Inspiring Women November 21, 2024

INSPIRING

WOMEN

The

Family

Connection

November 2024 Volume 8 Issue 4

Contents

November 2024, Volume 8, Issue 4

8

A Tale of Three

Families

A cultural anthropologist

with a diverse, multicultural

background, Patricia Nabti

mapped the family history of

her husband’s entire village in Lebanon.

14

20

Embracing Her Roots

and Biculturalism

Katerina Sironi talks about

how she transitioned from

being a Greek-American in

Chicago to an American-

Greek in Athens and the

joys of her dual identity.

The “Go-To Kids”

for Aging and

Ailing Parents

Returning home from

the expat life in Bern,

Switzerland, FAUSA

members Brenda and

Tripp Brinkley find

satisfaction and joy in

caring for aging parents.

34

Finding Grace

A Family Discovery

via an Incomplete

Documentary

Virginia Sheridan’s

daughter, an aspiring filmmaker who is also

autistic, makes a documentary about her

grandmother and learns surprising facts

about the family background.

48

54

A Family Foundation

Kathy Coughlan's

multi-cultural family

experience of student

exchanges and adopted

children led her on a

mission to help people in

need across the globe.

Family and

Community Pillar

While pursuing her dreams

in Paris, Sara Gori

discovered she could build

a community of friends

and colleagues to

supplement her close family ties in the US.

80

An Expansive Family

with a Twist

Rozanne Van Rie tells about

the joys and challenges

of staying in touch with

transatlantic blended families

and how her cousins became her stepchildren.

84

The Joys and Privilege

of Caring for Elderly

Parents

Back in California after decades

in Madrid, Debra Hyman gives

advice on how to become an

effective and happy full-time caregiver.

90

A Life Focused on Family

and Helping Others

From New Jersey to Surrey,

Australia, and back, Liz

Hemminger tells us how the

expat life and repatriation influenced her

family life and her new-found happiness

in grandparenthood.

41

A Club Inspires: IWC Bratislava

IWCB President Viera Buchtova and FAWCO

Rep/Fundraising Coordinator Eva Staronova

tell us more about one of our newest FAWCO

clubs and this hidden gem on the Danube.

96

Adoption Runs in the

Family

Maggie Palu recounts the

trials and rewards of adopting

children in Asia and what she

learned about her own family

in the process.

102

Co-hosts of

culture-Xchange

Podcast

Frauke Bender and Marie-

Christine Dobro applied

their experience living

abroad to create a useful and entertaining series

of podcasts for expats.

features

28

Maintaining

Family Ties

Despite War

and Exile

Having fled the Taliban,

Mursal Sayas finds a

new productive life in

France helping other

women until she reunites with her children.

74

Baby Book Sparks

Passion for

Genealogy

Inspired by her

granddaughter’s baby

book, Linda Harvan

traced her family roots back to the early days

of the American republic and found her

husband’s living relatives in Slovakia.

61

Club Anniversaries

In this photo-rich feature,

we celebrate the major

anniversaries of some of

our oldest FAWCO clubs,

while also spotlighting clubs

with milestone anniversaries.

109

Inspiring Reads:

Sustainability Stories,

The Power of Narratives

to Understand

Global Challenges

Brigitte Bernard-Rau’s

collective work harnesses

the power of storytelling to illuminate the

complex and multi-faceted challenges

confronting our world today.

2 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 3

5

in every issue

A Note from the Editor

114

Our June Issue

“The bond that links your true

family is not one of blood, but of respect

and joy in each other's life.”

– Richard Bach

a note from

the editor

6

7 Introducing This Issue 116 More About This Issue

113

Advertisers Index

2025 Themes

115

117

advertising

Inspiring You

That’s Inspired!

Throughout the years, FAWCO has relied on advertisers and sponsors to augment its

income. This revenue has allowed FAWCO to improve services and gives it the flexibility

to try the latest innovations to enhance the FAWCO experience. FAWCO’s advertising

partners believe in our mission and support our goals; some advertisers also directly

support our activities and projects.

We encourage club leadership throughout the FAWCO network to share our

publications with their membership. Our advertising partners have valuable products

and services, and we want your members to take advantage of what they offer. Please

support them! For more information on these advertisers or if you have

any questions about FAWCO’s advertising program, please contact Elsie

Bose: advertising@fawco.org.

As I think is true for most people, my definition

of family has evolved through my life. It started

with my mom, dad and sister. As we lived

far from our extended family for most of my

youth, our foursome was what I considered

my family. Later we added my sister's and my

husband's families, then my nieces and now

their partners. Along the way, I also had my

family of friends, those who have been there

for me, as I hope I have been there for them,

as we negotiate life’s challenges and

celebrations. I was also lucky to find my AWC

Amsterdam and then Munich IWC families

and, as an extension of them, my FAWCO and

FAUSA family. The support and friendships

formed through these organizations hold a

special place in my heart. As Kamala Harris

recently said in her 60-Minutes interview,

"… we have our family by blood, and then we

have our family by love. And I have both. And

I consider it to be a real blessing.”

As we suspected when we conceptualized The

Family Connection theme, we received a wide

variety of responses. We had more than the

usual number of self-nominations. The concept

of family has many iterations, but at the core

all are about connection – connections to the

people who came before us, those who helped

define who we are, who support us now and

who will come after us.

The stories in this issue focus on family

connections, including grandchild and elder

care, adoption and adopted families,

family histories and legacies, genealogy,

families separated and community

connections. Because of the personal nature

of these stories, we moved away from our

traditional format, and for each of our profiles,

you will read their story “In My Own Words.”

We are also highlighting our FAWCO family with

a special feature celebrating the many club

anniversaries celebrated in 2024.

Best wishes!

Michele

iw.editor@fawco.org

From top to bottom:

My "families" –

blood ties, FAUSA family and Munich IWC family


advertisers

index

introducing

this issue

Janet Darrow Real Estate – p. 13

Contact Janet Darrow, AWA Vienna and

FAUSA member, to find the best properties.

Whether around the corner or a world away,

she can help. Successful FAWCO referrals

earn a donation to the Target Project. Janet

is now a FAWCO Sponsored Resource.

The State Department Federal

Credit Union (SDFCU) – p. 19

FAWCO is honored to announce that

SDFCU is a Diamond Sponsor for the 2025

FAWCO Biennial Conference. SDFCU has

members worldwide, with over $2.4 billion

in assets. FAWCO is part of the special

field of membership, and members can

apply to take advantage of their services.

London Realty International – p. 25

AWC of London member Lonnée Hamilton

created London Realty International out of

a desire to provide a high level of customer

service and integrity to her clients. She

offers a range of property services to fit

the needs of her clients.

Tharien's Art – p. 26

AWC Antwerp member and former

Target Program Chair, Tharien van Eck, is

a superb artist. She creates beautiful hand

painted cards and prints. Proceeds from

her cards continue to support education

programs for projects for women and girls.

Launch Education Advisors– p. 27

LAUNCH Education Advisors are experts who

will thoroughly prepare your student to get

ready for university. Sara Bittner, co-founder,

is a member of AWC Amsterdam. LAUNCH

Education Advisors is a FAWCO Target

Program sponsor.

London & Capital – p. 39

Thank you London & Capital for being a

FAWCO Sponsored Resource. The laws and

strategies for investing constantly change.

London & Capital is a Bronze Sponsor for the

2025 FAWCO Biennial Conference. Contact

London & Capital to get answers to your

investment questions!

The Pajama Company – p. 53

AW Surrey and FAUSA member and founder

of The Pajama Company, Ellie Badanes,

wants to make sure that your sleep time is

fashionable, comfortable and fun! FAWCO

members receive a discount with the promo

code FAWCO10.

American Groceries Europe – p. 59

Thank You American Groceries Europe!

CEO Kristen Crosson (AWC Brussels) brings

quality American groceries to expats and

now ships to 18 countries! American

Groceries Europe is a Silver Sponsor for the

2025 FAWCO Biennial Conference.

I have never given birth , but I am not childless.

When we moved to Brussels, we were a bit of an anomaly: we had no children. We

had colleagues who moved at the same time – three other families – with a total of

seven children. Once we all arrived, spouses were dispersed all over the world,

leaving the rest of us to figure out what the heck we were doing. I began my life as

a carpool mom, field trip chaperone and a member of the school’s annual spring

festival committee. To this day, these kids are part of our lives and we still

experience their joy and their challenges.

We also had the privilege of getting to know and love people from all of the cities

where we have lived. We do not take for granted how fortunate we are to have

friends who have opened themselves to us, to trust us with their friendships and

share their lives with us.

We all desire to belong. Our circle starts small. Most of us begin with our family,

those “born to,” “siblings of” and “related by.” As life moves ahead, we read, we learn

and we experience. We want to be part of a larger circle, whether it is to link others

to our circle or link to a new circle.

Those who are geographically far from their “original circle” create new circles, new

places to belong. These connections are bound by understanding the glory and the

challenges of new surroundings. As we are all far from loved ones, we begin to

“acquire” a new family with whom we share these new experiences and whom we

depend upon when the challenges become a bit overwhelming. But we always link.

Our life experiences never let us totally abandon our original circle.

Each of the stories presented in this issue illustrates what it means to be connected,

what binds us together, even when we are apart. Outsiders should not judge nor

dictate who our family is. There is no one definition of family. Each family’s story,

their triumphs and challenges, embodies what “family” is to them.

Elsie

Inspiring Women

Founder

TASIS – p. 26

The American School in England, TASIS

England, is a leading international day and

boarding school (ages 3-18) located 35

minutes from central London on a beautiful

campus in Thorpe, Surrey.


stories

A Tale of Three Families

Dr. Patricia Mihaly Nabti, AWC Lebanon, currently lives with her husband

in Bishmizzine, a village in north Lebanon. She shares with us the three

families who helped shape her life.

Patricia Nabti

As I write this story of my life, my husband

and I are sitting tight in Bishmizzine, a

village in north Lebanon, grateful that we

are far from the bombing devastating much

of the country. Considering the uncertainties

of today in the Middle East, the US and globally,

I find it important to reflect on the Serenity

Prayer’s call to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can, and the

wisdom to know the difference.

While most of my social interaction in Lebanon

has been with Lebanese, I have enjoyed

spending time with other Americans through

the American Women’s Club (AWC) of Lebanon. I

have been vice president and am now treasurer

of the club. In 2023, AWC Lebanon celebrated

the Fourth of July at our home in Bishmizzine. I

created the position of Sustainability Leader to

provide club members with monthly tips on how

to live in a more environmentally friendly way. I

gave non-partisan encouragement and support

to members to engage in American elections.

Because of my love of dance, I also taught some

folk dance classes to the group and have always

drawn members and guests to their feet to dance

on special occasions. I have attended FAWCO

webinars and contributed to The FAWCO

Foundation quilts. Through AWC Lebanon and

FAWCO, I have interwoven my

American heritage with my active

engagement in Lebanese life

for more than three decades.

Patricia and

husband Michel

at Burning Man

arts festival,

Black Rock Desert,

8 INSPIRING WOMEN

Nevada

INSPIRING WOMEN 9

In My Own Words:

I was born in 1948 and

went to high school in

Santa Rosa, California,

about an hour north

of San Francisco. When

I was in sixth grade,

my mother and sister

took a course in

anthropology at the

local junior college. I

read a lot of the

materials along with

them and from that

experience decided I

wanted to be a cultural

anthropologist. And so

I am.

I have had three

important families

in my life...

Birth Family

The first was my birth

family – the Mihalys.

My father’s parents

were immigrants from

Hungary. I grew up

eating Hungarian food,

listening to Hungarian

music and internalizing

the special cadence of

the Hungarian

language when my grandmother would speak

to my father in Hungarian and he would answer

in English. I became particularly conscious of my

Hungarian heritage in 1956 when refugees from

the Hungarian revolution would look up

Hungarian names in the phone book and call us.

(Mihaly is a common Hungarian name.) I visited

Hungary and my Hungarian

relatives many times. In

contrast, I did not

sense my mother’s

cultural heritage

since her

parents were

from a multigenerational

line of

immigrants

from

northern

Europe.

This page, top to bottom:

Mihaly siblings, then and now (l to r): Patricia, Paul

and Adrienne;

violin trio (left to right) daughter Jumana, sister Adrienne

and Patricia

Next page: el-Azhary family, 1959

Most of what I have learned about them was

through research on my mother’s family by my

daughter, who clearly got the genealogy bug

from me.

Music and dance are two important interests

I have had since childhood. All my family

members play musical instruments, and two

of them, my brother Paul (piano) and my sister

Adrienne (violin), have been professional

musicians. I treasured dancing with my father

at senior dances up until he was 92, only months

before he died. I have participated in all sorts

of folk dancing in both the US and Lebanon,

and in recent years have enjoyed contra dance

whenever I am in the US.

Study Abroad Family

My second family came when I was a junior in

high school and applied to the American Field

Service (AFS) to spend two months with a

family abroad. I had no choice of the country

or the family and could only say Yes or No if

a placement was offered to me. Three weeks

before I was to travel, I was informed that I was

selected to become the AFS daughter of a

family in the United Arab Republic. I had to

skim through the family’s application to find

the word “Cairo” and realize I would be going to

Egypt. During those two months I became very

close to the el-Azhary family, especially my

Egyptian father and two sisters, with whom I

have maintained close contact over the years.

This profound and transformative experience

helped me transcend religious and cultural

differences and gain new perspectives on the

meaning of family and on the complexities of

global issues.

My experience as an AFS student, no doubt,

contributed to my being accepted at Stanford

University and also led to my interest in

studying the Arab region. Within days of

settling into my freshman dorm, I learned

that someone in the dorm, even on the

same corridor, was half Egyptian. With great

excitement I went to meet Tanya and told her

of my Egyptian experience. She asked about

the family, and when I told her about the

el-Azharys, she went back to her dorm room

and brought me a picture of her with my

Egyptian sister Rokea! At Stanford, I met my

Lebanese husband Michel, who at the time

was a member of the academic staff and a

graduate student. I participated in the

Stanford-American University of Beirut

exchange, spending my junior year at the

AUB in Lebanon. While there, I studied with

some of the most well-known scholars on

the Middle East. I did all sorts of folk dancing

(Lebanese, Scottish and broadly international)

and participated in the AUB International

Folk Dance Festival. During the following

summer, I had the very special privilege of

joining the dance troupe that performed with

the famous Lebanese singer Fairuz in the

amazing historical heritage site of Baalbek.

After that, I returned to Stanford where I

finished a BA in political science and an MA

in education.

The Nabtis

After finishing my master’s degree, I married

Michel and became a part of my third family,

the Nabtis. I often say that, along with

marrying this man, I married his whole

village of Bishmizzine in north Lebanon, as

illustrated by it becoming the focus of my

dissertation in cultural anthropology when I

went back to graduate school. My husband

and I, along with our three children (ages 12,

10 and 8), spent 13 months in Australia

as part of my research on a century of

emigration from this village to some 50

countries worldwide. We also met with

Bishmizzinis in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan

and Lebanon. I later traveled around the US

meeting with Bishmizzinis and corresponded

with those from the village who live in Latin

America. As part of that study, I have done

the genealogy of all the families of the village,

now with almost 6000 names, spanning over

10 generations for some of them. Because of

generations of intermarriage within the

village, it is not a far stretch to say that they/

we are all related.


enhances learning in any subject and grade

level through service activities. That

experience led me to pivot professionally in

1998, leaving academic life to found an

organization in Lebanon with the

mission to promote, facilitate and improve

volunteering and community service in

Lebanon and beyond. Since then, I have

provided training in volunteerism and

service-learning in many countries of

the Arab region and authored the book

Learning to CARE: Education, Volunteering, and

Community Service (available in English and

Arabic), a comprehensive guide to the

different ways to develop effective school

service programs. For the book, I coined the

acronym CARE to pinpoint the attributes of

a model volunteer: one who is Capable,

Available, Reliable and Engaged. I also served

as Regional Representative of the Arab

Nations to the International Association for

Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and organized

the only three IAVE regional conferences:

Lebanon (2011), Oman (2013) and

Bahrain (2015).

Over the years, my husband and I have

spent time together in the US, in Lebanon

and points in between as faculty lecturers on

many trips organized by the Stanford Travel/

Previous page, top to bottom:

Four Nabti Revolutionaries, 2019;

Learning to CARE Arabic book cover

This page:

with Fairuz (right), one of the two most famous singers

in the whole Arab world

Study Program. In 2010, Michel resettled in

Lebanon, having left the country over a half

century earlier. We lived most of the time in

Beirut, but in March 2020, moved full time to

Bishmizzine to isolate during the pandemic. Five

months after that, the port explosion led us to

totally move from our damaged apartment in

Beirut. In Bishmizzine, I have become the

coordinator of the Bishmizzine Heritage

Initiative. I created a website for the village

(www.bishmizzine.org) and uploaded the

genealogy of the village families online so those

of Bishmizzine heritage can view it wherever

they live in the world.

