my family met up with Terry Yau and and
his family when we both flew to California for Fred Hall’s marriage to Sara in August 2010. Terry flew in from Toronto and
I from Philadelphia. We’ve been friends
since grade 9!
nest, along with the prospect of reinventing
myself! Hard to believe it will be 30 years
next year since we graduated from HKIS.
How did that happen?
Barbara Semken Butler ’81
[email protected]
I
am currently teaching kindergarten.
Rich and I have one lonely child left
at home, Maggie, 15; a Taylor Swift fan,
swimmer and all round great girl. Keenan
is 19, out of the house, attending a local
college and would like to be making millions asap. Lindsay is 22, married to an
Asian who says I am more Asian than he is!
They live about an hour south of us, which
is about an hour too far south! We’re doing
well and looking forward to Atlanta!
the school for my junior and senior years,
and will always feel an incredibly strong
connection to South Bay Close, Repulse
Bay and all of Hong Kong Island. Though
my time there was brief, the relationships
and impressions that I came away with are
deep and unforgettable. I truly loved Hong
Kong, its landscape, its pulse and mostly
the people.
Deb Clark Craven ’81
[email protected]
I
moved to Ohio from Hong Kong after
8th grade where I graduated from high
school in 1981 and Denison University in
1985 with a BA in Studio Art and English.
I then moved to England in 1986. Got married to Paul 1987 and we have two children,
Luke aged 14 and Laura aged 7. I work from
home and am the area co-coordinator for
SUL Language Schools. Basically, I find
host families for students coming over,
mainly from France, but sometimes Russia. I also host and teach those kids myself
at various times in the year.
Happy days! Terry Yau ’80, Sara Hall, Fred Hall
’80 and Patrick Pang ’80
1981
Class of 1981 – mark your calendars for
our 30th reunion, which will be held August 5 - 7, 2011 in Atlanta. Hope to see you
ALL there!
Sanda McMillan ’81
I
have been living in Denver since graduate school, which means I’ve lived here
longer than anywhere else! I’m Director of
Financial Planning & Analysis for MediaNews Group, the second largest newspaper company in the United States (by circulation size). For those of you who actually
read newspapers, please continue to do so –
and for those of you who don’t, please start!
The newspaper industry needs a little more
time to reinvent itself in order to remain
viable. I have a 19-year old daughter in college and am thoroughly enjoying my empty
32 DragonTales
Deb clark (far right) with husband Paul, and
children Luke and Laura
Judi Smith Edgar ’81
I
t has been nearly 30 years since I graduated from HKIS in June 1981. I attended
Judi Smith Edgar ’81 and daughters Brooke
and Luci
I attended university at Ithaca College and
eventually moved to New York City. I began working there in the event planning
business until I decided that retail was my
true passion. Mercifully, in the meantime,
I met my soul mate Jamie, and we have
been married for nearly 21 years (11 November 1989). We have lived in our home
for almost 19 years in Bedford New York,
and we have two daughters; Luci aged 18
and Brooke aged 14. They are a freshman
in college (Denison University, Granville,
Ohio) and a freshman in high school (Fox
lane High School, Bedford, New York).
I have kept up with several HKIS Alumni
(Lynne Doolittle ’82, Ray Janssen ’83 and
Paul Gilbert ’81) but I keep in closest contact with my dear friend, Lesli Summerlin
Hammerschmidt ’84. She and her husband,
Jerry, and their three children - Chelsea,
Claudia and Lee - live in a neighboring
town. It is so special because our families
were friends and next-door neighbors in
Hong Kong. We try to coordinate when
our parents visit us so it is an extra special
Hong Kong reunion giggling fest!
be used together or separately as storage,
end tables, bookcases, etc. Note the stunning male model!
So far we’re having fun and making progress. It beats working! We’re also launching this cute little desk object made
Judi Smith Edgar and family; husband Jamie, Luci and Brooke
For the past ten years I have been a buyer
and the display person for a lovely tabletop and kitchen shop called ‘Consider The
Cook’ located about a half-mile from our
home. Three years ago we opened a second shop in the nearby Connecticut town
called New Canaan. The business is thriving and I love it so much! My husband
works in international security surveillance but started out for the first 15 years
of his adult life in documentary films and
news production. He is a great person and
I am a lucky woman!
Barry Michael ’81
[email protected]
I
’m doing well in Seattle, working for a
bank and we have survived the recession... so far! I’m enjoying my travels in
visiting with former Hong Kong alums. I
have lots of photos from HKIS and particularly from 1978 – 81 and more recent
photos from Hong Kong on Facebook. Had
a blast hooking up with Linda Reizman ’80
and Bog (Peter Tan ’82) at the ‘Dead Fish’
restaurant in Vallejo! It has been a wonderful experience for me to reconnect to
my former classmates, some that I haven’t
seen, or have spoken with in 30 years. My
life has become so much more and the
great memories of Hong Kong are returning – to grow up there was truly a blessing.
