Asia Visit Bonds Administration with International Alumni and Parents
By Joanna Zhang ’27
From May 4 to May 13, Head of School Dr. Alixe Callen, Executive Director of Development Ms. Carol Giusti-Cahalane, and Mr. Chris Kane conducted their annual Asia Visit across Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, continuing a long-standing Milton tradition that connects current and past Milton families with school representatives. During the recent Asia Visit, the team shared updates on Milton’s recent developments, discussed key community priorities amidst a rapidly changing global landscape, and reflected on ways to further strengthen connections with alumni and families.
Dr. Callen synthesized three purposes for annual Asia visits. First, she explained that, on a personal note, “if people… send their children halfway around the world to go to school, the least [she] can do is to show up for [the parents] once a year.” Second, Dr. Callen stated her desire to do in-person cross-cultural learning through the visits, sharing that “[Milton] has so many students from… the Far East and…it’s important to make sure that [she goes] and [learns], so [she] can better relate to students.” Specifically, she sought to learn more about Sino-American relations through the intimate reception setting. Third, Dr. Callen explains how she feels that “interacting with alumni and families” and engaging with “how [the alumni and Milton families] might support Milton philanthropically” is part of her responsibility as head of school.
Ms. Giusti-Cahalane also underscored community connections as one of the chief motives behind persistent Asia Visits, saying that “Milton has a robust alumni and family community in Asia,” so “as [they] do domestically, Dr. Callen travels with staff from [the] Advancement and Admissions offices to engage with… alumni, current families, and at times, prospective families… to build community and maintain connections.”
The team first arrived in Seoul and attended two dinners there. Then, they flew to Beijing and Shanghai, each with one dinner reception. Finally, they spent four days in Hong Kong, where two events were hosted: one for current and past Milton families and the other for Milton alumni and their guests. Notably, Ms. Giusti-Cahalane reflected that in the cities where Milton is building alumni connections, more alumni join the receptions each time they visit; she described the expansion of Milton alumni as “gratifying”.
The receptions welcomed current and former Milton parents, along with several local students who are preparing to join the Class of 2030. According to Ms. Giusti-Cahalane, they “talked a lot about current Milton student activities and successes” and “did some bragging about… [the] math team’s success, spring sports teams’ successes, the phenomenal science fair projects, … and [the] impressive Class I college matriculations.” Ms. Giusti-Cahalane continued that, reciprocally, she “heard from many parents and families that they continue to be impressed with the transformation of their Milton students since they began their Milton career.”
Throughout the events, families expressed appreciation that school leadership representatives had traveled across the world to meet them in person. “I found the annual Asia Visit deeply meaningful and impressively organized. What makes it special is that key school leaders travel all the way from Boston to Asia to meet current and past parents in person. This face-to-face interaction shows the school’s genuine commitment to its global family,” Mei Jiang P ’27, ’29, who attended one of the Hong Kong receptions, shared. She continued by saying how she “gained insight into what the school is focusing on during this time of global change, and how the leadership is building deeper connections with alumni and families.” Similarly, Angel Zhang P ’25, ’27, ’30, expressed gratitude toward the school for visiting, saying how the event “allows parents to feel the school’s care for students from different nationalities, respect for families from various backgrounds, and inclusivity towards diverse regional cultures.”
Furthermore, parents also noted that the event provided a valuable opportunity for parents to connect. In each reception, after listening to Dr. Callen’s speech and taking a group photo, parents talked to each other while enjoying the food and drinks. Jiang reflected that “[she] met several newly admitted students and their parents,” who “asked many thoughtful questions about boarding life, course selection, and student clubs. They seemed… excited to receive advice from current parents. [Jiang also] added them to [the] current parents’ WeChat and WhatsApp groups, and everyone welcomed them warmly.” The new students and families felt more connected, informed, and reassured about their decision to join Milton after the reception.