When a Senior is heading off to university, a few to-do lists are on the horizon, involving preparations for the last few months at school and, more dauntingly, what comes after it. Sure, the world wide web presents many probable answers, but do they truly get what it’s like?

This is where ISKL’s Get Real! series comes into play. Get Real! is where our High School (HS) students can explore university options with their predecessors, the ISKL Alumni. The eighth installment of the series took place virtually, with Class of 2015 alumni Amierul Aqil Khairi, who shared his experiences – from the advantages of taking the IB in preparation for a university to general tips on living in Seattle, USA as an Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Washington (UW).

Formative Years

Born in Malaysia, roughly half of Aqil’s childhood was spent abroad, with him starting his Elementary education in Vienna, Virginia, and then in Kuala Lumpur at ISKL. Aqil and his family then moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he finished Elementary and Middle School journey before returning to ISKL again for HS and graduating in 2015.

While at HS, Aqil studied for the IB Diploma with HL subjects Physics, Chemistry, and Math, balanced with Language & Literature, Spanish, and Business & Management. “Taking those classes helped prepare me for the first couple of years of being an undergraduate, especially in the USA, where you can’t always transfer all the credits, and you end up redoing them,” shares Aqil.

He also played on the Varsity Soccer team for two years and participated in the Earth Club, Habitat 4 Humanity, and Malaysian Cultural Club. Aqil was also part of an ISKL rock band called Feedback, that performed in the Battle of the Bands. “Playing Varsity and competing at an IASAS tournament was an unforgettable experience. I continue to play soccer and manage a recreational team here in the local leagues in Seattle,” says Aqil.

He shares that his passion for an active lifestyle started in ISKL and has led to further interest in hiking, and rock climbing and a desire to explore the world’s natural wonders, especially in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. “The ISKL Global Action Program (GAP) trips to Tioman, Nepal, and Sumatra were my first taste of this lifestyle and likely contributed to my current interests,” adds Aqil.

Life in Seattle, Washington

Aqil shared that once he knew he wanted to do Aerospace Engineering, he had to choose between UW in Seattle and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He shares, “after applying to a few universities and considering the big city of Seattle versus college town Champaign. I knew that the area of Seattle was a vibrant, well-developed technological hub – especially for aerospace. That’s one of the main factors that made me decide on UW.”

Aqil also describes that the city of Seattle is a beautiful one to live in and the Pacific Northwest a stunning part of America, especially for hikers. “It is primarily gloomy, gray, and rainy most of the year; however, when it does get to summer, it’s gorgeous with clear blue skies and very long days, with plenty of sunlight and many opportunities to get outside.” He adds that there are various things to do in Seattle, even during the darker, shorter days, such as soccer, cycling, with plenty of trails, beautiful lakes, lakesides, and hills to explore.

Networking and Extracurricular Clubs

Aqil recommends that undergraduate students start networking by joining clubs and to take advantage of the many extracurricular clubs available at large universities like UW. He shares, “It’s okay not to know what you want to do but use college as a time to explore your different interests. However, be prepared to change, adapt, and be open. When I was an undergrad, in addition to Engineering clubs, there were clubs where students built formula race cars, a car and superbike club, and another called Design Build Fly, where they engineered a remote control aircraft for a concrete competition canoe,” says Aqil.

He advises students to seek out and be aware of the opportunities available. “Many departments will send out notices and emails about their intake. Many of them are relatively informal, ranging from full-on opportunities where there will be interviews or where they let you join and shadow someone and spend time working on a particular part of a project,” he adds.

Aqil also shares there are plenty of opportunities at university to grow into leadership positions with many of his former club teammates now in Aerospace companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, and Aerojet Rocketdyne. “A good portion of my undergraduate years was spent working with the UW’s Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion, a student-led organization that built and launched high-powered sounding rockets. This culminated in a victory for UW at the 2019 Spaceport America Cup, which was a remarkable achievement for us,” says Aqil.

Aqil was also involved in UW’s student government, representing Malaysian students in the western part of the USA in a national organization known as the National Association of Malaysian Students in America (NAMSA), a non-profit organization run by Malaysian students in the USA to protect and further the interest of the Malaysian student body. “I ended up being elected as President of the West Coast arm of this organization, and did a lot of networking programs to orient new Malaysian students coming to the US and provide support and communication between all the different universities,” he adds.

Tips for Living Life as a Student in the US

“One big difference between HS and University is the amount of freedom you now have. You’re spending less time in class and spending more time learning how to manage your time better because now you’re living independently. I’ve learned along the way, and things I’m still learning about are on the practical side in college,” remarks Aqil.

He shares that student benefits are everywhere in the USA, from discounts at stores to various perks or even free passes to certain museums. “Be on the lookout for them because it can save you time and money and open up new places and opportunities you might have yet to learn about. For example, learning how to take public transport; only some students can afford a car, and only a few cities are very conducive. So navigating the local public transport can be handy,” advises Aqil.

Aqil also shares that building credit is essential, especially for those considering settling in the US. “The four-year suspended undergraduate is an excellent time to learn how to build monetary and financial skills. Starting with student credit cards can help, and having those years under your belt can help you further down the line,” he adds.

Living with roommates, learning to be clean, doing chores, getting health insurance, and setting schedules are also critical for undergrad students. “A lot of the time, health insurance is included in the tuition that you pay, and there are a lot of opportunities and benefits to take care of your physical and mental health that often don’t go used,” continues Aqil.

Building Relationships and Mental Health

“Maintaining friendships takes effort as an undergrad student, and that’s a skill to be learned and an adjustment. Following your interests, making time for your hobbies, joining clubs, and making friends at work can help build these relationships,” he says, adding that having comfort in your solitude is also essential. “As an international student with family in Malaysia I spend more time alone.”

He says that in line with building a support group, there will be other students, older students, professors, and family you can connect with. “Having people around you to support and talk to can be helpful in terms of career and thinking about your network. Many different things can change, and new opportunities can come up, so be prepared for that, adaptable, and open to whatever comes your way.”

Aqil also stresses being mindful of one’s mental health. “The undergraduate experience can be very stressful, and there are a lot of new challenges coming at you from different directions and commitments. Things can take a toll and add a lot of pressure, so it’s essential to be aware of that, acknowledge it, and take steps to address your concerns.”

Are you interested to learn more? We invite you to watch the full video where Aqil gave more insights on university life in Seattle, in the USA! Want to become a mentor? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Students Get Real! with with Amierul Aqil Khairi (‘15) appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

When a Senior is heading off to university, a few to-do lists are on the horizon, involving preparations for the last few months at school and, more dauntingly, what comes after it. Sure, the world wide web presents many probable answers, but do they truly get what it’s like?

This is where ISKL’s Get Real! series comes into play. Get Real! is where our High School students can explore university options with their predecessors, the ISKL Alumni. The seventh installment of the series took place virtually, with ISKL lifer and Class of 2021 alumni Shuang Shuang Li, who shared her experiences – from the advantages of taking the IB in preparation for a university to general tips on living in Vancouver as a psychology undergraduate at the University of British Columbia.

The Advantages of taking the IB in preparation for University

Shuang Shuang shared her thoughts on the most crucial advantages of taking the IB and first talked about how it helped to manage her time better and break down extensive assignments into smaller parts. “When you work on your Internal Assessments and your Extended Essays, you learn how to break them down; for example, it’s best to work on your introduction today and your results tomorrow. Things like that make a big assignment seem less stressful,” says Shuang Shuang.