In 2021, my husband and I celebrated our 50 th

anniversary with our family on our annual trip

to California. I hope to soon bring all our families

into focus when we travel to the US to see

members of all three of my families (Mihaly,

el-Azhary and Nabti) and celebrate the

extension of our own immediate family with the

birth of our first grandchild in November.

Update:

On October 21, Patricia and her husband left

Lebanon. They are now in California and hope to

return to their home in Bishmizzine in 2025.

I taught for a few years at Stanford. In 1992,

three years after earning my doctorate, I

brought two of our children to Lebanon where

I taught at the American University of Beirut.

My husband remained in the US to be close to

our oldest child who was embarking on his own

university experience. All three of our children at

some point studied at AUB, as I had done as an

undergraduate. While teaching at AUB, I revived

the AUB Folk Dance Festival that had gone

dormant during the 16 years of the Lebanese

civil war, always including in the program a

Lebanese, American and Hungarian folk dance.

At AUB, I engaged my students in service

activities to strengthen their understanding of

anthropology long before I learned about

service-learning, a teaching method which


stories

The “Go-To Kids” for

Aging and Ailing Parents

Brenda and Tripp Brinkley are members of FAUSA. Previously, Brenda

was a member of AWC Bern where she served as webmaster, then President.

After joining FAUSA, Brenda served as the newsletter editor and 1st VP

Communications before being elected as President for the 2023-2025 term.

I

was born and raised in Texas; Tripp was

born in Charlottesville, Virginia, and moved

to Texas in 1970. We were high school

sweethearts and started dating when I was a

junior and Tripp a senior in high school. We

went to the same high school and met in

yearbook class. I saw him the year prior and

knew he was going to be something in my life.

Love at first sight?

Meeting and Expat Life

We married after high school and started our

family. We followed Tripp’s promotions; our first

move was from the Houston area to Phoenix,

then to Northern Virginia, then back to Houston.

Our children were grown and living on their own

in Richmond, VA when we moved back to

Houston. Then came Tripp’s opportunity to

realize his dream job, working for the Universal

Postal Union in Bern, Switzerland. While in Bern,

I traveled home 3-4 times, as my father was in

the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. I didn’t want

him to forget me. When our time was up in Bern,

Tripp accepted a job working for Freddie Mac and

we moved back to Northern Virginia, 2½ hours

from our children in Richmond, VA.

Brenda and Tripp Brinkley

Brenda and

her mom, 2023


This page, family photos, clockwise from top left:

The Brinkley family;

Brenda's family circa 1979;

Brenda (in front) with her siblings

Becoming Caregivers

When COVID-19 hit and everyone was

working from home, we moved back to the

Houston area to be close to our parents. We

became the “go-to” children to help when my

father would fall and Mom was unable to get

him back up or when other issues arose. My

father died in 2020 from complications of

Alzheimer's. I was so glad to be back home so

that I could see Mom every day and ensure she

was taking care of herself. She's had a few

hospitalizations since Dad’s death but has

recovered stronger each time.

In 2022, my mom’s house was hit directly by a

tornado while she was home. Her patio cover

was destroyed, trees had fallen against the

house and she had a large hole in her roof.

Tripp and I rushed to help clear downed trees,

install a tarp on the roof and assess other

damage. Tripp and I became the liaison

between her and the insurance company and

the contractors. Then in February 2024, a

careless driver slammed into her car, totaling

the vehicle and injuring her. Again, Tripp and I

were the liaison with the insurance company to

settle both the value of the car and her medical

bills. I try to see my mom 2-3 times a week. We

have lunch together, shop or just visit. I try to

go with her to her doctor's appointments.

Brenda's parents and siblings, March 2020

Tripp’s mother has shown signs of dementia

for a couple of years now. Having been through

Alzheimer's with my dad, we know what to

expect. Tripp attends her medical visits when

his dad isn’t available, which is very important

because she often forgets to tell her doctor

about ailments and also forgets his medical

advice. Tripp talks with her regularly, takes her

meals and helps with issues around her house.

A constant challenge is getting her to take her

medications and stay hydrated.

The Challenges and Joys of Caring for Parents

I am the youngest of four kids. When my

siblings started driving and having their own

lives, I spent more time with my parents – just

the three of us. They had season tickets to the

Astros baseball games, and I went with them.

When they went dancing, I tagged along. I

remember asking my dad to dance with me

when one of my favorite songs would play,

leaving mom to sit alone. Their friends were

(are) my friends. I guess because I was the last

kid at home, I became closer to my parents than

my siblings. I was never shy to ask how their

financial situation was or tag along to doctor's

appointments, simply to understand their life.

Mom and I went on a cruise together, her first,

in November of 2022. When my mom was finally

paid for the medical side of her motor vehicle

accident, she told me she was going to split the

money between me and one of my brothers

because we helped her so much. I called my

brother to inform him of her plans and asked

if he would combine his portion of the money

with mine to do some improvements to Mom’s

house. He laughed and agreed. I enjoy being

Mom’s main go-to. She’s more of a best friend

than my mother at this point. She thinks she

burdens me because I want to spend so much

time with her, but I enjoy it. Being with her so

often, I am able to hear stories of her childhood,

her travels and her relationship with my dad.

I am happy that I know so much about her

and am able to be there for her. To me, my

siblings are missing out. It’s said that the oldest

becomes the caretaker, but both Tripp and I are

the youngest.

Tripp’s mom was recently diagnosed with

COVID-19 after a week of being weak and not

eating. We were at our summer home in

Virginia. Tripp’s dad called him a few times a

day to ask what to do. I told Tripp one more

day with a phone call and we are going back to

Houston. That call came and we packed up and


This page, top to

bottom:

Brenda's favorite

photo of her dad;

Tripp in 2017;

FAWCO family in Bratislava

After storms, Tripp has to quickly check on his

parents’ home. Otherwise, his octogenarian

father thinks nothing of climbing onto the roof

to clear large tree limbs and debris. Tripp jokes

that having elderly parents is much like having

teenagers again: they’re stubborn, don’t listen

to what is best for them and seem to always

engage in risky behavior. Tripp’s father has

been told more than once that he’s in dire need

of triple bypass surgery. He isn't having it,

saying he's healthy and active (and still working

48 hours a week). He's long been counting on a

quick and simple heart attack. At his age, it’s a

hard point to argue.

At this stage in our lives, we had planned on

spending much more time at our home in

Virginia. That hasn’t happened yet as it’s

difficult to leave when parents rely on us to help.

Still, we appreciate being able to assist them.

headed home. Tripp bought every flavor of

electrolyte drinks and soups to find something

she liked and would voluntarily eat and drink.

She was barely able to move due to weakness

and wasn’t consistently taking her medicines

for diabetes and other issues. Tripp went to

their house daily to ensure she took her

medication as directed, make her lunch and

monitor and record her vital signs for

indications that she might need medical

attention. Tripp accompanied her to her doctor

to fully describe her issues and symptoms, and

he worked with the doctor to address additional

health concerns. With additional medication, she

is now feeling better and almost back to herself.


stories

Embracing Her Roots

and Biculturalism

Katerina Sirouni, President of AWO Greece, was born and raised in Chicago,

Illinois, by parents of Greek descent.

Katerina's most vivid childhood memories

revolve around family weekend rituals.

Saturdays were dedicated to cleaning and baking

bread or sweets, especially when a Greek holiday

was approaching. In her household, store-bought

bread and sweets were never an option;

homemade aromas still linger in her mind

today. Sundays were reserved for church

followed by Sunday school, while afternoons

were spent with close Greek relatives and family

friends. Her parents' social circle rarely extended

beyond the Greek community, creating deeprooted

connections. Growing up surrounded

by these traditions taught her the value of

community, cultural heritage and nurturing close

bonds. These early lessons still influence how she

prioritizes family, friends and meaningful

relationships to this day.

Katerina Sironi

Returning to Greece

After earning her degree in architecture and

engineering from the National Technical

University of Athens, Katerina gained experience

at a high-end architectural firm. Speaking fluent

English, which was in high demand during

Greece’s construction boom, she secured a

position as a project architect. Today, she

owns her own architectural firm

that she launched just before the

onset of Greece's deep economic

crisis. Her firm, K. Sirouni

Architects, specializes in the

The school

project


This page, clockwise from top left:

Flanked by childhood friends, Greek Independence Day Parade, Chicago

circa 1977;

with friends from elementary school;

proud moment representing AWOG at US Embassy Athens 4 th of July

celebration, 2024

design

and

renovation

of

residential

projects,

many of which

have been

prominently

featured in Greek

media, as well as offering

individualized Greek property consulting

services, primarily to non-Greek residents. As it

continues to flourish, she manages to balance

her work, her personal life and her volunteer

work with AWO Greece. Over the years, she

has contributed articles on Greek property

ownership to various digital platforms in the

US, Australia and Greece. She also organizes

cross-border Greek property workshops in

Chicago and the greater New York City area.

As the president of AWO Greece and a strong

believer in the power of sisterhood and

inclusivity, Katerina's goal is to work to make

lasting social impact with this incredible group

of women to whom she is deeply greatful. With

mutual trust and support, she believes they can

shape a sustainable future for AWO Greece.

Through the organization they have created a

sense of family, proudly working on projects

such as the Heart Pillow Project and human

rights efforts.

In My Own Words: A Greek-American in

Greece - A story of Dual Identity.

My roots run deep in Greece, nestled within

the rural landscapes of Northern Kynouria in

Arkadia in the heart of the Peloponnese. Both

my parents were born into agricultural families

who had limited resources when World War

II broke out. My father, the youngest of eight,

would have been considered an unwanted child

had he been a girl because my grandfather, a

seven-year prisoner in Turkey in the aftermath

of World War I, had already labored to provide

dowries for five sisters and three daughters.

My mother, raised in a crowded shared family

home, received only a fourth-grade education to

help out with family chores.

For both of my parents, immigration was not

a lifestyle choice or an adventure, it was a

necessary path they each followed before

meeting and marrying in the United States.

Having experienced deprivation firsthand,

education and the pursuit of a quality lifestyle

became the cornerstones of their aspirations

for their two children. They worked tirelessly to

make this happen, sacrificing their own comforts

to ensure a better future for both my brother

and me.

Growing up in America during a time when

technology was not as advanced as it is today,

being Greek was part of our everyday lives.

At home, we spoke the language, attended a

Greek-American day school and participated

in the local Greek Orthodox Church activities,

where lifelong friendships were forged. We

celebrated Greek holidays with fervor,

adhering to customs and rituals at a time

when being “ethnic” in America wasn’t always

embraced. This commitment to our Greek

heritage shaped my identity and instilled in me

a sense of pride.


as a guest on the Voice of Greece, Athens, 2017;

at age one with parents and brother, Chicago, 1971

Despite the rich Greek culture surrounding us,

my parents never let go of the dream of

returning to Greece, not just for themselves

but for us as well. While the sights, sounds and

smells of Greece were familiar, the transition to

life there came with its challenges. Moving to

Athens in the 1980s was a stark contrast to the

vibrant life we had known in Chicago, an

international hub which was bustling with

energy and advanced technology compared to

Greece at the time.

Fortunately, speaking the language was never a

struggle for me. However,

adjusting to life in

Greece was

about more

than just

mastering


exists. Being able to understand and appreciate

multiple cultures has become a privilege, one

that I’m very fortunate to maintain.

My parents graciously gave me the gift of both

worlds and for that I will be forever grateful. My

roots are not confined to one place; they stretch

across both countries that I now proudly call my

own. This gift has allowed me not just to survive

but to thrive in both.

My story is dedicated to both my parents, with a

special remembrance for my father who passed

away in December 2023.

Previous page:

The driving force behind the school project, Demetrios

Logothetis (left), with his grandchildren and first cousin,

Demetrios Konstantello. This room, now a cultural

center, was once a classroom for all grades of

elementary school.

This page:

Heart Pillow Party in honor of Women’s Day,

March 2, 2024

the language; it required me to embrace

completely different daily routines and social

norms. Public high school felt like navigating a

foreign land, even though it was meant to be

familiar. I was the American-born outsider,

trying to fit into a society that had different

customs than I was used to.

Living as a Greek-American in Greece has also

given me a unique perspective on the Greek

diaspora and the deep connections between

expatriates and their homeland. Greeks abroad

serve as a testament to the strength of cultural

bonds that endure across continents and

generations, maintaining a strong sense of

identity and connection to Greece, despite

being far from their ancestral home.

One vivid example of how my background has

helped me bridge my American and Greek

worlds is through my career. During the deep

Greek economic crisis, one of the most

challenging periods in recent Greek history, I

successfully revamped my services, and my

business not only survived but thrived. As a

Greek-American living and working in Greece,

I found that family and friends in the Chicago

area often turned to me for guidance on the

many changes to Greek property law and the

implications for those who still held property in

Greece. Drawing on my in-depth understanding

of the complexities and responsibilities facing

Greek property owners, along with my ability

to effectively communicate these nuances, I

became the go-to point of contact, providing

customized, personalized services to meet

their needs.

Embracing my Greek and American identities,

along with my role as president of the American

Women’s Organization of Greece has enabled

me to bridge these two worlds. I recognize the

vital role American women living in Greece play,

particularly those within the Greek diaspora, in

preserving cultural connections and enriching

our shared heritage.

These experiences have provided me with a

unique vantage point on the strength and

impact of the broader international network of

expatriates in an increasingly globalized world.

The conflict between my two identities no longer


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stories

Maintaining Family Ties

Despite War and Exile

Mursal Sayas, AAWE, tells us her story of being evacuated from Afghanistan

to Paris when the Taliban took over Kabul and of having to leave behind her

two children.

I

was born in Kabul in 1995, just before the

Taliban first took over Afghanistan. My

family lived a traditional life with my father

working for the government. In 1996, when the

Taliban took control, my parents fled from Kabul

to Badakhshan, leaving everything behind. On

our way, three of my siblings perished in a

devastating car crash. This memory shaped my

childhood, marked by displacement, war and the

constant fear of losing loved ones. Growing up

under the threat of violence and war, I learned

about resilience and the uncertainty of life at an

early age.

LIfe Before, After and During Taliban Rule

We lived in Badakhshan until the US

intervention in Afghanistan in 2001 that

led to the regime change. During the Taliban’s

earlier control of half the country, girls were

prohibited from attending school. However, in

Badakhshan and the north of the country, the

Taliban’s influence was limited due to local

resistance, allowing my sisters and me the rare

opportunity to continue our education. Many

Afghans sought refuge in neighboring countries,

with some eventually returning once the

situation stabilized.

Mursal Sayas

Sisterhood

Beyond Borders

Marseille,

September 2024


at a local radio station in Kabul while I was still

in school. Later, I worked part-time as a news

presenter during my bachelor’s studies. In my

second year of university, I became engaged and

my fiancé forbade me to work there. In my third

year, we married and I became pregnant soon

afterwards, at just 19 or 20 years old. I attended

university and sat for my final exams while

heavily pregnant, determined to finish my

degree. I felt increasingly trapped in a

misogynistic system. I didn't fully realize how

deeply entrenched I was in societal expectations

that dictated a woman’s worth was solely her

ability to produce children.


Amnesty International

billboard of Mursal in Paris,

part of the March 8, 2024,

protest for International

Women’s Day;

with her daughter


AAWE organized book club

event for Mursal's book,

Qui Entendra Nos Cris?;

Mursal discussing the lack

of access to fair judicial

procedures in Afghanistan

at the 57 th UN Human rights

Council, Geneva.

One of my most vivid memories from that

period was being in third or fourth grade, where

many of my classmates were significantly older –

by four or five years – having been unable to

attend school under Taliban rule. Despite these

challenges, I continued my education in Kabul,

where I learned English, studied diligently and

pursued my education through to adulthood. I

eventually attended university and worked.

I always maintained the hope of contributing

to Afghanistan's future and

creating a better path for the

next generation.

Like many Afghan women,

my mother was deprived of

education due to more than 40

years of continuous war. My father

served as deputy minister before

the Taliban took power. I pursued

law for my bachelor's degree and

was in the middle of my master's

degree in International Relations

when the Taliban arrived for the

second time. Everything came to a

sudden halt. I began volunteering

As a young mother with a degree, I struggled to

find a job. Even more difficult was persuading

my husband to let me work. It was a painful,

humiliating battle that I had to hide, pretending

that everything was fine to avoid disappointing

my family and conforming to norms. Over time,

he imposed stricter limitations on what I could

wear, barred me from using makeup or nail

polish and constantly accused me of failing as a

mother, wife or homemaker. Despite giving all

my energy to make everything perfect, nothing

was ever enough.

I knew the solution was beyond the walls of

our home – investing in myself, my abilities and

gaining financial independence. After relentless

efforts, I finally convinced my husband to

allow me to work, though with strict conditions.

