ASP Alumni News, Summer Edition 2020 Congratulations Class of 2020, and Welcome to Our Newest Alumni! This time of year is especially poignant, with graduating seniors moving on to their next adventures and joining our alumni community along with our departing families. If you are receiving Alma Matters for the first time, welcome! We hope you enjoy this quarterly newsletter. And, no matter where you may go next, the Alumni Office remains your touchstone in Paris for all things ASP. Gathered together for graduation on June 20 after three months of distance learning, the bonds were ever-strong amongst the class of 84 students, representing 30+ nationalities. The class was celebrated for their academic achievements, strength of character, and ability to deal with uncertainty, most notably during this year. The on-campus ceremony reflected both the new health and safety protocols imposed by the pandemic, and the determination of the ASP community to honor this class. His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa, Tebogo Seokolo, shared South Africans' experiences during negotiations to end apartheid, when the road towards a free and democratic society seemed so distant. "What kept us going was a genuine belief in human spirit." He called on graduates to be change-makers during the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and of protests, as the world is called "to reflect once again upon humanity's painful legacy of racial discrimination and unequal access to opportunities." While most of our graduates will go directly on to university in the fall, some will pursue a gap year or experiential learning opportunities in the months ahead. Best of luck to all of our 2020 graduates! Friendships and classroom memories deepen our students' connection to ASP well after graduation. Santiago Dysli and Reagan Meek have been selected by their 2020 classmates to help them stay connected to each other and to ASP. Next year Reagan will study at the University of Southern California, and Santi at Erasmus University College in Rotterdam. Meet Members of the Class of 2020 A native Floridian, Keller Valentino had spent Grade 11 on a study abroad program in France; determined to stay in the country for senior year, she connected with ASP and a host family. She immersed herself into school life and was named a yearbook editor. Keller will be attending American University in the fall. A French citizen who transferred to ASP from Marymount International School, Paris in Grade 9, Louis Bruel has been interning at Kard, a financial and social media platform geared to teens, where he specializes in market research. Louis plans to study business and international relations at a university in Europe. Alumni Messages Our Class of 2020 has overcome truly unprecedented challenges during the final semester of their senior year. To help these new graduates connect with the ASP legacy, twenty alumni from around the world contributed inspiring messages for the Class of 2020. We used these messages to create a meaningful keepsake for our graduates, officially welcoming them into the ASP alumni community. You can read the online version of 20 Messages for the Class of 2020. The Alumni Office remains open throughout the summer. Please be in touch! Worldwide Wednesday's were initiated in response to a desire to connect during confinement. This past season of virtual gatherings saw alumni in the USA, Canada, Europe, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, UAE, and Israel engaging to an extent which we could not have envisioned just a year ago. The conversations have been enriching and meaningful; let's keep them going as we move ahead. Next Up: Back-to-School Worldwide Wednesday virtual gathering on September 9; 6:00 p.m. Paris time/noon EDT Register here! Watch for additional 2020-21 event dates to be announced shortly, including our annual London gathering in early November. Wrap-up of Recent Zoom Events Worldwide Wednesday ICYMI: Alumni in the UK and US joined us for one more session in our series of mid-week meetups, enjoying a chance to chat and to connect. Zero Years Classes: Alumni with milestone reunions in the year 2020 celebrated with classmates, and also with those who graduated in the decade(s) before and after their year. Class of 2010 Ten Year Reunion: Classmates around the world caught up as they marked the completion of the first decade since high school. Their connections, camaraderie, and caring remain as strong as ever. Bob Schubert '70 shares details of the Zoom reunion for his class (48 classmates, four hours long!) the ensuing class website they developed, and their plans for an in-person gathering. Read more about their gathering. Check out the large-format gallery of our Zoom gatherings! Can you spot your friends and classmates? Zoom Talk! Susan Kellermann, '61, renowned Broadway and television actress, demonstrated her enduring school spirit, and shared the story behind the debut of her acting career––which took place on stage at ASP! Attendees of recent Zoom reunions write, "I really enjoyed it and was reluctant to leave!" "We probably would not have had this many people attend an in-person reunion." "If we had met up in person, I know I would have gravitated to those I knew best, and would have missed so much." If you would like to plan an alumni Zoom gathering for your peers or geographical area, please write to us so we can help get the word out! Decades Reunions in 2021 Classes of 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, and 2011, it will soon be your turn to celebrate!