Another advantage Shuang Shuang mentioned is that students can transfer credits from courses learned in IB to university. “I could transfer eight science credits into university, so I didn’t have to take extra science courses. If you get good grades for the IB, you can technically skip the first year and have less workload than someone who didn’t,” she says.

She also talked about how vital citations and academic integrity are, saying, ‘It would help if you understood plagiarism and learned how to format your citations properly. Professors don’t teach you these kinds of things, and they expect you to know it or research citations in your free time. Ask your mentors or librarian if you have questions about citations because they are people you’re familiar with. It can sometimes be intimidating to ask a professor questions in front of a class of 200 people.”

Living in Vancouver, Canada

Shuang Shuang remarked about how beautiful the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus is and how it happens to be ranked the prettiest campus in Canada. When talking about living in Vancouver, Shuang Shuang mentions that after living in Malaysia for 12 years, she feels she isn’t particularly built for the cold weather. “Compared to Calgary or other parts of Canada, Vancouver has relatively good weather. We usually have nice weather, but there’s a period in October when it rains almost every day. This year winter came early, and it snowed yesterday – so there are about five centimeters of snow outside right now!” she adds.

Transitioning to life as a University Student

“There’s a lot of fun stuff you get to experience, especially if you’re not under your parent’s supervision anymore, which means a lot more freedom and independence,” shares Shuang Shuang. She discusses how there’s more opportunity to explore the surroundings, but this can act as a double-edged sword as some students get kicked out of university for not keeping up with their assignments. “Some students might feel safe as they had good grades before and choose to party during the weekends. However, unlike high school, professors won’t track you down and ask where your assignment is. They will mark you zero if you don’t hand your work in – there’s no negotiation and they’ll just cut off 10% of your final grade. It’s always imperative to keep up with your work in university.”

Shuang Shuang also remarks on the importance of managing finances and everyday chores such as cooking, laundry, and running errands. “At home, your parents are doing all this stuff for you, and your responsibility every day as a high schooler is basically to get good grades. But as a university student, you realize how much time is needed to complete these chores. I often debated whether I should write my essay first or if I should go grocery shopping because there’s no more food in the house!”

Opportunities for Part-Time Work while Studying

Shuang Shuang shared that many local students in Canada move out of their parent’s house at 18 and live independently. “They have to pay their rent, bills, groceries, and take on jobs as servers, tutors, retail workers, lab assistants, or teaching assistants,” says Shuang Shuang. “Their primary purpose for doing this is to survive, but for international students, it’s considered more of an experience that you can write on your resume once you graduate.”

She added that in her first year, she tutored English vocabulary to kids, thanks to a recommendation from a friend. “I also started my own nail business and am very proud of it as it was a spontaneous idea and the most independent thing I’ve ever achieved,” says Shuang Shuang. By doing this, she feels that she’s learned a lot about communication, organization, relationships, and technical skills, adding, “I’m not telling you that you must start a business, but it is something to consider. Other people I know have also started businesses, such as making goods, handicrafts, knitting goods so they can be more financially independent.”

Dealing with Homesickness

A current ISKL student asked how Shuang Shuang coped with the transition and if she experienced homesickness. Shuang Shuang replied saying, “homesickness – you can’t avoid it. You come to a new country by yourself, and you’re away from family, away from everyone. You need to take this time to become more independent and grow as a person.” Although missing her parents and teachers considerably, she realizes that they are her comfort zone, and stepping out of that was somewhat tricky but essential. “You get used to it after the first couple of months, the part where you will struggle the most. However, you’ll meet new people and make friends. You can always call your parents and visit them during Christmas and summer break. I dealt with homesickness well because I could always call my parents,” advises Shuang Shuang.

​​One tip she shares to cope with homesickness is for students to make their new home feel like a home. “Decorate your home and keep pictures of people you miss on a wall in your room. I have many pictures with friends, my badminton group, etc.” She also advises constantly staying in touch with people “Whether it’s by text message or calling your parents frequently – this is the best way to cope with homesickness.”

Are you interested to learn more? We invite you to watch the full video where Shuang Shuang gave more insights on university life in Vancouver, in Canada! Want to become a mentor? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Students Get Real! with Shuang Shuang Li appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

This is where ISKL’s Get Real! series comes into play. Get Real! is where our High School students can explore university options with their predecessors, the ISKL Alumni. The sixth installment of the series took place virtually, with Class of 2021 alumni Megan Lim, who shared her experiences – from sharing the key benefits of taking the IB in preparation for a university to general tips on living in the UK as a law undergraduate at the University of Bristol.

Key Benefits of taking the IB in preparation for University

Megan shares many vital advantages of taking the IB, such as time management, knowing how to write essays, and knowing when to study. “IB makes you take math or a science subject, which is good because it builds you into a well-rounded student. However, in university, you have the choice to pick specifically what course you’re doing. Everything I’m learning about, I’m interested in, and it’s easier for me to engage in,” says Megan.

Another significant advantage is time management. “I had to juggle many different responsibilities when I took the IB, and it’s the same in university, if not more so. Having a good organization system and knowing how to structure your time from IB transferred well to university,” remarks Megan. She adds, “The IB English Literature taught me how to write an essay and structure it in a way that demonstrates an argument. One of the assessments in law school is that you have to analyze many different aspects of the law critically and know how to do an introduction, body, paragraphs 1 through 3, a conclusion, and then structure each section to demonstrate your argument.”

Why the University of Bristol?

Megan says she chose Bristol because she was influenced by a YouTuber who went to the university and is now qualified with one of the top law firms in London. “I wanted to be like her,” says Megan, “and upon further research, I’ve discovered how pretty the city of Bristol is and that it’s a good mix between London, a very bustling, fast-moving city, and a quieter town in Bristol. It’s an excellent in-between balance.”

Experiencing Culture Shock: Pizza, Changing Mindsets and Homesickness

Megan talked about her experience coming from an international school with an international background and how she wasn’t expecting culture shock to affect her. However, little things surprised her about living in the UK. “I don’t know if they do this in Malaysia, but Domino’s Pizza here will give you a free garlic mayo dip to dip your pizza in – I didn’t know that was a thing! It’s been life-changing. They also like barbecue-based pizza, which I don’t think is a big thing in Malaysia, but okay, I would encourage that less, but you can try it!” quips Megan.

On a more serious note, Megan also mentions how at ISKL, the school does its best to spread awareness and educate students about drugs and alcohol. However, she felt she wasn’t as mentally prepared as she should have been regarding the differing cultural attitudes between Malaysia and the United Kingdom. “In the UK, the drug and alcohol culture is normalized, and many of my friends smoke, vape, and drink alone. Even though I knew this existed in the world, I feel that maybe every student should be mentally prepared for it. There isn’t any peer pressure to do any of this, but it’s more of just being aware and seeing that this happens in real life,” shares Megan.

Megan also emphasizes that joining social clubs or networking events is a great way to mingle and meet new people. “In the first year, I didn’t feel homesick until the end of the academic year because many things were going on; I had so many things to get used to and many new people to meet. It certainly helps to know other international students and people who live in the same city. You can easily relate to them about the feeling of homesickness or about missing certain types of food,” shares Megan.

Finding A Home

Megan shared her experience finding accommodation in her first year and how she got lucky as she stayed at the university’s halls. “I had a room with my own ensuite bathroom and shared a kitchen with four other people,” she says. Megan also advises students to go for a room with their own bathroom “because sometimes, in catered accommodation, one may end up sharing a bathroom with 15 to 20 people, even though someone is preparing the meals.”

