JUNE 2012 - International School Manila

Queenstown, New Zealand- just one of the beautiful sites for recent ISM reunions!
JUNE 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
What‟s happening, alums?
Here‟s what- the months of April and May
have been a whirlwind of reunions! For the
first time alumni gathered at the picturesque
adventure town of Queensland, New Zealand,
and the Class of 1992 celebrated turning
twenty.
Not to be outdone, a group of Washington, DC
alums got together for an intimate dinner, and
a young alumna from the Class of 2010 shares
her passion with us. Plus a rundown of
upcoming reunions you really won‟t want to
miss!
So, sit back and relax: here‟s a short & sweet
round-the-world trip of the alumni community
in 10 minutes or less.
Dat’s it, pancit!
Alumni Office
International School Manila
The Great Antipodean Reunion
Class of ‟92 Turns 20!
p.11
A Washington Affair
p.1
p.4

THE
GREAT
ANTIPODEAN
REUNION
1

Imagine waking up to the lushest greenery and
the bluest waters, with hidden valleys and secret
inlets at every turn.
You have just woken up to the beauty of New
Zealand.
From top: The party doesn’t stop- The post-reunion group
visits Te Anau to soak in more of the gorgeous scenery;
Special calamansi cocktails made especially for the ISM
group; Dynamic Duo Jo & Mike; The Queenstown
contingent.
And you just happen to be attending your high
school reunion.
Queenstown, New Zealand was the fortuitous
site for the 2nd Great Antipodean Reunion last
April. Thirteen alumni and two guests could not
have reunited in a more picturesque place!
Following the success of the 1st Antipodean
Reunion in Surfers Paradise, Australia (clearly
our alumni don't skimp on scenery!), Jo Weir '85
and Mike Uganecz '85 volunteered to spearhead
the next reunion, and they did so spectacularly
without missing a beat.
Jumpstarting the reunion was a sumptuous
Filipino fusion dinner (prepared by no other than
a Filipino chef!) at the Novotel Hotel and a night
out in town. Mike claims, "We did our best to
relive our teenage years in the Philippines!" The
rest of the weekend was punctuated with more
delicious chowdowns, one of which came with
their own private bar and balcony; sightseeing;
and, of course, adventure-seeking.
The 2 nd Great Antipodean Reunion was a great
success, raising the bar on what reunions can be:
a paradise retreat-vacation-reunion all rolled
into one great adventure.
Thank you to Jo & Mike for
the wonderful NZ pictures!
L-R: Ramon Lichauco '85, Jeff Brown '84, Captain of the vessel, Bobby Villanueva '85, Brendan Trembath '85,
William Bonney '85, Suzanne Fava '85, Mike Uganecz (kneeling) '85, Jo (Hamilton) Weir '85, Robert
Dobrocke '86, Nathan Bonney '90, Darren Williams '86, Tony Breckner '88.
2

Across the globe: Special shoutout to
Suzanne Fava ’86 and Robert Dobrocke
’85, who came from the US, for
travelling the farthest.
Clockwise from top right: First two photos- The
beautiful views of Doubtful Sound and Manapouri;
Darren, Brendan, Bobby, and Nathan catch up over
drinks while taking in the view; All packed and
ready to go; Bobby tries his hand at fishing.
3

CLASS OF „92
TURNS
4

Many milestones happened in 1992: Bill
Clinton became the 42 nd President of the
United States, McDonalds opened its first
branch in China, and Disneyland opened in
France. While we're at it, it was also the
year when the Class of 1992 graduated and
finally flew off the hallowed halls of the
Bel-Air Campus. Twenty years later, they
reunited in the grandest fashion in San
Francisco with memories of the Fabulous
Nineties on hand.
Time does fly by, but boy, the Class of ’92
knows how to have the time of their lives!
Nearly 50 alumni gathered in the Bay Area
last May. As their 20-Year Anniversary, the
terrific trio of Gina Ramos Campbell,
Michelle Perez, and Jenny Pascual pulled
out all the stops for an elegant weekend,
the highlight of which was a beautifully
prepared banquet at Hotel Nikko.
Apart from the sightseeing, casual
brunches, strolling along the Bay, and an
optional Wine Country Tour, the alumni
made it a point to take time and
remember their classmates who have
passed away.
What made the reunion even more special
was that families of alumni met each other
for the first time, truly highlighting the
twenty years that have passed.
Congratulations to the Class of 1992!
Here’s to the last twenty years, and to the
next twenty!
Clockwise from top: Alums spend the night out; Michelle
with husband Joe and step-daughter Anne-Claire; Departed
’92 alums remembered; Alums mingle at Hotel Nikko;
Terrific hostesses Jenny, Gina, and Michelle; Limited edition
90 th anniversary ballers; Tubay as the official photographer.
Snap-happy: Special shoutout to
Tubay Yabut, for many of the event
pictures shown here. Need a
photographer for your special
event? Visit him at
www.tubayyabut.com. Thanks to
Gina for the pics as well!
5