Save the date for June 4 and 5, 2021, whether we gather on campus or online. Please contact the Alumni Office if you are available to help with outreach and planning. Thank You! For the 2019–20 school year, we were able to raise almost €200,000 for the ASP Annual Fund. Thank you to all alumni who contributed. Special gifts also contributed to our Service-Learning program and to campus improvements that have been postponed due to COVID-19. As we look beyond the immediate impact of the health crisis, we realize that some of our families may be facing exceptional circumstances. A significant portion of this year's Annual Fund has been earmarked for financial assistance to help support our diverse and very global community. ASP Alumni Support for Our Students and Young Graduates ASP graduates go on to become leaders in almost every sector and region of the world. Your leadership and expertise can be a wonderful gift to share with our current students.
Help guide their future success through:
Rosanne Zandvliet '11 graduated this spring as class salutatorian of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and has joined the University of Connecticut Hospital, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Rosanne also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Boston University. At ASP from Grades K5–7, she still values the support and encouragement of her teachers, most notably Hana Kutteh and Jean Pierre Heussaff. Seni Sulyman '02 updates us on his post-ASP path: after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at Northwestern University and a Masters of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School, he was Vice President of Global Operations at Andela, a technology company. Married to fashion designer and business owner Motunrayo Agusto, Seni is currently on sabbatical in Lagos, Nigeria. Mark Stankosky '87 and Candice Westbrook married on June 20. Mark shares, "Our wedding was being held in North Carolina; with travel restrictions imposed on many of our friends we added a virtual component. About 25 ASP alumni from Asia, Europe, and the USA joined us, as well as my co-workers in France. I work with Spirit AeroSystems; we build the Airbus A350 XWB plane, and I ensure conformity to engineering and design specifications." Steve McPherson '82 shares a Class Note, "I send all of you and loved ones healthy wishes and strength in these challenging times. ASP has always held a very special place in my heart and I remember those years with great fondness. I now own a winery in Napa Valley with my wife and when this whole ordeal is behind us I hope that folks will reach out and come visit us. Stay strong!" Patricia Karam '92 participated in the conference, "Can the Middle East's Protest Movements Survive and Adapt to COVID-19?" Patricia is the MENA Regional Director at International Republican Institute, responsible for the strategic oversight and leadership, with programs focusing on citizen-responsive governance, political party development, legislative strengthening, and civil society capacity building. In accordance with local health and safety protocols, the ASP campus reopened in June, and alumni may again visit campus in-person. RSVP now! Please be aware that masks are required when indoors on campus. Find out what your classmates and other ASP alumni are achieving professionally on our ASP LinkedIn group. Join us there and make connections, and post jobs and internships from your firm here. ASP's community and connections are powerful; let's harness and celebrate the talents in our community. A Fond Farewell to Retirees Congratulations to June 2020 retirees who have offered an incredible 143 years of guiding ASP students.
Their photos clockwise from top left: Debra Dalla Santa (start year 1986), Frank Vescio (1994), Elizabeth Lefevre (2000), Isabel Cordier (1995), Michèle Calon (1992), Mary Jean Lowe (2010). In addition, Michel Lami (1981) retired earlier in the school year. Your Alumni FAQs Answered At ASP we indicate the class year for alumni as whatever year one graduates from high school, whether it be from ASP or elsewhere. Unless indicated otherwise we invite all former ASP students, past parents, faculty, and staff to alumni events; each constituency group plays such a unique and important role in our ASP worldwide alumni community!
OUR MISSION: The American School of Paris is a vibrant, international, family-oriented community. Our mission is to inspire and prepare every student to achieve personal and academic excellence as an engaged global citizen by providing a challenging, innovative program within a compassionate environment. © 2020 American School of Paris The privacy of our ASP community is paramount. We invite you to acquaint yourself with our data protection policy. |