When alumn John Laughbaum arrived at American School of The Hague in 1983 fresh from Stavanger, Norway, he couldn’t have imagined how deeply those four years would influence the rest of his life.

 

From the start, the international atmosphere at ASH left a lasting impression. “ASH offers unique opportunities for people of a range of different backgrounds and nationalities to come together in the classroom and be part of sports teams, clubs, or school activities,” he says. “It is a special place with great students and faculty.” This sense of global community—and the independence that came with it—helped him grow both personally and professionally.

 

“In so many ways, ASH helped shape my path in life,” he reflects. “We were all really independent—whether weekends on the town with friends, or sports trips to London, Paris, Vienna or wherever, ski trips to Switzerland, senior trip to Spain. We were pretty much in a different country every few weeks during the school year—an amazing experience.”

 

A moment he remembers fondly came when an older student, Eric Weinberger, encouraged him to run for president of the International Political Association, the school’s largest club. “My initial reaction was, ‘Who, me?’” he recalls. “That experience ultimately led to being Secretary General of the 1987 The Hague International Model United Nations and Secretary General of Model NATO in Belgium. I stepped way out of my comfort zone but am really grateful for the experience and confidence these experiences provided.”

 

Reflecting on his path, he remains grateful for the foundation ASH provided. “I often reflect on those experiences in appreciation of what we accomplished together,” he says. “ASH was—and still is—a special place.”

 

For today’s ASH students, his message is one of courage, curiosity, and connection. “Step out of your comfort zone,” he advises. “Run for student leadership, start a club, try something completely new or different. Take a chance—your future self will thank you.” He also encourages students to build bridges within the global ASH network: “Reach out to alumni from your home country. We had more than 30 nationalities at ASH in the 1980s, and I suspect it’s the same today. There’s a world of ASH alumni out there who would be happy to connect, share advice, and support your journey.”