Beating the Odds: How One Alumnus Overcame Tragedy
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ECOLINT MAGAZINE • N°22 SPRING / PRINTEMPS 2018 BEATING THE ODDS: HOW ONE ALUMNUS OVERCAME TRAGEDY HUMANS OF ECOLINT THE ECOLINT SPIRIT OF SCHOLARSHIPS CONTENTS 3 A word from the DG 4 Education inclusive : célébration d’une décennie 7 8 de succès March for Our Lives – Ecolint shows solidarity 5 Connections A second life for 9 our used bicycles In Brief CONTACTS EMAIL & TELEPHONE 6 Sport Plus Programme: Foundation [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 24 00 raising athletes to Admissions [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 26 30 the next level Alumni Office [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 25 55 La Grande Boissière [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 24 00 7 Breaking with convention: La Châtaigneraie [email protected] +41 (0)22 960 91 11 quand la flexibilité est Campus des Nations [email protected] +41 (0)22 770 47 00 de mise à l’Ecolint WEB 8 Beating the odds: Foundation: www.ecolint.ch Ecolint Camps: www.ecolint-camps.ch how one alumnus Alumni: alumni.ecolint.ch Centre des arts: www.ecolint-arts.ch overcame tragedy Institute: www.ecolint-institute.ch 9 Les dess(e)ins de paix MAKE A GIFT d'Hani Abbas Ecolint is a not-for-profit Foundation. Our Development Associate Brian Wahlen is available to discuss ways of providing additional support via a regular or once-off donation. 10 The Smiths: one hundred Taxpayers from various jurisdictions, including the US, the UK and Switzerland, can benefit from tax deductions (see page 18). and twenty years aggregate at Ecolint Visit:www.ecolint.ch/support Contact: [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 26 19 12 The returnees IMPRESSUM Editor-in-Chief: Michael Kewley (Director of Marketing & Stakeholder Relations) 14 Humans of Ecolint Managing Editor: Thaïs Ruegg (Alumni Community Manager) Editorial Team: Catherine Mérigay (Communications Manager), 16 Doctor’s orders Francis Poncioni (Graphic Designer), Alejandro Rodriguez-Giovo (Foundation Archivist) Printed by PCL Presses Centrales S.A. / Production 14,000 copies 18 The Ecolint spirit International School of Geneva, 62, route de Chêne, CH-1208 Geneva of scholarships Echo is published twice a year by the Marketing & Stakeholder Relations Department, International 19 The Halcyon days School of Geneva and is also available on the school and alumni websites. For more information about echo or to submit information for publication, or if you would like additional copies, please contact the of Walker and Tate Managing Editor ([email protected]). The Marketing & Stakeholder Relations Department has made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this edition is accurate and complete. However, 20 The Back Board despite our sincere desire to avoid errors they might occur. © Copyright International School of Geneva, May 2018. [email protected] ON THE COVER: Alumnus Chris Hutchison 2 N°22 | spring / printemps 2018 A WORD FROM THE DG Dear members of the Ecolint community, for students who come from difficult realities and backgrounds not represented As I continue on the first year of my at Ecolint today, who show exceptional journey as Director General, it is clear promise and potential, who have to me that one of the most celebrated demonstrated qualities that would enrich aspects of being a member of this the school and who would be unable to community is its diversity. Since its attend without a full scholarship. We have inception, Ecolint has made diversity, already identified donors to support this in all the ways that can be conceived, initiative and we will be inviting others one of its key strengths. We have had to participate soon. We plan to bring this students from just about every country initiative to life starting with a limited in the world attend the school, and today number of scholarships for students the staggering range of our nationalities where we have some enrolment capacity. and languages remains a hallmark. For the 2018-19 school year, this will With our commitment to inclusion, our be for speakers of French, starting in conception of diversity goes far beyond years eleven or twelve at the La Grande nationality. Boissière campus. In this issue of Echo we hear the stories With this project we hope to revive of two alumni, Beti Rucamuvyuma the inclusive spirit that animated our from Burundi and Vicky Stereva from school in 1929, when Ecolint’s earliest Bulgaria, who represent an aspect scholarship project was launched, of diversity from our past that is less also with the support of donors. present today, namely, socioeconomic Those original 15 scholarship students diversity. They would no doubt agree obviously benefited from the noble and with the many alumni who have visionary educational experience Ecolint reached out to me to let me know the had to offer, but they also enriched the extent