She added that in Bristol, the housing market is very saturated, so by January of their first year, students will struggle if they don’t have a house. “It would help if you got on that very quickly because there are so many students, and Bristol is very limited in terms of housing. I recommend getting accommodation by late November or early December,” shares Megan.

Preparing for a Law School Interview

One of the questions by current ISKL students was, “What do law schools look for in an applicant?” Megan remarks, “The one thing many universities said when I applied is that you don’t need any work experience. They’re looking to see that you’re motivated to learn the law and that you want to do it. Knowing what you want to do in the future shows you’re more attached to the subject.” She also advised about expressing interest in the university’s law programs and sharing if they’d read any books or materials or watched any movies or documentaries about law and the legal world.

“Prepare well for your interview; you can get a lot of good practice books on writing essays and keep up with the news. I like to listen to the Financial Times on Spotify every morning because it’s an excellent way to give yourself a brief outline of what’s happening in the financial and commercial world. You can also skim through the BBC headlines and pick out something interesting on the Internet that is relevant to what’s happening worldwide,” concludes Megan.

Are you interested to learn more? We invite you to watch the full video where Megan gave more insights on university life in Bristol, in the United Kingdom! Want to become a mentor? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Students Get Real! with Megan Lim appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

This is where ISKL’s Get Real! series comes into play. Get Real! is where our High School students have the opportunity to explore university options with their predecessors, the ISKL Alumni. The fifth installment of the series took place in person, with Class of 2021 alumni Molly Godde and Hina Singh, who shared their experiences- from the admissions process to university life as an undergraduate.

Research Matters

When selecting universities, Hina, who is attending the University of Chicago, shared that the best strategy for her was to research different universities and attend events to understand the school better. “In COVID, it’s difficult to visit schools, but virtual events also gauge how the universities and student body look. They helped me decide which university I wanted to apply to.”

Molly, who had her eyes set on Melbourne University but decided to go for La Trobe University, said the decision came after thorough research and learning more about other universities. She explains, “Look at universities not based on their reputation. I did some digging and looked at what was important to me, and that was my course. Melbourne University had always been my dream university, but I had to let that go.”

Essay Advice

After selecting your choices, the next step would be to impress your university’s admission officers with a fantastic application essay. Hina’s advice? Stay true to yourself. “I got an email from my admissions officer, who read my essay and felt like she was speaking to me. Keeping that authenticity alive was essential in my application.”

“You can do a bunch of activities in High School, but if you’re doing it to fill up your resume, I feel like admissions officers will see through that. The ability to make those experiences meaningful and being able to write about them makes so much more sense.”

Staying Grounded

One of the questions by students was about transitioning to university life as a third culture kid (TCK), as it is normal for TCKs to feel a sense of rootlessness, even as they head off to university. Molly echoes the sentiment and thinks that the way to combat this is to keep doing what you love. “I think it’s important to continue or maintain the things that you love and the things that relax you and make you comfortable.”

Hina adds that she found it easier when there is a sense of familiarity in keeping to who you are as a person; for her, that was touch rugby and singing. “I played touch rugby throughout High School and Middle School, and UChicago had a rugby team, so I joined the team. I am also in an acapella?group. Those two things grounded me, rooted me in the university, and made me feel at home. I found a community and a support system. That was very important to me.”

“I feel like the best way for me to be able to give back to my High School is to offer some advice that I would have appreciated when I was in High School as well.”

One of the most rewarding ways for alumni to give back is by imparting valuable wisdom, which rings true for Hina, who was part of the inaugural Get Real! session with Professor Birdthistle when she was in ISKL and is now a mentor herself.

Are you interested to learn more? We invite you to watch the full video where Molly and Hina gave more insights on university life in Melbourne and Chicago! Want to become a mentor? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Students Get Real! with Molly Godde and Hina Singh appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

“I came back here to help the graduates by sharing my experiences and telling them how different and exciting the journey is going to be.” – Yuvraj Jaisinghani (’21)

It goes without a saying that when a student is becoming a graduate in High School, they are experiencing a spectrum of emotions as it’s hard to fathom that school life, as they know it, is coming to an end. And, who better to share their post-graduation experiences than our alumni, who have gone through a similar journey?

This is where the annual Senior Assembly comes to play. It is an avenue where our students can ask our alumni panel questions about their experiences and lessons learned as they navigate life after ISKL. Hosted by Alumni Engagement & Development Lead Kendra Jones with Nordin Abdullah as the Guest Speaker, here are this year’s dynamic alumni panel:

• Abhi Narsiman (’17), The National University of Ireland
• Anna Greer (’19), The University of Southern California
• Isabella Jokella (’20), The University of Toronto
• Thian Amarasekera (’21), Boston University
• Thomas Bogasz (’21), The University of Sydney?
• Amiiratu Muthia Wisasani (¡®18), Bandung Institute of Technology
• Sydnie Stout (’21), Texas A&M University
• Yuvraj Jaisinghani (’21), The University of London
• Bausch Koh (’20), NYU Stern School of Business
• Floris Gast (’20), Erasmus University College

Our panel gave sage advice on their transition during the pandemic and adjusting to university life as the world transitions back to the new normal, balancing new responsibilities, living far away from family, and staying connected to their international school community.

“When I left, I didn’t think I would be as attached. But coming back and seeing the campus, all these nice, happy memories were really special. It’s a sense of community that you never want to lose, and you want to guide your juniors.” – Sydnie Stout (’21)

“I think it’s a cool thing to do. I enjoyed the Senior Assembly when it happened to me. And I think this is an extraordinary year where you don’t know what will happen. People are going to be anxious about university and stuff, so hopefully, this will help them.” – Thian Amarasekera (’21)

One of the most rewarding ways for alumni to give back is by imparting valuable knowledge and inspiring students to thrive as global citizens. Echoing Sydnie and Thian, the Senior Assembly is an invaluable experience and creates lasting memories as the graduates embark on a new chapter after High School.

Welcome to the Alumni family, Class of 2022. Once a Panther, Always a Panther!

The post Celebrating the Class of 2022! appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

On Sunday, December 12th, the ISKL Jazz Night Combo had their first public performance! ISKL was asked to perform at the KLCC Convention Center as part of the Ministry of Education’s commemoration of their first 100 days in office. The Malaysian Family Aspiration event featured a variety of musical and dancing groups from several schools, as well as a 20-minute performance by the ISKL High School Jazz Combo. The group consisted of Grade 10 pupils Nam, Jaden, Greg, Shinto, and Aneesh, who were directed by Jonathan Baird and played with the ensemble by Mr. Ashton. They were all professional, upbeat, and played with panache!

The ceremony was attended by the Ministry of Education, Private Education Department Director, Encik Fauzi Asirop, Deputy Director, Puan Aniza Binti Kamarulzaman, and a host of other Ministry representatives. It was a fine addition to ISKLs long performing arts tradition.

By the week of January 24th, a fantastic SOP-friendly performance by the High School Jazz band and singers took place in the Robert B. Gaw Theater. The performance was attended by both high school and middle school students, in socially distant seating arrangements, and live streamed for the wider ISKL community. The ISKL Singers and Jazz Combo put on a spectacular presentation under the direction of Jaymin and Jonathan Baird, which had us tapping our feet to the music. Their determination, as well as their amazing talent, shined through in their performances, and we are incredibly proud of them.