1982
Roger Cormier ’82
[email protected]
R
oger Cormier ’82 celebrates 20 years
as co-host of the ‘Midwest Outdoors’
television show where he also handles advertising sales and is Associate Editor of
the company’s publications. He recently
wrapped up production of a horror film set in the
Minnesota Northwood for which he
penned the screenplay and played a
minor role. When
not working, Roger
is busy with wife
Katie raising two active boys, coaching
youth football and baseball, and pursuing
a passion for big-game fishing in the Sea
of Cortez near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Other than that, the biggest change is
Sheila Baker Gujral ’82 forcing me to join
Facebook and seeing all these old faces
from HKIS. I’ll try to get more active!
Check out the goodies here:
www.theutilitycollective.com
Paul Harn ’82
[email protected]
I
just launched a new company in San
Francisco with product designer Eric
Pfeiffer. The Utility Collective makes and
sells furniture and design objects for the
home – all sustainable, toxin free and
crafted in the United States.
have just opened a new multi-brand
shop call Panach in Central Festival,
Phuket, Thailand. This concept shop
contains Harnn, which is a body care,
skin care and spa product brand with
three of our new brands: Vuudh (home
fragrance), Tichaa (certified organic
herbal tea) and Panach (contemporary
Asian fashion).
Our first product – Mix Box Set – is a set
of six well-crafted nesting boxes that can
Photos are available in our Facebook page.
Do take a look!
Steve Piccus ’82
[email protected]
I
Linda Reizman ’80, Peter ‘Bog’ Tan ’82 and
Barry Michael ’81 show off their ink
from reclaimed
lumber. We’ ll
release these in
limited editions
as we find cool
wood to reclaim.
This prototype
is made from a
scrap of walnut left over from making a
dining table.
DragonTales
33
classnotes
Cornelia Puls Fabre ’82
Shannon Sullivan ’82
[email protected]
[email protected]
I
am now living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
This is my son Austin Sigmund Fabre.
He turned three years old on November 29.
In the picture we were at a farmers market
in New Jersey visiting my parents where he
got hold of this bread and he thought he’d
scored the biggest doughnut ever!
Young Austin Sigmund Fabre ready to tackle
the biggest donut of his life!
Dave MacQuarrie ’82
[email protected]
H
i all! I’m currently living and working
in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
I’ve been married to my wonderful wife
Siobhán for just over five years now and we
have two amazing girls – Aisling aged four
and Caoimhe aged two. We are overjoyed
to be expecting our third child in January!
I work as a live sound technician and still
occasionally as a musician and my wife
teaches children with special-needs.
I have really enjoyed re-connecting with
a lot of my friends from Hong Kong over
Facebook recently. I still remember those
carefree days with a mixture of awe and
disbelief. What a time and place to grow up
in! Anyway, I feel immensely blessed every
day for my wonderful family and for those
astonishing formative years. Cheers all!
Dave MacQuarrie
with wife Siobhán
and children
Aisling and
Caoimhe
34 DragonTales
S
hannon Sullivan has been travelling
around the world and reuniting with
HKIS folks in all corners of the globe. It
started with Bruce Chiu, Michael O’Keefe
’82, Nick Champeau, Karen Karr Nimarota ’81 and Leslie Arnold Atkinson ’82
in Washington DC last December and a
get together we had in San Francisco in
the spring. Business then took her to Hong
Kong in June where great friends Karen
Karr Nimarota and Janice Karr Walter flew
out from Qatar to meet up with her. Soon
after, she produced a large conference and
had the pleasure of having HKIS alumnus Erik Weihenmayer ’86 as the keynote
speaker. She said, “He is a true inspiration.
He brought them to their feet and really
made them think.”
In September, Shannon returned to Asia
and saw Andy Chorowsky while in Hong
Kong. Work again took her to Germany
where she met up with Karen Staniek
Gerhardt ’81 in Munich. Karen was also
there traveling on business from Frankfurt. “Can you believe it? She has lived
in Germany now for many years, used to
work for a beer distributor before that and
had never been to Oktoberfest? I was so
excited to be out with her. I do manage
to see her once a year at Oktoberfest time,
but this time she was able to go. Both of
us dressed in traditional dirndls, because
that is the only way you can go and drink
very large beers.”
1984
May Ho-Chang 84’
[email protected]
G
eorge Chang ’84 and May
Ho-Chang ’84 welcomed
fellow transplant Francois Duchastel ’84 to Shanghai over
lunch at Blue Frog, Jin Qiao in
Pudong, Shanghai. Francois’
wife and two boys will join him
in December in Shanghai.
