There are moments in life when you stand still and realize you’re witnessing history—moments that mark not just change, but transformation. For me, that moment came in 1997, as I stood on the field at our brand-new Woodlands campus. I’ll never forget the 1997 dedication ceremony, when an eagle, on loan from Jurong Bird Park, was released into the sky above our new stadium field. As it soared high over the crowd, it felt like a powerful symbol of everything we had worked so hard to achieve. It was a seminal moment—one filled with pride, relief, and awe.

Funnily enough, during the rehearsal a few days earlier, the eagle had taken off and disappeared for several minutes. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, we thought he might not return. But just like our Singapore American School Eagles, he found his way back, right when it mattered most. It was a moment none of us will ever forget.

From 1988 to 1998, Singapore American School was not just where my children learned and grew—it was where I poured my time and heart as a parent and member of the school board. The decision to move SAS from its beloved campuses at King's Road and Ulu Pandan to a single location in Woodlands was one of the most courageous and controversial in our school's history. The community was anxious. Many felt the new site was too far removed from the heart of expat life. There was talk of alternatives. Doubt lingered in the air.

But for those of us leading the charge, the choice was clear: if we were to grow, if we were to provide the kind of education and opportunities our children deserved, we had to take the leap. We had outgrown the scattered campuses. Waitlists were long. Facilities were limited. We knew that a unified campus, with state-of-the-art sports and arts spaces, could offer students an experience that matched our dreams. So we adopted a simple but powerful mindset: If you build it, they will come.

And they did.

 

The road to Woodlands was anything but smooth. Construction challenges, tough board decisions, and community skepticism were real hurdles. But we had a visionary superintendent in Don Bergman, an unflappable project manager in Dick Moore, and a chief financial officer, Bill Pearson, who kept us grounded and on budget. As a board, our job was to trust, support, and stay the course—no matter how daunting the task.

When the campus opened, everything changed. Suddenly, SAS wasn’t just a school; it was a home. A complete learning environment. A community brought together under one roof. What was once an ambitious vision became the gold standard for international education in the region.

SAS has entered a new era of change with the reimagined elementary school building, renovations in the high school, and an upcoming new middle school building. I offer this simple advice: be patient. Trust the process. And remember that behind every construction zone and temporary disruption lies the foundation of a brighter future. I know how hard the wait can be. But I also know how worth it the result will be.

I may not have had the joy of watching my own children walk these new halls, but I take immense pride in knowing others will. Signing the lease for the Woodlands campus remains one of the proudest moments of my life. The dream we dared to dream became real—and it continues to grow, generation after generation.