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Alumni Magazine
“Excellentia Academica Persequenda”
Edition 2, June 2014
All the news on past students, find out where they are
now and what tkis meant to them
VOLUME 1, 2014
The Kilmore
International School
Australia
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Dear Alumni,
It is a great pleasure to read of the careers and fortunes of former students of the Kilmore International School in our Alumni Magazine.
I commenced as Principal of The Kilmore International School in July, 2011. I am a graduate of Melbourne University and was previously Acting Principal of Jerudong International School in Brunei, a co-educational Boarding and Day School of 1500 students in Brunei Darussalam in SE Asia. Prior to that I taught at Wesley College in Melbourne.
With my wife and three children, I returned to Melbourne to take up the post of Principal at TKIS. Like many of its students and teachers, I was drawn to The Kilmore International School because of its reputation for academic results and innovation.
I believe an international education equips students to be world-ready and prepares them for university and successful careers. With its demanding two-year study of traditional disciplines and evidence that its graduates perform better in higher education than their peers, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is recognised and welcomed by leading universities and colleges around the world.
I am delighted that some of our inspiring and experienced teachers whom you will remember are profiled in the magazine.
Please stay in touch with your old school. Next year we celebrate our 25th anniversary and I hope to see you at one of the reunion celebrations we are planning.
Best wishes
Andrew Taylor
Principal
welcome
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1993 1995
Name: SHEN, Feng-kai (Andrew/
Andy)
Homeland: Taiwan
Current location: Melbourne
Where is he now: After leaving TKIS
almost 20 years ago, Andy studied
Computer Science at RMIT and then
went on to complete a Masters of
Computer Science and then a Masters of Information
Systems at CQU. In 2012, Andy founded Hamilton Finley,
a real estate agency in Boxhill, and is now a Senior
Property Consultant. Ending up in real estate is
something Andy never imagined when he was at high
school but he loves his job that helps migrants settle
down and find a home in the beautiful city of Melbourne
(www.hamiltonfinley.com.au).
Andy cherishes his memories of TKIS and living at the
“Golf House” with Mr Ives. He believes that the TKIS
dining room food is better than most canteens at other
schools and universities that he has come across. He
advises current TKIS students to cherish every moment
of their time at TKIS and says they will understand what
he means in 20 years time.
Andy visited the school a
couple of years and caught up
with Mr Tony Zanelli (CEO), Mr
Pisen Hong, Ms Georgia
Wittmer and Mr Raymond
Wittmer (Executive Director).
Name: LAU, Cham Yat (Vincent)
Homeland: Hong Kong
Current location: Hong Kong
Where is he now: Vincent gradu-
ated from TKIS back in 1993
when the school was only a few
years old. He returned home and
attended the Chinese University of
Hong Kong where he completed
his Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery. He then
furthered his studies with a Master sof Science
(Cardiology). After working as a Physician for 10 years,
he has now decided to pursue a career in General Surgery.
He is now in his second year of 4-year surgical training.
Vincent currently works at Tseung Kwan O Hospital in
Hong Kong.
Vincent is married to a woman called Ivy whom he de-
scribes as “the most beautiful Paediatrician in Hong
Kong” . They have 3 gorgeous children; two girls aged 4.5
and 3 and one son aged 5 months.
Vincent has so many fond memoirs of TKIS. He thorough-
ly enjoyed the semi-rural environment where he could
find peace and quiet to concentrate on his studies.
His advice to current TKIS students is:
“Study as hard as you can, IB is worthy of your effort!”
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1999
Name: ZHANG, Jing (Joanna)
Homeland: China
Current city: Shanghai
Where is she now: After high
school, Jing (known as Joanna
during high school) moved to the UK
to study Computer Science at
Imperial College in London. She
graduated with her Masters in 2004 and joined UBS
investment bank in London. In 2011, the company
relocated her to Singapore and more recently to
Shanghai. She is currently working as the Director in the
Global Corporate Services division helping to expand the
company's footprint in China.
Jing is also a single mother to two beautiful children,
Joanna (fondly known as JoJo) who is 6 and Jude who is 4.
