I-World: Alumni and Friends of International House Newsletter July 2013 | Page 6

Alumni SPOTLIGHT

LOVE IHP STYLE
Names and where you are from :
Karl Nass , US Maggie Baenninger Nass , US & Swiss Kids - Lukas ( 7 ) and Selamawit ( 5 ), US & Ethiopian
When and how did you meet at IHP ?
We met in August 1998 during an RA orientation . We both were RAs that year , and our outgoing RA team planned an orientation skit that lacked theatrical brilliance of any kind but was alive with IHP spirit and love ! We learned a lot from Doris ( Fretz ) Rippey , who was our fearless Resident Programs Office Director and guided our transition to iHouse life with a rich awareness for inter-cultural context , communication , and leadership . Our RA team and the residents on our floors taught us how significant community and friendship are to finding purpose and strength in life .
What were your favorite things to do while at IHP ?
Maggie and I befriended each other from the beginning and enjoyed the WaWa coffees with each other and with friends on Chestnut Street late at night after a long day of school and work . Our favorite things to do included celebrating various holidays and festivals , among them Diwali and breaking fast for Ramadan . We enjoyed talking with friends at the coffeehouse downstairs , playing ping pong , cheering on World Cup Soccer one memorable summer , and dancing at parties until late at night year round . We met and made friends with people from all over the world who helped shape our values that we continue to try and live out as a family and in our work places today .
How has this experience shaped your life after IHP ?
We are thankful to IHP for an amazing experience that instilled a hope deep within us - a hope that continues to inspire us and give us confidence to raise a trans-racial family in a society that so often communicates messages that are rooted in division , fear , and prejudice . We hold the IHP mission in our hearts , and we are grateful . That mission forever reminds us that : “ Together we can build a humane world !”
To contribute your story of love and friendship to I-World email us at iworldihp @ ihphilly . org
Alumni and Friends of International House Philadelphia Newsletter – July 2013