Alumni Amazing Race

This virtual event consisted of a series of virtual challenges to be completed individually, or with a team of Alumni. The challenges took them around the world, and back to ISKL. Each challenge was completed in a set amount of time, and the individual or team that completed the race the fastest, was the winner. Read more about the race and winners here.

Addams Family

Our High School (HS) students put on a creepy, hilarious, and fun rendition of The Addams Family musical, which filled The Robert B. Gaw Theater with lively music. With almost 50 kids involved in the production, this lyric from the opening number: “When you’re an Addams, you’ve got to have a lot of passion!”

rang true as students demonstrated their passion and range of abilities. Tina Casey, ISKL’s Performing Arts Director and HS and IB Theater Teacher, gave us an all-access ticket to the highly anticipated musical and explained how it represents hope for our Panthers. We catch up with Mrs. Casey later in the newsletter, who is featured in this edition’s faculty profile.

Our students had to adjust and pivot, just like the odd family in the musical, especially with SOP limits that stopped them from running the way it would have been before COVID. Mrs. Casey praised the pupils’ perseverance and enthusiasm for theater on this topic. “They were very resilient and kept up their desire for it,” she remarked. Even if we don’t teach them anything else, we’re teaching them that in the face of adversity, they can conquer anything.”

Were you a student of Mrs. Caseys, or one of our other esteemed performing arts faculty? We’d love to hear your memories. Don’t be shy to share them with us at [email protected]

Return of ASAs

Our After-school Activities (ASA) program is crucial in assisting students in developing and practicing the learning outcomes established by our School-wide Learning Results (SLRs), and we are thrilled to have them back on campus. As Malaysia officially enters the Transition to Endemicity phase as of April 1, Head of School Rami Madani reminded the community that all Ministry of Education SOPs remain in place for schools and we remain vigilant in their implementation. Nevertheless, after many months of quiet after-school-hours, life has returned to the fields, swimming pools, music rooms, and all of the other spaces around campus meant for after-school fun and learning. Its been encouraging to see students eagerly participating and happily joining in again in person.

IASAS 40th

If you follow us on social media, you would be inundated by now with nostalgic IASAS social media posts. In an homage to ESPN’s 30 for 30 sports documentary series, we have put together 40 days of IASAS posts featuring each IASAS sport, competition, and event in celebration of 40 years of IASAS. There are even some special bonus posts honoring the faculty/staff, parents and fans that contribute to the joy that is participating in IASAS. It has been a special walk down memory lane, and we have so enjoyed your interaction and engagement with the posts. We love hearing your memories, untold stories, and especially the photos from your personal archives.

IASAS is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2022, and ISKL has been a participant since the beginning. The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) was created in the fall of 1982. The foundations of the organization were laid much earlier, with athletic events organized amongst several of the international schools in Southeast Asia. We will again be recognizing this big anniversary, and ISKL’s founding role in the association in semester 1 of the 2022-2023 school year. In the meantime, read the full history and stories behind each of the 40 posts here.

Alumni Tours, Entering Campus

The borders in Malaysia are now open. While this is fantastic and exciting news, the Ministry of Education is still in the process of revising its SOPs. As such, the campus is technically still closed to visitors. We have put in place the option for campus tours with advanced booking. There are limited times and slots available, so do plan ahead if you would like to visit. Meet-ups with your former teachers, subject to their availability, can also be arranged in advance. If you are interested in a campus visit, please click here.

Please note that ALL SOPs must be strictly followed to keep our community and visitors safe Thank you for your understanding and precious collaboration.

The post Campus Updates Mar/Apr 2022 appeared first on ISKL Alumni.

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the IASAS association, we have covered all three seasons of IASAS competitions and conventions in 40 days. 40 years in 40 days is exhausting, but not nearly as exhausting as the punishing workouts the coaches put their players through in preparation, or the countless hours working on strategy for a chess competition, or nailing a dance routine. Extra-curricular activities are crucial in assisting students in developing and practicing interpersonal skills, improving self-esteem and building interest in new things, teaching time-management skills, encouraging community involvement, teaching persistence and follow-through, and generally supporting overall health and well-being.

Grades aren’t the only way to determine growth. Students can learn in ways besides doing extensive reading and listening to their teachers’ lectures. The skills they develop beyond the classroom often prove to be the most important life-skills they attain while in school. Some of these skills include discipline, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving amongst others.

Having a school sports and activity conference such as IASAS serves a variety of purposes, including offering frequent opportunities for member schools to compete in a relatively level playing field and contributing to each members’ overall community well-being. The founders of IASAS created a conference that not only celebrated athletics, but included non-sport competitions such as Debate and Forensics, Art, Theater, Math, and Chess amongst others, that has grown over the years, adding new competitions to serve the needs of the students. This provided numerous students with the opportunity to find and develop their interests. The valuable skills gained while exploring a new area can ignite the passion for future pursuits, whether they participate in academic competitions, athletics, dance clubs, or music groups.

Current ISKL Athletics Director Ryan Naughton sums up the value of IASAS with this explanation, “During my time, we have hosted Badminton, Rugby/Touch, Model United Nations, Cross-Country, and Volleyball tournaments with 80-150 students attending from the other five IASAS schools from around Southeast Asia. With all the fanfare of an American high school state finals tournament or a rugby/soccer tour of Asia or Europe. The families of ISKL accepted these students into their homes, fed them, washed their clothes/uniforms, and created memories that ISKL alumni still talk about! During the pandemic, we have hosted virtual IASAS Music and virtual IASAS Debate and Forensics Cultural Conventions. All IASAS tournaments, virtual or inperson, are not as much about the sport or the activity as much as they are about the learning experience for the students.”

Read more about IASAS from Mr. Naughton in our most recent faculty spotlight, as well as in the Season 1 and Season 2 articles. And, standby for more IASAS lookbacks and celebrations as the 40th Anniversary celebrations continue into the new school year.

Service

Students from the five IASAS schools led, collaborated and organized their first ever IASAS Service Conference in November 2020 in order to learn about each others work and approaches to Service learning. Then, seniors Eunji Ee (21) and Asha Octoman (21) spearheaded the planning, preparation, and participant recruitment for ISKL with assistance from the HS Service Council marketing committee and other ISKL stakeholders. The event was conducted virtually and students from other IASAS schools including ISB, JIS, SAS and ISM were able to come together and share their passions for service and sustainability during Covid-19. Through a variety of inspiring, informative workshops and interscholastic activities, participants were able to discuss and understand the processes taken by each schools service council and the methods taken to conduct their clubs mission. Eunji and Asha also had a chance to voice their experience in their respective service and sustainability work at ISKL and in KL through Key Club, Earth Club, Service Council, food drive, etc.

The virtual IASAS Service event held at the beginning of the year in January 2022 marked another year of success, with the collaboration of the same schools. The eye-opening experience included five workshops from each school. Unlike other athletics and activities tournaments, the IASAS Service Conference is essentially a one-day event that consists of a presentation of various service projects that each school has supported, as well as workshops led by professionals to improve the quality and efficacy of service in the IASAS community. The main event of the conference is the 35 minute club collaboration session where students from the different clubs discuss and share what they do to reach a common objective related to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here, everybody truly is a winner, striving to be better, paving the way for a sustainable future!

