– The Alumni Faculty
“We loved the people in Malaysia – our friends at the school, of course, and the locals who treated us with their graciousness and welcoming nature.”
Meet Jon Eversoll and Mary Gallagher, both alumni faculty who used to work at ISKL from 1998-2003. Jon and Mary are teachers who currently reside in their hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. Except for a two-year stint in Vienna, where they worked with former colleagues from ISKL, they have been based in St. Paul since leaving ISKL.
Here is their story:
Do tell us more about yourselves.
Jon: I was born in Los Angeles, California, but my family moved to Long Island, New York, when I was young. In high school, I moved to St. Paul, Minnesota.
My first teaching job was right after college in the Czech Republic. I taught there for two years and then returned to Minnesota for my Master’s degree in English as a Second Language (ESL).
Mary: I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and lived there until I moved to
Bulgaria for my first year of teaching at the American College of Sofia. Jon and I got our Master’s degrees simultaneously, and then we embarked on our first overseas teaching stint together in Seoul, Korea.
Please describe briefly what you have been up to since leaving ISKL.
We live in St. Paul, Minnesota, where we both grew up and have family. Apart from two wonderful years in Vienna with some people we formerly worked with at ISKL, we have been in Minnesota since leaving KL in 2003.
Jon is a Diploma Programme Coordinator for the IB at Park Center High School. He also teaches Theory of Knowledge and IB film. Mary teaches first and second grade at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Our kids – Soren and Solvej – are 22 and 19.
When and why did you join ISKL? What were your first days like?
We moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1998. Our early days were filled with finding items for our home in Ampang, meeting colleagues, exploring the city, enjoying new tastes and sights, shopping for a car, and acclimating to the heat.
What subject or class did you teach?
Jon: I taught ESL and later English in High School.
Mary: I taught ESL and then Humanities in Middle School.
Describe your most memorable moment/s at ISKL.
We had an amazing five years in Malaysia. Most memorable is when our son, Soren, was born in March 2001. Having him as a baby in Malaysia was special—people took so much interest in him and treated us all with kindness. We often rounded Kelab Darul Ehsan (KDE) in Taman TAR with Soren in a stroller. Also, we zipped around KLCC in his stroller, and Soren loved the park right outside.
Other memories include Mary’s hospitalization for dengue fever in the first few weeks of our arrival. We also lived in the Selangor Property apartments in Ampang, and there were plenty of fun times there with colleagues and friends: BBQs on the roof, monkey encounters, and eating every meal on our porch with city views. We also savored long, leisurely Sunday brunches at the Mandarin Oriental with friends.
Were there any teachers or students at ISKL who you remember in particular from your time at ISKL?
There are too many to remember without accidentally forgetting others. We worked with an incredible group of educators who continue to inspire us in our work today!
What is the thing that you miss the most about ISKL?
We loved the people in Malaysia – our friends at the school, of course, and the locals who treated us with their graciousness and welcoming nature.
We miss the food—notables include masala thosais, tandoori chicken, banana leaf, guava, and papaya. While we are happy in our lives in Minnesota, we miss the camaraderie among colleagues at ISKL and the opportunities to travel within Malaysia and beyond.
Speaking of travels, we visited Malaysia for the first time in the summer of 2023! We had long wanted to return, but Covid, kids’ schedules, costs, and other complications got in the way. We finally realized our dream this year and spent two weeks in Asia, mainly in Kuala Lumpur. We also visited Penang, Bangkok, and Seoul. In KL, we reunited with many former colleagues and friends, such as Joanne Mahendran, Emily Salim, Leslie Muri, Noren Sahari, Claire Khairuddin, Sally Painter, Karen Palko, and Susan Rahim. People treated us so graciously! We toured the new ISKL and were incredibly impressed. In Bangkok, we spent time with the Harer and Bates families, with whom we had worked at ISKL.
Who or what inspires you?
As teachers, we are surrounded by inspiration! Our students are fun, smart, curious, inventive, and kind. Kids help us feel hopeful for the future.
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff who always have an anecdote to tell, love to share some insights into their passions and interest, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.
