On June 19, ASP community members gathered on campus in a joyful celebration to laud the accomplishments of the Class of 2021, a resilient, spirited, and accomplished group, who maintained high academic standards and modeled global citizenship throughout their high school years, and most notably during the continued shifts of this past year. 

The 82 graduates hail from 27 different countries, and are heading off to universities around the world, primarily in the United States (35%), and the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle East (46%). Declared university interests are varied, and include: STEM fields (26%), and Business Administration (23%).

The Class of 2021 has worked incredibly hard, overcoming considerable pandemic-related challenges with flexibility, enthusiasm, and dedication. Our students sat for their IB exams in May, after carefully following health and safety procedures to ensure that they could even take the exams. The impressive results (see graphic) speak to their determination and focus. It also points to the dedication of ASP teachers to empower and guide their students to achieve personal and academic excellence.

Shayan Sanyal '93, Head of Game Tech Business Development EMEA for Amazon Web Services, encouraged the class to "Go out and build the world you want to live in… I spent a decade founding tech startups. I learned to iterate to fine tune and optimize along the way…Look how to make fundamental changes in your life, and seize opportunities to get you closer to your vision. Don't be afraid to pivot."

Before graduation, students participated in an assembly focusing on the ASP alumni network. The 2021 Alumni Class Representatives, nominated by their classmates to help keep everyone connected, are Jassim Al-Thani, and Poema Conseiller. Jassim is headed to the University of Bath to study Business Marketing, and Poema to the École Hôtelière de Lausanne to study International Hospitality Management.

Fifty years after their ASP graduation, members of the Class of 1971, and other alumni, shared messages for the new graduates. Read on.

Families and friends from around the world joined in virtually on this special day. Click to to watch the 2021 graduation ceremony.

Celebrating their special 50th anniversary year, the Class of 1971 held a Zoom reunion (which continued for four straight hours!) in May, and decided to continue meeting on a regular basis. Contact Steve Pendery '71 to join in.

Sieste Goffard '11 earned a Master's Degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School, where he focused on economic and urban policy and wrote his dissertation on affordable housing. He has been living in Hawaii for several months, pursuing his studies and working on COVID-19 relief efforts with a local food bank. 

Dr. Hilary Jaeckel Kaiser '64 is a Paris-based writer and editor, oral historian, blogger, lecturer, and retired academic from the University of Paris. She recently gave a presentation about the French war brides of World War I for the Kansas City World War I Museum and Memorial. Watch it on YouTube.

Ernesto Sardinha, science lab technician at ASP from 1975 to 2015, passed away in May. He is survived by wife Maria, (who worked alongside him at ASP), and daughters Sonata '99 and Karen '01, current and former faculty members, respectively, and two grandchildren.

Sam McLamb '06 passed away in June 2021 in the state of Washington, USA, after a long illness. An IT systems engineer, Sam is survived by parents Catherine and Steven, sister Sarah '03, and her husband, Michael Virgilio '03.

We're thrilled to announce that the ASP campus is once again open for visits! The alumni team is here to welcome you year-round, simply confirm a time and date with us.

AlumniCONNECTION is your go-to place for past ASP yearbooks, alumni contact information, school news, and more! Register (via the red tab) and let us know your feedback!

June saw the retirement of beloved faculty and members (photo clockwise from top left): James Wilson, Diane Smith, Rosina Civera, Jean Pierre Heussaff, and Faythe Peterson Payol '74.

Among the guests at the online gathering honoring the retirees were alumni faculty members Barbara Trudeau, Marval Grabner, John Guse, and David Sousa.