Jing has so many wonderful memories of TKIS. She
recalls meeting a really nice gardener on her first day at
the front door who turned out to be Mr. Raymond
Wittmer, the Executive Director of the school! She also
fondly remembers Mr Gregory who kindly took everyone
in his Year 12 IB Higher Level Maths class to his beach
house in Aireys Inlet for the weekend just before their
final IB exams. They had lots of revision but also tonnes of
fun. Great memories were made that weekend!
Jing would like to say to current
TKIS students :
“Be humble or your will be
humbled”.
“Work hard, play hard”.
Name: Christine Lynch (Now Christine Rowe)
Homeland: Australia
Current city: Melbourne
Where is she now: Christine
graduated from Monash University
with a Bachelor of Arts and then went
on to study a Diploma of Education at
Victoria University. She is currently the Head of
Humanities at Bentleigh Secondary College, where she
enjoys working with young people and helping them
achieve their goals. She loves her teaching job as every day
is different and exciting!
Christine married her long-term partner, Brent Rowe in
2013 (pictured together below on a recent holiday to
Japan). Christine’s fond memories of TKIS include making
new friends from around the world, playing cards in the
Greenroom at lunch time and the famous “International
Day”, which is a tradition that the school still celebrates
every March.
Christine remembers TKIS teachers being extremely
helpful and always going that ‘extra mile’ for their pupils.
She looks back at how she was treated with respect,
kindness and dignity and she does her best to impart these
qualities within her own classroom today.
Christine advises young TKIS students to take every
opportunity that TKIS offers
you as there are so many
great things that you can
achieve with the help of your
teachers.
Always remember the
following …
“Kindness is magic” Derek
(Ricky Gervais). If you follow
this….then nothing can go
wrong!
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2000 2001
Name: CHANG, Yinhan (Avi)
Homeland: Taiwan
Current city: Los Angeles
Where is she now: Avi graduated
from TKIS in 2001 and went on to
study Kindergarten teaching at
Chisholm Institute of TAFE in
Melbourne. She then moved to Los Angeles to be with
Miu, her long term boyfriend whom she met at TKIS.
They got married in Taiwan in 2010 and now have a
gorgeous little baby boy called Logan.
Avi and Miu decided to go into business together in
2012 and they opened a Taiwanese Dessert House in
Los Angeles where they mainly sell popular Taiwanese
desserts such as shaved snow, red bean bun and boba
milk tea. They recently opened their second store in
West Covina California (http://www.isweet.us/).
Avi loved her time at TKIS and cherishes the friendships
she made with her classmates from around the world.
She advises TKIS students to study hard and enjoy
everything!
Name: LIU, Yang (Connie)
Homeland: China
Current city: Canberra
Where is she now: Connie left TKIS
after graduating in 2000 and com-
menced her undergraduate Com-
merce degree at Melbourne Universi-
ty where she majored in Accounting
and Finance. After graduating in 2003, she worked at
TKIS for a little while helping out with marketing and stu-
dent recruitment. She then joined Deloitte and later be-
came a fully qualified Australian Chartered Accountant.
She now works for the Australian National Audit Office in
Canberra.
Connie got married in December last year and has settled
into life in Canberra and her new job. She keeps in touch
with Mr Hong and paid him a visit last Christmas in Mel-
bourne recently (pictured below).
Connie advises TKIS students to enjoy their time at TKIS
as it’s the starting point of your dream life!
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2001
Name: David Wittmer
Homeland: Australia
Current city: Melbourne Where is he now: David has al-ways been passionate about sport, health and fitness. After completing his IB in 2001, he went onto study Health Sciences at Latrobe University. Shortly after finishing his undergraduate degree, he completed a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) and became a Physi-cal Education Teacher. He did part of his teaching rounds at TKIS and commenced teaching there full time in 2008 after taking a gap year to travel the world which included a working holiday season in Whistler, Canada. David loves teaching and helping kids learn about sports. When asked how he feels about his job, he re-plied: “It is important for everyone to live an active life-style and Physical Education is one way to introduce young people to the many different activities they can take part in to be healthy. It’s a great feeling when a stu-dent has been struggling with a particular skill or con-cept and I am able to help them get the hang of it. Stu-dents at TKIS are generally very enthusiastic and just want to have fun in PE class. That makes my job very easy and enjoyable”.