I began working at the Afghanistan Independent

Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) as a human

rights advocate. I had attended numerous

training programs and internships, which

prepared me for this role. At AIHRC, I dealt with

legal cases involving domestic violence, some

of which I documented in my book Qui Entendra

Nos Cris? (Who Will Hear Our Cries?). Many stories

remain untold, sitting in my computer's archive,

waiting to be shared.

When my son was 18 months old, I became

pregnant with my daughter, even though my

marriage was already strained. My husband

pushed for another child. In early 2020, I

asked for a divorce, a mark of shame in Afghan

society, an affront to a man’s honor, especially

if initiated by the woman.

Men, however, can

divorce without stigma.

When the Taliban

returned, my job in human

rights and women’s rights

put me at risk. I couldn’t

stay in my homeland for

fear of arrest, torture

or disappearance as

happened to so many

other girls and women.

Surrounded by thousands

of women, children and

men at Kabul airport in

August 2021, I heard

gunshots and the

shouting of US troops:

“There are no f***ing

planes, you bloody

people.” I was furious and angry at how the

international community abandoned us (the

women of Afghanistan) to a group listed as a

terrorist organization by Western countries,

NATO and the US.

Life in Exile and a New Meaning of Family

I left my homeland, my life, my family, my

language, my memories, my friends and my

nostalgia behind in August 2021, just days after

the Taliban returned to power. I was a divorced

woman who rebelled against traditions that kept

women obedient, baby-producing machines,


“good girls, sacrificers, good wives, daughters,

sisters” – clichés that reduce and dehumanize

women. I arrived in France with a backpack that

included two books, one notebook, my hard

disk and laptop, one shirt, one pair of pants

and my body full of betrayal, disappointment,

sorrow, fear, anger, hate, guilt, trauma,

weakness and nightmares. Since then, I have

been living in exile, writing papers and my book

as a responsibility for sisterhood while working

as a journalist and producer of a radio program

focused on human and women’s rights. I founded

the Women Beyond Borders organization to

support and help my sisters back in Afghanistan,

to keep hope alive for my daughter and son and

to combat solitude. I refuse to allow the country

to fall easily into the hands of evil forces thirsty

for women's suffering. I aim to bring light into

the lives of women who feel hopeless in

Afghanistan. I want to provide even a small

glimmer of hope. I believe that freedom has a

cost, which I paid with exile and separation

from my children – who are part of my being, my

heart, my dreams – and the endless nightmare

of not having them with me.

This experience has profoundly altered my

definition of family. Now that I find myself far

from my loved ones, as our family has been

brutally separated and scattered across the

globe; from Afghanistan to Istanbul, the UK,

Germany, the US and France. Communicating

through WhatsApp, our conversations often

revolve around a shared dream of reuniting one

day, whether in our home in Kabul or another

part of the world.

I talk with my children about the cities I have

visited, sharing stories about the massive chair

in front of the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva

that honors disabled individuals, the Eiffel Tower,

museums, my beloved home and studio in Paris

and the London Eye. We dream about the

possibility of visiting my brothers and sisters in

their host countries and of returning to our

beautiful Afghanistan one day.

Amidst these dreams, the harsh reality remains:

the forces of war and violence are relentless,

threatening to destroy not only our dreams

but also the hopes of children everywhere. In

this context, family has come to mean more

than just those who are physically present; it

encompasses shared dreams, memories and

the bonds we maintain despite distance and

adversity. It’s about resilience and the enduring

hope that one day we will be together again.

Previous page, left to right:

holding a self-designed banner featuring the

Afghan map to symbolize where they come from;

Mursal at the UN in Geneva

UN statement video


UN statement video;

a book signing


stories

Finding Grace

A Family Discovery via an

Incomplete Documentary

Virginia Sheridan was born in New Jersey and has since lived in Spain,

Argentina, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Vienna before reluctantly

repatriating to the US. She has worked in the fields of journalism,

communications and education. As a member of AWA Vienna, she

served on the Board and edited their member magazine Highlights.

"It’s too dark!” says Sabine, my 24-yearold

daughter. She points to her

computer screen, toggling through effects in

Adobe Premiere Pro. “The look is wrong. I have

to fix this first.”

Sabine is supposed to be condensing 50 hours

of raw footage into 90 minutes of cohesive

material to create a framework for a narrative.

But instead, she is manually readjusting the

brightness levels of every shot, frame-by-frame.

Yesterday it was the cropping that bothered her,

last week she fixated on finding the perfect

music for a sequence she later abandoned. It’s

been two years since she began this project,

a documentary about my mother discovering

her birth family at age 77 (working title, Finding

Grace), and it’s still a "work in progress."

To be fair, this was not Sabine’s first-choice

project. It was my idea to apply her film school

knowledge to something practical that would

hone her skills, showcase her abilities and

maybe garner some film festival attention.

Her forced move to Vienna from the US due to

COVID-19 interrupted film crew

Virginia Sheridan

Virginia in

Venice


opportunities, and a self-produced piece

seemed to be a logical way to fill the void.

Logical to me, that is. Sabine’s neurodiverse

mind works quite differently. Her creativity is

off the charts, and she has encyclopedic

knowledge of cinematic and pop culture

minutiae. But she struggles with distraction,

emotional regulation and understanding

of process. Transition is particularly difficult,

so a well-planned routine and carefully

organized work environment are vital to

counter her anxiety. Her goal is to

immediately direct a "real" movie with cast,

crew and multi-billion-dollar budget. She

thinks documentaries are boring but was

willing to help me out – especially if I paid

her and upgraded her camera and editing

software. Plus, she was intrigued by one

particular aspect of the Grandma Grace story.

Like Sabine, my mom’s birth mother, Mary

was likely on the autistic spectrum. There was

no real vocabulary for the condition in her

lifetime – the official diagnostic criteria would

not appear until 1980, when it was finally

distinguished from schizophrenia – but it is

clear through birth family recollections that

Mary was developmentally delayed. She lived

her entire life in the care of her mother, never

married, had repetitive behaviors and clung to

rigid routines.

“The autism started with someone else. It’s

not just me!” Sabine said, clearly relieved. “I

think Grandma Grace is autistic, too. She is

always distracted, much more than me.”

Sabine suggests filming an autism assessment,

but now I’m envisioning a two-shot of

grandmother and granddaughter conversing

about neurodiversity, adoption, LGBT issues

and fitting in. Rather than a retelling of Grace’s

late-in-life discovery, maybe the real story is

about identity and belonging.


Grace with her adoptive mother, Anna;

Grace's birth mom, Mary (left)

Next page, top to bottom:

Grace with beloved cat;

Grace during filming break

Filming has been a tricky business. Mom lives

in Florida, so there’s been a continental divide.

Sabine, as the director, doesn’t believe she

should have to hold the camera herself, often

citing film school standards about separating

roles, despite this being a no-budget,

everyone-wears-multiple-hats kind of

production. My attempts to introduce iPhone

documentaries as examples lead to complaints

about incompatible aspect ratios and

substandard image quality. Then there are the

germophobe issues.

Two years ago, Sabine was to fly with me to

Florida to record a meeting of Mom with her

birth mother’s extended family. But an hour

before our airport departure, Sabine had a

panic attack about catching COVID-19 and/or

Grandma’s heart disease. I flew to the US alone,

and she directed via Zoom from Vienna. A local

film student – a friend of a friend’s daughter –

captured the only footage we have so far.

But that was then. After decades

overseas, we are returning to the US.

With proximity to the subject and the

help of former film school friends, Sabine

should be more focused. I know that I

am more keenly aware of the need to

complete the film, given mom’s recent

life-threatening health scares. I can think

of no better completion motivation than

the thought of watching Mom watching

herself on a big screen.

Sabine is reviewing clips of Mom as she

contrasts her real vs. invented origin

story. “My (adoptive) mother told me that

my first parents died in a car crash. Then

she continued making dinner, and we

never talked about it again.” Mom cries

a little, and you can hear my off-camera

voice comforting her. Sabine crops the

frame to a closeup on Mom’s fingers

rolling up a tissue. “I always wondered

what happened to the rest of the

family. Why didn’t they come find me?”

More tears, and Sabine hits fast forward.

“It must have been very difficult and

confusing for Mary, with her condition,

to give birth to me. I think she wanted to

raise me but she didn’t know how.”


I start to cry, and Sabine pauses the

footage. She then picks up her camera to

film me. She focuses on one tear before

pulling back to my eye, then my face.

“Are you crying because you’re leaving

Vienna?” she asks.

Emotions are confusing for my

neurodiverse daughter, and she

often makes erroneous cause-effect

connections. My response was, of

course, triggered by the scene I was

watching, but in truth I am missing

Vienna. It occurs to me that, like

Sabine and Mom, I am also struggling

with belonging. Perhaps I need to

step in front of the camera and join

in this multigenerational existential

conversation.

Right:

Grace and her newfound birth cousin, Angelo

Below:

Sabine working sound on a movie set

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feature

A Club Inspires:

International Women’s

Club of Bratislava

Participants in the 2023

FAWCO Biennial Conference

experienced both the charm of

Bratislava and the impressive

capabilities of the co-host, the

International Women’s Club of

Bratislava. Here, IWCB President

Viera Buchtova and FAWCO Rep/

Fundraising Coordinator Eva

Staronova tell us more about one

of our newest FAWCO clubs and

the hidden gem on the Danube.

Elisabeth Laursen, IWCB Charity Coordinator, and

Heidi Curtis from the charity committee

The International Women’s Club of Bratislava (IWCB) was

established in October 1991 through the initiative of Eva Hacker,

wife of the first US Consul in the Slovak Republic, alongside

women from the diplomatic community and Slovak society.

The initial vision centered around uniting foreign and local

women with shared interests and a desire to contribute to the

local community. The promotion of friendship, cultural exchange,

interest groups and charitable action continue to hold steady as the

pillars of the IWCB.

Bratislava

Castle and the

Danube River


About Our Members

IWCB currently has 108 members, 80% of

whom are expats representing 26 different

nationalities and 4 continents, including

Indonesia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Korea, United

States, United Kingdom, Italy and Russia.

Opportunities in international corporations,

diplomatic missions and organizations, such

as the European Union and the United Nations

attract people from around the world to

Bratislava, as do the city's growing tech, finance

and automotive industries. Bratislava's strategic

location in Central Europe, vibrant cultural

scene and high quality of life appeal to expats,

particularly those seeking both professional

growth and a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

How is the club run?

IWCB has four mandatory board

positions elected by the

members each March:

President, Vice-President,

Secretary and Treasurer. In

addition, several non-elected

positions, approved by the

Board, support the effective

management of the Club.

Board positions run from

April 1 - March 31. A board

member can form a

committee based on a

particular need or event

requiring extra support.

For example, we have a

rotating Bazaar Coordinator

who forms a committee to

run our signature fundraising

event, the Charity

Christmas Bazaar.

Club Events

The annual Charity

Christmas Bazaar celebrates

its 30 th anniversary this year

on Sunday, November 24,

from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at

Stara Trznica in Bratislava’s

old town. Over the past three

decades, the bazaar has

become the largest charity

event of the expat and

diplomatic community in

Slovakia, attracting an

impressive number of visitors and earning

considerable funds to support underprivileged

members of society and non-profit

organizations in Slovakia. The event brings

people together for a day of festive cheer and

good will, promoting friendship, mutual

respect, tolerance and understanding. Visitors

can enjoy a unique day of versatile tastes,

flavors and music from all over the world.

Come join us!

Supporting Community Organizations

In IWCB’s 33 years of existence, we've

supported hundreds of organizations in need

through our fundraising efforts and with the

generous contributions from our sponsors,

international embassies, schools and other

non-profit organizations. The Charity

Committee, overseen by a charity coordinator

elected by the IWCB Board, plays an essential

role in this mission. Non-profit organizations

submit grant applications that are thoroughly

evaluated by the committee to ensure they

align with club bylaws and charity guidelines.

Beneficiaries range from crisis centers and

children’s homes to animal shelters, all of which

address critical needs in our community.

We take a hands-on approach to fundraising by

organizing events such as a Flash Mob Dance,

online auction, the Nezabudka Run, concerts

and fashion shows. One of our standout annual

events is the Spring Soirée, in which proceeds

from art sales have supported orphanages and

provided relief to Ukrainian refugees.

Through our Community Help Program

initiative, we collect clothing, toys and other

essentials to distribute to those in need. Our

members also take part in cooking for the

homeless, and we frequently organize events

for children’s homes. These hands-on activities

allow us to make a direct impact on our

community, reinforcing our club’s commitment

to service and care for the vulnerable.


Elizabeth Larsen, Julia Radosz, Eva Staronova;

IWCB charity Christmas Bazaar 2023;

IWCB at the Presidential Palace


IWCB charity booth at Bratislava Christmas

Market, 2023;

Women's Day celebration;

Visit to Piešťany, Slovakia


Our club offers a variety of diverse

interest groups that cater to the wideranging

passions of our members. These

include language lessons led by our club

members (Italian and Slovak are very

popular), creative cooking sessions, a

walking group, yoga classes and a book

club. These activities not only provide

opportunities for personal growth and

relaxation, but they also help to build a

strong sense of community and connection

among our members. Even before becoming

a FAWCO member club, we were honored to

assist FAWCO and AWA Vienna in organizing

the 2023 Biennial Conference, including

major contributions to the Foundation Night

"Old is New" fashion show.

Ganymede Fountain

Apollo bridge over the Danube

Bratislava and Slovakia –

Hidden Gems

A charming, mid-sized city on the

banks of the Danube River with a

stunning medieval historical center,

Bratislava offers a quiet pace of life

free from congestion and pollution.

Bratislava also enjoys a prime

location, with Vienna and Budapest

just a short trip away for those

craving big-city energy. Vienna’s

international airport conveniently

serves Bratislava, making it easy to

travel both regionally and globally.

Its compact, walkable layout reflects

its medieval roots, allowing for

easy exploration.

Slovakia is a small, landlocked country in

Central Europe, with a population of around

5.4 million people and a total area of

approximately 49,000 square kilometers.

It shares borders with Austria, the Czech

Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. The

country is known for its stunning natural

landscapes, including the majestic High Tatras

mountains, medieval castles and charming

historical towns. It has a rich cultural

heritage, with vibrant folk traditions still

celebrated today. One of Slovakia’s unique

features is its vast underground world, with

around 7000 caves throughout the country.

Despite its growing appeal, Slovakia remains

relatively untouched by mass tourism,

preserving its authentic charm and

welcoming atmosphere.

Slovakia has a temperate continental climate

with four distinct seasons. April to June and

September to October are particularly pleasant

months, with mild temperatures, fewer crowds

and beautiful landscapes – ideal for exploring

the country’s stunning national parks, hiking in

the High Tatras or enjoying the many outdoor

festivals that celebrate the spring blossoms or

colorful autumn foliage. For winter sports

enthusiasts, the ski season from December to

February is the perfect time to visit Slovakia’s

alpine resorts. Each season in Slovakia offers

its own charm, but late spring and early autumn

tend to be the most comfortable and

picturesque time to explore the country.

What to See in Bratislava:

Culture, Cuisine and History

Bratislava offers a rich array of

experiences for every kind of visitor.

For cultural activities, we recommend

the Slovak National Theatre for

performances of opera and ballet, as

well as the Slovak Philharmonic for

classical music lovers. The city is also

home to fascinating museums and

galleries, such as the Bratislava City

Museum, Danubiana and the Nedbalka

Gallery (owned by one of our members

where we hosted the FAWCO conference

wine tasting event).

Shopping:

Aupark, Eurovea and Central offer a wide

selection of international brands, while

charming shops in the Old Town provide

a more local shopping experience.

A new boutique in the center, Place Store,

sells locally made, artisanal items –

everything from food, clothes, soaps,

kids' stuff and everything in between.

High Tatras

The population is a mix of young

professionals, families and expats,

creating a diverse yet harmonious

blend of cultures. The city offers

high-quality educational

institutions, including several

international schools and

recently developed medical facilities,

like the state-of-the-art Bory

Hospital, making it an increasingly

attractive place to live for both

locals and newcomers.


City Snaps

Sightseeing:

The city's highlights include the

Bratislava Castle, St. Martin's

Cathedral and a stroll along the

Danube promenade. For nature

lovers, the nearby Devín Castle offers

beautiful views and hiking trails along

the Morava and Danube rivers.

For sports, locals and visitors alike

enjoy cycling along the Danube or

hiking in the Malé Karpaty

(Little Carpathians).

Clockwise, from the top:

the old town: Hlavne

Namestie - the main square;

Michael's Gate;

a street in Old Town;

Bratislava Castle

Dining:

Bratislava boasts a mix of traditional

Slovak cuisine and international

flavors. You can enjoy hearty

Slovak dishes at places like Slovak

Pub, Kamzik Koliba and Flagship, or

try modern twists on local cuisine at

Korzo, Irin or the TV Tower restaurant

in Koliba. For a relaxed evening, stroll the Old

Town’s cobblestone streets, lined with cozy

cafes and wine bars.