Clockwise from top left: First three photos- It’s a family affair as alums bring their little ones; Angel & Jedd smile for the
camera; Marie Applegate '00, her brother Paul Applegate '97, and some friends to represent the Class of 2000+ join the Lusk
event as it was open to alums from all class years; The logistics in getting the perfect group shot; SF at night- a view from the
25th floor of Hotel Nikko.
6

All alumni from ALL CLASS YEARS and our beloved former faculty are
invited to join in on the fun! The more, the merrier!
Check it out on Facebook! Click here!
For RSVP's & inquiries, send Carol Co '87 a shoutout at ism87reunion@gmail.com.
7

San Francisco Chowdown
June 16, 2012, San Francisco, CA
UPCOMING REUNIONS
SALI NA!
Class of '62 50th Anniversary Reunion
September 27-30, 2012, The Caribbean
Class of '87 25th Anniversary Reunion
July 6-7, 2012, Manila
American School Portland Reunion
September 10-14, 2012, Portland, OR
First South American AS/ISM Reunion
February 2013, TBA
Euroreunion VII
June 14-16, 2013, Copenhagen & Malmo
Any questions? Wanna start your own class reunion? Drop
us a line at alumni@ismanila.org. Let us help you!
No need to travel to Boracay; Aria’s best is now at your doorstep. If you’re in Manila,
you have to check out the newly opened Class of 1987’s Juan Elizalde’s Aria at The
Fort! Hands down, some of the best Italian dishes in the metro can be found here.
8

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: WINNIE WONG „09
Chief Executive Officer, Future Faces Manila
It was written in the stars. Winnie knew what she would set out to do early on
in life—even if it was not a conscious decision until after high school. She may not
have realized it, but her life experience thus far paved the path to the founding
of her non-profit organization, Future Faces Manila, which provides scholarships
to urban poor students “looking to play a role in the development endeavors of
the Philippines”. Winnie had a spark of an idea while she was heavily immersed in
the arts growing up:
“I met a lot of friends along the way who were struggling to pay for their
schooling or extra-curricular expenses. Some people would take extra-long
commutes to go to these classes, while there were some young children like me
who would want to skip class or not understand the value of one class. There
was no particular encounter or experience; rather, it was a common collection of
stories that end with people who give up their passion in the arts in order to
focus and continue their schooling and the betterment of their future. This type
of story discourages people from pursuing what they truly want to do.”
Another promising alumna, Sara Jane Ahmed ’09 acts as the Chief Financial
Officer, and together, this dynamic duo faces the future with great optimism.
Winnie envisions, “I want to build and expand the network for the arts in the
Philippines. I want to create opportunities for the arts and projects with other
companies that involve some form of artistic element. Collaborations are fun,
too!”
How can alumni get involved? There are several ways! Future Faces is currently
seeking out artists who are willing to donate a piece or two for Heartistry 2, an
art auction and fashion show fundraiser happening on August 10, 2012 at Burgos
Circle, Fort Bonifacio. If you’re interested in donating in other forms,
collaborations, or volunteering, drop a line at futurefacesmanila@gmail.com.
Like them on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/FutureFacesManila
From top: Child of the Orient Mist by Tina Wong was one of the auctioned works for last year’s Heartistry; Next
two photos- Children benefiting from Future Faces perform; More artworks from Heartistry.
9

A WASHINGTON
AFFAIR
On May 9, 2012 thirteen alumni from the DC area
spent an “Italian Village” dinner. Initiated by the
always-magnanimous Joelle Williams ‟75, a small,
quiet dinner quickly turned into a full house!
Alumni present: Joelle Williams ‘75, Pat
Larson Smith ‘72, Deke Smith (guest), Tom
Larson ‘74, Grace Jhong Dittmar '78, Rick
Seikaly (guest), Raul Herrera ‘76, Phil French
‘74, Patty Fichtel Dildine '70, Rob White ‘78,
Jane White (guest), Les Kayanan ‘71, and Beth
Erickson ‘75.
Do you live in the DC area? Join the riot at the AS/IS Capital Club Facebook group!
Thank you to Joelle Williams ‟75 for the great pics!
11

Abba Maramba ‘93 encourages you to check out Skye on Sunday!
12

Daniel Roland ‘73 urges fellow fiduciaries to attend upcoming APAFS events.

For inquiries, contact Leigh at leigh@brandspeakasia.com or visit www.apafs.org
.

Want to promote your business or advocacy?
Got an event cooking up?
Looking to (re)connect?
Or simply want to share your story with us?
We would LOVE to hear from you!
Drop us a line at alumni@ismanila.org.
Sige na!