David still leads an active lifestyle himself. He plays
competitive AFL for Oak Park and he also plays on a bas-
ketball team with some of his
friends.
Name: Darren Lapthorne Homeland: Australia Current city: Bendigo, Victoria Where is he now: Darren gradu-ated from TKIS in 2001 and com-menced his degree at Latrobe Uni-versity studying Bachelor of Infor-mation Systems/Commerce. Due to opportunities to race in Europe he put his studies on hold for some time but is now in the process of studying a Bachelor of Business at RMIT. Darren is a professional cyclist and rides for Drapac pro continental team spending most of his time racing in the USA, Asia and Europe. He recently completed the Tour of South Korea. Darren married his wife Jessica in 2012 and they have a little girl called Florence who is 1.
Darren has great memo-ries of TKIS. “The mix of nationalities and cultures created a positive envi-ronment and gave me an understanding of differ-ent views and ways of life. This has been very beneficial for working alongside people from all over the world in my current situation”.
Darren advises current TKIS students to follow their dreams and enjoy everyday at TKIS as the time there will pass by very quickly!
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2004 2005
Name: Jessica Keep (Jimmy)
Homeland: Australia
Current city: Orange, NSW
Where is she now: Ever since
she was very young, Jimmy has
had a strong love of animals. All
through high school she wanted
to become a Vet and when she
got accepted into Veterinary Sci-
ence at The University of Sydney, it was a dream come
true. Jimmy graduated from university last year and has
now moved to the rural town of Orange where she has
secured her first “real” job at a small animal clinic called
Canobolas Family Pet hospital.
Jimmy has many fond memories of her time at TKIS but
she especially remembers the family bond that her year
level shared. The friendships she formed in high school
with her fellow students and teachers have stayed with
her over the years. “Having those friendships made for
some amazing times together, and helped create an envi-
ronment where we were encouraged to be ourselves.
Being a science nerd, Biology class and tutorials were
always my favourite”.
Jimmy’s wise words of advice to current TKIS students
are: “Take homework seriously as its an excellent way to
learn and solidify what
you’re learning in class.
Cramming is a bad habit
that stays with you for life!
Don’t fall into the trap of
being a crammer!”
Name: Neil Holdaway
Homeland: Australia
Current city: Melbourne
Where is he now: After
graduating from TKIS, Neil
attended Melbourne University
like many other fellow TKIS
graduates.
He studied a Bachelor of
Commerce, graduating in 2009, and is now studying a
Masters of Teaching at Victoria University. He is thinking
he would like to teach the IB one day.
Neil’s fondest memories of TKIS are the friends he made
(many of whom he still sees regularly today) and the great
times that they had together. He believes that as hard as it
sometimes was, it was worth the effort.
His advice to TKIS students is:
“Figure out what your passion is and work hard at that. You
will save a lot of time and effort, and be much happier. Set
up your life so that work, for you, is play”.
Neil is pictured below with his older brother John (TKIS
Class of 1999) and younger sister Anna (TKIS Class of
2007). John now lives and works in Indonesia and Anna
lives, works and studies in Japan.
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2009 2010
Name: Georgina Garner
Homeland: Australia
Current city: Eden Park
Where is she now: Georgina
went off to RMIT to study PE for
4 years before returning to TKIS
this year to become a teacher.
She is currently teaching
Literacy, Numeracy and Science
to Grade 6, and Physical Education to Year 8 and Year 10.
Georgina said she originally felt strange but excited to be
back at TKIS! Many of the teachers she had are still here
and it was hard for her to get used to them being
colleagues rather than her teachers.
Georgina has wanted to be teacher ever since she can
remember. During her time at TKIS her favourite
subjects were PE and Sport and she knew from then that
she wanted to be a PE teacher. The best part for Georgina
is being able to be outside and be active with her
students.