Nightlife:

Bratislava’s nightlife ranges from

sophisticated cocktail bars like Sky Bar to

lively pubs and clubs, particularly in the Old

Town and along the riverfront.

Festivals:

Among Slovakia’s most popular festivals are

the Bratislava Music Festival, the International

Film Festival and the Bratislava Christmas

Market. One of the country’s most unique

events is the folk festival in Východná, which

showcases traditional Slovak music, dance

and crafts.

Not to be missed:

A trip to Bratislava wouldn’t be complete

without taking the hop-on-hop-off city tour on

the iconic red train operated by Presporacik.

And make sure to visit the UFO Tower atop the

SNP Bridge for panoramic views of the city and

glimpses of neighboring Austria and Hungary.

These experiences perfectly showcase

Bratislava's unique location and beauty.

Links:

Tourist Information: www.visitbratislava.com

www.iwc.sk

FB: IWCBratislava - International Women's Club

of Bratislava

IG: IWCBratislava / #iwcbratislava


stories

A Family Foundation

Kathy Coughlan, FAUSA, grew up in California before moving to Surrey,

England, where she was a member of AW of Surrey. She now splits her time

between her homes in Huntington Harbor, California, and Cork, Ireland, if

she isn’t on the road visiting the many charities she and her family support.

Ilived in the San Fernando Valley for 13

years. I was a Valley girl and I did the

Valley talk and walk! There are three million

people in the Valley now, but back then it was

an area with few houses and several mini farms.

I had quite a lonely childhood, but I didn’t

realize that and enjoyed my childhood immensely.

I loved climbing our trees and eating fresh figs,

apricots, peaches, plums and mulberries or

raiding our garden. My aunt and uncle lived next

door with their three kids. They were younger,

so I babysat and really enjoyed the time I had

with my cousins.

Every year, we went on a three-week road trip in

my parents’ trailer. I saw a lot of the United States

and Canada on those trips, and it gave me a great

love of traveling. My mother was the ninth of

ten kids, so there were lots of aunts, uncles and

cousins. When I was nine years old, I persuaded

my mother to allow me to go to Wisconsin for a

summer on my own to stay with my grandmother

on her dairy farm. My grandmother's house was

on a lake, so I swam, took the rowboat out and

then helped with the chores on the farm – milking

the cows, tend the bees she raised, working in the

garden and the fields – and I enjoyed it.

Kathy Coughlan

Kathy visiting

Togo in

western Africa


We moved to Agoura, further out from

the Valley, when I started high school.

Even though I grew up in Southern

California, Agoura had a small town feel

and not the congestive urban area that

everyone imagines Los Angeles to be.

We had neighbors with kids; I had

girlfriends and it was fun.

After high school I went to UCLA for

my BA and MBA. I worked 40 hours a

week while I went to school and after

graduation joined a public accounting

firm. After10 years I left to become

Senior VP Accounting/Finance at MGM

and later at Aaron Spelling.

Expat Life and Expanding Family

My expat journey began in 1996 when

my husband and I moved from

California to Weybridge, Surrey (near

London), where there was a large expat

community. I joined the American

Women of Surrey (AWS), which I so

enjoyed. The club had 1000 members

with many activities and events. Our

daughters attended an American school

and had many international friends.

We moved back to the US to Lake

Forest, Illinois, in 2000 so that our older

two daughters could attend high school

there. It’s a wonderful part of the US to

bring up children.

We had a third daughter when

we were in Surrey

and decided to adopt

three more from

Russia. We had three

two-year-olds and a

five-year-old in 2003.

Our older two were

fantastic when the

others were young.

When our older

daughters graduated

from high school, we

moved back to the UK

and lived in Guildford.

Our younger four

children attended

English schools, which

was a change for

us but helped us

integrate better into

the local community.


playing the Lyon and Healy Centennial harp at

college recital;

Tony, Kathy and all the children at their

daughter's wedding


Antarctica during COVID-19;

children at Ugandan school Kathy supported

During my time in Weybridge, I was the

treasurer for AWS and ran local walks that were

more historical and shorter than the weekly

country walks. When Melissa Mash became the

president of The FAWCO Foundation, she asked

me to become The Foundation’s treasurer and

I agreed. This is also when I learned about and

joined FAUSA. When I finished my tenure with

The Foundation, I became the FAUSA's

treasurer. I enjoy playing bridge, going to the

Getaways and all the friendships I have made in

these organizations over the years.

Calling the US and Ireland Home

We have now settled and are in our

“forever” homes. We live in Huntington

Harbor in Orange County, California,

during the winter and in the summer

we live in Cork, Ireland. I am a native

Californian and Tony is an Irishman.

This way, we spend time with my sister

and our friends in Los Angeles then

with his family and our friends in Cork.

The children are all over the place –

Sweden, Vermont, Florida, Milwaukee

and two in Los Angeles. We have a

weekly family Zoom call and stay in

close contact with them. I am the

family moving coordinator, and I am

called on quite often to help in moves!

In My Own Words: Family

Family means so much more to me

than parents, siblings, husband and

children, as central as they are. The

broader you consider your family,

the more it enriches your life. My

husband‘s father had been fiercely

protective of his nuclear family. It was

interesting to hear him tell us that he

thought he had missed out on a lot

when he saw the impact of our home’s

open door.

Our “family” expanded in unexpected

ways. When I was in high school, we hosted an

exchange student from Thailand for a year. That

became a lifelong friendship and eventually she

and her husband inspired our efforts to support

education in the poorest parts of

the world. My parents also

hosted an exchange

teacher from

Argentina, who

has also

become a

lifelong

friend.

We’ve

attended

their

weddings

and play

bridge

every

week

online!


Through my

Argentine sister, we

help the indigenous

people of Argentina.

She heads a nonprofit

organization

that helps native

people in Northern

Argentina close to

the Bolivian border.

She has set up an

adult education

program. When we

visited her last year,

we decided

to expand our

involvement and

help her start a

preschool to help

the women and

children in the area.

Through my Thai

sister we decided to

help her husband’s non-profit charitable

organization. He is Bangladeshi and has a huge

network throughout Southeast Asia. We help in

14 countries with teachers' salaries, educational

materials, scholarships and disaster relief. We

have also built some schools in impoverished

rural areas in Uganda, Kashmir and Bangladesh.

We decided to work overseas because the

need is greater and because our money goes

much further.

We have invested in schools in Vietnam, Laos,

Cambodia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the

Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India

and Thailand and visited most of the locations.

Myanmar and Nepal are amazing countries with

so much history. In Nepal, we visited sites where

we helped build homes for those who had

lost their dwellings in the earthquake. In

Bangladesh, we visited the Rohingya refugee

camps that house 1.5 million people displaced

from Myanmar. We provided funds for on-site

doctors. Next year, we will visit Pakistan and see

the school that we built in Kashmir. It’s hard to

pick out just a couple of places to emphasize

– every donation has an interesting story, but

there are just too many to tell.

glass windows. The floors are dirt. The

women and children go daily to the wells to

get water. The nearest school is seven miles

away. Our friend Kizito grew up there and had

a dream to have a school in his hometown.

We started out with a nursery with two

classrooms. Ten years later we have a school

for 550 students. Our biggest obstacle is

getting the school to be self-sustaining as

the parents don’t have jobs. We have worked

with another of our contacts in Africa to have

each student raise a goat yearly to pay for

the fees, and on the extra school land the

parents grow crops that they can sell to pay

for the teachers’ salaries. When we visited the

school it was great to see the students. The

community gave us a dressed goat – literally

wearing children’s clothes!

We now also work in Ghana with two

charities. Right to Be Free finds and rescues

trafficked individuals and helps them regain

their lives. It is run by a wonderful man who

also helps the school in Uganda become more

self-sustaining. The other charity is Hope Walks,

which helps children born with clubfoot. We

visited both the charities this year, met with

the police special services who work closely

with Right to be Free and received an award

from them for our help in saving children. In

Ghana, girls are trafficked into the sex industry.

Boys are trafficked for work as fishing laborers

around the world and for spam calling the US.

You might not realize that many of the spam

calls you receive are from trafficked individuals.

We also proudly support International Medical

Corps (IMC), another great organization that is

like Doctors without Borders, that concentrates

on training individuals to work solutions locally,

wherever there is trouble. 60 Minutes highlighted

their work in Ukraine. I find this organization

truly inspirational. They truly show that you can

make a difference in the world.

We are currently

deeply invested in

Africa. Through

our connections in

Bangkok we agreed

to fund a school in

Uganda. It was in a

village with no

running water nor

electricity on the bank

of the Nile. The

houses do not have


visiting one of their schools

in rural Bangladesh;

community gift of a

goat dressed in

children's clothes


stories

Family and Community

Pillar

Sara Gori, AAWE, left New York to pursue her dreams in Paris, where she

built a cherished community of friends, co-workers, social networks and

visiting relatives.

"If something should ever happen to us,

please don’t let them split you up.”

This is the mandate my mother gave me before

she left for the Dominican Republic to bury my

grandfather. I was nine years old. These words

nurtured my “maternal instincts” not only toward

my two sisters (six and eight years younger

than I) but also influenced my relationships with

classmates, friends and colleagues.

I learned to cook at the age of eight with my

mother keen to show me how to bake cakes

and cookies from scratch. When money

was short, I sold slices of my vanilla cake

with chocolate frosting to buy books from

Scholastic magazine.

Curiosity and Connections Were in My Genes

Growing up in NYC in a multicultural home, I was

exposed to different languages, cultures and

ethnicities. This fed my desire to learn more

about life and how we act, think and feel. I

traveled around the Caribbean islands

and Western Europe. I quickly made friends who

stayed with us. This showed me the

power of love, hospitality

and kindness.

Sara Gori

Sara attending the

American University

Annual Gala


Our home was always open to those in need.

Investing in self-enrichment was also important

to me, so I joined women’s networks and

professional associations. For a decade I served

on the board of the National Investor Relations

Institute (NIRI) NY Chapter as VP of Professional

Development and volunteered to cultivate the

love of reading in third grade students. The

latter was heartwarming! I gained an

appreciation for having a mentor and coach.

Following My Dreams – 13 is My Lucky Number

Since I was fluent in Spanish, I took French in

middle school, which led me to fall in love with

France, and I became determined to live and

work in Paris. After university and over a

decade working in New York, I pursued this

dream relentlessly. However, I struggled

emotionally about leaving my family to the

point of sabotaging myself and missing out on

potential opportunities. It took me 13 years to

get to Paris via a company merger. Thirteen

years onwards, I am launching my own

reputation risk consulting firm.

In My Own Words:

Connector, Confidante, Community

Family is everything. When I made the move

16 years ago, it was a bittersweet moment. My

heart was full, yet heavy. Concerns swirled in

my head, consuming my first two years. My

family reassured me. My friends calmed me.

My colleagues comforted me. It took me

three years to realize I was not alone. Quietly,

something snuck in. Safety – I had people I

could rely on if something happened to me in

another country. Trust – I recognized I could

deal with whatever came my way: physically,

emotionally, mentally, financially.

Community – with each city I

lived in, my

anchor grew stronger.

I realized I had

many families

and my

connections

with them

were far

and wide:

my immediate

family

in New

York,

who

loved me

unconditionally; my spiritual friends and family

who kept me grounded, building emotional

fortitude and mental strength; my family at

work who adopted me into their French culture

and supported my New York Latin ways of

doing business while introducing European

diplomacy to enhance my professional

capabilities. I was able to connect and make

lifelong friends in whatever city I lived in.

Regular nights out with local co-workers or new

acquaintances helped me integrate into the

city, as well as strengthen bonds and create a

global community to support each other.

The first years in Paris, my family saw it as a

betrayal when I would say, “Okay, I'm off to go

home. Call you when I land.” NY was home.

Paris was “somewhere you’ll live until you get

it out of your system and come home.” But the

more they visited me, they fell in love with

Paris, too. With France. With Europe. With my

European life. They accepted and loved my

new friends and family. They attended home

dinners and went to AAWE or other networking

events. My life became their lives. They trusted

that I would be taken care of. They trusted

me to call them should I need it. I also had to

acknowledge that it was not “either/or,” but

rather both cities had become my home.

My love for my parents runs deep, but my

sisters are the bedrock of my existence.

When my younger sister got divorced, it was

a hard time for all of us. And yet, that sad

but necessary event led to the three of us

institutionalizing our “Sisters Trip.”

My nieces and nephews, now mostly grown,

have visited on their own to figure out life, fly

in for a weekend concert or if they just plain

need a “spa week” relaxing and doing

absolutely nothing. They are quick to call

me for a shot of “yes, you can” motivation

and inspiration.

When our mother was diagnosed with lung

cancer, my sisters were there for her every day

for two years. I suffered from guilt that I could

not be there physically. I offered to leave my

job and return home. My mom and sisters said

no. I used my holiday period and spent two

months working Paris hours from New York

to give a bit of relief to my sisters. I remember

fondly my mom being up with me as I

worked on my laptop and she watched her

favorite Madrid TV shows.

Previous page:

childhood photo with sisters and parents


parents 14 th wedding anniversary;

sisters looking fab for a family wedding;

family gathering during the holidays

Returning from my mother’s funeral, I saw again

that I had a community, a family to call my own.

My colleagues filled my home with little love

notes, hid balloons in different parts of the

house and gave me tight hugs when I returned

to work. My refrigerator was stocked with food.

Other friends cooked for me and invited me to

their country homes to keep me feeling loved and

not alone. Jen, Cyril, Caroline, Helene, Laurence,

Guillaume, James, Celia, to name a few, I am

forever in their debt.

Cooking is still a passion of mine, whether I am

cooking for 5 or 50 people. When I am feeling

homesick, I cook La Bandera Dominicana (the


Dominican flag), which means

white rice, pinto or black beans

and meat (pork or beef ribs,

oxtail, chicken cacciatore).

My home has been used for

helping friends write out their

business plan or pilot an idea

with 10 women such as

“Twitter and Tapas” as they

teach other women new skills

to build their career presence

online. My favorite times are

listening to others’ career

challenges and goals and

discovering how I can support

them. Connecting folks who can

help each other, or seem like they

can be besties, is another passion

of mine.

Now that I am starting my own

business, I am humbled to see

how friends and mentees have

come to the rescue. They’ve

listened, advised and

connected me with others for

fruitful discussions.

Paris has turned into my new

family, my new home, my new

love and has given me a new

career path as well: to learn,

build and teach others about

reputation risk management. I

ensured my global reputation

risk manager network was made

to feel like family. We built

trustworthy relationships that

afforded me the opportunity to

be handpicked to come over and

help out locally.

AAWE continues to be a beacon

of fun and a connection to all

things American. Those ladies

are fiercely loyal souls who

dedicate themselves to

ensuring you have a link to your

old home while securing your

future in France. The pandemic

was not lonely at all. It actually

inspired new activities. We

established Walk and Talk moments and

have since created a WhatsApp group as

well as a Career Support group. Tired of

hearing mais non, ce n’est pas possible, my

best friend Clare and I created our own

intimate circle of friends and named it

MaisWe (pronounced may we). We hoped

this would counter the negativity by

bringing back the NY positive attitude to

our Parisian life.

What’s next?

One thing I know for sure is that there are

exciting times on my horizon! Family and

connections will ensure I thrive.


IR team NY with Therese and George G:

cocktails and conversation prior to going out;

offsite team management Axa Asia, 2015

This page:

accepting an IR award at the Axa IR awards

ceremony, London


feature

Club Anniversaries

Introduction by Kanika Holloway, FAWCO VP - Member Clubs

W

hen I was asked to introduce the

clubs celebrating 100+ year

anniversaries in regard to FAWCO

family connections, I immediately

felt the weight of the question: How can I

capture the deep impact these women, these

clubs, have had on my life and the lives of

others? Can I truly do justice to the sense of

belonging, unwavering support and countless

shared experiences that FAWCO has given us?

Choosing to live abroad is no small feat. It’s a

leap into the unknown, a decision that takes

courage and vulnerability. We leave behind our

blood families, familiar surroundings and the

comforts of home. But in doing so, we find

ourselves forming new bonds – connections

that, over time, become just as strong, just

as meaningful. When I first took that leap, I

had no idea that the friendships formed would

grow into something so vital. The women I’ve

met through FAWCO have been there for me

through every phase of life: some moments of

great joy and others of heartbreaking loss. They

have been the ones who showed up, time and

again, offering a shoulder to cry on or a glass to

raise in celebration. From sharing meals and

memories, to supporting one another through

births, career changes and even the loss of

loved ones, these bonds have become my

lifeline abroad.

FAWCO has given me not only purpose but a

sense of belonging that has been essential to

my mental health and well-being. In moments

when I’ve felt untethered by the distance from

my family, the women in this network have

grounded me. It is through them that I’ve found

a place of belonging, a space of understanding.

