Most Singapore American School parents learn about the school through their children’s experiences, but for around 50 parents, their children’s school years are just the second phase of their SAS life! These are our alumni parents, parents who attended SAS during their own school years and later found ways to have their children attend as well. We asked some of this select group what they remember of their school days, how they made their way back to Singapore and SAS, and what they feel has changed or stayed the same.

Dr Vicki Rogers (class of 1995)

I joined SAS in elementary school in the early 1980s, and I remember that the communities—or "planets"—that students were then assigned to really helped to make a big school feel small! Some favorite memories from high school include Interim Semester, some very impressive teachers (many of whom later became friends), sports events and IASAS tournaments, and Mr. Hoe! Of course, the best takeaway from my time at SAS was meeting my now-husband Matt, who was also in the class of 1995. 

Matt and I returned to Singapore and SAS in 2000, when I was hired to teach at SAS, which I did for 17 years before starting my private practice, Champion Coaching & Consulting Pte Ltd. Matt joined the senior leadership team just after I left. Our son Kasey, who has just finished eighth grade, was born in Singapore and started at SAS in the magical ELC. He is thriving at SAS! He's had incredibly supportive teachers and loves playing sports. This year he represented SAS on the high school junior varsity soccer and basketball teams. 

In terms of what has changed, of course we are now at the Woodlands campus, which is in the midst of a major upgrade, whereas I attended SAS at the Ulu Pandan and King’s Road campuses. The school’s culture has also changed in some ways, and the curriculum has also evolved. Demographically, we have also changed, especially over the last decade. Overall, we feel blessed and very thankful for our family's experience with SAS over two generations! 

Matt and Vicki Rogers at a recent event at the Singapore National Stadium

Matt Rogers (front row right) on the 1992 SAS high school varsity softball team

Kasey Rogers on the 2023 junior varsity soccer team

Chester Lee (class of 2000)

I attended SAS for all four years of high school, graduating in 2000. SAS did a great job of making students feel welcome—even as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student, I never felt like an outsider, so much so that one time I used the word “we” to refer to the United States in my US History class, to which my teacher, Mr. Jim Baker, responded, “I didn’t know Koreans fought the War of 1812!” Some of my favorite memories are of the many international trips I went on through extracurricular activities, such as Choir Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, Model UN in Bangkok, and IASAS Cultural Convention in Manila. It was always fun to skip school to go on these trips! 

In college, I compared my SAS experience with the school experiences of classmates who went to elite US private and public high schools. I was convinced that the education I received at SAS was as good as, if not better than, theirs, and SAS prepared me exceptionally well for my college studies. Moreover, I knew SAS offers a unique, global educational experience that is not available in the US. During the pandemic, I saw the rendering of the new SAS campus on a Zoom call hosted by SAS, and I thought to myself, “I would love to have my kids go to this school!” When my company asked me to move to Singapore, it was not a hard decision. Once we had decided on the move, I put my family through a slightly nerve-racking situation by not even considering applying to other schools. I had too much Eagle pride to do so, but in retrospect, if one or both of our kids had been wait-listed, it could have derailed our relocation plans! 

We moved to Singapore in 2023, and our children are now in kindergarten and third grade. The transition has been smooth, largely thanks to SAS. I appreciate that my kids can continue to receive an American education while learning about other cultures and making friends from different countries. I feel that the school is much bigger now—my high school class had around 170 kids, while these days the number is 300. The campus, brand new in 1996, looks surprisingly dated to me now. Also, back in the 1990s, I was a Korean citizen enrolled in ESL class at SAS, but this time around, my family came to Singapore as American citizens from Massachusetts; the perspectives and expectations are slightly different. 

As an alumnus and now as a parent, I feel that the SAS experience is very unique, and it’s hard for people who did not experience it to fully understand and appreciate it. SAS is a big part of my identity, and I’m grateful my wife and kids get to join the community and go through the SAS experience; they’ll finally understand what I’ve been talking about all along!

Carys (left) and Emersyn (right) Lee, trying to look as tough as their dad; usually they are full of smiles!

