Dear Alumni,

We are very proud to share with you the first volume of our Alumni Newsletter.

SAIS Alumni aims to maintain and reignite the great friendships and working relationships established at our school. We would like our past students to know that SAIS is always a place they can return to as they pursue their future endeavors. We want to encourage as many SAIS alumni to participate in alumni events and reunions, social and professional networking, and contribute time and talent in support of SAIS through mentoring, volunteering, and giving back.

MISSION, VISION, and VALUES

VISION: A caring community that fosters loyalty, goodwill, and excellence in alumni and alma mater.

MISSION: To engage alumni in a mutually beneficial partnership that generates meaningful connections and strengthens SAIS community.

VALUES:

CHARACTER strengthening relationships through honesty, integrity, and ethical conduct.

GRATITUDE Being thankful for the relationship and learning gained through SAIS.

INNOVATION Seeking new ideas and methods to better engage the SAIS community.

WE ARE SAIS!

Alumni Committee

Ms. Meriam Mneimneh Sabra

Ms. Dima Khalaf

Mr. Nadim Taha

1. Where are you originally from and where did you study?

I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in a family of four children. I studied at the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese University for my bachelor’s degree. I later attended the University of Wollongong in Dubai for my Master’s degree.

2. What brought you to SAIS?

In 1999, I was working in a school in Dubai. At that time, I was looking for a change. One of my friends told me about a new school in Sharjah that was aspiring to be one of the best schools in the Emirate. I drove with him there on a Saturday. I had an interview with one of the school founders, Dr. Nawaf Fawwaz. I liked his vision and his passion to serve the local community. More than twenty years later, that vision still guides me as I work with SAIS staff to continue to serve the community here in Sharjah.

3. What are your goals for SAIS?

The school leadership plans to solidify the school’s status as one of the best schools in Sharjah. We will do that by continuing to recruit the best educators from within the UAE and abroad. We will also continue to attract bright and ambitious students who aspire to be leaders of the future. And we plan to help them achieve their dreams and realize their potential.

4. Where would you like to see SAIS in a few years?

I would like to see our students successful in all their endeavors. I expect that in the near future all our students will achieve at our above international standards.

I would like to say that I want SAIS to branch out, but we have already done that. Our branches in Dubai, Umm al Quwain and Abu Dhabi are already providing excellent academic services to students in those Emirates.

I can see SAIS becoming a main learning hub in Sharjah, with more ties and partnerships with local community institutions and universities and a number of selected international higher education institutions.

My name is Marwa Al Qaisy, I was a student in Sharjah American International School (Sharjah Branch) from 1997 - 2008. I stepped foot in the school in third grade when the school had just first opened. I had the greatest teachers growing up in SAIS - Sharjah, my teachers taught me more than English, Math, and Science. My teachers, counsellors, and supervisors taught me life skills, dealing with life outside school, facing our challenges and chasing our dreams.

After I graduated, I went on to pursue my higher education in Bachelors of Marketing and later on Masters of Quality Management. I found myself going back to SAIS (Dubai Branch) and teaching Business Subjects to high school students.

The most fulfilling part of my job is giving back to the school that gave me so much, and to prepare my students for the future that waits for them.

Later on in life, I found my passion in fitness, and after months of training I now am a certified fitness instructor where I also lead group exercise classes for indoor cycling. I am also in the process of pursuing a certificate in becoming a health and nutrition life coach.

What I have learned over the years and I would love to pass on to my students is to always chase after your dreams, and it's never too late to change your path and find your passion in life.

Marwa Al Qaisy

Class of 2008

My name is Mary Anwar Al Nassr Allah. I graduated from Sharjah American International School year 2019-2020. I am studying Visual Communication at the American University in Dubai and I am majoring in Digital Media. Honestly, SAIS has taught me so much about taking my tasks seriously. Online classes had been somehow not motivational. I have days where I did not have the energy or the motivation to complete what was assigned. However, I started managing my time really well. It was tough at the beginning, but it’s not as hard as you think. Time management is the key to everything. I believe we are really strong and capable of handling this pandemic. I am thankful for the effort that everyone is putting in to help manage this tough situation. Last but not least, I want to thank my family for being so supportive every step of the way. I hope we all get through this. God bless each and every person affected by this. May God surround them with his love and protection. I hope they know there are millions of us out here praying for them.

Mary Al Nassr Allah

Class of 2020

I joined SAIS for two years (2018-2020) and it was quite an experience, although I spent most of my years in another school. SAIS has taught me a lot throughout the days, and it always supported me in the most rewarding ways. I would really like to thank the school and every teacher who was there for me.

“What do I want to do when I leave school?” I asked myself in the last term. I did not want to just graduate and study and do nothing. Although I did not have much time since I was playing for a basketball team, but I still wanted to do something like open up a small business.