Right: May Kan 84’ and May
Ho-Chang 84’ celebrated George
Chang’s ’84 birthday in Shanghai
May Ho-Chang ’84, Francois Duchastel ’84
and George Chang ’84
1986
Derek Kwik’86
[email protected]
O
n the back of my vivid runs across
the world’s most extreme places on
Earth - namely seven deserts, two jungles
and one mountain - I have been moonlighting as a motivational speaker to corporations and local governments as well
as an inspirational storyteller to children’s
schools. With only a backpack of survival
gear and my own two feet, I return to my
Above: Derek Kwik ’86 – is he about to break
out into song?
Teresa (Devroe) Brown ’87
[email protected]
M
y husband, Michael, and I have been
married for almost 19 years. We live
in Bowling Green, Ohio, where we are both
full-time staff with a Christian organization, Campus Crusade for Christ. Michael
is also finishing up his PhD in Higher Education Administration at Bowling Green
State University.
Derek Kwik ’86, back in the school environment
home in Hong Kong after each journey,
loaded with innovative and engaging experiences to share with my audiences at all
age levels. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak at TEDx in November 2010.
In my spare time, I have also started the
production of my second book due out
next year. Unlike my motivational book,
‘Kwik Fix’, my upcoming piece will be an
inspirational book for the younger generation. It is a book that I wish I could have
read when I was a kid. I have had so much
fun creating the framework for the concept, storyboard and visuals. My aim is
to coach the next generation to appreciate that life’s accomplishments require
leadership, courage and empowerment for
action.
Meanwhile, I remain in Hong Kong continuing my career in venture capital and
raising funds for my charity, The Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If
anyone wishes to connect with me, I am on
Facebook or you could simply email.
where I was a sophomore in High School! I
am currently teaching in a 3 – 4 combination class educating students who are just
like I was as an HKIS elementary student
from 1977 – 1981. There are many things
that are remarkably different and improved
at HKIS, the biggest being the addition of
the Middle and High School campuses
in Tai Tam. Other things are just as they
were. In fact, I’m now colleagues with two
teachers who were here when I was a student. Strange! I’ve played volleyball with
my fellow teachers in the same gym where
I used to play in the Christmas basketball
tournament. Deja-vu!
Right: Teresa Brown ’87
with husband Michael
Below: The Brown family
Besides loving my job at HKIS, it’s great to
be back in such an exciting city. My husband, David, and I love the fast pace of this
city. There’s always so much to see and do.
It’s been a great move for both of us.
1988
Debby Tuck ’88
[email protected]
1987
I
Carrie (Horan) Strine ’87
[email protected]
I
was in High School when my family left
Hong Kong in the spring of 1985 and I
knew for certain that I wanted to return to
some day. Well, that day has come! After
16 years of as an educator, including living
and teaching in Poland, Israel, and Jordan,
I find myself teaching in the same building
We have five children: Lauren aged 17,
Justin aged 15, Logan aged 12, Ethan aged
eight and we recently adopted Jameson, aged two.
We are also licensed foster parents and presently
have two foster children
living with us. I enjoy getting updates from HKIS
alum!
Carrie Strine ’87 with husband David and a
genetically modified mouse
t was probably the last century, since
I last wrote! I have been living in New
York City since 1996 and also lived in
Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami and London in between my years in New York. I
am no longer working in the sports world
and now work at a private school in Manhattan, really enjoying it and found my
calling. Coincidentally, a new young student this year came from HKIS and recited
Mandarin songs to me!
DragonTales
35
classnotes
Besides working, I’ve been fortunate to
be able to do a lot of traveling and have
the most amazing memories from the
many beautiful countries I’ve visited
over the years. My brother Dan ’90, lives
in Westfield, New Jersey with his wife
and two young sons. My parents are
living in South Florida. Our class had
our 20th year reunion a couple of summers ago and it was great to see so many
faces and catch up with so many people
whom I haven’t seen since graduation.
And now with Facebook, it’s been great
re-connecting with so many old friends,
even from elementary school. People
say college are the best years of your life,
but living in Hong Kong with my years
at HKIS definitely were some of the best
years I’ve had.
Hall in Connecticut and Piedmont High
School near Berkeley, California.
I was back in Asia for two years of college at
Sophia University, Tokyo, and two more at
Occidental College in Los Angeles, majoring in Political Science. I lived and worked
in Buenos Aires during the privatization
of so many South American telecommunications markets, acquiring licenses and
starting new ventures. I returned to the
US to earn an MBA at Emory University in
2002 and worked as a consultant for Honeywell International.
