Meet Chris van der Lugt

Learn more about Chris van der Lugt, Alumni (attended ISL from 1990-1999)

Where are you living now?
Seattle, WA and Boston, MA

What did you do after you left ISL?
I spent two years in the USA for Prep School for rowing in Philadelphia, I went on to attend Bates College

What did you study at University?
Pre-Law: Political Science and International Political Economics

What are you doing now?
Before business school I was in management consulting. After I graduated with my MBA I moved into marketing and advertising and now work in PR

Do you think that your time at ISL helped you pursue this? If yes, how?
Oh my goodness yes! From an early age I was exposed to, and celebrated, so many different cultures. I learned not one, not two, but three languages and had some of the best and most challenging teachers and mentors (Coach, Mr. Aston, the Thayers, so many more). Since returning to the US for Prep School and Uni I have relished my international "flair" and find it to be something that--to this day--keeps giving me a leg up in perspective, history, knowledge and experience. Also, delightfully, the agency I work for now is a global one, meaning that I get to speak German to our offices in Berlin and Dutch to our office in Amsterdam...what fun!

What advantages has studying at ISL given you?
[see above] Experiences. Plain and simple. Learning through fantastic teachers from all over the world with many different experiences. Building solid friendships and playing sports (Basketball with Ron's Varsity team). Besides tremendous experiences and field trips, I recall relaxing in Mr. Thayer's English classroom and talking about Jazz (I loved, and still love and play jazz music); he introduced me to wild and crazy sax player Ornette Coleman

What advice would you give students to help them make the most of their time at ISL?
Be a sponge. Soak up as MUCH as you can from your international teachers, classmates, trips and broad Luxembourgish experiences. Go out of the city, see the country, soak up culture, go to the Grund and look at the old rock and realize just how much history is locked in each layer.

Were you involved in any clubs/activities at ISL? What did you enjoy about them and what benefit do you think they have for students?
I was involved in the (A)ISL choir and band, started my own band that went on further after I left, joined the photography club and played Varsity Basketball. I was a mentor in my years in Upper School as well as deeply involved in the theater, both at school and in the english language productions.

Describe some of the things that ISL does above and beyond teaching and learning:
For me, ISL made me feel like I was part of a community. No, actually ISL made me feel like I was part of a family. The school was small enough to know everyone but big enough to have many diverse experiences. It was a fantastic education and "popped the bubble" many times meaning that we were never too separated from what was going on in the world around us.

How did your time at ISL help shape you as a person?
When I returned to the US I found that my level of knowledge was FAR greater than my peers', I was more worldly and mature and had a better "head on my shoulders". To this day I relate better with people from all over the world and understand experiences.

What do you think is unique about ISL?
Literally, every moment I was in the school was a unique experience. From meeting the Duke and his family to singing in choir at the Place D'Armes, not just learning about WWI and WWII, but seeing sobering locations, going to Hamm to the American Cemetery, and on and on and on.

Describe ISL in 5 words:
audacious, inspiring, exceptional, family, love