Humans of ASL: Winter 2021

In her own words: I grew up in Taiwan with four older sisters and one younger sister. We didn't have a lot of resources or money; we were a very humble family who had just enough to go by. There weren’t a lot of toys or clothing, but we had bookshelves full of novels and story books. Books were always there, so I became used to grabbing them and sitting next to the bookshelf. My mom would ...

I love all the sports that I do. With ASL sports, I do cross country in the fall, swimming in the winter and track in the spring. Outside of school, I run and bike in the summer and rock climb throughout the year. Running has always been the base of what I do, and then from that there’s swimming which I mainly use to build up my cardiovascular endurance, biking, which is running but a lot more...

When talking about his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, Science Teacher Andrew Ringham uses the analogy of traveling back to elementary school. “I remember walking the halls of my elementary school and just thinking, ‘Everything is familiar, but it’s all shrunk,’” he said. “And that’s exactly what it feels like to go home. It’s still wonderful, but everything feels so much small...

Although Jennifer Abastillas is currently teaching Grade 1, she has impacted the entire school community through her diversity, equity and inclusion work since her arrival in 2008. Abastillas contributed to the creation of ASL’s affinity group the Community of Color, and has helped change the process of admissions and faculty recruitment to ensure a diverse community. Her encouragement for teache...

From her childhood in Topeka, Kansas, to her last-minute trip across the Atlantic Ocean to join ASL in the fall of 2020, Science Teacher Alpha Toothman has always enjoyed three things: outdoor activities, traveling and soccer. Enjoying the outdoors Toothman said she loves “anything outside,” and when she lived in the U.S. there were plenty of outdoor activities she took part in, such as ...

When Jordan Plotner (’12) was young, he slept with the lights on. For him, the unknown was just too terrifying. “I could create many monsters in my head very quickly,” he said. “Being alone in silence and darkness with myself was not just unappealing, but it was— it was horrifying.” Now, he spends hours every day meditating blindfolded with earplugs in. Being alone in a dark silence i...

After visiting the only school in Janata Vashat village in India, Arhan Sarma (’22) realized the importance of education and how essential it is for all children. This has led to his pursuit of providing children in India with technology, supporting their learning in a tech-reliant world. Sarma said that, without an education, families in India tend to be stuck in a poverty cycle, continuing the ...

When everything I previously thought about the world was flipped on its head,” Ella Jackson-Drexler (’23) said, “it was so hard to place myself and look into myself.” These emotions and challenges are the basis for Jackson-Drexler’s art, in which the anime characters she creates mirror aspects of her personality that come together to create a story. Growing up in Camden, one of London’...

Lynsey Addario’s (P'30) work often takes her to the frontlines of war. She explores international relations behind the lens of her camera, with a special focus on the role of women in more conservative societies. Addario also has a husband and son at the school. Currently, the Pulitzer Prize winner is covering COVID-19 by photographing ICUs and hospitals to share the experience of healthcare worker...

For Sara Khan (’24), acting has always been a significant aspect of her life. She said since she was a toddler, she had always expressed an interest in performing arts.  “I was super outgoing as a kid or as a toddler,” she said. “I would put on shows for my family whenever they came over.” From an early age, Khan said she began acting in a performing arts program outside of school. She starr...