Golf

The first ever IASAS Golf Tournament was held in Malaysia in 2013 at Saujana Golf Course with the finals at Bangi Golf Course. With hard work and dedication to preparation for IASAS, the boys won bronze and the girls placed fifth. This was an especially memorable year for athlete Jong Min Park (‘15) who was only a sophomore on the team and the gold medalist for the IASAS Boys category. He was also the recipient of the IASAS All Tournament Award. During the IASAS closing ceremony, the All Tournament award is given to the athlete or athletes who stood out the most during the three-day tournament. For some, being an All Tournament player comes as no surprise being stand-outs all season, but for others, being named All Tournament comes from performing exceptionally well in the games that many people consider to be the most important. Park stated “Golf has always been an important part of my life…Through the golf team, I was able to connect with other peers from different schools who shared the same interest, and I was able to compete competitively with other players. Also, the coaches from the golf team were always encouraging me to perform at my best and were always encouraging me to improve my game.” The first team was led by coaches Michael Egeland (faculty alumni ‘05-’15) and Scott Muir (faculty alumni ‘99-’15) who also coached the following 3 years together.

In 2016 Captain, and four-year IASAS Athlete, Seong Geun Park (‘16) said of his experience “ We weren’t able to win gold in the tournament, but we surely returned home with many valuable memories. I am absolutely looking forward to seeing how much further the team will improve next year. I can say without any hesitation that this was the best IASAS season that I had in four years.” An extension of special thanks went out to the coaches, who since the sport began in ISKL, took the time to go above and beyond to help each student perfect their strokes and form to perform their best! They took their time to practice twice a week as well as set a different course for students to compete on the weekend. Though 2019 was the final year IASAS Golf took place and 2020 was cut short due to Covid-19, we hope that it continues to grow in our community and makes a big comeback very soon!

Track

In late March of the 1983-1984 school year the varsity softball and track teams competed in the second annual IASAS Softball and Track & Field tournament held at the International School of Bangkok (ISB). That year the Varsity Boys Track team won their tournament while the girls proudly placed third out of the five schools. ISKL varsity boys went on to win two more times in the 19941995 and 1995-1996 school years. From the first day, each track participant was pushed to the limit – big hills, small hills, stairs, build-ups and the dreaded intervals were not only part of everyday after school practices but it also ran into the weekends, holidays and even spring break.

Of the girl’s track and field varsity teams the oldest records held are by Isabel Jantos (‘05) from 2004 and 2005, for her 100 meter and 200 meter events. “When I graduated from ISKL in 2005, I did not think that 18 years later I would still hold 2 ISKL Track & Field records. I remember those days quite fondly as if they happened just yesterday. Initially I didn’t want to break records, I just wanted to win gold but one coach, Mr. Grant Millard (faculty alumni ‘00-’14) said I could break records. The day I broke the records, I was so exhausted after leaving it all on the track that it wasn’t until someone told me my time and said “you broke a record” that it sunk in. If it wasn’t for the encouragement of my coaches, these records would not have been broken by me. IASAS Track & Field was one of the best times I had at ISKL; friendships were made amongst the rivalry and the memories created will stay with me forever“.

Michael Dixon (‘97) earned a whopping four records in 1997, with three being conference-wide IASAS records that have yet to be broken. In fact, both Michael and fellow teammate Paul Guyan (‘96) qualified for the Malaysian National Championships. Paul also became the Selangor Champion in the 400m in 1997.

2019 was the final face-to-face IASAS track and field event attended by all six international schools at Taipei American School (TAS). ISKL had several celebrations; the Varsity Girls’ placed third and the Boys’ fifth. Three girls received the four-year IASAS award, one of which Marthanne Davis (‘19), won for volleyball and basketball too. Finally, a big hurrah was given to Zayley Holli (‘19) for tying an existing IASAS record in the women’s 800 meter event!

Though everyone may not win a gold, one of the greatest aspects of this sport is that there is always your personal best to beat and the pride an athlete feels once achieved. Individually and collectively as a team, the support and encouragement are unforgettable!

Will Track and Field follow in the footsteps of Season 1 athletics and activities and be brought to us in a fun online platform? Or better yet, will in-person events return in the 2022-2023 school year? We definitely have our fingers crossed!

Baseball and Softball

ISKL Baseball and Softball were part of the very first IASAS Tournament that our school participated in during the 1982-1983 school year. The very first tournament was hosted by the Dragons at Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) where they dominated! ISKL hosted the tournament in the 1984-1985 school year. The 1990’s Girls’ Softball team led by coaches Gary McElroy and Jane Lowery, had a thrilling race toward their championship! The girls fought hard and long through the humidity and rain for their title and earned what they deserved. The varsity boys Softball team won their first gold in 2008. It was a spectacular season for those athletes! This season was full of obstacles, with injuries and unfortunate events from a broken collarbone, a bad case of laryngitis to a last minute trip of one of the players back to the United States a week before IASAS, but the boys and Coaches O’Leary and Peterson, fought hard on the path to victory. The team pulled through to overcome these difficulties, never losing faith in each other and truly believing in themselves and their teammates..

2019 was the final year for the IASAS Softball Tournaments before Covid-19 put a halt to the games. Though neither teams placed in IASAS both walked off the pitch in true Panther pride with heads up and smiles on their faces. Hanna Muse (‘19), captain of the varsity girls’ Softball team expressed “No matter how many games you win, or how few, what makes a season fun are the people you win or lose with, and sometimes, losing games can actually be more fun. This season is one to be missed by many, but more importantly, it’s a team that won’t be forgotten”. Captain of the Varsity Men’s Baseball team, Yongseok Lee (‘19) proudly stated “We came together as a team mentally and physically to reach our goal of winning a game at IASAS”.

Badminton

Though badminton was one of the sports that had a club early in

ISKL history dating all the way back to 1968, it only joined the IASAS tournaments at a much later date in the 1996-1997 school year. It was first hosted at Taipei American School (TAS). ISKL had the chance to host shortly after in 1998-1999. With a mix of fresh players, some who had never played before and others with very little experience, the team started out with nearly 50 players but only sixteen were chosen for the squad who practiced five times a week. Though both teams placed last the young athletes described the tournament as fun and a great learning experience! Richard Hession (’98) stated “This year’s team members have been the pioneers in the ISKL badminton program and under the guidance of Mr. Tan, badminton can grow to be one of the biggest sports in the school.” IASAS also gives the opportunity to win not only medals but also recognizes an All Tournament player, selected by all of the participating schools. One Panther, Bausch Koh (’20) was the recipient in 2019.

ISKL placed sixth for the first IASAS Badminton tournament but these team members were nevertheless the pioneers in the ISKL badminton program and built a solid foundation for the potential of badminton.

Fast forward to 2015 when ISKL won their first gold with the varsity boys Badminton team who won again in 2016. “I hope this year is just the beginning of our domination. Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination and a hard-to-find alloy called guts” concluded Shivam Yadav (‘16). Unfortunately due to Covid-19, 2019 was the final year that the badminton team participated in IASAS but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for those birdies to make their way back to the court!

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Elena Ortiz (17)

recently shared a policy brief she co-authored with her @worldbank colleagues that summarizes research findings and derives gender-focused policy recommendations for reducing the incidence of poverty within displaced and host communities.  Research from the Gender Dimensions of Forced Displacement program reveals how women are

disproportionately affected by forced displacement. Climate change is an increasing driver of forced displacement, accounting for about 75 percent of new internal displacements in 2020. Elena goes on to say, “Given the expanding threat of climate change and the compelling evidence pointing to its gendered impacts, policymakers need to listen to and amplify the voices of women, especially those living in coastal and rural areas who are most vulnerable.”