Georgina has lots of great memories of TKIS but her
favourite year at TKIS was Year 12.
“It’s when all the hard work starts to pay off and after all
the time you’ve spent here you develop some great
friendships with your peers. I had a great rapport with
many of my teachers; especially Mr. Mumford. Every
Wednesday was known as
Cake Wednesday in Biology
class and we took it in turns to
bring a cake. He always
seemed to complain about
what a hassle it was but I
think he secretly loved it!”
Name: WEN, Yaxin (Yan)
Homeland: China
Current city: Sydney, Australia
Where is she now: After graduating from TKIS in 2010, Yan was accepted into a Bachelor of Commerce at Melbourne University where she majored in Actuarial Studies and graduated in 2013. She is now doing her Master of Commerce at Macquarie University and continues to major in Actuarial Studies.
Yan’s most fond memories of TKIS are being a music
student and being involved in various concerts, and
talent shows. Music was a big part of her student life.
Yan encourages all TKIS students to get involved with
school life, both in and outside the classroom.
“You should actively participate in every activity and enjoy
the benefits from these activities after your intense
studies”.
That’s what Yan did , and she enjoyed every moment.
Yan will finish her Masters at the end of this year and will
return to China for
some work experience.
She then hopes to
obtain her Australian
Permanent Residency
and migrate to
Australia.
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WEDDINGS & BABIES
Right: DUAN Yunchao
(Don) and LIU Jun (Lin)
met at TKIS and graduated
in 2005. They are now
married with a
cute little baby!
LEFT: LU Xuan (Ruby) and LIU
Hao (Jefferson) graduated in
2005 and married two years ago.
They now have a little baby boy
called Kaixin which
means “Happy”.
Right: James
Sheeran and HUANG Xi (Annie)
graduated in 2007 and got mar-
ried last year. They now live and
work in Canberra.
Left: CHEN Jiachen
(Christine) who now
calls herself Vivian
and DUAN Ming
(Vincent) both grad-
uated in 2003 and
got married in 2012.
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TKIS STAFF
any of you have fond memories of your time at TKIS and from the testimonials we have received from our
TKIS alumni, we realise how much our past students valued their teachers. Well guess what? Some of your
old favourites are still teaching here! We have decided to do a profile on a few of them to let you know how
they are getting along and what teaching means to them. Here are a few familiar faces: M
PAM TRIPP Most of you should remember Mrs
Tripp because she’s been here al-
most as long as TKIS has! This is
her 21st year teaching at TKIS. Mrs
Tripp teaches TOK, English A, Eng-
lish B and Intensive English and is
an IB examiner in English A.
When reflecting on her time at TKIS, Mrs Tripp says: “I
value the opportunity to deliver an academic program
that allows students to inquire and reflect which then
enables them to pursue their goals. The ability to be able
to watch young people grow and mature, and the reward
of genuine interaction, is also an integral part of teaching.
To be a told by ex-students of the positive effect you’ve
had in their lives has been very humbling”.
“During my many years here I have witnessed, and been
able to play a small part in, the personal triumphs and
accomplishments of so many wonderful students. The
TKIS community is warm, caring, and yet challenging, to
those we cross paths with”.
Mrs Tripp is pictured above with a recent English B class.
PAUL SZCZUR Mr Szczur (fondly known to many
students as “Szczur” has been teach-
ing at TKIS since he first became a
teacher back in 1997— this is his
18th year with us! Before becoming
a teacher, he was a Civil Engineer.
Mr Szczur teaches Maths, Physics
and Science and is our current Head of Learning Mathe-
matics. He is a highly experienced IB teacher and is an IB
examiner in Physics.
Mr Szczur’s partner, Ms Lynda Allen also teaches at TKIS.
They have two lovely daughters who now attend TKIS;
Peigi who is in Year 8 and Rain who is in Year 6.
