GSIS 10 Year Anniversary Yearbook: Memories | Page 179

Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the
kingdom of the Son he loves.

Loukas Kang

Jean Yi
9 Grade
th

As students and
teachers enter the doors
of the school in late August
to begin a new school year,
new memories are being
made and new relationships
formed.
As new memories and relationships form, changes also
occur. Whether it’s something as
• Praise Team
small as the school planner or as
Class of
• Cross Country
big as teachers and students de• Swimming
parting, there is one constant that
• SCA
remains: a loving community that
• Forensics
maintains its ties, regardless of dis• NHS
tance.
Over the years a lot of
Several seniors, shared their thoughts
SCA events became traditions such
about how they have seen the communias dances and Running Man.
ty strength its bond.
I think its been fun to see

Jeff Jin, who has been at GSIS since
students’ ideas develop into
2010, said “One change that happened in
clubs and events. Our class
(2017) started as a class of
GSIS that I enjoyed was how lunch is shared
5 people and we were the
between 9-12 which allows for more relationsmallest class, but as the
ship building between each grade group.”
years past and more peo
Jay Hwan Lee, who started school
ple came, our class became
at GSIS in fourth-grade, commented about the
a really diverse group of
students. I think that our grade
growing program which has led to a greater interis really special because
national community, “Since I first came, GSIS has
we interact well with
primarily changed in scope. The number of grade
one another.
levels increased, IB was being introduced into our
curriculum, and people from all over the world started to show up at GSIS. ”

John Park said, “rather than the school chang• Tennis
ing, I feel like the people in our school have changed. In
• Basketball
the class of 2016, I have seen people coming and going
• Swimming
and it’s fascinating to see the people who come and go,
and build and impact others lives.”
• Jazz Band
“I definitely experienced notable changes and improve• SCA
ments in student engagement in all areas of the GSIS com• MUN Class of
munity. As the years progress, I feel like our community is
growing more and more together as one,” said Seungjun Lee.

Even as classes graduate and teachers leave, one thing
I think that as a school
community, we’ve grown
that will never change is how relationships remain intact after
in our sense of team spirit
people leave.
in sports games. 10 years ago, our
Mrs. Lozano said one of her favorite times of year is May

school was new so we didn’t have
and June because she gets to see all of the alumni. “I can catch up
a firm sense of what a communiwith alumni and talk to them about their life beyond GSIS. I will alty was. Now, we’ve grown as a
school and also developed deep
ways see them as students, but it is a proud moment when I also see
relationships with one
them as successful adults.”
another.
Senior Heather Yang said, “GSIS has been able to unite the upper
classmen and lower classmen through various clubs, activities, spiritual
events, etc.”
“I think GSIS is a lot more dynamic than other schools. Even as teachers
and students leave us, it’s almost like they don’t actually leave since we’re
so connected to them,” reflected Won Joon Lee.

Hanna Nam commented, “The tight bonds that kept the students,
teachers, and faculty together continues after graduation. Distance-wise we
are so apart, but the relationships built here still keep us together. No wonder
we see so many alumni return to GSIS.”
“I think our school is nicer than other schools. We’re more caring for each
other and we bond better. Compared to other schools, we’re much smaller and
because we’re a small community I think it’s easier to bond more. A small community is special,” said Noel Lee.

Bringing his thoughts back to the heart of the school, Trey Noh believes emphasis on Christianity has grown. “We are one of the few Christian schools is our
community and this is our uniqueness. Seeing this continue to grow is astonishing and
I hope to see that continue.”

Class of

2019

11th Grade

• Volleyball
• Outreach Club
There are more
clubs
and after school
activities such as
Forensics and
Outreach. Also there
are more SCA
events for
students to
interact.

2017

Caelan Hodge
10th Grade

2018

Olena Vasyltsova
10th Grade

Class of

• Forensics
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Jazz Band

2018

Over the
past 10 years, GSIS has changed a lot in
terms of the school population. It has grown
so much. We started off with classes only up
to 8th grade, but now we have multiple
graduating classes and classes up to 12th
grade. Before, there weren’t a lot of
events such as Christmas Bazaar or the
International Festival. There were no
events like Open House for parents to
see what our school has to offer.

GSIS yearbook Vase
VASE trip was earlier called as “Mission Trip,” and students had option to choose between Nepal and Thailand. In the following year, GSIS started providing more VASE trip options
such as Nepal, Thailand, India, and Philippines. Indonesia Immersion, Myanmar, and Saipan trips were added later up in 2010-2011 school year, and the India trip was canceled.
Then in the 2012-2013 school year, the Indonesia Sports trip was added to VASE, and that same year, the Saipan trip was removed from the VASE trip options. In the 2014-2015
school year, the trip to Nepal was also removed from the VASE trip country list due to the earthquake, but will return for the 2016-2017 school year. For the 2015-2016 school year
the trips included China, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia Immersion, and Indonesia Sports. There was also a team of administration sent to Nepal to survey the area.
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