Meet your Alumni Chapter Presidents
Alumni Chapters are an ideal way to bring together alumni, parents of former students and former ACS staff from 1967 to present day, who are located in a specific region or have a shared special interest. The groups exist to support activities in their members' area such as partnership development, events and fundraising. Groups are run by a committee of alumni volunteers who direct activities and liaise with the Development and Alumni office on behalf of their members. We hope to launch many more Chapters in the future!
If you would like to maintain a connection with ACS and there is no Alumni Chapter in your area, why not start one yourself? The ACS Development and Alumni Relations office can offer you advice and support on how to set it up. Contact us at acsalumni@acs-schools.com.
Alumni Chapters have been launched to organise social events, for professional networking and to help ACS grow in its new status as a US non-profit as ACS becomes a UK charity. Alumni Chapters are a great way to reconnect and to network; to share stories and support one another, as well as representing ACS internationally.
In the future we aim to provide advice and opportunities for current students and fellow alumni through our mentoring and career programmes.
Once an Alumni Chapter has been formed the Development and Alumni Relations office can support on invitations to the launch event and advise on venues and locations along with practical planning assistance and some budget. If you are interested in setting up an Alumni Chapter in your area and would like to lead on its development and activities please do get in touch at acsalumni@acs-schools.com.
Houston and Chicago
In May 2018 we were delighted to hold two inaugural ACS Alumni Chapter events in the US, Houston and Chicago, with more to follow in the future in the Maritime Provinces, Mountain West, LA, New York and beyond. We have also had significant interest from around the globe including Russia, Japan, Spain and the UK.
A former ACS Cobham Mother and popular first grade teacher, Ann Carr sharing an early class photo with her former student and ACS Alumnus, Austin Latta during the ACS Alumni and Friends Houston Chapter launch.
The Chicago Alumni Chapter launched on Tuesday 8 May with a hosted dinner in a private setting at the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel, and the Houston event was held on 16 May in the popular Hearsay Lounge. Both of these events involved a drinks reception followed by a dinner with speeches from the Chapter Presidents and our ACS CEO Tim Cagney. Nearly 50 Alumni attended across the events, with incredible and generous interest, stories and a tremendous willingness to support ACS in everything that it does. We hope to build a programme of events to continue those conversations from the Fall.
We were delighted to note that there are over 700 ACS alumni and friends across Texas and nearly 400 in Chicago and the surrounding areas and we are very much looking forward to engaging with more ACS Alumni in these regions.
Gwen Musial, Chapter President for Houston speaking at the drinks and dinner reception at the Hearsay Lounge.
ACS is proud of its reputation and achievements and we are delighted to have so many alumni based in America, including our Alumni Chapter Presidents who have volunteered to act as ambassadors for and as a contact point for fellow alumni regionally. If you are traveling or living overseas, get in touch with your local chapter president for information on events and how you can get in touch with other alumni in the area. We are delighted to welcome our new volunteer Alumni Chapter Presidents for Houston, Chicago, Maritime Provinces and Mountain West.
Gwen Musial, Alumni Chapter President - Houston
Stepping up in 2017 to lead one of ACS’ largest stateside Alumni and Friends Chapters, Gwen Musial, a 2010 ACS Cobham IB Diploma graduate, is still in her studies. Currently a Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston, Gwen’s research focus is on non-invasive imaging of the retinal vasculature and its role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
Gwen’s lasting memories of ACS are simple to understand and appreciate. She explains, “I participated in two varsity sports that travelled which was a unique experience to be able to travel with my friends on the teams and also be hosted by families at the other international schools. That was an immersive way to see how people in different countries lived that was different from just staying there in a hotel on vacation. I completed the International Baccalaureate program which had a theory of knowledge required course. This course had a discussion based curriculum that was enriched by having people from a variety of different nationalities and cultures bring their perspective on the discussion topics.”
We are incredibly grateful by her motivation to make a difference by donating her time in this way. As Gwen explains, “When ACS reached out to me to possibly get involved in alumni efforts I was eager to help. I knew that there was a large number of alumni in the Houston area but I could see that there was not a unified effort to connect people who have a relationship with ACS. The ACS community is comprised of interesting, driven, and compassionate people and I wanted to be a part of creating that community in Houston.”