I met my husband, Michael, while working
on my single engine pilot certification. We
married and started a family in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are now living in Indialantic, a small surf town on the eastern
coast of Florida with our three children
– Connor aged six, Gordon aged four and
Michaela aged two - enjoying the outdoors
and loving life.
1989
Bonnie Tucker ’89
[email protected]
Debby Tuck ’88 and companion on a safari at
the Serengeti, Tanzania
I
just want to update HKIS that I am now
living back in Hong Kong. After being
away for 20 years (more or less) I decided
Lincoln Chan ’88
[email protected]
M
y wife, Mika Yamaguchi, and I
celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this past summer by spending
a vacation in Europe where we saw Spain,
Italy and France. I met Mika 12 years ago
during a stopover in Heidelberg, Germany
on my way to Spain. So our trip was meaningful for the two of us.
Kim (Gibby) Whitlow ’88
[email protected]
I
am so excited to be back in touch with
so many old HKIS friends through Facebook – definitely the upside to all this
technology!
Since I left Hong Kong in 1984 I have, like
so many of you, bounced around the map.
I finished high school at Choate Rosemary
36 DragonTales
Lincoln Chan ’88 with wife, Mika, in Europe
to move back to the most exciting city in
the world. What have I been up to since
graduating from HKIS in 1989 ? Well, a lot!
I went to the University of Miami in Florida after graduating HKIS and obtained
my degree in Marine Biology. I spent four
years studying and tagging sharks in the
Bahamas while living in Miami. After
getting very tan and almost bitten several
times, I decided on a career change.
I was accepted to Tufts University school
of veterinary medicine and became a small
animal vet. I have been practicing veterinary medicine for the past 11 years in Seattle and Tampa. This past summer I was
offered the opportunity to help start up a
small animal hospital in Tseung Kwan O.
I packed my bags and my Labrador retriever and moved to Sai Kung. My veterinary
hospital is Pets Central, Tseung Kwan O. If
anybody is in the neighborhood, it would
be great to catch up. I would also love to
help the HKIS students learn more about
veterinary medicine.
For those of you who remember my mother, Mrs Ilene Tucker (previously a guidance
counselor at the HKIS high school), she
is living in Gig Harbor Washington and
doing great. She still comes to visit Hong
Kong at least once a year. Hope to be able
to get more involved with HKIS again.
Cynthia Shek ’89
[email protected]
I
have been living in Hong Kong since
1995. I am married with two daughters
– Caitlin is aged five and will attend Primary One in 2011. Leticia is aged three
and is currently in K1. I see Joy Lo ’89 almost everyday as our children attend the
same kindergarten. Other alumni I am
in touch with are Rohini Balani Chotirmal ’89, Joyce Yin ’89, Louise Fong ’92 and
Yvonne Au ’89.
Yoshiko Abe ’89
F
or the past five years, I’ve been
working in developing countries
(although I find that some under that
designation are actually way developed
already) as a consultant on various Japanese government assistance projects.
The ones I’ve been very intensively involved in are the museum-building and
running projects at the Sigiriya World
Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. It’s a great
place to visit (palace on a summit of a
cliff built by a mad king!) and of course
the museum is amazing (take a look at
www.sigiriyamuseum.org).
What else? I’ve been happily married for
five years, and we are now trying to figure
out which city to settle down and build a
house in (we take things slowly!).
Shana McGivern ’89
[email protected]
I
have worked for Genesys Conferencing since August 2004. Starting January
2011, my son, Daniel will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in Norfolk, Virginia, studying Psychology. I am
currently living in Vienna, Virginia, with
my mom.
flood back. It feels good and even comforting like a pat on the back that I’m doing
okay with my children in this unpredictable world we live in now.
1991
Bijoy Goswami ’91
[email protected]
I
’m still in Austin and last visited Hong
Kong in December 2010. Here’s a recent
project I’m working on: www.ATXequation.com
1993
Liz Longley Komosa ’93
Peter and Thomas Kim, current students at
HKIS
Kanan Sankalia Kappelman ’89
[email protected]
G
reetings from West Des Moines,
Iowa. My husband and I have been
in Iowa with our three cats for the past
14 years. Can’t believe I’ve been here that
long – the experience has been wonderful.
We’ve spent the last several years travelling
whenever we get the chance.
I am still working for the State of Iowa at
the Department of Economic Development as a marketing manager. I am also
pursuing my master’s degree in Health
Care Administration. I’ve been to Hong
Kong a couple of times in the last few
years and it has been great to catch up
with friends – Bonnie Tucker ’89 and Rohini Balani ’89 to name a few. Just wanted to say hi to all my friends! Hoping to
make it back to Hong Kong again soon.
[email protected]
M
y husband Tim and I welcomed our
second child, Theodore Charles, on
August 26, 2010. Teddy joins big sister
Charlotte, aged three. We are still living
in Washington.