Clementine Schillings (11)

is a Senior Project Researcher and Administrator at the Fordham University Law School in their social justice center. At the center, her main focus is on their immigration work, which before the pandemic included site visits to the U.S. Mexico border to help migrants prepare for their asylum claims. Clementine points out that “Immigration is hugely affected by climate change. We will continue to see an increase of migrants as the climate continues to alter. My work in immigration is to mitigate the effects on migrants fleeing natural disasters or climate driven conflicts.”  She goes on to highlight “What is interesting, is that I work mostly with women. They are leading the charge, for the most part, in finding innovative ways to help protect vulnerable populations.”

Hannah Rose(’17)

spends her days working for the Women’s Justice and Freedom Initiative, which advocates for the safety, wellbeing, and release of incarcerated women and girls in the United States. Sustainability is only achievable if marginalized communities like this are given a voice. More prone to poverty and displacement, the families of incarcerated women will be more significantly impacted by the effects of climate change than others. When asked what it means for women and girls to live in a sustainable world, Hannah replied, “It means a world where women and girls know their futures are protected, ensured, and fruitful.”

Camila Guzman(’17)

is an Outreach Coordinator for Zero Waste Schools, a program of the non-profit @growNYC. GrowNYC runs many programs with the goal of making the city more sustainable. Zero Waste Schools (ZWS) is one of those programs. As an Outreach Coordinator, Camila works with schools across all five boroughs and helps them strengthen their recycling and composting efforts. She works with multiple schools at a time and helps make a connection between waste management, sustainability, community and environmental & social issues.  On this year’s #IWD2022 theme, Camila has this to say: “True sustainability can’t be attained without dismantling all systems of oppression. Sustainability is composed of three pillars; environment, equity (also referred to as social) and the economy. To achieve sustainable development, we must understand how these pillars are connected, and actively work at their intersection.”

It is our privilege to recognize and celebrate this exciting and inspiring group of young women working toward a sustainable future for all.  Read more about Elena, Clementine, Hannah, and Camila, and their work in the upcoming Alumni Newsletter.

#isklalumni #internationalwomensday #isklproud #sustainability #womenandgirls #SDGs

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Theater Tech

The Audio Visual Club is in charge of Theater maintenance. They are responsible for creating the entire atmosphere of the stage and play a major component in the success of a show. From lighting, sound, microphones, and right down to the finite details, they are the backbone of every theater production. In the past, they were part of the drama club, in which the stage and lighting crew took part until 1983, when the Audio Visual club became its very own, led by Mr. Alex Chavez (alumni faculty 77-87). Members began by learning how to operate the theater lights and sound and how to set up lighting scenes and sequences for plays, musicals and other theater events.

In 1990 they adopted the name Sound and Light and the club became a formal class conducted by Mr. Alan McLean (alumni faculty 87-92). With the new upgrade, came new equipment. The improvements allowed students to easily raise and lower light bars, enabling them to quickly change alignments and create new lighting effects. One of this crews biggest achievements was creating a sunset and thunderstorms for the first time, followed by the 91 set-up of the CulCon where many compliments were given about the evenings set up, in particular, the student technicians, sound and light operators, and the stage crew.

In 2012 the Cultural Convention became three events (Music, Art/Dance/Drama/Tech, and Debate/Forensics). Finally in 2019-2020 Art and Film became its own event taking place in November with the other three conventions (Music, Dance/Drama/Tech, and Debate/Forensics) taking place in March. The IASAS tech crew that accompanies the drama team each year is the perfect display of a whole other form of talent – their work does not go unnoticed! Each year students contribute outstanding ideas and elements to the years performances. The theater tech team truly comes together behind the scenes to bring imagination to life. The tech students do so spectacularly and manage to blow away audiences each year with the final production.

Forensics

When Dr Gail Schoppert arrived as administrator of ISKL in the summer of 1978, one of his first decisions was that …we had to have a forensics tournament to hone the speaking and acting skills of our student body. My motivation, of course, was to give the opportunity to develop public speaking skills to ISKL students and those of other schools. In my view, no student should leave high school without the ability to give a cogent short speech to persuade. Though the baton of hosting the tournament has been passed from year to year, the IASAS Forensics and Debate Conference continues to include the following five events: Extemporaneous Speaking, Debate, Impromptu speech, Original Oratory and Oral Interpretation. Like many of the athletics teams, these delegates employ their own techniques to de-stress and warm their facial muscles and vocal chords which in the past included standing in a circle making weird noises, singing 2000s pop songs and even rapping. 1983 was its first year as a formal club. The Forensics team had many committed and helpful sponsors in it early years including: Mrs. Patricia Buck, Mrs Merrily Van Zevern, Mrs. Gloria Lubon, Miss Anne Hamilton, Mrs. Judith Pearce and Dr. Gail Schoppert. Their hard work and dedication laid the groundwork for many years ahead.

Though Debate and Forensics went virtual in 2021, each participant in the four categories worked extremely hard and adapted very well to the new online setting. The speeches were recorded, then uploaded. The debate portion was held via zoom. The need to multitask, research, and think on your feet can make IASAS forensics both incredibly fun and demanding. Congratulations to the 2022 speech and debate team on a successful three day weekend where ISKL placed in extemporaneous, impromptu, original oratory and oral interpretation. We extend our congratulations to the efforts of the talented Debate team who competed with their heads held high in the most excellent fashion!

Music

In the first year of the Cultural Convention (CulCon), 1983, Mr. Alex Chavez who led the high school mixed choir group stated ¡°With luck, ISKL will be able to participate more fully in the IASAS Cultural Fair [what is now known as Cultural Convention] and a large music festival can be staged. Many choirs will be able to perform and then sing en masse¡±. The next school year Mr. Chavez also said that the chorus enrollment was the largest since the first high school group was organized in 1978. In 1986, ISKL had the opportunity to be the host and the choir members were involved in a mass concert with the other five international schools – this goes to show that in addition to athletics, IASAS exhibits and embrace”xciting new artists and academic leaders year after year!

The music portion of the Cultural Convention is divided into two sections: vocal and instrumental. The mass band in 1989 was enormous – over twenty flutes, seven oboes, seven trombones, and lots of trumpets. Stephanie Cox (90), a flute soloist said I couldnt even see the trumpets. Gabriela Hawkes (18) expressed I have participated in this event for the past two years, and I always come back incredibly motivated and inspired to further develop my personal skills and abilities as a musician. There is something so special about the gathering of hundreds of students who all share the same love and appreciation for music. I wouldnt trade my experiences at IASAS Music for the world, and I can say with confidence that the friendships that I made with my vocals team and musicians from other schools will last a lifetime.

In early March 2022, 30 talented, adaptable, and passionate musicians took part in two virtual days and one in-person day over this past week. Students prepared for solo, octet, and large ensemble events for months leading up to the convention and their final performances deserved a standing ovation! In early March 2022, 30 talented, adaptable, and passionate musicians took part in two virtual days and one in-person day. Students prepared for solo, octet, and large ensemble events for months leading up to the convention and their final performances deserved a standing ovation!