Chester Lee in the 1998 junior varsity rugby team photo hanging in the SAS athletic block hallway

Tomoko Kato (class of 1989)

The most important experiences I remember from my time as an SAS student were being able to meet friends and teachers from all over the world. When I was in high school, the structure of the world was different from now. It was during the Cold War, and the world had many boundaries and tensions. But at SAS, there were students from many different countries and we all studied together. The school was especially multinational because then, unlike now, there were only a few international schools in Singapore. I felt our campus was like an ideal of how the world should be: everyone respected each other and freely shared our thoughts. Teachers were very open-minded, and I enjoyed every class. To me, the SAS environment felt especially exciting because I had previously studied in the Japanese education system, which was a very monocultural environment. My SAS education taught me the importance of diversity and provided priceless experiences, and I truly value them even now, 35 years after my graduation! 

I came back to Singapore in the mid-1990s for work, but my family left again in 2009 because my ex-husband had a job opportunity in Tokyo. But we decided to move back to Singapore again after three years because we were able to secure a spot in SAS for our daughter Tara. This decision was easy for me to make, because I wished for my children to go through the same valuable learning experiences that I had had, and I was sure they would really love SAS! Tara is a senior this year and my son Neel is in sixth grade. Although I attended the King’s Road campus and the school has grown a lot, I still feel the same nice, friendly vibes whenever I visit SAS.

How would I sum up my family’s experiences with SAS over two generations? Of course, great! I am so excited that Tara will soon be an SAS graduate, and I know she has had plenty of valuable experiences like those I had, which have inspired her and given her ideas about what she wants to do with her future. Neel just joined SAS this school year, and I can see he has already made a lot of friends, has been challenged in sports and activities, and has had a rewarding year. I have no regrets about choosing SAS for my children's education! 

Tomoko (right) with daughter Tara and son Neel

Tomoko with Tara at a recent Senior Spirit Day event

Astrid Salim (class of 1996)

I attended SAS for high school at the King’s Road campus and graduated in 1996. My favorite memories are from my many wonderful Interim Semester experiences, including one on-island course and overseas trips to Indonesia, Japan, and France. My happiest on-campus memories revolve around the fantastic dance program run by Mrs. Paula Silverman and the high school business/accounting program under Ms. Linda Kroll (formerly Clarke). Both teachers greatly influenced my education and life paths. I also remember the ruckus around the 1994 Michael Fay incident, which caused a lot of excitement and gossip among students and teachers—in one class, we even watched the Saturday Night Live episode about it! 

My family is based in this region and I grew up here, so Singapore is our home base. Therefore, it was a “no-brainer” for my children to come to SAS. In fact, we registered our interest before our first daughter was even at an eligible age! Now, one daughter is in tenth grade and the other in kindergarten, and as they will likely both be “lifers,” we look backward and forward to many wonderful years as SAS parents. 

Of course, the school has changed in some areas. There is far more support for students now—we only had one counselor in high school, but each student now has a personal academic counselor, college counselor, and school psychologists if needed. Also, teachers have more support through inservice trainings and other learning opportunities. The number of classes has increased—I feel I am almost looking at a university course catalog when I view the high school program planning guide! And it is so nice that the whole school is together on one campus, whereas in my time, the divisions were separated. This makes a huge difference for us, as my high schooler can support our little one during special occasions.

Despite the changes, there are many SAS constants I have seen through the decades. These include core values that all students know, an emphasis on extraordinary care for each child, and the goal of producing critical thinkers. Students continue to be exposed to a broad range of cultures and ways of thinking and are still encouraged to become true global citizens, And, just like in my day, students may choose between all sorts of opportunities in academics, sports, arts, and clubs, so they can figure out what will make them happy and fulfilled in their lives. As a parent, I really appreciate that the school encourages community support for its programs. This means I get to relive my own performing arts experiences by supporting the dance program that my tenth grader now enjoys. I truly feel I have come “full circle” at SAS, and I couldn’t be happier!

Astrid (top right) with daughter Reika and husband Kenji Taira to her left and daughter Keira (bottom center) at a classroom celebration

Astrid (bottom row, second from right) working with high school dancers including Reika (bottom row, far left)