We’ve shared adventures – some as simple as

weekend trips or champagne toasts, others as

profound as rallying together to work for causes

that reach far beyond ourselves. Isn’t that what

family does? It gives you purpose and a legacy,

something bigger to be part of.

I often think of those early days when FAWCO

clubs first began – those times when women

banded together with a mission to promote

peace, fight for women’s rights and improve

the quality of life for all. And here we are,

generations later, still standing, still fighting

for those same goals. We are each one of

thousands, connected across borders by a

common purpose. The family we’ve built

here spans time and space, making us not

only strong but supported, empowered and

deeply connected.

There is a special kind of strength that comes

from knowing you are not alone. For me, that

strength has come from the FAWCO family.

These women – their courage, their empathy

and their resilience – have enriched my life in

ways that words can barely express. As the

Vice President of Member Clubs, I see how these

connections have continued to thrive in each

club, how the spirit of sisterhood has not just

persisted but grown stronger with each

passing year.

Congratulations to AWC Berlin, AWC London

and AWA Vienna as they celebrate their 100+

year anniversaries. As a member of the

AWC of Antwerp, a founding member of FAWCO

celebrating 95 years, I can say with certainty

that the legacy we’re creating will last far

beyond us. As we continue to celebrate our

club anniversaries and milestones, we’re also

honoring the family we’ve cultivated and the

ways we uplift one another. As Jane Howard

said, “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a

tribe, call it a family: whatever you call it,

whoever you are, you need one.” I am so

grateful for this FAWCO family, a gift that has

enriched every corner of my life. With love and

deep appreciation, I look forward to many more

years of laughter, growth and purpose with

this family.


AWC Berlin,

FAWCO’s Oldest Club,

Celebrating 130 Years!

AWC London: A Home

Away From Home -

Celebrating 125 Years

by My-Linh Kunst

President, AWC Berlin

by Chitra Shanbhouge

President, AWC London

American Women’s Club of Berlin

American Women’s Club of London

Our organization started as the American Girls Club to be the family away from home

for young, single women who came to Berlin to work. Its name was changed to American

Women’s Club of Berlin in 1898. According to the article by the Herald Tribune in 1905, it

was "the FIRST of its kind in Kaiser Land," as part of the women’s movement at the turn

of the century.

The club has gone through many relaunches - in 1929 after WWI, in 1946 after WWII,

and again in 1994. Our last relaunch in 2015 brought a major change in the constitution,

which opened the club up to “Women of all Nationalities who embrace the American

Spirit”. (Before, membership was only open to American citizens or spouses.)

While our club’s identity remains distinctly American, our story continues with our

current family of over 300 members from 30+ nationalities.

Over the past 130 years, this club has not only been a beacon of support,

empowerment and friendship for these women, it has also been a force for positive

change, contributing to numerous charitable causes and strengthening the bond

between the American, German and international communities in Berlin.

AWC Berlin is the oldest of FAWCO’s founding clubs. In 1932, we hosted the first official

FAWCO conference and 74 years later, AWC Berlin celebrated the 75 th anniversary of

FAWCO by hosting the 2006 conference.

For over 125 years, the American Women’s Club of London (AWC) has provided a warm

and inviting space for American and international women to connect and create lasting

friendships. Our members enjoy a welcoming environment filled with enriching

programs, diverse social networks and a shared dedication to community service.

These bonds transcend borders and generations, fostering a sense of belonging among

women from all walks of life.

The AWC is founded upon a deep sense of connection and support. Members share

common experiences and forge lifelong friendships that create a strong, tight-knit

community. We celebrate international companionship and a collective spirit of

inclusivity, embracing women of all ages and backgrounds.

In March, we commemorated our 125th anniversary at the Royal College of Surgeons.

This milestone celebrated our past, present and future. It also affirmed our commitment

to cultivating a sense of community for years to come.

As we reflect on our history, it's clear that our success stems from the simple act of

connecting with one another. Even when members move on to new adventures, the

memories and bonds formed at the AWC remain a cherished part of their lives.

We eagerly anticipate upholding the values of community service and sisterhood for

the next 125 years and beyond, as our legacy of friendship, support and connection

continues to thrive. Here's to many more years of growth, shared experiences and

enriching friendships.


AWA Vienna,

Celebrating 100 years!

by Connie Phlipot

AWA Vienna

Family is typically defined as a group of individuals connected by blood, marriage or adoption,

characterized by emotional bonds and a sense of belonging. Beyond biological ties, family can

also include close friends and community members, emphasizing that true family is defined by

care, mutual respect and a sense of shared experience and purpose. By honoring milestone

anniversaries, these FAWCO clubs have cemented the importance of the families we choose.

At Inspiring Women we are happy to celebrate them!

The American Women's Association

of Vienna

The American Women's Association (AWA) of Vienna was founded in 1924 by American

diplomatic and military wives. In May 1931, AWA Vienna became a founding member of

FAWCO and in 1933 hosted FAWCO's second international conference. AWA disbanded

in 1939, becoming active again around 1964 with about 60 members.

AWA has a long tradition of supporting the community, building on the work of the

American Embassy and military wives in the early post-war years to help Austrian

children. As the Austrian economy developed after World War II, AWA members tutored

children of migrant workers and refugees from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey. Today,

AWA collaborates with local organizations such as Die Möwe, Caritas and Franziskaner

Church Soup Kitchen.

In 1976, AWA members wrote The Hausfrau Handbook, an 85-page book later renamed

Living in Vienna. It has been reprinted ten times over the past 40 years, is still available on

Amazon and continues to be a valuable resource for our members.

AWA rejoined FAWCO in 1987; we hosted FAWCO's 30 th international conference in 1991

and co-hosted the 2023 biennial conference with the International Women’s Club of

Bratislava. We kicked off our centennial with a birthday party at the AWA Clubhouse in

May, followed by a fundraising concert with young performers from the US, Austria and

India in June. We culminated the festivities with a concert by the Longfield Gospel Choir

(with one of our members singing) on October 11. We look forward to our family thriving

in the future as we continue to highlight and forge relationships both inside and outside

of our “home.”

AWC Antwerp: 95 Years (submitted by Carol Brazle)

The AWC Antwerp welcomes not only American women, but women

from all over the world to provide a place of friendship and activities.

We have done much in the way of philanthropy, giving back to the

community in which we live. At the anniversary reception, the American

Ambassador Micheal Adler said, “This wonderful organization has

made significant contributions to the Antwerp community for almost

a century … Congratulations to everyone involved."

AWC Denmark: 90 Years (submitted by Mary Stewart Burgher)

In May, 17 AWC members met at the Nørrebro Food Club for a

wonderful buffet dinner to celebrate AWC’s 90 th birthday and each

other! From receiving Queen Ingrid in 1966 to hosting multiple FAWCO

conferences, to gifting two Gila monsters to the Copenhagen Zoo for

our 50th anniversary, AWC Denmark’s history is colorful and

philanthropic. Hats off to yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s AWC!

AWC Oslo: 90 Years (submitted by Carly Tronchale)

We celebrated 90 wonderful years of the American Women's Club of

Oslo, with a 1930s-themed party in the Haven at Amerikalinjen Hotel

(Oslo) on October 11, 2024. Thank you to all of the partners, friends,

family, scholarship recipients, charities, embassy personnel and others

who were in attendance and have helped make our club a success!


AWC Bern: 75 Years (submitted by Susan Spälti)

The American Women’s Club of Bern's 75 th anniversary party, held on

June 14, 2024, was a spectacular celebration with a lively Las Vegas

theme! The event featured a classic American food spread that was a

hit with everyone. For entertainment, we had three exciting gambling

tables – just for fun! The night was rounded out with a DJ that kept

the dance floor buzzing with energy. It was an unforgettable evening,

marking a milestone in our club's history!

AWC Madrid: 70 Years

(excerpted from President Curran McClure Reid’s anniversary invocation)

We reap the rewards of the seeds sown in Madrid 70 years ago by

a handful of women who would meet at the Hilton Hotel until they

could buy a proper clubhouse. We are grateful for the tapestry of

cultures that make up our international club – we boast 20

nationalities – as it brings us diversity and strength, and we are

blessed by the spirit of charity that has been at the core of the

AWC’s mission for seven decades.

Congratulations to the following clubs, who also

celebrated milestone anniversaries this year:

AWC Brussels - 75 Years

AWC Korea - 60 Years

The North American Connection - 60 years

AWC Central Scotland - 50 Years

AW Venice - 5 Years

Well done!

AIWC Düsseldorf: 65 Years (submitted by Barbara Bühling)

In September we had an absolute blast celebrating the 65 th

anniversary at a wine reception attended by members old and new.

We were thrilled that Mechtild Henkel and Vera Busch joined us –

they have both been members for more than 50 years! The evening

was filled with laughter, memories and joy as we honored our

amazing community who make it so special. Additionally, we

celebrated 10 years of our Heart2Heart pillow project and the

launching of Wilkommen, our new digital newcomers' guide to the

Düsseldorf area.

AWC Philippines: 45 Years (submitted by Keri Myers)

Established in Manila, Philippines, in 1979 by a group of expat

women led by the spouse of the US ambassador, the American

Women’s Club of the Philippines recently celebrated its 45 th

anniversary with a Charity Hoedown fundraising event to benefit

Stepping Stone, a long-term charitable partner and one of the very

few schools in the Philippines that offers qualified medical support,

academics and job training to special needs children from preschool

to young adult. The AWCP of today is a vibrant group of 150 women

of whom the founders would be proud!

AWC Liechtenstein & Rhine Valley: 30 Years (submitted by Laura Lovinger)

We're a roughly 30-member club which sees itself as especially

welcoming, supportive and multigenerational (several motherdaughter

members) in a relatively rural area which covers three

countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria). Recently

rebranded as the American Women's Club of Liechtenstein and the

Rhine Valley, we celebrate our American heritage and explore our

new culture – together. We help newcomers adapt to life abroad as

we build friendships with each other and local residents.


AWC Berlin

AWC London


AWA Vienna

AWC Denmark


AWC Oslo

AIWC

Düsseldorf

AWC Antwerp

AWC Liechtenstein

& Rhine Valley

AWC Philippines


stories

Baby Book Sparks

Passion for Genealogy

Linda Harvan, FAUSA 2 nd VP Membership, resides in Dubuque, Iowa. She

was previously a member of AWC Brussels and American Women of the

Eastern Province, where she served as FAWCO Liaison.

I

grew up in the small town of Warren in

northwest Pennsylvania, just outside the

Allegheny National Forest. My dad was a letter

carrier and my mom taught junior high school

English. I was an only child but I had 37 first

cousins and most lived within 40 miles. We made

road trips twice a year to visit my grandmother

in Florida and she was a faithful pen pal.

From the Mid-Atlantic to the South

Tom and I met at Pennsylvania State University

and we both graduated with a BS in Chemical

Engineering. We married shortly after I graduated

and moved to Baton Rouge, LA, where he had

accepted a job. I worked briefly at a chemical

fertilizer plant and then as a computer

programmer for the Department of Revenue

(DOR). We bought our starter home and lived

there for almost 23 years, aside from the three

years we spent in Belgium. We had a large circle

of friends and were active in church activities and

family life. After my parents retired, they moved

to Baton Rouge and lived behind us. When our

girls were born, I took time off and then worked

part time for the DOR off and on until we moved

overseas. We belonged to a bowling league and

enjoyed going to Mardi Gras,

crawfish boils and touring the Attending the

Linda Harvan

deep south.

Czechoslovak

Genealogical

Society

International

conference in

Milwaukee,

74 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN

October 2023

75

Settling in the Midwest via Europe and

Saudi Arabia

In 2000, we moved to Belgium and a new life.

It forced me to step outside my shell and try

new things, including becoming a member of

AWC Brussels where I knew no one. Our

daughters thrived at the international school,

and we learned to navigate expat life. We

returned to Baton Rouge for two years before

making moves to Michigan, Virginia, West

Virginia and a surprise opportunity in Saudi

Arabia, where I joined AWEP and became active

with FAWCO. When we returned to the US four

years later, Tom had an offer for a job in the

Dubuque, IA, area and off we went. We were

surprised we loved being back in the Midwest

and decided to stay when he retired in April

2022. We have two daughters and sons-in-law

and one granddaughter, who live on opposite

sides of the US in Seattle, WA, and Reston, VA.

I am busy with Daughters of the American

Revolution (DAR) and FAUSA activities, book

club, genealogy and travel.

In My Own Words: Tracing My Family’s Roots

My genealogy journey began as I was entering

the names of parents, grandparents and

great-grandparents in my oldest daughter’s

baby book. I knew quite a bit about my family

already and my parents helped me with the few

missing details.

As a child, I would occasionally read my mother’s

family history book, The Ancestors and

Descendants of Zachariah Eddy of Warren, PA

written by her father’s second cousin and

published in 1930. I loved thumbing through

the pages and reading stories of the Eddy family

from Rev. William Eddye, born in Bristol,

England, to my grandfather and his brother

living in my hometown. The earliest record of

William Eddye is during the first term at Trinity

College, Cambridge, in 1579. He and his wife,

Mary, had 11 children, and two of their sons,

John and Samuel, came to America in the

Handmaid that landed in Plymouth in 1630.

I knew my fourth great-grandfather Nathan

Previous page:

meeting Kamala

Harris with other

supporters in

Dubuque, IA,

October 16, 2019

This page, top to

bottom:

family at Mom’s

90th birthday party,

June 2024;

Linda, Anna and

Carrie Harvan at

John and Samuel

Eddy plaque,

Brewster Park,

Plymouth, MA


served in the Massachusetts militia during the

American Revolution. Ancestors of both Nathan

and his wife were Mayflower passengers. Their

youngest son, Zachariah, accompanied one of

his older brothers to the Northwest Territory in

what is now southeast Ohio before he traveled

up the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers and found the

newly laid out town of Warren, Pennsylvania,

around 1801 and decided to settle there. I loved

to read the biographies of these ancestors and

the documentation, especially the personal

letters. My maternal grandmother told me

stories about her father, William Montgomery,

who arrived as a child with his family from

County Antrim in Northern Ireland and was a

stonemason in Mercer, Pennsylvania. Her

mother was one of 14 children and lived on

a farm.

My father also talked often about his family,

including his great-grandfather, Reinhart

Giegerich, who arrived in Warren from Germany

in the 1850s, opened a bakery and later a

hotel, and his grandmother, Susannah

Gallagher, who came from Ireland in the 1880s

with her family. His other grandmother,

Minnie Pearl Lauffenberger, was born in the

US to parents who had also immigrated from

Germany. He did not know as much about his

Brown ancestors, though, since his grandfather

died when he was young.

The next time we visited Tom’s parents, I asked

them to tell me more about their families. Tom’s

mother did not know much about her father’s

family since he died when she was young and

her mother’s family was secretive. Tom’s dad,

however, drew me a family tree and filled in as

much as he could, including

ancestral villages in

Slovakia. His

grandparents, John

Harvan and Mary

Olha, had six

children

before Mary

died. John

sent for her

younger

sister,

Veronica,

whom he

married a

year later.

The couple

had six more

children. That

story intrigued me – Tom’s grandfather

had a stepmother who was also his aunt, and

his half-siblings were also his first cousins.

So interesting!

From there I started borrowing beginner

genealogy books from the library to learn how

to research family history. When I was home for

a visit, I went to the church and combed through

the old church records, carefully transcribing the

births and baptisms, marriages and other family

related information. At the courthouse, I learned

to use the indexes and searched for marriage

license applications and deeds. In the library

reference room, I found high school yearbooks,

city directories, a vital records catalog and

drawers of microfilm with copies of historical

newspapers. I learned to use the microfilm

reader and printed birth notices, wedding

articles from the society page and obituaries.

I hiked around the cemetery photographing

headstones of my known relatives and other

people buried in the family plot or nearby. I

created a form I mailed to relatives asking them

to fill out as much information about their

immediate family as possible. Family members

sent me newspaper clippings, birth

announcements and funeral cards. Each time

we visited my husband’s family in the Pittsburgh

area, I would try to find a bit of time to do

the same as I had in my hometown. At the

Carnegie Library I found US census records on

microfilm and learned to use Soundex. To obtain

documentation from distant locations, I mailed

letters with enclosed fees and return envelopes.

In the mid-to-late 1990s Ancestry.com, Family

Search and genealogy software became

available and made genealogy research more

accessible from home or the library.

Genealogy Becomes a Vacation Activity

We started fitting genealogy related activities

into other trips. During a trip to the UK and

Ireland in 1999, we stopped at St. Dunstan’s

Church in Cranbrook to see three memorial

windows and a tablet in memory of Rev. William

Eddye, who served as vicar for 25 years. On the

same trip we visited Ballymena in County Antrim

to see where my great-grandfather, William

Montgomery, was from. Four years later, while

in Dublin on a school break for our girls, I visited

the General Register Office and found his

birth record.