Dance

When Ms.Aggie Brenneman joined the ISKL physical education department in 1979 she offered the first movement and dance courses. Ms Karen Palko continued to build this program when she began in 1983, and through her creativity and endless energy, dance has become an integral part of the fine arts program in high school and middle school. The Cultural Convention (CulCon) started at the same time as the IASAS athletics tournaments in the 1982-1983 school year. IASAS Dance only started the following school year in 1983-1984. The first contingent of dancers that was sent to CulCon was a Tarian Lilian (a candle dance). Karen laughs as she remembers, “The funny thing is, because it was called Cultural Convention and it was our first year participating, we sent a team dressed literally in traditional costume to do a cultural dance. It wasn’t until we saw what the other teams were doing that we realized it wasn’t what we had interpreted at all!” After that, each year ISKL holds auditions for IASAS Dance, an opportunity for students to express their artistic ‘voice’ through their performance as well as participate in a variety of dance workshops.

The dance and panther legend herself, Ms. Palko elaborates “CulCon Dance started out as a competition, but soon after reverted to a collaboration and a sharing experience as opposed to a competition.” Dancers put their 20-minute performances together and perform both at our home schools and at CulCon in front of an audience. Then they receive feedback from the dancers from participating IASAS schools as well as professionals in the field.”

Upon reflection, Ms. Palko says “CulCon IASAS Dance has come a long way from the very first year. It’s hard to believe that we can have 40 years of dance shows at six schools ‘barely’ repeating any themes! That’s 240 dance performances! Not to mention the other dance shows that we each have at our respective schools! It’s a testament to the creativity and challenge that IASAS provides for our students. I love the CulCon. Being able to watch 12 different shows each year is extraordinary!”.

This year, the ‘22 IASAS Dance team performed Butterflies and were thrilled with their experience. The students watched the other shows, participated in dance workshops and bonded in ways that they hadn’t been able to experience before.

Drama

What was once a single event hosted at a single school developed and evolved over the years. First, it was split into two events in the school year of 1988 – 1989. Then, in 2019, it split into three in 2012, to finally distinguish Art and Film as their own event in November, and the other three conventions (Music, Dance and Drama, Tech, and Debate and Forensics) which take place in March. IASAS Drama is an ensemble of student actors and technicians who devise a 45-minute show, showcase it at ISKL, and finally bring it to the annual Cultural Convention (CulCon) early in the year. Theater teaches the artists and audience to have passion and compassion for one another. It is an opportunity to have an artistic voice which provides artists with a rewarding experience both on and off-stage. The Drama club was first formed in 1969, and has been fortunate enough to continue its existence from the first CulCon until present. In 1986, ISKL had the good fortune of hosting the IASAS CulCon which directed the spotlight on drama, chorus, music, dance and forensics.

Sadly by the time 2020 IASAS Drama and Tech were due to perform their piece entitled “Be” at the Singapore American School (SAS), the Covid-19 Movement Control Order in Malaysia was in full effect. The 2019 ISKL IASAS Drama Tech team’s “Tales from Watership Down” which included elements of cute bunnies, blood and well, drama, was therefore the final maskless performance.

Members of the productions work extremely hard. Those endless hours together is what brings the teams closer

together. “The end result has been the most satisfying and memorable part of this experience. Simply getting on stage and stirring nostalgia in many people is quite rewarding” explained Nengvanghoi Hangsing (‘21). Though the past two years have been virtual, “The show must go on!” This love for performance, and motivation to become better actors has not stopped our thespians but instead has encouraged students to think outside the box. The 2022 Drama team collaborated with the Tech students to perform an adaptation of Lindsey Price’s “Emotional Baggage”. The students also tuned in online and on-site at the Robert B. Gaw theater for three fabulous days of learning and sharing with other thespians from the other IASAS schools.

Chess

Raissa Chernushenko (‘79) thinks of her time in the very first Chess South East Asian Forensics Tournament in 1979. “I had the honor of being part of the very first tournament and can attest to the huge role it played in boosting my confidence for public speaking and performance. I shied away from impromptu speaking but did love oral interpretation and duet acting, placing second along with Brent Blair (‘81). The most touching gesture was made by dear Gretchen Fountain, then Schoppert (‘81) who had placed first with her brother Peter. She decided that – since I was a Senior, and she would still have another chance the following year – that I should have her first place trophy. I still have it, and her generosity still warms my heart.”

This goes to show that the only thing you can expect when going into any club at ISKL is to have NO expectations. Join with an open mind as it may lead you to try new things as it did for Raissa who, from Chess Club also went on to join Forensics, Drama and Choir concluding her experience with “I came out of my shell at ISKL”.

Chess Club was formed as early as 1969 however was missingin-action as of 1977 and did not reappear in the yearbook until

the 1980-1981 school year where the ISKL “chess-nuts” held a weekly series of military clashes over a sixty-four square battle-field. Visiting experts shared their gaming knowledge and tournament play was frequent. Pictured in the IASAS post from left to right is the first team – Danny Leong (‘81), Gene Gagliano, president (‘81), Emmanuel Agnir (‘82), Lawrence Yen (‘81) and missing from the picture, David Gagliano (‘83).

Math

You may not like it but it’s practically all around you! The formation of the Math Club was sparked by student interest in 1980. It was encouraged by Mr. Carl Jagdeo. Members met once a week to take practice tests for bigger competitions such as the Junior Math test set by the University of Waterloo, Canada. The first group pictured in the ‘80’s Harimau were Lars Wilson

(‘82), Carol Yao (‘81), David McClung (‘82), Brewster Campbell (‘82), Melinda Tong (‘81) and advisor and coach, Mr. Jagdeo.

In the IASAS Mathematics team, managed by Aryan Mishra

(‘20), club President, and Hyun Seo Lee (‘21), club Vice President made history by placing second place, the highest ranking in ISKL IASAS Mathematics history! As years passed and the teams developed, those keen mathematicians present at ISKL had the opportunity to join different competitions provided by what is now known as the Asian Math Club. ISKL placed 4th in

2021, “The IASAS Math competition is based on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) which is held globally”, expressed Joo Hyuk K. (‘22), a participant of the 2021 online IASAS event. Lydia L. (‘22) who received the highest score amongst the IASAS students said “I was shocked when I found out about my score on the AMC – it was so unexpected! At the same time, I was thrilled with the results and that my efforts had paid off. In a way, this is my contribution to the ISKL community.” Lydia and the rest of the ISKL team Coached by Seth Taylor earned 4th Place overall in IASAS last year.2020

Tennis

The first time ISKL hosted the IASAS Tennis tournaments was in 1992 – 1993 at the old Ampang Campus (Jalan Kolam Ayer Lama). Since then, ISKL has had the opportunity to host another six times to date. Both teams were competitive that year and though the girls only placed fifth and the boys fourth that season, each player was proud of their willpower and dedication. The athletes walked off the court with their heads held high, more love for the game and gratitude extending thanks to those who came out and supported them when they really needed the boost. Those who were chosen for the team practiced tennis everyday enduring the hot and humid weather, “Our tennis team is united, spirited and in other words the best!” exclaimed Samira Sheikh (‘95).

Varsity Boys Tennis’ first gold medal was received in 1986, a year after the sport officially became part of the IASAS tournaments. Only a freshman at the time, most valuable player Martin Bulow (‘89) showed great potential to help ISKL be IASAS champions for three more years.

Though tennis is an individual sport, it took a team effort to reach the gold! Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2nd season IASAS Tennis Championships did not take place in 2020 – 2021 but junior and senior athletes had a fantastic opportunity to represent their team in their jerseys, commemorating their passion for athletics, in a collage printed in the 2021 yearbook.

