My name is Marta Litvinskaya, 2018 graduate, and this academic year I was kindly invited to participate in the CIS alumni organisation as vice president. Our alumni are as vibrant as CIS. It has been a wonderful experience to continue maintaining meaningful connections with other graduates and teachers through various events hosted by the school in Moscow. Many of my friends who graduated from CIS went to study in the UK often participate in meetings of the alumni association in London. With more current students at CIS looking to go to Switzerland, like me. In the following years, the alumni association will grow far beyond Moscow and the UK. It is amazing to see how throughout this year the project has continued to grow and brought so many positive memories and experiences to alumni, parents, and teachers at CIS. It is, however, important to emphasise that aside from the positive memories and meaningful connections, the alumni association serves many other important purposes as a separate institution within CIS. In its essence, the alumni association aims to reach, serve and engage CIS graduates, parents and friends to promote lifetime mutually beneficial relationships that result in volunteer engagement, goodwill and philanthropic support. What connects our community is an exceptional shared experience that doesn’t need to end once we graduate. Even though it is not possible to bring back some of the school moments we are so fond of - revising together before an exam, organising school dances, participating in drama plays and sports. It is always possible to be a part of helping CIS grow by sharing our personal valuable experiences with the students and forming an organisation that will continue to grow and help form connections between the school and its students. With more and more graduates becoming a part of the alumni association we will be able to promote their interests globally, connecting and strengthening the bonds between graduates of different generations and countries. Today, staying connected is becoming easier with the increased use of social media, our alumni are now able to connect in real-time to share their memories and stories.