In my first semester, I successfully had my business going on Instagram, and soon I will expand and open it up somewhere. I really hope that this can be a motivation to someone towards any goal. Always, set your goals and work for it until you achieve it.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”

Walt Disney

Shahed Al Kaabi

Class of 2020

I vividly remember walking through the corridors of SAIS in September of 1997 as it was about to open its doors to countless future students.

During my 23-year teaching tenure at SAIS, I was fortunate to have been a part of its early beginnings and to have witnessed the strides it made to become an educational beacon in the community.

Now in my retirement, as I reflect on my journey at SAIS, I am grateful that I met a multitude of wonderful students, that my own children attended and graduated from this unforgettable learning establishment, that I made life-long friendships, and that SAIS continues to be an educational lighthouse.

Natalia Jose Hernandez

Meet Kareen Hallak, Class of 2018. Karen shares 3 tips to being an international student!

An alumnus or an alumna of a school is a former student who has either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The word is Latin and simply means student. The plural is alumni for men and mixed groups and alumnae for women.

ALUMNA single female graduate

ALUMNAE plural two or more female graduates

ALUMNUS a single male graduate

ALUMNI plural male and/or female graduate

Congratulations, graduates! What shall we call them—alumnus for a male, alumna for a female, alumni for a group of males or mixed gender, and alumnae for a group of females? Or should we simplify the process by opting for the gender-neutral term “alum”? No matter which term we use, we can be proud of their achievements!

As seniors of 2021, we have found ourselves in a rather unique position this year. Up to this moment, we have not had paper exams, nor been organizers in events; we have not even met each other! This year, we went through tough times, but managed to overcome them. We went through good times and enjoyed every moment of them. We, as twins, were privileged to share feelings and support each other during such times. We have learned to unite our efforts and motivate each other whilst enjoying it almost all the time. This allowed us to invest in ourselves and keep striving for the best. Instead of doubting our actions, we gave each other full courage, as we know that hard work never goes unnoticed. In our opinion, this senior year was a unique experience that no one had gone through before and has certainly prepared us to overcome any obstacle we face in the future.

To all the seniors who feel overwhelmed by their circumstances, do not despair! There are a lot of beautiful things happening around us; just try to look at them from a different perspective. In this situation, we succeeded in forming exceptional bonds with all our respected teachers; ones that were never formed before. Besides, we have developed the most important skill needed for our future: Self-reliance. With distance learning, we understood that it is us - and only us - who can shape our present and well-deserved future. Perhaps, being seniors at such uneasy times is not as horrible as we believed!

Zahraa and Ali Dhafer,

Seniors 2021

I can say on behalf of the class of 2021 we would have never thought that our last chapter of high school would forever end in steps behind a screen, even before we ever got to grasp how it truly felt like to be a senior. Although, if I had learnt anything during this year, it would be two things. The first is acceptance. We have come together as a grade to accept the changes that have been brought upon us, even if we never really wanted it to happen this way. We accepted the change, the circumstances, and moved along with it. The second would be appreciation. Truly appreciating something before its gone, and I think our grade learnt this lesson the hard way. The little moments of laughter in class, to the enjoyment of coming home from school. Even after the obstacles that we have endured, we have grown to become more understanding, accepting, and appreciative young adults with a very odd yet unique way of finishing the last steps of high school forever.

Dana Atieh

Senior 2021

We would like to congratulate our Seniors who got accepted in well-known universities over the globe. We wish them the best of luck in their future studies.

The Future is Yours so embrace it!

Balwinder Kumar, the school's custodian, joined SAIS in 1996, when the school was preparing its floors to open.

Sam Ewing, a former professional baseball player, once said, “Hard work spotlights the character of people: Some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” Well, Balwinder has always turned up his sleeves. He is one of the pillars in the school.

He walks down the corridors and the halls and his keys jangle in his pocket; listen to them. His keys sing a song of dedication and sleepless nights, taking care of every single corner in the school.

Dear Mr. Balwinder

Thank you for turning up. Thank you for rolling up your sleeves whenever needed. Thank you for helping with all the keys of the school!

The Alumni Committee is working diligently to establish CHAPTERS across the globe. If you are interested in chairing a chapter in your area, email alumni@saissharjah.com.

We look forward to all alumni joining us for our first Virtual Reunion in June. The date will be announced soon. There will be special moments for all of us to connect and honor our beloved SAIS alumni community.

Kindly fill in your information using the following link to keep you updated about our events.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10_EJ_40pGMVEMySpN8sSbCQC7Xsg96BoUpVrpbM3J2Y/edit

Wherever life takes you, be sure to let us know where you are and what you are up to. Stay connected with your fellow classmates, growing your career network, and helping others.

Got a story? Won an award? Wedding bells? New baby? Job promotion? We would like to hear what is happening in your life these days. If you would like to share your story with us for our next newsletter, please email us at alumni@saissharjah.com