On a trip to Cape Cod, we visited Brewster

Gardens in Plymouth and found the bronze

tablet dedicated to the memory of John and

Samuel Eddy on the 300th anniversary of their

landing. At the Pilgrim Hall Museum we saw

weapons, furniture and household items

belonging to our Mayflower ancestors, Myles

Standish, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. I

ventured to Duxbury and toured the Alden

House and the Myles Standish Burying Ground,

the oldest maintained cemetery in the

United States.

Previous page, top

to bottom:

4 th of July parade in

Bellevue, Iowa,

representing my

Revolutionary War

patriot, Nathan Eddy,

2023;

visiting the "If You Build

It" Exhibit in Dyersville,

IA, April 2024

This page:

Olha family

descendents, Kavečany,

Slovakia, September

2024

In Michigan, I met a group of like-minded friends

through the DAR. We took several trips for

research or to attend genealogy classes and

attended the National Genealogical Society

annual conference in Richmond, VA. We traveled

to the DAR Headquarters in Washington, DC,

for a multi-day course along with research at

the DAR Library, the National Archives and the

Library of Congress. We took several trips

to the Allen County Library Genealogy Center

in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Last year, Tom and I

attended the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society

International (CGSI) biennial conference, and

this year, a friend and I went to Salt Lake City for

RootsTech.

Through CGSI, I attended a virtual webinar

about the Slovak Archives. The speaker was a

local genealogist who specializes in research and

private ancestral tours. This summer we asked

him to help us find Tom’s living relatives in

Slovakia. We met some of his second and third

cousins and other extended family, descended

from a brother of Mary and Veronica Olha, in

the small village of Kavečany. They welcomed

us with trays of sandwiches, sweets and later

brought out homemade plum brandy. The two

older women remembered their parents

receiving letters and packages from Veronica.

We connected via Facebook with a younger

family member who speaks English and

exchanged email addresses so that we can keep

in touch and share more information. It was the

best day of our trip!


stories

An Expansive Family

with a Twist

Rozannne Lofaso (Taylor) Van Rie, AWC Antwerp, FAWCO Rep and

Regional Coordinator at Large, boasts children and grandchildren on both

sides of the Atlantic. She relates the joys and challenges of blended families

and how her cousins became her stepchildren.

B

orn in 1952 in Brooklyn, NYC, I was an

only child. My father, a first generation

Sicilian-American who had fought in

Belgium during World War II, met and married

my Antwerp-born mother, Wilhelmine, at the end

of the war. They decided that life in the US would

provide more opportunities, but my mother was

not allowed to travel on the boat with the other

war brides until their daughter (my sister Angela)

was 5 months old. She left behind her parents,

two brothers and her sister, Annie. Angela, as

well as five other babies, died from severe

dehydration just five days after passing through

Ellis Island. At the time, the babies on board the

ship were only allowed to be fed by the nurses

and wrong formula was considered the cause of

death. My parents moved in with their loving

Sicilian family, so I grew up living with my

grandparents. I have fond memories of walking

to the bakery with my grandfather after church to

buy ten loaves of Italian bread for that most

special and animated Sunday dinner with our

entire family of 20 or more!

Rozanne Van Rie

Rozanne's six

Belgian grandkids


Family Number One

At 18 I left for nursing school in NYC, fulfilling a

long-term dream. Working in oncology, hospice

and palliative care has been my love for almost

50 years. I met my first husband Joe, father of

our three sons, in school, and we were married

for 25 years. We had a good life filled with our

boys’ multiple sports and school activities.

Lacrosse was our main sport, which took us

across the East coast for many tournaments.

All three boys played, and our middle son was

a high school All-American. Two of the boys

actually played for the Belgian team 10 years

ago as Europe started playing this “very

American” sport.

Creating a Special Kind of Blended Family

My mother’s sister, Annie, had five daughters,

my first cousins, whom I have known well my

whole life, with multiple visits to and from

Belgium. One of my closest cousins, Denise,

was married to Luc Van Rie and they had three

children. Denise was diagnosed with breast

cancer. She and I talked often during her illness

and she asked me to visit when she became

quite ill. Unfortunately, after a long battle, we

lost Denise to this family inherited disease. Luc,

who was an IBM manager, traveled to the US

often and knew my US family. He and I started

a most unexpected relationship. We married

in Belgium on Luc’s 59 th birthday, and this year

will celebrate 19 years of marriage. Talk about

a blended family: my stepchildren are really my

cousins! I have my three sons, two wonderful

daughters-in-law and four grandchildren in the

US. In Belgium, we have six grandkids, ages

ranging from 4 to 19. We are very much involved

with all of them.

Always at their births

Honoring Family Traditions and Discovering

an Illustrious Ancestor

My eldest son Joe and his wife Seema got

engaged on the same bridge in the center of

Antwerp where my mother and father did 65

years earlier. I also discovered that my three

sons are direct descendents of William Brewster,

one of the Elders on the Mayflower. We

discovered this fact about 10 years ago during

a visit to Pieterskerk (the church of the Pilgrim

Fathers) in the city of Leiden, the Netherlands,

while attending an American Thanksgiving

celebration. A house and a street are named

after him.

Family Connections and Beyond

Family is extremely important to me. These last

few years, traveling to the US several times a

year to visit the boys, family and friends or to

attend weddings has been a major part of my

life. Balancing my Belgian family life and my US

family has been a challenge at times. As my

sons would say, I have MFOMO (Mom’s Fear

of Missing Out). While I have been to many

celebrations, I have had to miss some. Blowing

out my grandson’s first birthday candles was

done over video chat. I have missed weddings

and baby showers but always tried to “be there”

in some way. Here in Belgium, our 14-strong

family gathers for all major holidays and other

family events. Being a member of our family

and having old “like family” friends is such a

precious part of my life. I appreciate what I have

and try hard not to keep “wanting more” time

with everyone.

The American Women’s Club of Antwerp

has been another family for me. Our

philanthropy projects (especially Caring Hearts)

and the wonderful, kind and loving women I

have met over these last 15 years have enriched

my life in a most unexpected, special and

necessary way.

Next page top to bottom:

adult sons;

Caring Hearts Walk;

eldest son Joe with his wife Seema and

godson in Belgium;

just arrived in Belgium;

US family


stories

The Joys & Privilege of

Caring for Elderly Parents

Debra Hyman, AWC Madrid, left Spain for California at age 55 to become

the full-time caregiver of her aging parents, allowing them to remain

cheerful and engaged to the end. She describes the 17 wonderful years she

spent by their side.

Iwas born and raised in Stockton, California,

the daughter of elementary school

educators. My father was a principal and

my mother a reading specialist. One of the

benefits of working in education is that generous

holidays and travel were part of our family life.

At three, I made my first international trip by car

down the West Coast Highway of México, which

had recently opened.

I studied at University of California, Los Angeles,

where I was a member of Alpha Chi Omega

sorority and spent a junior year abroad at the

Universidad de Granada in Granada, Spain. After

completing a BA in Political Science, I went on

to earn a MIM (Master of International

Management) with a concentration in Marketing

from American Graduate School of International

Management in Glendale, Arizona (now named

Thunderbird School of Global Management

and part of Arizona State University in

Phoenix, Arizona).

With my new degree, I was off to New York City

first where I worked in marketing for the next

15 years for leaders in a number of industries,

including cosmetics, wine and spirits, and health

and beauty aids.

Debra Hyman

Debra with her

Mom and Dad


Moving to Spain

I decided to finally fulfill my original objective

of living and working abroad, so I moved to

Madrid, Spain. With my educational background

and work experience, I found a job in the

Madrid office of an American consulting firm

working with international banks to convert

their branches from transaction centers into

sales centers. This involved everything

related to the customer experience, including

branding, advertising, merchandising and

brochure systems. During the years I worked

in Madrid, I never had a Spanish client. Instead,

I worked on major projects for banks in

Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and South

Africa, among others.

My family first visited Spain when I was a

teenager and the country immediately became

our favorite travel destination. It was so much

so that when I was in college, my parents bought

a second home on the Costa del Sol, where they

vacationed until taking early retirement. They

then began dividing their time between

California and Andalusia.

Leaving from JFK

After 25 years, commuting between two homes

became too much. My parents sold “La Villita”

and returned to California permanently.

Leaving Everything Behind to be a

Full Time Caregiver

As time went on, I realized that my 84-year-old

father and 80-year-old mother were no longer

managing well on their own with only sporadic

visits and telephone calls from my brother who

lived nearby.

Ever since I was a young girl, I had promised

myself that “no parent of mine is going to end

up in a nursing home.” I made the decision to

return to Stockton to ensure that my mother’s

and father’s last years were as healthy and

happy as possible. In doing so, I gave up my

Spanish residency and the possibility of applying

for Spanish citizenship in the very near future.

I arrived back in Stockton in Spring 2006 at the

age of 55. My intention was to buy a little condo

near my parents, find a job in my field (or as

close to it as the county seat with a population

of 325,000 provided) and care for my parents

My parents'

happy place,

Mijas on the

Spanish coast.

On a clear day,

Africa is visible.

in my free time. I was a tad naive. When I

temporarily moved into our family home, it

became clear that they needed more hands-on

care and I never left.

Challenges

The immediate challenge was dealing with their

medical needs. My first six months in Stockton

were a whirlwind of doctors' appointments, an

average of four to five a week. They culminated

in my mother having brain surgery for a benign

cyst that had permanently atrophied her left

hand and was causing her to fall. Thanks to

the world class team at University of California,

San Francisco’s Medical Center, I woke up the

morning after Mother was discharged from

the hospital to find her in the kitchen on a

stepladder wiping cupboard shelves.

Managing my parents’ doctors’ appointments

and prescription drugs along with their physical

well-being was an enormous responsibility, one

I wasn’t particularly prepared for. But I quickly

learned that with healthcare it is critical to be

proactive (get that second opinion!) and that a

reliable pharmacist is equally as important as a

team of reliable doctors.

The Thrill of Remaining Active

Of no less importance were my parents’

emotional well-being and happiness. In this

area, I was better prepared. They were

charming people - attractive, amusing,

intellectually curious - and we had always been

the best of friends. I happily stepped in to serve

as their social secretary so that they could

continue being active members of the

community, as they had always been. We

entertained and were entertained in return.

We went to film screenings, outdoor concerts,

lodge dinners, local festivals and parades. I was

even made an honorary member of the local

Veterans of the Battle of Okinawa group as I was

chauffeuring my father to weekly meetings.

Returning to my hometown after 35 years was a

bit of an adjustment. I no longer had childhood

friends there, and I was used to living in a big

city with a variety of experiences. Still, Stockton

has a positive side. In a recent issue, Newsweek

magazine named it the most diverse city in the

United States. And the Mediterranean climate,

cooled by the Delta breeze from San Francisco

Bay, ensures the weather is comfortable

year-round.

I didn’t have a great deal of personal time, but

I did find an interest my caregiving schedule

could accommodate: taking courses at the local

community college. Every semester for several

years, I indulged in a class such as the History

of Costume, Beginning Drawing, Linguistics

and Journalism. Needless to say, as a “mature”

student I did quite well, although I no longer

needed the grades!


This page, counter clockwise from left:

Mijas, 1966;

Atlântico Team:

newly arrived back in California, 2006

Next page, bottom:

Debra's secrets to caregiving ... celebrating any and all

holidays to add variety to our days

Dad died after a short illness in Spring 2011 at

the age of 86. Mother said, “That’s it. I’m done.

I’ve nothing to live for.” To which I replied, “Don’t

be stupid. We’re going to live.” And live we did.

For another 12 years, we were as active as we

could be. In Spring 2023, Mother died after a

short illness at the age of 97. I had then been in

Stockton for 17 years.

Lessons Learned

Being a full-time caregiver to my parents was

the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it’s also the

accomplishment I’m proudest of. Ensuring that

they were together in their last years, as

comfortable and happy as they could possibly

be and allowing them to die at home, in their

own bed, wasn’t a duty. It was a privilege and I

have no regrets.

There is no one-size-fits-all family solution for

caring for elderly parents and the situation is

even more complicated when factoring in

international ties and obligations. I am aware

that few could or would wish to make this life

choice, to give up one’s independence and

dedicate oneself fully to their parents’ care.

However, for those who may be contemplating a

choice like mine, here is some advice:

• z Have a frank discussion with siblings about

the role you’re about to undertake and how

they can support you. Make sure that they

commit to giving you regular breaks which

are essential for recharging your physical

and emotional batteries.

• z Do your best. Develop a routine. Get up

every morning with a smile on your face and

do what has to be done, with goodwill.

• z Assemble a trustworthy and reliable

support team. Not just a medical one, but

dependable resources in other areas as well,

from legal and financial advice to home and

auto maintenance.

• z Don’t neglect your friendships. Your friends,

no matter how far away, are your biggest

cheerleaders and will help you through.

• z Do expect a long grieving process when

your last parent dies. With my mother’s death,

I lost a dear friend and companion, my home

(although I inherited the house) and my

purpose. It’s only now, 16 months later at the

age of 73, that I’m finally able to look forward

and envision a future for myself.

What’s Next

I would very much like to return to Madrid. To

that end, I will be applying for a new Spanish

residency permit shortly.

Speaking of Madrid, I recently had the most

unusual experience. Curran Reid, the AWC

Madrid president, grew up in northern California

and she was back in August visiting her mother.

We’d never met but arranged to meet for a tasting

at a local winery. ¡El mundo es un pañuelo! (The

world is a handkerchief!) as we say in Spanish.


stories

A Life Focused on Family

and Helping Others

Liz Hemminger, FAUSA, tells us how expat life including repatriation

influenced her family life and her approach to grandparenthood. She has

attended every FAWCO Conference since 1993, most of the FAUSA Getaways

and will serve on the FAUSA Philanthropy Committee in 2025.

Igrew up in suburban New Jersey. My

father was from Glasgow, Scotland,

and my mother grew up in the family of

a minister and an artist. Music was a

centerpiece of our family as was a strong church

upbringing with a focus on helping those less

fortunate. There isn’t a time when I can’t

remember my parents helping others or us being

expected to “help out.” Throughout junior and

senior high, I volunteered at an orthopedic

hospital which influenced my career choice.

A Busy School, Career and Family Life

Intending to study physical therapy in graduate

school, I majored in Physical Education at

Baldwin-Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, picking

up a teaching degree along the way. School

activities included the synchronized swim team,

writing articles on women’s sports for the school

paper, pledging Phi Mu sorority and meeting my

husband, Paul.

We married after I graduated and settled in New

Jersey where I taught geology and Paul traveled

for his work. Soon, he was transferred to

Slingerlands, New York, near Albany. Knowing

this was a temporary move, I headed to

Chicago for graduate studies in prosthetics at

Liz Hemminger

Sisterly love ...

a musical

moment


Northwestern Medical. We transferred back

to New Jersey, this time to Montclair where I

started my new career at NYU Medical Center

Rusk Institute. In 1978, I became the first

woman in New Jersey to be nationally certified

in prosthetics. I was active in my church,

teaching Sunday School, the Junior bell choir

and serving on Session (Episcopal prayer and

discussion gatherings).

We welcomed a daughter Erica in 1978,

followed by Beth in 1980 and Peter in 1984.

In between, I finished my classes in orthotics at

New York University School of Biomechanics,

and served as co-chair for school building

renovation at the Montclair Cooperative

School. I was able to juggle work, family and

volunteering only with the help of my parents.

In 1987, while visiting London, we found out we

were to be transferred to Australia. After a

wonderful three years in Sydney, the girls at

Kambala School and Pete at Cranbrook, we

found ourselves heading for Surrey, England,

the American School, the American Women of

Surrey and FAWCO.

Returning to the US and Finding Connection

in Volunteer Work

We returned to our home in Montclair in 1992

and began the transition to being Americans

who don’t quite fit in – expats. Settling the family

into new schools and new churches, we realized

that the life we left to go overseas had changed.

For the kids, it was about finding opportunities

to continue their international connections. All

have found their way as adults: Erica is a set

designer on Broadway, Beth teaches math in

inner city Philadelphia and Pete is a scenic

carpenter. I delved back into volunteer work

and also picked up my neglected golf clubs. One

of the best parts of the year is an annual golf

tournament with my Surrey FAWCO and FAUSA

friend Ellie Badanes.

Starting as Beth’s Girl Scout troop leader, I soon

became a Service Unit Cookie Chair and then

Service Unit Manager and was invited to be on

the GSUSA selection committee for girls applying

for international events. I still serve as an

advisor to the service unit and have been

awarded two national awards: the Thanks Badge

and the Thanks Badge 11. I started volunteering

in Cub Scouts when my son was a Tiger and

he was honored with the District Award of Merit

and then a national honor, the Silver Beaver.