Mr Szczur has always been one of the TKIS students'
most popular teachers. He’s jovial personality along
with his fierce dedication to helping his students above
and beyond the call of duty has left it’s mark on the
hearts of TKIS graduates over the years. When we asked
Mr Szczur why he is passionate about teaching, he re-
plied: “There has always existed a great bond between
students and teachers at TKIS. What we teach here is an
academic program that is challenging and interesting in
its content. This allows for growth and interest as a
teacher. I thor-
oughly enjoy the
academic process-
es in learning and
working with
young people to
help them grow
into well informed
and educated citi-
zens”.
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TKIS STAFF
PISEN HONG Mr Hong is TKIS’s longest serv-
ing staff member. He has been
teaching here since the school
began in 1990 which makes this
his 25th year! He’s actually
been teaching since 1979 which
means he’s been teaching for
over 35 years. What an
achievement!
Mr Hong teaches Chinese A, TOK in Chinese and also su-
pervises numerous Chinese A Extended Essays every
year. In the past, he’s also taught IB Art and is an accom-
plished Artist himself. As well has being an IB examiner
for many years in Chinese A, Mr Hong is also an IB Work-
shop Leader.
Mr Hong loves working with people, especially young
people. He enjoys passing on his knowledge and life expe-
rience as well as promoting international understanding
and multiculturalism to the younger generation.
“Literature and Art are my passions. I also have expertise
to benefit the students in these areas. Teaching, learning
and living with the international students makes me feel
younger and I have learnt a lot about contemporary is-
sues from our students. Apart from that, the school envi-
ronment is full of tolerance, kindness, interaction and
support", says Mr Hong.
Mr Hong has been well known at TKIS for his love of table
tennis and has been known to beat most young and ener-
getic students. He still runs table tennis as a CAS activity
and enjoys playing with his students. Mr Hong also keeps
in touch with many of his past students, some of whom he
has maintained contact with for over 20 years!
CHERYL
MOULDER Mrs Moulder has been a teacher
since 1976 and has been teach-
ing at TKIS since 1995 so that
makes this her 20th year at
TKIS! Most of your will remem-
ber Mrs Moulder as a quiet yet
lovely teacher, extremely dedi-
cated to her main subject areas of Chemistry and Envi-
ronmental Systems. Mrs Moulder has been an IB Examin-
er for many years and has been the Deputy Chief Examin-
er for Chemistry (for the whole IB world!) for the past 5
years. On top of this, she is an IB Workshop Leader and
has run IB workshops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Mel-
bourne over the years. She is currently the Head of Lean-
ing Science at TKIS.
Mrs Moulder decided she wanted to be a teacher when
she was in Year 4 at just 8 years old and couldn't ever
imagine doing anything else. She claims to have always
been a Maths and Science nerd, ever since she can re-
member. When reflecting on her time at TKIS, Mrs
Moulder says:
“The students here at TKIS are a wonderful group of
young people from many parts of the world. It is great to
meet so many people with a common passion to succeed
and to learn. I love hearing about other cultures and
backgrounds. This is a unique educational facility and
one with which I am very proud to have been associated
with. I love the interaction with students. It is rewarding
to meet past students and find out what they have done
with their lives, and just occasionally to be told what a
difference I made. I love the opportunities that I have
been fortunate to have through the International Bacca-
laureate Organisation as well”.
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The Kilmore International School
40 White St, Kilmore
Victoria, 3764
Australia
Phone: 0011 61 3 5782 2211
Fax: 0011 61 35782 2525
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.kilmore.vic.edu.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
thekilmoreinternationalschool
“Excellentia Academica Persequenda”
ALUMNI QUESTIONNAIRE
Interested in featuring in the very next edition of the TKIS Alumni Magazine? GREAT! Simply answer the questions
below and email your answers, along with a recent photo of you, or you with family/partner/pet to us for inclusion!
Family Name:
Given Name:
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Current Location:
What is your current academic/career situation? Please list all universities and year(s) of graduation.
What is your personal situation (single/engaged/married/ children)?
What are your fondest memories of your time at TKIS?
What advice would you give to current or potential students of TKIS?
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