“Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart." Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences -- good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as "ordinary courage.” 

Brene Brown
 

This year will be my 20th at AISB and one I will for sure remember. Whether it has been opening a school amidst a pandemic, organizing 63 graduations when one regular one was not possible, asking students and teachers to spend time together in a room and trust in the measures of protection we have put in place, it seems that each and every one of our actions this year has been about courage, agility and resilience. 

As you flip through the pages of this issue of the magazine you will be struck by people who are speaking from their hearts, opening the doors to experiences that were both scary and life changing, in other words, courageous. Whether we are talking about working in the ICU unit of a hospital or being a patient in one while alone, in a foreign country amidst a pandemic, if we are looking through the eyes of someone from Greece or someone from the Netherlands, it is impressive to witness the resilience of the human spirit in the face of such prolonged adversity. 

For us, at AISB, it is encouraging and heartwarming to see the ripples of the education we are wholeheartedly offering to our students. Reading between the lines of their stories of struggle, resilience, agility and courage, we hope that things learned and experienced in school positioned them one step closer to success.

Cătălina Gărdescu
Editor

Read here the entire World Magazine Spring 2021 edition