You can contact Gwen at gwenmusial@gmail.com or direct through the UK Alumni Relations office at acsalumni@acs-schools.com
Tom Stahr, Alumni Chapter President - Chicago
As a proud member of the ACS Cobham Class of 1983, last year Tom Stahr stepped forward to lead our Alumni and Friends Chapter for the Chicago area. His ties to ACS run deep, remaining part of almost-daily life nearly four decades later. Tom says:
Now a senior consultant with UK-based Environmental Resource Management (ERM), Tom Stahr is a risk manager, focused on implementing and managing the pre-qualification of subcontractors from around the world. Tom is adept at working across cultures, citing his ACS experience as outstanding preparation for his current professional role and for life. He explains, “Going to high school at ACS had more impact on my day-to-day life, and on the kind of person I turned out to be than any other collective experience I've ever had. There are a number of qualities ACS imparted to me, including a strong sense of independence and confidence, the ability to empathise and bond with almost any person or group I come into contact with, the ability to adapt to most situations with relative ease, a sense of wonder about the world, and the knowledge that we are all connected, sometimes in amazing and unexpected ways, and sometimes simply through our shared human experience.”
Tom was delighted to volunteer. He attests, “There really is no way I could ever repay the institution for all that the ACS experience has given me. But by taking on a role in the alumni organisation, I can help to make it possible for others who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience the lifelong impact that an ACS education can have, or help others by sharing my experiences with young families who are about to embark on the wonderful, terrifying experience that is moving overseas for the first time themselves, or work with families to adjust their expectations to the unexpectedly difficult task of moving back home from their first overseas post. It is a natural fit for me, and I look forward to bringing people together, whether for the first time or after a long absence.”
You can contact Tom at tstahr@aol.com or through the UK Alumni Relations team at acsalumni@acs-schools.com
April MacQueen, Alumni Chapter President - Maritime Provinces
April came to ACS Hillingdon in 1989 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and completed grades 8 and 9 there. Although her time spent at ACS was short, she continues to cherish the memories she forged in the halls and classrooms. Since her time at ACS, April has gone on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Mathematics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Science and Math at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and recently returned to Dalhousie University where she is completing a degree in Therapeutic Recreation in the hopes of working as a recreation therapist for children and youth with special needs. April is delighted to offer her time as President of the Maritime Provinces Alumni Chapter for ACS and we are delighted to have her and our other Chapter Presidents on board. April comments of her time at ACS:
You can contact April direct at April.MacQeen@dal.ca or via the UK Alumni Relations office based at ACS Cobham on acsalumni@acs-schools.com
Michael Stringham - Alumni Chapter President - Mountain West States
Michael joined us as President of the Mountain West Alumni and Friends Chapter due to launch later in 2018/19. He has a BS in Computer Science from BYU and is currently a Senior Mobile Developer at Ancestry.com. His focus is currently Android and supporting technologies, yet also delves into Web, desktop, and sensor-based development. During his care he has presented at local Google Users Group, and the RootsTech Conference receiving an award for his Android and iOS apps based on Computer Vision in 2014. He first started Android development in 2009, and has since held trainings on mobile development as well as published apps for clients and personal interests. In addition, Michael is an Auth0 Ambassador, which focuses on security tools for technology.
At home with his wife and three daughters, Michael enjoys soccer, woodworking projects, Arduino, and Ham Radio. His passion for tech started in the 1980’s in Portugal and California, programming on Sinclair and Commodore computers. In the past 3 years, he has been a board member for Odyssey Charter School in Utah, and yet is very interested in fostering a sense of community for those who live or study internationally. He comments:
You can contact Michael via the Development and Alumni Relations office at acsalumni@acs-schools.com.
We are delighted to welcome Michael and all our other Alumni and Friends Chapter Presidents who have so freely and generously donated their time and commitment. We very much look forward to working with them at this exciting time for ACS.
If you are interested in starting an ACS Alumni Chapter of your own you can read more about it here or contact us direct via the Development and Alumni Relations Office at acsalumni@acs-schools.com.