1996
Shahriq Sheikh ’96
[email protected]
S
hahriq and Patricia were married
on Sunday, May 30, 2010. The happy
ceremony was held in Malibu, California,
with a beautiful sunset backdrop. The
wedding was attended by their families and
friends and many of Shahriq’s HKIS friends
were there for this very special occasion.
Amongst them Andrew Fullerton ’96,
Rishi and Sanjeev ’98, Mauricio Henandez
’97, Doug Sellers ’94, Dave Perdue ’96, Grant
Kahler, Jillian Doman ’96, Mary Gilbert
’96, Louise Jordan, Catherine Martin and
Shahriq Sheikh ’96 and his wife, Patricia
Soo Young Kim ’89
[email protected]
O
ur family moved back to Hong Kong
last year and my children – Thomas
grade 8 and Peter grade 4 – are currently
attending HKIS. It still feels like going
back in time whenever I go to Repulse Bay
campus. I find myself standing still and
smiling from time to time when memories
DragonTales
37
classnotes
Brandon Mugar ’96, who was also one of
the groomsmen.
Shahriq and Patty met three years ago
when they were both studying at Columbia
University, New York.
While in Chicago in October I had the
chance to catch up with Sarah Immel
Fielding ’96 and the rest of the Immel clan.
It was great to see them all again!
[email protected]
I
Sara Dallaire ’96
[email protected]
I
am currently getting my MBA at Thunderbird School of Global Management,
Phoenix, Arizona. The school reminds me
a lot of HKIS because of its international
focus and the students are from all over
the world!
Sara Dallaire ’96 and Sarah (Immel) Fielding ’96
Elly Eng ’96
[email protected]
S
ince graduation, I went to Vanderbilt
University and graduated in May 2000.
I lived in New York City for a year before
moving back to Hong Kong in July 2001.
Currently, I run an online store (www.
beautyheroes.com) selling imported cosmetics from the United States, United
Kingdom and France.
Left to Right: The Immel family and Sara - Jenny ’00,
John ’95, Sara ’96, Sarah ’96 and Jeff ’98
38 DragonTales
Karen Chin ’97
[email protected]
T
Jeselle Solco-Chu ’96
came back to Asia in 2002 and soon
enough I realized I really missed American food and products, which were all not
available in Hong Kong. I had to resort to
ordering online and asking friends and
family coming to visit to bring it for me.
This was not only embarrassing but was
such a hassle. So, I and a group of friends
decided to open an American grocery
store named A&M US Groceries located
in the basement floor of Shun Tak Center
which would fulfill all our needs and cravings right here in Hong Kong.
1997
en years after graduating from U.C.
Berkeley with a Legal Studies Major and a Chinese Studies Minor, I have
switched from a paralegal to a business
woman. I have opened Karen’s Books and
Arts Centre; and Karen’s Bridal and Image
Consulting Centre. Joyful Heart Counseling Centre will be launched in January
2011. I am still single and enjoy volunteering in the Liberal Party. I also work
exclusively with Joyful (Mental Health)
Foundation founded by former actress
Victoria Lam. You can keep in touch with
me by calling 9071-6789 or dropping me
an email.
1998
Elaine Chau Barker ’98
[email protected]
E
laine Chau ’98 got married on August 14, 2010 at her parent’s home
in Hillsborough, California, to Edward
Barker. Some HKIS attendees were Howard Chau ’00, Gareth Kwok ’00, Regina Pei
’98, Nichole Wong ’98, Mary Chen ’98, and
Elaine Chau ’98 and
Edward Barker on their
wedding day
David Chen ’96. They now live in beautiful
Sunnyvale, California. Feel free to keep in
touch and drop us a line!
1999
Justin Hardman ’99
[email protected]
Right: Justin Hardman ’99 and Janet Yuen tied
the knot on July 3, 2010 in Hua Hin Thailand
Below: Jason Ing, Justin Hardman, Dickie Mok,
Andrew Galbraith, Jay Stanley - all class of ’99.
The photo replicates a prom photo memory!
2000
Laura O’Donnell ’00
[email protected]
I
n 2007 I married Patrick McGrath and
am now known as Laura McGrath. I
have two beautiful girls - Lulu aged four
and Chia almost three. I am currently
studying for a second degree in Nursing;
my first degree was in Business/Tourism. I
have such great memories of my time spent
in Hong Kong. I wish you all the best &
send my regards to all the HKIS Alumni.
Grace Chen ’00
[email protected]
A
fter spending five years working in
management consulting I have finally
decided to step out and have recently quit
my job so that I can go back to school! I’m
currently taking pre-requisite courses and,
Nicole (Gibbs) Morrison ’99
[email protected]
God-willing, I will be pursuing a career in
occupational therapy. If anyone is ever in
the New York area, I’d love to catch up!
