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VOL.80 June 9, 2023
VOL.80 June 9, 2023
In January 2017, while attending a job fair in Bangkok, I received an email from David Hornby, who was then the head of Global Jaya School. While he was not in attendance at the job fair, he asked if my then fiancée (now my wife, the lovely and talented Ashley Kiss-Spannring) and I were interested in talking about an exciting employment opportunity on the outskirts of Jakarta. Excited by the idea of staying in our hotel room, as opposed to schmoozing and glad-handing with the others at the fair, we agreed to a 30 minute chat via Skype. A few days later, in the wee hours of a cold January morning in Cairo, I signed on to Skype and fought through a horrendous internet connection to speak with David, Pak Okky, and Pak Edmund, shortly after which Ash and I agreed to make the move from Egypt to Indonesia.
In November 2022, we found ourselves in a very similar situation in Singapore, talking via Zoom with the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro. Just under a week later, we accepted offers to move our lives to Rio. And so, it is time to move on. I will always look back fondly on my time at GJS where you trusted, supported, and (mostly) understood me. In the times when my intentions, my motives, or my plans were not clear, I appreciated those who questioned me in pursuit of a shared understanding. I am leaving Global Jaya a better leader, a better educator, and a better person than I was when I arrived and I am grateful to all of you who have helped make that growth possible. I hope that, in your eyes, I am also leaving Global Jaya a better place than it was when I arrived.
I will always wish the GJS community well and, while I will not be here to witness the coming years, I will be rooting for you from afar, no matter where our lives take us. I wish you all the best in all that you do. Take care.
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