MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

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The auspicious Year of the Dragon is fast coming to a close. It was a dynamic year for HKIS; how was it for you?

I hope that as 2025 starts and the Year of the Snake approaches, you are building on the successes and opportunities of the past year.

We are excited to share that we are pouring energy and resources into building a stronger global alumni community in 2025. This month, Hillary Sandeen and I return to North America for the first series of West Coast alumni gatherings in many years. And later in the spring, we will travel again for a series of events in New York, Boston, London, and possibly other major cities. We look forward to seeing you at one of these events if your schedule allows.

This all stems from the response we’ve seen from the new alumni platform, HKISAlumni.org, and the amazing turnout of alumni across the decades to the East Coast reunions last January, as well as the HK Alumni Association’s Alumni Prom last June, and the recent alumni reunion in Singapore this fall.

There’s a lot of energy in the global alumni community right now, a desire to gather, build new connections, and leverage the strength of an alumni community living out the values you learned from your families and your time at HKIS.

We are committed to supporting the alumni community, which includes former faculty, staff and board members, to meet, build and strengthen friendships, and share in the HKIS community spirit. Mel Kieschnick, one of the school’s founders who sadly passed away recently, would be so inspired at the thought of hundreds of HKIS alumni and community members sharing fellowship with one another in cities and countries across the globe.

This past year also saw the launch of a new US-based 501c3 nonprofit, Friends of HKIS. This new organization provides new options to support the educational program, teachers and staff at HKIS. Some of you have taken the opportunity to make tax-efficient gifts of stock or Qualified Charitable Distributions, as well as grants from your Donor Advised Funds—all to ensure that the legacy of an HKIS continues to inspire new generations of students.

I hope you enjoy the articles and news in this edition of DragonTales, and that you join me in engaging with other alumni and former employees around the world who share a common bond: being a cherished member of the HKIS community.

Heath K. Hignight, CFRE
Chief Advancement Officer

THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS!

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