Here’s a picture of a mini-reunion this past
spring at the DC Zoo, where I got to see
Stephanie Liu ’01, Keane Shum ’01, Stella
Ma ’00, Art Wong ’00 and Allan Wong ’00.
It was great meeting the mini-Wongs, Violet and Dante, and subjecting the spouses
(Chwan and Sarah) to our old madrigals
recordings in the zoo parking lot!
2001
Lauren Tanner ’01
[email protected]
T
he Class of 2001 has decided to hold a
reunion in New York City on July 30,
2011. For further information alumni can
contact me directly via email.
Back, left to right: Grace Chen ’00, Stephanie Liu ’01, Chwan Lee, Sarah Wong
Front: Keane Shum ’01, Stella Ma ’00, Art Wong ’00, Violet Wong, Allan Wong ’00,
Dante Wong
I
attended HKIS from grade 2 through
10, years 1989 to 1997. On July 10, 2010,
I married Andrew Morrison in a beautiful
garden ceremony
in West Vancouver, Canada. My
brother, Mark
Gibbs ’96, was in
attendance.
Nicole Gibbs ’99
with Andrew
Morrison on their
wedding day
39
classnotes
2002
Katie Campo ’04
Rachel (Koehneke) Cahill ’02
[email protected]
K
atie Campo ’04 lives in Khartoum,
Sudan, where she is a foreign service
officer with US Department of State.
and try it out in Hong Kong for a year before deciding on that position. Currently
working in Public Relations at Design Beginnings (furniture company). Because of
the move back home not too sure of my
relationship status right now, but I’m not
engaged or married. Can’t wait to hear
from everyone!
Kelly Lo ’06
[email protected]
H
Katie Campo ’04 with some friends from the
United Nations
Above: Rachel
Koehneke ’02 and
her husband Tim
Cahill, now living in
Tokyo,Japan.
Left: The happy
day for Rachel and
Tim - June 19, 2010
Running Y Ranch,
Klamath Falls,
Oregon.
2003
Jennifer Sundqvist ’03
[email protected]
J
ennifer is back in her native Sweden,
working for the Swedish Rugby Union,
which of course means she now has a legitimate reason to talk about rugby all day!
2005
Matt Tanaka ’05 &
Laura Wilcox ’05
[email protected]
ello - it’s been a while! I just graduated from Parsons School of Design in
May, took a three month vacation and am
now in Hong Kong. I’ve only just moved
back so I’m still setting up an interior design company called KellyLoDesign (so
original, yes?). I currently have a couple
projects I’m working on, three educational performing art centers, a residential
apartment and I also serve as an interior
design consultant for the Golden Resorts
Group for their two casino hotels in Macau. Really excited to know how everyone
is doing!
Right: Jessica
Poon, Katharine
Watson, Maika
Lindsay, Laura
Wilcox, Matthew
Tanaka, Audrey
Chee, Amanda
Gallinat, Kai
Nielsen (’05) at
Matt and Laura’s
wedding day,
July 31, 2010 on
Whidbey Island,
Washington
2004
Stephanie Si ’04
[email protected]
Stephanie Si ’04 with mom and grandmother
during Thanksgiving dinner last year!
2006
Kimberly Hu ’06
[email protected]
H
ey guys! I just graduated from University of Southern California in May
with a degree in Communications. Missing the Los Angeles weather, but it’s good
to be home in Hong Kong. Got a job as an
event planner for the Screen Actors Guild
in Los Angeles, but decided to move back
David Vibert ’06
H
ey guys, its been ages! I’m ‘down under’ in Australia in probably the most
boring town called Canberra. It’s pretty
good down here, I’m at the University of
Canberra in my final year reading International Studies. At Christmas I’ll be going
to Shanghai to do an internship – let me
know if any of you are going to be around
there. During the middle of 2011 I really
hope to be going to the United Kingdom
to start a fun career!
Charles Hong ’06
T
his is perfect procrastination material –
for those of us still in school! I graduated
from Georgetown this past May, majored in
biochemistry. Just started first year of the
MD program at WashU St. Louis School
of Medicine and will graduate in 2014, if
everything goes well. Please look me up if
you’re in St. Louis... it’s kind of a boring city!
Mariana R. Rodriguez ’06
H
ey! So nice to hear what you’ve all
been up to. I’m living in New York
and have one semester left at New York
University. I am graduating late because
I took a year off to go to culinary school,
which was so much fun! I’m interning
in the marketing department at KIND
Snacks and love it here. We’ll see what happens post-grad though. I have a boyfriend
here, we’ve been together for a year and a
half. I am also in the process of adopting
two kitties, so I guess I’ll be a mom soon
too. If you are in New York then let me
know so we can grab a drink – I miss you
all so much.