to which an Ecolint scholarship students contributed to the educational school immeasurably, with positive transformed the trajectory of their lives. experience for everyone at Ecolint. To repercussions that are still felt 89 years Comments have not just come from have this kind of diversity in the school later. I am very hopeful that many recipients of scholarships, but also is as much an educational initiative as members of our community will be able from Ecolint alumni who let me know it is a moral imperative. And it aligns to support this initiative to sow seeds of of the enormous benefits of having, well with our charter, which is: “... solidarity, the benefits of which we will for example, war refugees among their based on the principles of equality and reap for decades to come. classmates and how enriching it was solidarity among all peoples and of the to have these perspectives, whether it equal value of all human beings without was understanding the nature of civil any distinction of nationality, race, sex, David Hawley conflict or a different understanding language or religion.” Director General of what it means to be alive. What is most powerful in all of the stories I have I am pleased to announce that we intend heard is how much these scholarship to relaunch a scholarship programme BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER The International School of Geneva is a not-for-profit foundation and our day-to-day costs are covered by tuition fees. The school relies on financial support from our community and partners to help achieve development projects. Get in touch to discuss how you can help! Different ways of giving | Support for specific projects | Donor recognition opportunities | Legacies With your support, we can make a difference for current and future generations of Ecolint students. Contact Brian Wahlen, Development Associate, at [email protected] or +41 (0)22 787 26 19 Visit us at www.ecolint.ch/support N°22 | spring / printemps 2018 3 NEWS AND VIEWS EDUCATION à l’Ecolint, le programme s’est étoffé et complété d’année en année. Il franchira une INCLUSIVE : étape importante en septembre prochain CÉLÉBRATION avec l’inauguration de l’unité accueillant les élèves de secondaire à La Châtaigneraie. D’UNE DÉCENNIE En une décennie, l’ESP est ainsi passé DE SUCCÈS d’une petite structure permettant d’accueillir une poignée d’enfants dans une fourchette En juin prochain, nous fêterons le tout d’âge restreinte à une véritable «école dans premier diplôme de l’IB décerné à un élève l’école» avec septante-cinq élèves de 3 à ayant suivi la totalité du Programme de 18 ans sur les trois campus. soutien approfondi à l’Ecolint. Grâce à la vision et au soutien indéfectible de la SASA La SASA Setton Foundation soutient Setton Foundation, active dans l’aide aux également la Conférence annuelle projets éducatifs, les élèves présentant «SEN» (Special Educational Needs). Cet des besoins particuliers en matière événement, qui fêtera également ses dix d’apprentissage bénéficient d’un programme ans l’année prochaine, rassemble des extrêmement ciblé et personnalisé. professionnels de l’éducation spécialisée, des enseignants et des parents pour Chaque enfant, quelles que soient ses une journée de présentation et d’ateliers compétences d’apprentissage, a droit au donnés par des spécialistes de renommée meilleur enseignement possible. Cette internationale. notion prend tout son sens à l’Ecolint grâce au principe d’admission non-sélective et à Dans quelques mois sera organisée la la création, il y a dix ans, du Programme de célébration de ces dix ans de collaboration soutien approfondi (en anglais Extended fructueuse, avec notamment une exposition Support Programme ou «ESP»). de travaux d’élèves de l’ESP, la participation de notre premier diplômé et diverses Initié tout d’abord à La Grande Boissière interventions. par Teresa Nunn, enseignante spécialisée MARCH FOR to legislation on guns and an end to the children’s rights everywhere, no matter needless slaughter of innocent students in where they’re being infringed,” says OUR LIVES – their schools. Sofìa, whose cousin attends school in ECOLINT SHOWS Maryland, where another school shooting “We are aware that this isn’t an claimed the lives of students just days SOLIDARITY international problem and could be before the march took place. “We want to considered only an American issue. stand as young people advocating for the Inspired by the mass march in Washington, safety of other students just like DC and parallel demonstrations across the ourselves. This is a cause we feel United States and beyond, and keen to very passionate about. School show solidarity with students of a similar should be a place of learning age around the world, La Châtaigneraie where one feels safe, and we’re students Emeline Moorhead and Sofìa lucky enough to have this,” adds Mareque organized a March For Our Lives Emeline, her classmate and rally on Saturday 24th March.