In 2013, I was named the first Council

Commissioner of the Year. I spent 10 years

working with a special needs troop, helping the

boys earn their rank of Eagle Scout.

Throughout these years an anchor for me has

been the yearly FAWCO conferences that I

began attending in 1993. It has been 31 years of

wonderful programs, meeting amazing women,

visiting new places. I was honored to serve on

The FAWCO Foundation Board, first as

Vice President of Fundraising and then


the girls at the top of Ayer’s Rock;

bedtime books were always a favorite

This page, clockwise, from the top:

Beth (r), Erica (l) and Peter in matching plaid ...

Did I mention my father was from Glasgow?;

Queen Elizabeth 2 without the kids;

Pete’s wedding

Treasurer. I organized the NYC Getaway, served

as Secretary of the FAUSA board and as

fundraiser chair at Getaways. Now I have the

opportunity to apply for my favorite charities

to receive grants from both FAUSA and The

FAWCO Foundation.

Nine years ago, I was approached to be treasurer

of Presbyterian Women in the Newark Presbytery.

After serving seven years, I am now the

moderator for the newly formed Presbytery of

Northeast New Jersey.

In My Own Words: The Next Phase of Family –

Being a Grandparent

Just when you think it will never happen to you,

grandchildren arrive. I recalled how glad I was

that my mother at age 98 was able to give our

first born grandchild, Ellie, the special cuddles

that only great grans can give. From the onset,

I loved the special relationship that evolved

between me and my grandchildren. Three years

later, our second granddaughter, Rose, was on

the way and Pete’s family found a house a mile

away from us. Work schedules and proximity

have allowed us to provide the before and after

school care. Both Paul and I have a hard time

spending too much time away from them. I don’t

know why but it is just so naturally different to

raising your own children. We get to be the good


Counter clockwise from top left:

FAWCO Conference with Counselor Pam Dahlgren;

FAUSA at “Paint the Town Rouge,” Lyon FAWCO

Conference;

first FAUSA auction, NYC Getaway

that is so important to the world around them

is priceless.

guys who take them on fun adventures. They

have their own space in our house. The TV room

looks like it did when our kids were young. We

bake together, do art projects, read stories and

have the time to listen to them. They ask us

serious questions knowing that they will get

honest answers. They crawl in for cuddles on

sleepovers knowing there is always room. Ellie is

now in travel soccer, Rose in the town league, so

weekend games are another way to show how

proud we are of them and the family. We make

it a point of showing up to cheer. Being close by

also allows for the Aunties to come visit both

the kids and us. Having the space for everyone,

the yard for the soccer game, allows not just

my family but my extended family to gather so

the girls also have their uncle and other family

members around.

Summer is all about camps – art, dance,

gymnastics, swim lessons, special outings and lots

of scheduling. Hectic days but so worth it to see

how they grow! I have been on rides in the past

two years that I never would have gone on with

my own kids.

I also try to remind them to take care of people

who are not as fortunate. It can be giving a loaf

of home-baked zucchini bread to a friend living

alone. Or putting together personal hygiene kits

for the homeless or making sure they contribute

to whatever collection the school is doing – this

month it is a sock drive. In a few weeks it will be

Halloween candy for shelter kids, and so the year

goes. Teaching empathy is rewarding in so many

ways. Knowing that one is passing on something

Perhaps the most challenging part of being so

involved with their lives is that we are not their

parents and there are things that they choose to

do that are very different from our way of doing

things. It is not just the obvious pieces that one

parent is bringing their own values into the mix.

It is also that the child you raised has embraced

some of your teachings and rejected others. The

second challenge is on the rare occasion that the

granddaughters push the rules. Luckily, not being

the parents, we can set limits without getting into

the discipline issues that parents have to face.

They keep us young, they bring us so much joy

on a daily basis. Being grandparents allows us to

enjoy the fun time without all the hard stuff. And

they are so smart! They see so much in the world

around them – it reminds us to open our eyes …

and minds.

Clockwise, from top left:

Legoland with Grandma and Grandpa;

Balloons Extravaganza;

When can the new baby play?


stories

Adoption Runs in

the Family

Maggie Palu, president of AW Aquitaine and acting FAWCO Rep, adopted

two little girls in Asia, only to discover that they were not the first adoptees

in her family.

I

grew up in Delmar, upstate New York,

a suburb of Albany. I remember visiting

my maternal grandparents in Minnesota,

and later California. We always stayed in the

house when visiting. However, we met my father’s

parents in New York City only once. We did not

stay overnight, nor for a meal. I was told that they

were my father’s foster parents. When I was a

bit older, my mother told me that my father had

been searching for his birth mother and had

perhaps found her. My mother convinced him not

to make contact because she had a “new life” and

might not want it “disturbed.”

A Journey Across the Globe

In 1967, I left home to attend university in

Chicago. Two years after graduation, I followed

a Scottish boyfriend to the Isle of Skye, but his

marriage proposal, over the phone from a pub,

evaporated by the time I arrived. I stayed on for a

few years anyway, traveling to the European

continent each time my visa was due to expire.

I returned home in 1976 because my mother

was ill. By then I had developed a serious

wanderlust. When my mother recovered, I

applied to the Peace Corps. In 1977 the Peace

Corps gave me a two-year contract to teach

Maggie Palu

Winter holiday

in the Pyrenees,

February 2010


English in Chad, Central Africa. In

March of 1979, I had signed on for a

third year when all Peace Corps

volunteers in Chad were suddenly

evacuated to Cameroon because of

the civil war ravaging the country.

After the Peace Corps, I wanted to

travel throughout Africa. I got a job

at the US Embassy in Cameroon and

made enough money to buy a plane

ticket to visit several other African

countries. In July, I went to the beach

for a weekend and met a young

Frenchman named Serge. We

exchanged addresses and visited

each other a few times before I

flew to Kenya in September. When I

returned to Cameroon two months

later, I found out he had been

meeting all the international flights,

waiting for me to reappear.

We married in January 1980, six

months after we had met. In 1982,

we left Cameroon for a year at the

University of Arizona, and then lived

six years in Quebec, six years in

Indonesia, and four years in Vietnam

before settling in France in 1999 with

our two adopted daughters. We lived

in Montpellier from 2002 to 2020,

and when Serge retired we returned

to the family farm in the Aquitaine.

Our daughters are still in Montpellier.

One Adoption Unveils Another

I remember hearing about Zero Population

Growth when I was at university, but I didn’t

really think it would apply to my life. That was

before a series of miscarriages in Cameroon and

Quebec, and induced labor at five months while

we were in France on an annual leave from

Indonesia. We then decided to try to adopt a

child in Indonesia. After the residency

requirement and the 10-month “foster” period,

in 1993, at an Indonesian courthouse in Jakarta,

we adopted an 18-month old little girl who had

been abandoned at birth. At the orphanage

she was called Mariana because she was born

in the month of Maret (March). We named her

Laura because it was easy to pronounce in both

English and French, and kept Marianne as her

middle name. When we visited my father in

upstate New York on our next annual leave, he

said at dinner the first night, "Well, it's come full

circle." I didn’t know what he was talking about

until he brought out a black metal box where he

kept family documents and withdrew his own

adoption papers. I had grown up believing that

my father was raised by a foster family paid to


Family photo, Amazonia, Brazil, January 1, 2000;

first meeting with Emily, at 5 months, August 1998

This page, left to right:

Serge, Maggie and newly-adopted Laura,

Jakarta, 1993;

Cameroon, 1981

care for him after he had been left at birth at

the New York Foundling Home. It had taken him

more than 80 years to come to terms with his

own adoption and be able to talk about it.

The Tortuous Road to a Second Adoption

In 1995, we were transferred from Indonesia

to Vietnam and Laura entered nursery school.

She came home from school one day and

announced that her friend Alice had a new little

sister and said she wanted one, too. Adoption

in Indonesia was “by the book.” I often say that

we adopted Laura in Indonesia, but we bought

her sister in Vietnam. We signed a contract to

adopt a baby from the hill tribes in the center of

Vietnam and were shown a photo of the baby.

A year later, the dossier had not advanced, the

agency canceled the contract and started

looking for another baby for us. In 1998, I

received a phone call that a “cute” baby had

been identified in the Delta. I said that I didn’t

care about cuteness as long as the baby was

healthy. The child was brought to the agency in

Saigon and we were told we’d have to take her

home, even without papers, or she would be


Committee in mid-January to sign the

adoption papers. Laura and I went to

Galeries Lafayette to choose a gift for

Emily. Laura chose a doll of Celeste,

Babar’s wife. (To this day, Emily keeps

"Tileste" with her in her apartment and

wherever she travels.)

The following year, when Laura

announced that Alice had a baby

brother and she wanted one too, we

drew the line. By that time, the French

government had put restrictions on

the revolving-door adoptions in

Vietnam. The film Holy Lola by

Bertrand Tavernier gives a good idea of

our experience, even though the film is

set in Cambodia. When we first saw the

people, but if I weren’t her mother, I saw no

reason to wash her clothes. She disappeared

into her bedroom, came back a few minutes

later and declared “OK. You’re my mother.”

When the girls were young, people in France

often asked us if they were our children. I always

replied yes. They ARE our children. We raised

them. We had a wonderful experience at a ski

lodge in the Pyrenees one weekend when they

were very young. The waiter at dinner

complimented us on the fact that our daughters

ate everything that was served, saying, “those

things develop in the mother’s womb.” Then he

got all flustered, thinking he had made a gaffe

since neither of our daughters resembles either

of us. I told him it was the nicest thing he could

have said, because Laura, then about 10 years

old, was having another crisis, thinking that

everyone who looked at her knew automatically

that she was adopted. I tried telling her that

anyone who saw us together could not know

that she was not the biological child of one or

the other of us, perhaps by a previous marriage.

That waiter’s lovely comment showed her that it

wasn’t obvious that she was adopted.

What the Future Holds

One day we hope to take Laura and Emily back

to their countries of origin. In the meantime, we

celebrate Indonesian and Vietnamese holidays

and eat Indonesian and Vietnamese cuisine

whenever we have the opportunity. The girls

consider themselves sisters. They even fight,

just like my sister and I used to.

“given” to another family.

Laura’s reaction was “you

said she looks like me,

but she doesn’t. She’s

Chinese.” We had never

told Laura that the

original adoption plans for

a baby who looked Khmer

and resembled Laura had

fallen through. About a

week later, we took the

baby home, though we

felt that we were doing

something not-quite legal.

We completely changed

her impossible-topronounce

name to Emily

Alexandra. (My father’s

name was Alexander.)


hiking in the Aquitaine, May 2010;

with Serge’s mother at the Atlantic coast, 2009

This page:

with family, including bird Nelson, Montpelier, 2024

Once again, the process

stalled, and the People’s

Committee tried to get more money, but the

adoption agency said that if we agreed to pay

for one family, they’d be asked for more money

for all future adoptions. So we waited. During

the Christmas holiday, we hid Emily with French

friends who had a baby her age and flew to

France to clear our heads a bit. (Since we had

no documents to justify Emily’s living with us, we

didn’t want our household helper or our driver to

know where she was.)

While in France, we got a phone call from a

Vietnamese friend who worked with an

international agency. She said we would at last

have an appointment with the People’s

film our daughters asked: “Mommy, why are

you crying?” and “Mommy, why are you

laughing?” I did cry a lot during the adoption

process in Vietnam, but that was followed by a

lot of laughter, thanks to our girls.

The Challenges Facing Adopted Children

Laura has never been able to deal with being

abandoned at birth and is forever searching for

her biological mother. Emily couldn’t care less.

When she was about six or seven, she

announced “you’re not really my mother.” I

asked her where she’d heard that and she said

that Laura had told her. I said I could accept that

she felt that way and it was the same to

me whether I cooked meals for three or four


stories

Co-Hosts of

cultureXchange Podcast

Frauke Bender and Marie-Christine Dobro, AIWC Düsseldorf, spent

decades abroad before returning home to Germany. They created a podcast,

cultureXchange, to address issues facing the expat community.

Frauke Bender

From Mallorca to Münster:

An early lesson on the

importance of adaptability

Frauke Bender (l) and Marie-Christine

Dobro (r)

Born and raised

in Münster,

Germany, I

spent a large part of

my childhood on the

Spanish island of

Mallorca during the 70s.

Those early years left me

with a deep appreciation for

warmth and vibrant colors, both physically and

emotionally. The combination of sun-drenched

landscapes, the richness of Mediterranean light

and the local culture created a lasting impression.

I often find myself seeking out similar

environments or experiences – whether it's

through travel, design or just little elements in

daily life. My favorite place is still anyplace by

the ocean. Listening to the crashing waves and

watching the horizon gives me a sense of peace.

It also makes me humble because I realize

that we are all part of something bigger.

Looking back, I experienced my first culture shock

when I moved from sunny, relaxed Mallorca to

Münster, Germany, with its cooler

climate and more urban

environment. It felt like stepping

into a completely different world.

This experience taught me the

importance of adaptability.

Together in

Düsseldorf


at the German American Chamber of

Commerce (GACCNY), where I was able

to bridge the gap between German and

American businesses, fostering international

partnerships and furthering my passion for

cross-cultural collaboration. This role allowed

me to integrate my academic background with

real-world international business challenges,

further enriching my global perspective.

Experiencing September 11 firsthand in NYC

was a profoundly impactful event that marked

a turning point in my life. The emotional

aftermath made my return to Germany a

complex and challenging transition. However,

during my time in New York, I met my husband.

Together we embraced a new chapter of life,

building our future and raising a family, first in

Düsseldorf and later in Hamburg, Germany.

My husband's job gave us the opportunity to

move to Denver, Colorado, as a family, allowing

us to embrace life abroad again. We cherished

the time we spent there, making wonderful

memories and fully enjoying the experience

together with our kids.

A Professor in the US and Germany

I was fortunate enough to continue my career

in academia during our time in Colorado,

teaching at Regis University. This opportunity

allowed me to pursue my passion for education

while sharing my knowledge and experience in

global mobility and international management

with a new generation of students. After five

enriching years in the US, we returned to

Germany three years ago. This transition allowed

us to reconnect with our roots, while I continued

to build on my academic career and international

experiences, bringing the insights I gained abroad

back to my work and life here.

Marie-Christine

An Early

Fascination for

Foreign Lands

and

Languages

Managing brand introductions and partnerships

for one of Asia’s leading fashion retailers

provided me with deep insights into international

markets and consumer behavior.

Throughout my expat journey, joining clubs

played an important role in helping me settle

into new countries and build connections. I was

a member of organizations like AWA Hong Kong,

AWA Singapore, and an active member at

Connections Tokyo (formerly known as Women’s

Club at Tokyo American Club). These

communities not only helped me navigate life

abroad but also became key platforms for

meeting people and creating lasting friendships.

Our moves were primarily driven by my

husband Marc’s career. From starting our

married life in Hong Kong to raising young

children in Singapore, and later settling in Tokyo

when our kids, Maximilian and Helena, were in

elementary school. Each country offered its own

unique experiences and challenges. Despite

frequent relocations, we were able to build a life

and a strong community in each place.

Podcast mic with books of guests

A Rich Academic Background

Since I always wanted to live and work

abroad, I chose an international

management study program to prepare

for the complexities of working across

different cultures and thriving in a

global environment. This academic

path allowed me to develop a deep

understanding of the cross-cultural

dynamics and opportunities that come

with working internationally. After

finishing my PhD, focused on global

mobility and migration, my academic

journey took me to Geneva, Switzerland,

where I conducted research at the

International Organization for

Migration (IOM).

Changing Trajectory after September 11

After years in academia, I felt the pull

to apply my knowledge in a professional

setting. I moved to New York City to

work in an international environment

Frauke with her book

I was born and raised in Germany

and attended a boarding school near

Lake Constance. From an early age, I

was captivated by foreign countries

and cultures. This led me to pursue

exchange semesters abroad,

including time at a UK boarding

school. Childhood travels with my

family and visits to relatives in

California deepened my curiosity

about life beyond borders. These

experiences didn’t just spark

my interest – they laid the

foundation for a lifelong passion for

cultural exploration, ultimately

shaping my international career.

Building a Strong Career and

Forging Bonds Abroad

I studied International Business in

London and Paris, which gave me

an even more international

perspective. After starting my career

in brand management in London,

I moved to Asia with my husband

Marc. Despite the relocation, I

continued to advance my own career

in fashion retail and luxury goods.


The Return to Germany and Co-Creating

a Podcast

In 2021, after nearly 25 years abroad, we

repatriated to Germany – a transition driven

again by my husband’s work. Returning to

my home country after so much time abroad

presented its own challenges, particularly

in terms of reverse culture shock and

re-establishing our roots.

Today, I work as a brand management

consultant and lecture on marketing and

brand management at a private business school,

continuing my passion for fostering growth and

innovation in the field.