Rachel Tan ’06
[email protected]
A
fter graduating from Tufts with a degree in Art History, I got accepted to
DFS’ (we’re more than the airport retail
service!) Management Training Program,
and I’m due to start in January 2011. In the
interim I have been taken on as an early
hire to work with the Global Creative &
Consumer Marketing team here in Hong
Kong, assisting with events such as our
50th Anniversary that happened in November and our Masterpieces of Time gala
in Macao that happened in December. It is
truly refreshing to gather real-world experience in the working world, understanding what attracts the consumer and what
marketing strategies move the market.
David Mok ’06
[email protected]
I
have just graduated from Tufts University with a degree in international
relations and after studying at Oxford
for a year. I will definitely be doing the
whole grad school track in a couple of
years but right now I’m in Boston and I
want to foster my entrepreneurial passion so I’m working on a couple of startup companies with some friends. I’m
also leading the social media efforts as
a project manager for a couple of Fortune 100 companies which pays the bills!
If you guys are in Boston, let me know,
would be great to catch up.
Andrew Yip ’06
[email protected]
D
ear classmates, I graduated from Lewis
and Clark in Portland with a degree in
math and economics and am now doing a
masters in applied math in, guess where...?
Saudi Arabia. I wish you all well.
Nicolas Tse ’06
[email protected]
H
ello people! I graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
about a month ago with a computer engineering degree and a math minor. I went
to Zurich last year to work for a semester,
am now back in the US.
Right now I’m working at Bloomberg as a
financial software developer in midtown
Manhattan. I’m still in training, but really
looking forward to the real thing! I hope
everyone is doing well.
Casey Chan ’06
H
ey class! I graduated with a BBA in
Finance from University of Hawaii. I
also spent four months in Beijing learning
Mandarin. I then took a job in Hong Kong at
Convoy Financial Services. So if any of you
need financial consulting, I’m your man!
Shireen Khan ’06
H
ello all – long time no see! I graduated
in May from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign and the got a job
with Quaker, but also applied to graduate
schools to get my doctorate. I decided not
to take the job with Quaker and pursue my
dream of getting my doctorate at the best
school in Chicago for a Psy.D, the Chicago
School of Psychology. So that’s my next
four to five years taken care of. I’ve been
in a relationship for the past four years so
we’ll see where that’s headed soon...!
Justine Lee ’06
I
graduated from Parsons in New York last
December 2009 and did a four month
Mandarin program at Tsinghua in Beijing
the beginning of 2010. Workwise, I have just
started working at Honk Kong’s Lane Crawford in the Creative Services department.
Richard Siu ’06
[email protected]
H
ello all. I graduated with Bachelor of
Architecture degree at RMIT in Melbourne and am currently doing my Masters of Architecture.
Nancy Chen ’06
[email protected]
I
just graduated from The University of
Toronto with a specialist degree in Neuroscience. Now I’ve moved to Shanghai
where I work as an Entertainment Manager. Also, I’ve been working a bit in the
music industry helping to bring international artists into China to develop the
music scene here. Might be moving back
to Toronto or the States in a year if I find
this isn’t what I want to do. Currently I’m
single, with no intention of being a relationship in the near future!
Sunny Ting ’06
[email protected]
H
ey there, I’m still in Purdue finishing
up my last year here. I will most likely
be looking for a job in the US in the coming
year in the pharmaceutical industry, pretty
much wherever I can find something. If
anyone needs anything in the midwest region - Chicago or Indianapolis - feel free
to contact me. I’d love to catch up with
anyone coming into the area. I love how
Frank’s acronym is still our class motto!
Shana Menton ’06
H
ey Guys! I just graduated from Chapman University in Orange County,
California, with an economics degree
and minors in business and Japanese. I’m
DragonTales
41
classnotes
currently trying to find a job in Orange
County. I miss Hong Kong like crazy. Oh,
and I am now in a relationship. Hope all you
fellow 06’ers are doing well – I miss you all!
Ian Woo ’06
H
ey former HKIS High School classmates! I have graduated from Vassar
majoring in International Studies and I
am now working now in Hong Kong at the
China Exploration and Research Society. I
hope to meet up with anyone in Hong Kong.
Haruka Morita ’06
[email protected]
I
graduated from Lehigh in May with a BS
in biology and now I am in a two-year
program at Columbia University for Public
Health. I am now living in New York City.
I’m a full-time student and I am not working, possibly part-time if I get around to it.
And I am in a relationship!
