Take a moment to reflect: Who has helped you reach your dreams and potential? Who has offered you unique opportunities and experiences that have shaped the person you are today? Who has helped prepare you to be ready to grab opportunity?

Have you found specific examples? I’m sure the answer is yes. It’s important to realize that, no matter how self-made we are, we are each who we are today because of certain key opportunities we have been presented with from people who have wanted to help us – be it our parents, friends, bosses, connections, contacts, networks, communities or even strangers who saw potential and invested in it. In realizing this fundamental aspect, we are able to open our eyes to the potential we have to positively in uence the lives of others around us too. What opportunities can we create for the next generation of young mathematicians, athletes, scientists, artists, engineers, lawyers, marketers, and more?

During the rst in our Professional Series of Alumni Reunions, An Alumni Network E ectiveness Conversation, our facilitator, Mr. Marian Staş, Chairman of Leaders of the Third Millennium, lead us through an enlightening exercise: it revealed what alumni can give to AISB, but also what they should take from the school, and vice versa.

Last year was lled with alumni accomplishments: budding relationships, 

new initiatives, old traditions, and beautiful moments, all tied together through our alumni family. Alumni have inspired current AISB students through careers, hobbies, poetry, coaching, and educating; alumni have worked with parents to facilitate their understanding of the milestones that their growing teenagers are living through; and alumni have welcomed fresh faces to the network by sharing words of wisdom with the newest AISB graduates.

So... what has AISB and the Alumni Association done to give back to you? We have hosted innovative reunions, o ering our alumni unique opportunities to visit special places, discuss deep ideas with professionals, and learn from experts in a variety of industries. We have provided opportunities for new connections to grow and prosper, and the platforms in which to do so con dently and e ectively. But our biggest gift of all comes this year; our way to say thank you for your presence and for all you have done to build the AISB Alumni Association to its greatness. And what better a time to share this gift than at the beginning of a new year lled with exciting prospects?
 

This year, we invite you to truly connect and engage with your family of AISB Alumni on our new bespoke online networking platform that will o er solid engagement tools. Following our most significant investment yet, we are excited to be able to offer all of our alumni a host of tools to enable the growth of our network on a private and very powerful online platform, powered by the leaders in this eld, Graduway. One of the greatest things about the platform will be the mentoring capabilities that it will o er to support our alumni across the world, paving the road to alumni interactions in the global business setting with public and private forums, discussions, events, jobs, and internships. It will be launched to a limited group of users in late January before we roll it out to our network of alumni across the world.

We are indebted to the many alumni who have shared and continue to share their passions with AISB students, engaging, preparing, and inspiring them to reach beyond the walls of the classroom. It is clear that AISB Alumni across the world continue to come together to model leadership, global citizenship, and commitment and I hope that you will accept my invitation to join your online network in the coming months, catapulting the growth, benefits, and possibilities of the AISB Alumni Association’s ability to serve you, your personal needs, and professional goals.

Be the person that others have been for you and let’s continue this conversation online. To be on the exclusive list of initial users for the online platform, get in touch with me at skhalil@aisb.ro.

Salwa Patricia Khalil,

AISB Alumna / Class of 2009 
AISB Communications and Alumni Coordinator

skhalil@aisb.ro