The alumni of your child’s school can be a great source of information, support and inspiration. Here, we find out about the notable past students of some of Singapore’s international schools.
Being part of an inspiring alumni network rocks – and finding out how schools remain in close contact with their past students long after the last graduation cap has landed can really give you a glimpse into their ethos. Not only that, but if you’re looking at potential schools for your child to start at or switch to, chances are your shortlisted candidates have some pretty impressive individuals on their books, who can be a great source of inspiration, too. With that in mind, we chatted to a few of Singapore’s top international schools to find out more about some of their notable alumni and processes they have in place to stay in touch. You might even recognise a name or two!
UWC South East Asia
“Our mission is all about connecting people, nations and cultures,” says Sinéad Collins, Director of Engagement and External Relations at UWC South East Asia. “By creating connections between our alumni and our current and future community members, we hope to provide inspiration for everyone about how they can live the mission in their own lives – regardless of the path they take. While we have some high-profile graduates such as media personality and journalist Anita Kapoor and astronaut Aki Hoshide (pictured above), over on our website we chose to feature first-person reflections from alumni to demonstrate how anyone can create impact inspired by our mission.
“At the heart of our alumni engagement programme is the opportunity for our current students to connect with our alumni across the globe – and sometimes beyond it! In 2012, students from both campuses were on a videolink interview call to the International Space Station arranged by Aki when he said, “I see the world; I do not see borders” while giving the audience a view of the planet from his seat in the ISS. On his first visit back to Singapore and UWCSEA in 2016 (pictured top), he reflected on the course his life has taken as a result of the intercultural communication skills he was able to refine while at UWCSEA.
“We have regular careers and university weeks where current students connect with alumni studying specific courses or following specific career paths. This includes talks from visiting alumni – a regular visitor is conservationist and filmmaker Patrick Rouxel – a mentor program, and sharing work experience, internship and job shadowing opportunities. For our graduates, the College also provides services such as newsletters, reunions, directories and networking. Every August, we hold milestone reunion events, which start 10 years after graduation and then occur every five years thereafter.
“Setting our alumni programme apart is the extensive array of opportunities for our current students to connect with our alumni – and the ability for our alumni to stay connected and engaged with the College and the UWC mission.”
Read more on UWC South East Asia on our School Selector site.
Singapore American School
“Our alumni network consists of more than 20,000 graduates and former students who live and work all around the world, in every imaginable sector,” explains Beth Toole, Associate Director of Alumni Relations. “Some of them include Arif Nakhooda, the Chief Financial Officer of Amazon Prime Now Singapore; Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who was the first disabled woman elected to Congress and is currently the US Senator from Illinois and Hussein N. El Lessy, an engineer-scientist for NASA.
“Being a SAS alum is a network our students will be a part of forever, and is a valuable resource for our students. At the beginning of the school year, our young alumni return to meet with our seniors. They share reflections on their transition from SAS and give advice and career talks, plus assist with clubs. Our alumni are eager to provide a strong support system.
“There are a variety of ways we keep everyone connected to each other and to SAS. We hold several events in both the US and Singapore every year, and we help alumni develop professional contacts through our closed LinkedIn group and our directory, which allows our alumni to connect with old friends and to serve as mentors to others. Social media continues to be an important tool to share news and updates. Our alumni office also sends out an e-newsletter, which provides updates on gatherings, features stories on alumni and highlights services and benefits to being an SAS alum.”
Read more on Singapore American School on our School Selector site.
Tanglin Trust School
“In 2019, for the first time in its almost 100-year history, Tanglin Trust School honoured its alumni as distinguished ‘Generations of Excellence’ – alumni who have excelled in their profession, sports, the arts or contributions to society,” say the Tanglin Trust School Alumni Team. “The winners were Bronte Sykes, vice-captain for England Open Women’s Touch Team in the 2019 World Cup in Malaysia; director and screenwriter Javid Rezai, who currently writes for UK drama Hollyoaks and whose short films have been selected for film festivals; Dominique Schell, a cancer survivor who founded the Crutch4Sarcoma foundation in 2015 and conducts inspirational talks around the world; and Ben Stevens, who has worked for three premiership football clubs.
“Prospective students and their parents can look at our alumni news and get a feel for how valuable education at Tanglin is. A lot of successful alumni credit their success to a strong foundation. For example, Ben has mentored and coached many young people who have followed in his footsteps and says he “owes it to Tanglin”.
“As well as regular alumni events, we also offer various grants, which help alumni learn or improve a skill, or to complete a service. There are also many opportunities for them to meet our current students, through talks, university forums and workshops. In addition, everyone is registered into our alumni community page when they leave Tanglin, helping them stay connected. Keeping a close network between the alumni and the current community creates a sense of belonging for everyone. Alumni are part of Team Tanglin!”
Read more on Tanglin Trust School on our School Selector site.