Dino Man ’06
H
ello old friends! I just graduated from
University of Western Ontario, Canada, with a double major BA in economics
and sociology. I am living in London, Ontario, for now, looking for jobs in mostly
Ontario area, but I am not too sure what
path I am taking yet, still got my fingers
crossed. Still single but have a kid, hopefully
can keep in touch with each and everyone
of you. Let me know if you guys are in the
Toronto area may be we can grab lunch!
Nicola Fan ’06
H
ello everyone I just graduated from
Rhode Island School of Design and
majored in graphic design. I applied for
Optional Practical Training and am currently working in New York as a graphic
design consultant for JP Morgan. Not
married or anything but in a relationship
– would seriously love to know what everyone else is up to so we can stalk you!
Gigi Campo ’06
[email protected]
G
igi Campo is living in Hong Kong. She
graduated from Williams College in
June and received a fellowship from the
college to work as a professor’s assistant at
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin.
42 DragonTales
Gigi Campo ’06 at a graduation lunch with Will
Campo ’10, Katie Campo ’04 and mum and dad
Campo!
Arun Govada ’08
[email protected]
S
ince graduating from HKIS in June
2008, I have been attending classes
at the School of Management in Boston
University and am currently a Junior concentrating in Operations and Technology
Management. I am happy to announce that
I will be graduating a full year early thanks
to all those AP classes from junior and
senior year of high school! Leaving early
is relatively bittersweet. It hasn’t fully hit
me yet but I know I will be ready to take
on the real world when I graduate this May.
Besides school, I have been carrying on my
amateur singing career. I am the Music Director for the one and only Hindi-Fusion
acapella group in Boston called ‘Suno’.
Take a look at www.busuno.org which is
a co-ed acapella group that fuses songs
from the western world with those of Bollywood and South-east Asia. My development in solo-singing and song-writing has
increased as well. I also have a Fan Page on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/listen2
arun. There you will see a couple videos
and links. The most exciting thing on the
page is the latest song that I wrote called
‘Wu Jie’ (Misunderstanding). This latest
song is a song I wrote completely in Mandarin and had the pleasure of recording
with fellow classmate Grace Chang ’08. If
you have a chance, please have a listen!
Arun Govada ’08 singing at the Summer Music
Festival at Cyberport
Joanne Lam ’08
[email protected]
W
hen I graduated HKIS in June 2008,
I decided to take a year off and live
Above, left: Joanne Lam ’08 with Eunse,
a Korean kindergarten student at Logos
International School
Above, right: Joanne Lam ’08 at Quidditch
practice, her ‘varsity’ sport
in Cambodia. I volunteered as a teacher
assistant for first grade in Logos International School. Logos is a small private
international school in Phnom Penh. I got
to know my own students as well as those
from all other grades and was not only
teaching elementary students, but I was
also a friend and a mentor for middle and
high school students. It was an amazing
year to experience both being a part of
the faculty at the school as well as meeting new friends and getting to know the
culture of Cambodia.
I fell in love with the country all over again
as I spent more time with the people and
immersed myself into their way of life. I
participated in things I would never have
had the chance to do otherwise. I played
girls rugby representing Cambodia, traveled to Vietnam for a co-ed touch rugby
tournament, ate barbecued tarantulas and
cockroaches - one of my favorite snacks!
- and lots more besides. Taking that year
off was one of the best decisions I’ve ever
made in my life!
Since then, I’ve been attending Emerson
College in Boston. It’s a great city and I
live right downtown by the Commons
and China Town. I’m enjoying life at
Emerson, especially playing on the Quidditch Team. Yes, Quidditch from Harry
Potter! With that being said, every day I
am continually reminded of how fortunate I am to have attended HKIS and to
have grown up in one of the most amazing cities in the world!
2010
Will Campo ’10
[email protected]
Will Campo graduated from
Hotchkiss in May 2010 and is a
freshman at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.
Mission
Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion,
and our lives to service and global understanding
An American-style education, grounded in the Christian faith,
and respecting the spiritual lives of all
Student Learning Results
Academic Excellence
Students will achieve their intellectual potential by striving for and
attaining the highest standards of academic excellence
Spirituality
Students will understand and respect Christianity and other religions
and will identify and develop their own spiritual identity
Character Development
Students will demonstrate respectful and caring attitudes at school and
in the community, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right
The Mission and SLRs are the North
Star for HKIS, its staff, faculty and
students. We use these as our guide
in everything we do, every day.
Hong Kong International School
1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam
Hong Kong
www.hkis.edu.hk
Self-Motivated Learning
Students willingly apply a variety of learning and motivation strategies
throughout their learning process
Contributing to Society
Students will develop the skills they need to form genuine relationships
in our diverse society and to make contributions to our community
Chinese Culture
Students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of the
Chinese Culture
Save the date!
Hong Kong International School
Annual Celebration Gala
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Intercontinental Hotel
Kowloon, Hong Kong