Swimming

ISKL Swimming had wonderful back-to-back IASAS wins in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The varsity girls swim team became IASAS champions for the first time in ISKL history in Singapore in 1998. To get a glimpse into how tough their daily training regimens were, the swim teams practiced after school five days a week ending at exactly 5:15 pm and if their Coach Lynn Kelley felt they needed more practice they were required to drag themselves from bed and be in the pool by 6:00 am for an hour and a half. To take their mind off their sore muscles and drowsiness they would count each of their stretches in a different language, “Uno-dua-san-shi-oh-six-huit-agt!”. “It was a great season. Every swimmer swam their personal best with times many of them didn’t think they were capable of. It was wonderful for the girls that those personal bests accumulated into an IASAS victory!” expressed ‘98 Coach, Lynn Kelley. The Varsity girls’ most recent win was 2012, coached by Brian Candler (current faculty). Then Captain Ali Wheeler (‘12) “Winning by 0.5 had never happened in the 30 years of IASAS swimming and as we stood around the edge of the pool to hear the results, we couldn’t believe the girls had just won IASAS. Finally beating the IASAS Girls Swimming streak at SAS who had won for 13 years. With all the records broken, the ISKL girls’ varsity team had a season that will never be forgotten”.

The Varsity Boys Swim team had a wonderful back-to-back winning season in 1995 – 1996 and 1996 – 1997. Looking back at a group image of the 1996 – 1997 IASAS ISKL swim teams at Jakarta International School (JIS), Nicholas Aghajanian (‘96) reflects on the importance of each and every coach involved, “That’s a good story too. We were only supposed to have two coaches travel with us, but we petitioned hard to include Mr. Leep Beng Goh (alumni staff ‘76 – ‘07) because he was an integral part of our team”. Today, Coach Lynn Kelley comments “ I Have probably coached 50 different teams/seasons and none compared to this. A testament to hard work, shared vision and not letting other people’s expectations define you”.

Since all after school activities remained on hold due to long COVID-19 restrictions, the 2021 – 2022 IASAS Athletic Directors decided to hold a Virtual IASAS swim meet. ISKL’s Director of Aquatics, Coach George Carpouzi explained “Each school would hold their own swim meet and then the times from all schools would be collated to get the full results. ISKL held their virtual meet on February 24th during the school day. All our swimmers had a rewarding experience even though it rained during the whole meet! Teachers brought their classes to the meet to cheer our ISKL Aqua Panthers on!”

Touch

Touch Rugby followed suit making its first appearance the 19981999 school year at the Taipei American School (TAS) where the varsity girls team placed fifth. The first year did not distinguish between Junior Varsity and Varsity and shared practices throughout the season but only ten chosen ladies traveled to TAS. Amber Snider (‘00) described the sport, “It’s not really fun to watch, but it’s a lot more fun to play. In soccer, there’s always one person who moves with the ball but in touch, we all move together with the ball. There’s a lot of strategies involved. You have to keep tossing the ball backward in order to get ahead. You have to be really agile”. 2002 was the first year that ISKL varsity touch won their well-deserved gold medal! This team was led by Coaches Chad Bates (alumni faculty ‘99 – ’08) and Alex Smith (alumni faculty ‘00 -’14) and anyone who had the opportunity to train with this great duo would definitely remember how they shaped their athletes. By the end of the grueling sessions, agility, stamina, fitness and strategy were down pat, but they always had “something fun” in their pockets to really turn those legs to jelly, like those dreaded “green monsters”. Coach Chad expressed “From the very start of the season there was a feeling of anticipation that this would be our year, and it would seem an appropriate time to win with the last of the foundation touch footballers graduating” which made all the training worth the golden touch in 2002; a winning feeling that the varsity girls champions, led by Coach Jeff Moorhead (current faculty) in the most recent 2019 “Double Gold” season can relate to. Coaches play an integral role in each IASAS sport/cultural convention so thank you to all the coaches who took and continue taking the time to share their knowledge with passionate athletes! **Note: What is a green monster? A drill to finish a training session on a high note – this incorporated pairing up and lining up five meters from either the green fence that surrounded the old Ampang Campus field or the blue padded wall in front of the fan stands. At the sound of the whistle, the first row partners run up to “make the touch” on the barrier and run backward while the second row of partners prepare to run forward when their partner reaches them. It wasn’t until your partner returned that it was considered as one rep and there was no stopping until you had reached the chosen number of reps.

Rugby

Rugby and touch rugby were two of the sports that joined the IASAS competitions at a later date. Rugby debuted in 19971998, and ISKL had the honor of being the first school to host the IASAS Rugby championships! Coincidentally, the varsity boys team led by then Activities and Athletics Director, Coach John Smith (alumni faculty ’96-’05) won gold that year! ISKL boys rugby continued this golden combination of winning and hosting in 2000, 2013, and again in 2019. The 2019 season was called the “Double Gold” for a reason! It was a very special year for the varsity rugby and varsity touch rugby teams as both won gold on home turf. “My favorite memory was the second after the whistle blew in the championship game. Knowing what the team had accomplished in front of our friends and family is beyond explainable” said Austin Griffin (‘19). Anna Thorne (‘20) added “There is never a dull moment during this season because the girls are always so positive and we can always have a laugh about stupid things together”. It’s the moments like these that athletes live for.

Basketball

ISKL was part of the very first IASAS basketball tournament hosted at the Singapore American School (SAS). The first time ISKL hosted the tournament was in the school year of 1983-1984. Though Bangkok dominated, winning both the girls and boys trophies that year, Panthers supported each other on and off the court with positivity and along with all five international schools, displayed excellent sportsmanship throughout the three-day tournament! The first recorded gold medals that the ISKL varsity boys basketball won were in 1994 and the team celebrated big with the cutting of the basketball hoop’s net for a keepsake, and of course, a team lift of their then, drenched in water guru and coach, Coach Frederick Miller. The varsity girls recorded their first medal win in 1985 and with a trophy to go with it, the girls could still not hide their winning smiles behind it. 2015-2016 was the most recent year that ISKL hosted the IASAS Basketball Tournament and the SAS Eagles claimed victory for both boys and girls but the road is always onward and upwards for our Panthers!

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Searching back far enough in each school’s sports history, uncovers instances before 1982 when each institution competed against another IASAS school. The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) requested to participate in the tournament in 1980, resulting in what was then called the Triangular Games. The notion of organizing an international school athletic conference began to take shape about this time.

The story goes that in 1981 then Head of School, Gail Shoppert, along with counterparts from SAS and JIS brought the idea to reality. Soon, Athletics Directors Al Daniel & Dave Hagan from ISKL and those from the other schools would come together to plan what we now formally call IASAS. The first events included ISB, ISKL, JIS and SAS and were held in October 1982.

Cultural conventions such as dance, Model United Nations, theater, and forensics, among others, were incorporated in addition to an athletics conference to provide co-curricular competitions that encouraged the passions of all types of students. IASAS is still evolving, in the 2021-2022 school year a Service convention was introduced.

There are 24+ sports and cultural conventions represented in all. Over the years, a healthy rivalry has developed amongst member schools, but more significantly, an unbreakable bond has developed between students, staff, and parent participants across school communities.

To commemorate 40 years of competitions, exhibitions, conferences, friendships, and memories, ISKL Alumni brings you #IASAS40for40. Read about the sporting events and cultural conventions for each season.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

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