Meet Gustaaf, who joined ASH in 2006 in grade 7 and was here until graduation. He was manager at Randstad for 2 years of a recruitment team with 22 employees, and now works at Randstad Global Public Affairs in the Netherlands.

“I can't remember anyone at ASH telling someone their dream couldn't come true. The same went for me.”

How was your #ASHexperience?
I learned to appreciate working in a multicultural environment. Because kids came from all over the globe, with different backgrounds, I was fascinated by their personal stories. I wanted to meet people to know how their backgrounds brought them here.

What does #LearningThatMatters mean to you?
Learning outside the classroom is just as important as inside the classroom. Every moment can be meaningful, if you choose it to be. For me, taking the late-night bus home from school after practice and falling asleep on the bus, pushed me to accelerate. Helping kids in elementary school for CAS to prevent bullying caused me to be more aware of people's behavior in groups. And writing a graduation speech for my class reminded me to remember what is most important to me: family and friends. 

What is a special memory you have of your time at ASH?
I still remember my ASH ambassador, Christopher (Chris), who showed me all the ins and outs for soccer and basketball. I basically got to know everyone who was on the team before I knew where my lockers were.

What staff member impacted you the most?
Three teachers: Madame B, Mr. F, and Ms. O. Madame B symbolized the opportunity to travel again for me. If I wanted to travel and work internationally, I needed her to help me feel confident speaking another language. With her countless jokes, flaunting hair, and beautiful French accent, she got me hooked in no time. Et alors, je me sens confident! 

Mr. F got me jealous. How could someone connect with others so naturally? It had to be his sense of humor. Aside from economics, he taught me that the person is just as important as the material. If you want to connect with people, you have to laugh, motivate, and inspire. 

Ms. O initially got me worried. How could I ever impress someone so intelligent? I always memorized SAT vocabulary words, so I could try to impress her.  She encouraged me to think about the meaning of words. Every word is different, so choose wisely. She actually said this to me when I was writing my graduation speech. 

#ASHvoices
We have a diverse community of students, staff, and families from around the world. Each member of our community brings their own background and story that enrich the ASH experience.