Since 2022, I co-host the cultureXchange podcast,

drawing from my personal experience of living

abroad and navigating cultural adaptation. The

podcast has become not

only my way of giving

back to the international

community, but also

a passion project that

keeps the essence of my

expat life alive. I’m

grateful to have met

Frauke after we both

returned from

overseas, and

together we launched

cultureXchange. We

complement each other

perfectly as co-hosts.

Working on the podcast

brings me immense joy.

reverse culture shock. These shared experiences

led to the founding of cultureXchange, a platform

for the international community to explore living

abroad, culture, identity and belonging.

Aimed at globally mobile internationals, expats

and their families, the podcast serves as a space

to discuss cultural transitions, relationships,

personal growth and thriving in diverse

environments. Many episodes dive into the

challenges of maintaining connections with

family, friends and community while living

abroad. Each episode features Frauke and Marie-

Christine alongside expert guests who share

valuable insights and experiences on various

global mobility and expat-related topics. These

guests are often distinguished professionals in

Previous page:

Christmas market, Düsseldorf

This page:

International School Fair,

Düsseldorf

Additionally, a special

episode featuring AIWC

Düsseldorf President

Jawahara Saidullah,

titled "E07: Feeling Lonely

Abroad? – How to Build

a Sense of Belonging,"

explores the challenges

of loneliness and offers

strategies for cultivating

community abroad.

Favorite quotes from the

podcast include: "Unpack

your bags and plant your

trees no matter where

you move. You might not

be there when the fruit

comes, but somebody

will," from episode 18,

Third Culture Kids. Another

memorable quote is:

"Home is not a place we

leave behind; it's a story

that comes with us," from

episode 17, This Messy

Mobile Life. These quotes

beautifully encapsulate

the expat journey and the

importance of connection

and belonging.

The Story of

cultureXchange:

Navigating Global Living

Meeting by chance after

their time abroad,

co-hosts Frauke and

Marie-Christine launched

the cultureXchange

podcast to decode global

living through

conversations that

address the challenges

faced by the international

community. They

connected after

repatriating from their

overseas adventures –

both adjusting to

relocation and navigating

their fields, acclaimed authors or individuals with

personal stories that bring unique perspectives to

the dialogue.

Some of the most popular episodes include

the following:

• z Third Culture Kids (with Ruth E. Van Reken)

• z Raising Global Teens

(with Dr. Anisha Abraham)

• z Finding Your Tribe (with Dr. Nico Rose)

• z This Messy Mobile Life - How to Embrace a

Life in Transit (with Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore)

• z A Career in Your Suitcase – How to

Create a Career Anywhere (with Jo Parfitt &

Colleen Reichrath-Smith)

• z Reinventing Yourself - Challenges &

Opportunities of Being an Expat Spouse (with

Katy Kennedy)

With Frauke’s expertise as a Professor of

International Management and Intercultural

Learning and Marie-Christine’s background as

a global brand builder, the podcast provides

research-based insights, personal stories,

and perspectives from inspiring guests.

CultureXchange fosters connection, resilience

and growth within expat families and

communities.

For more about the podcast, please visit our

website: https://culturexchange.podigee.io/ or

cultureXchange Podcast.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts,

Spotify Podcast, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Tune in now to find out more.


feature

Inspiring Reads:

Sustainability Stories -

The Power of Narratives to

Understand Global Challenges

by Brigitte Bernard-Rau,

AWC Hamburg

This collective work harnesses the power of storytelling to illuminate the complex and

multifaceted challenges confronting our world today. In this edited volume, authors

from diverse backgrounds – artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, professors, sustainability experts

and change advocates – collaborate to share their personal narratives and professional

insights on sustainability. The stories address a range of social and environmental topics,

exploring their challenges, solutions and drivers for transformation. Key themes include

gender diversity, artificial intelligence, fast fashion, education in sustainability, sustainable

tourism, regenerative agriculture.

With just six years left until 2030 – a pivotal milestone for the United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change – the need for urgent

and innovative solutions is more apparent than ever. The narratives in this volume emphasize

this urgency, offering a critique of current progress while proposing new paradigms for

thinking and action. Contributors advocate a shift away from traditional materialistic

approaches, urging the integration of ethical values, social justice and long-term sustainability

into our global world. Some even include elements of poetry, music and painting, which

convey a message of hope and resilience. Anchored in optimism, this book challenges readers

to reimagine altruistic and transformative ways of living.


What was your inspiration for the book?

The idea of writing this book was born out of a

true and spontaneous desire to connect with

sustainability minded people and invite them to

share their knowledge with a wider audience.

Terms such as sustainability, sustainable

development, corporate social responsibility

(CSR) and ESG (environment, social and

governance) have invaded the public discourse,

for instance in politics, the media or the

marketing and advertising world. Yet few

people are able to grasp the wide and

complex set of issues that these terms entail.

In fact, numerous books and articles have

been published, both by scholars and by

professionals, and there is meaningful

sustainability and CSR literature. However, there

were no published works in this field using a

narrative approach to reach out to a broader

public, professionals and non-professionals.

As COVID-19 was spreading around the world

in 2020, and uncertainty growing around us, as

no one knew when exactly we would be able

to feel safe again and get back to our lives, I

seized the opportunity to contact many friends

and colleagues in my network, asking them to

contribute to a collective book on sustainable

development, CSR and ESG, in the form of short

sustainability stories. In a spirit of sharing and

willingness to help, many welcomed the idea

and sent me their stories, united in the goal

to help build a stronger and more informed

sustainable world.

The book aims at sharing the experience of

these authors and ”their stories” to a wide

audience. Full of optimism and determination

to bring about change in society, all contributors

edify the reader on a sustainability issue of

their choice, thus acting as communicators

of vision, connectors to others and/or

responsible leaders.

Around 30 contributions were collected. These

sustainability stories originate from authors

belonging to various professions (e.g. artists,

professors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, bankers

and sustainability experts) and geographical

backgrounds (France, Germany, Morocco,

the Netherlands, Kenya, Spain, Switzerland

and the United States).

How long did it take you to write the book?

The process of collecting, selecting and editing

the stories took two-to-three years. In parallel,

the search for a publishing house started, then

the final submission to the editor-in-chief, and

the correction process was very long: another

one-two years. In total over three years! Nearly

four to see it on the shelves!

Three Directions of Research

Subject matter: I knew I needed to collect

stories covering at least three sections: social

issues, environmental issues and governance/

compliance/business ethics issues. I ended up

developing one covering art and sustainability.

Sustainability expertise: I also needed to tap

into a variety of authors from different lines

of expertise.

Geographical scope: I also wanted authors

from around the world. It was an organic

process. I collected one story after the other

until I had enough good stories, following a list

of criteria detailed in a template I had originally

shared with the authors.

What is the most important thing you want

readers to take from your book?

I would like this book to serve as a call to action

for everyone who wants to make a difference

in the world and make it a better place. These,

sometimes unheard voices, though very active

in their fields, will inspire any reader, young

or old, educated or not, to care for the

environment and society at large. Everyone has

a role to play in building a sustainable future. I

hope that with these compelling stories –

written with passion, determination and a

Video

genuine commitment to creating a harmonious

world – significant positive change is possible.

May they inspire and empower each reader to

make impactful changes in her personal and

professional life.

What is your favorite childhood book?

Any of the Grimms’ fairy tales, with maybe a

small preference for Sleeping Beauty.

What are you reading now?

I was reading Cathedral of the Sea from

Spanish author Ildefonso Falcones, just to

change from my dry academic literature on

sustainable finance and impact investing. I also

received a biography of Audrey Hepburn for

my birthday. Fun fact: Hepburn was born in

the same area where I lived and got married in

Brussels (Belgium), Ixelles! I had no idea that

she was from this part of the world! All that

we do not know! However, I am more of an

essay reader.

If you could tell your younger writing self

anything, what would it be?

Focus, Focus, Focus!

What’s next for you?

Not sure yet … so many ideas!


2025 Themes

Books presented in the

Inspiring Reads feature

are available for purchase

via the FAWCO website in

the Books by Members or

Books by Clubs sections.

Enjoy!

Author Brigitte Bernard-Rau was born on the French island of

Martinique. She grew up between her parents' home in Guadeloupe,

the bustling metropolis of Paris and summer vacations in England.

This colorful upbringing instilled in her a deep appreciation for

exploring new places, languages and cultures. From 2003 to 2006, she

lived in Princeton, NJ, and became a member of the Junior League of

Greater Princeton. There, she experienced the American ideals of

giving back and making a positive impact. Her second book,

Sustainability Stories, reflects her commitment to these values. Brigitte

currently resides in Hamburg, Germany, with her husband, Christian.

Sustainable transition towards a resilient urban society.

Encouraging everyone to do their part towards sustainability.

Creating oxygen corridors in the heart of urban spaces in India.

Growing replicable urban forests.

Planting over 5000 trees in each of the forests.

Nurturing mindful plantation for maximizing impact.

Encouraging biodiversity.

600+ tons of carbon sequestered.

Promoting health and well-being using herb/ food plantation.

Raising environment consciousness among multiple stakeholders.

Redefining human to human, human to nature and nature to nature

interactions.

Encouraging multi-stakeholder approach.

Fostering Public-Private-People Partnerships (PPPPs).

Q1 Women Working With Words - Part 2

Publication Date: January 30, 2025

We had so many wonderful nominations

for our May 2024 issue, we couldn’t fit

them all in one issue. So this issue will

feature another inspiring set of women

poets, authors, editors, journalist,

educators and more. Plus we’ll share an

update on FAWCO’s Literacy is Our Legacy

celebration with news about our

workshop partnerships, FAWCO’s

expanding Books by Members, our

focus on literacy.

2024 Highlights

Publication Date: March 27, 2025

A look back at a few of our favorite Profiles and Features from 2024.

A printed copy distributed at the 2025 FAWCO Biennial Conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

Q2 Women in the UN and Multilateral Diplomacy

Publication Date: June 5, 2025

FAWCO and FAUSA members have a long history of fighting for the rights of both women

and children. Many members are engaged with global organizations actively working on

these issues. In this issue, we want to share with you information on their organizations,

projects and achievements.

Nomination deadline: March 31, 2025

Q3 The Phases of Womanhood

Publication Date: September 25, 2025

“We are all on a journey through the phases of womanhood with each phase bringing unique

and sometimes familiar health concerns, issues, changes. We have much to share and learn,

and a desire for growth as individuals and as part of a community of women.”

FAWCO’s Global Health team is spending a year focusing on The Phases of Womanhood,

offering related workshops, seminars and topical articles. Inspiring Women wants to

join in this journey by sharing your inspiring and uplifting stories. Topics could include

transitioning to womanhood, pregnancy and birth, motherhood, women-specific health

issues, overcoming or thriving with chronic health issues, recovery from illness or surgery,

menopause, eldercare, aging, dementia and Alzheimer's, senior benefits and many more.

Nomination deadline: June 9, 2025

Q4 Art Works - Women and the Visual Arts

Publication Date: December 4, 2025

We have shared issues on women in drama, music, photography and the

arts in general. Let’s celebrate a few more of FAWCO’s and FAUSA’s

amazing artists. In this issue, we will focus on the visual arts: fine

art as well as applied or decorative arts and crafts, quilters,

painters, ceramic or pottery artists, gallery owners, art

auctioneers, museum guides, teachers, multi-media artists,

sculpture artists, abstract art, architects and interior designers.

Nomination deadline: October 1, 2025

Contributing to SDG 5,11,13,14,15 & 17 targets.

Well-known case study used for higher learning.


our June issue

inspiring you

Call for

Nominees!

FAWCO and FAUSA members have

a long history of fighting for the

rights of women and children and

the betterment of the world’s most

vulnerable people. Many members

are or have been engaged with global

organizations, actively working on

these issues. This engagement might

have been as an employee of an international government oganization, such as any of the

agencies of the United Nations or the OECD, a regional structure (OSCE, OAS, ASEAN, OAU), an

independent organization like the International Committee of the Red Cross, or an international

NGO. Your role might have been within civil society seeking to influence the policies of these

global entities. In this issue we want you to tell us about your work: the mission and operation

of these organizations and your own personal challenges and achievements.

Publication Date: June 5, 2025

Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women's NGO (non-governmental organization), an

international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 60 member

clubs in 31 countries on six continents. FAWCO serves as a resource and a voice for its members;

seeks to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide, especially in the areas of human rights,

health, education and the environment; advocates for the rights of US citizens overseas; and

contributes to the global community through its Global Issues Teams and The FAWCO Foundation,

which provides development grants and education awards. Since 1997, FAWCO has held special

consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.

our mission statement

FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is:

• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership;

• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide;

• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and

• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for

education, the environment, health and human rights.

Advertising disclaimer

FAWco receives financial remuneration for page space from advertisers. Views expressed or

benefits described in any display advertisement, advertorial or in any webpage visited online

directly from these adverts are not endorsed by FAWCO.

To nominate candidates for profiles, please send the candidate's name, candidate's email

address and a brief description (50-100 words) of why you think they are inspiring and fit the

theme for the issue. Send the information to:

Profiles Coordinator Shaza Gahiga Bwakira, iw.profiles@fawco.org.

To submit a feature: Features are used to complement the theme. This can be broadly

applied; let us know what you'd like to write about! Our features are 700-800 words plus

photos. Contact Features Coordinator Carol-Lyn McKelvey, iw.features@fawco.org,

for more information.

copyright 2024 fawco

Inspiring Women© Magazine is owned and published electronically by FAWCO.

All rights reserved. All bylined articles are copyright of their respective authors as indicated herein

and are reproduced with their permission. The magazine or portions of it may not be reproduced

in any form, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic,

mechanical, photocopy or otherwise – without written consent of the publisher.

Deadline for Nominations

The deadline for submitting

nominees and feature topics for

our June issue is ...

Monday, March 31, 2025

Photographs are integral to our magazine.

We end each issue with a full page photograph

that offers a unique perspective on its theme.

The photo can be provocative, amusing,

entertaining and/or a photo that you think says

"That's Inspired!" for each issue.

Please contact: iw.editor@fawco.org

Our photo-centric feature "Through My Lens" is a

compilation of photos and short captions

in keeping with the issue’s theme.

Please contact:

iw.features@fawco.org


more about

this issue

The Inspiring Women Team

That's

Inspired!

Michele Connie Elsie Kristin Carol-Lyn Shaza Hollis

For more information about this magazine, please contact a member of the Inspiring Women team:

Editor in Chief Michele Hendrikse Du Bois: iw.editor@fawco.org

Assistant Editor Connie Phlipot: iw.assted@fawco.org

Advertising and Sponsorship Manager Elsie Bose: advertising@fawco.org

Layout Coordinator Kristin D. Haanæs: iw.layout@fawco.org

Features Coordinator Carol-Lyn McKelvey: iw.features@fawco.org

Profiles Coordinator Shaza Gahiga Bwakira: iw.profiles@fawco.org

Marketing Manager Hollis Vaughen: iw.marketing@fawco.org

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to this issue’s contributors: Carol Brazle, Frauke Bender, Brigitte Bernard-Rau, Brenda and

Tripp Brinkley, Viera Buchtova, Barbara Bühling, Mary Stewart Burgher, Kathy Coughlan, Marie-

Christine Dobro, Sara Gori, Linda Harvan, Liz Hemminger, Debra Hyman, My-Linh Kunst, Laura

Lovinger, Curran McClure Reid, Keri Myers, Patricia Nabti, Maggie Palu, Connie Phlipot, Laurie

Richardson, Mursal Sayas, Chitra Shanbhouge, Virginia Sheridan, Katerina Sironi, Susan Spälti, Eva

Staronova, Carly Troncale and Rozanne Van Rie, for their work on the articles and also for the use of

their photos and those of their friends and families.

Cover photo: Patricia Nabti, AWC Lebanon, Nabti-Mihaly Christmas 2021.

That’s Inspired Photo: Liz Hemminger, FAUSA, granddaughter Ellie napping with Great Grandma.

Special thanks to the proofreading team of Jill Amari (AAWE Paris), Laurie Brooks (AWC Amsterdam

& AWC The Hague), Barbara Bühling (AIWC Düsseldorf), Mary Stewart Burgher (AWC Denmark),

Sallie Chaballier (AAWE Paris), Tiffany Davenport (AWC Amsterdam), Janet Davis (AIWC Cologne &

FAUSA), Gail Johnsen (AWC Madrid), Carol-Lyn McKelvy (FAUSA & AIWC Cologne),

Margie O’Rourke (AWC Dublin), Laurie Richardson (AWA Vienna), Shawn Watson (AWC Bern) and

Teddie Weyr (AWA Vienna).

Please note: images used in this publication are either sourced from our team, the authors

themselves or through canva.com, commons.wikimedia.org or pixabay.com.

Please post a link for this issue of Inspiring Women,

"The Family Connection," in your club

publications until "Women Working with Words – Part 2"

is published on January 30, 2025.

Connecting the

generations –

hand to heart.


Inspiring Women November 21, 2024

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