“Being an international teacher has always been my dream, and I am excited to share this experience with my family, meet new friends, and explore new adventures along the way.”
Meet Will Regan, a Physical Education teacher at ES, who is currently in his sixth year at ISKL. As a third-culture kid, he was born in the USA but has spent a significant part of his life overseas, attending school in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Singapore. His teaching journey has taken him to California, Russia, and Saudi Arabia before he started his current position at ISKL. In his free time, he enjoys various forms of exercise, be it cycling, running, or swimming, and he even took up painting during the Covid lockdowns.
Here is Will’s story:
Please tell us more about yourself.
Morro Bay and Los Osos, on the central coast of California, is where we call home. I am a third-culture kid who moved and grew up overseas when I was two. In 1982, my family moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where I attended elementary school until Grade 5. During the Gulf War in 1990, we were evacuated for three months when I attended Grade 4 in California. Then, my family moved to Islamabad, Pakistan, where I attended Grades 5 to 9. As I entered high school, our family moved to Singapore, where I attended Singapore American School (SAS) from Grade 10 until I graduated.
I started my teaching career in California, working with students with learning disabilities in a Grade 3 -5 combination class. This is my 15th year as an educator, and I am more excited than ever to teach at ISKL this year!
My wife is Kelley Regan, who teaches Grade 1 in her 11th year as an educator. We have spent two years teaching in the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Before that, we taught at the American International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for three years.
When and why did you join ISKL?
This is my sixth year at ISKL, and I am so happy to be teaching Physical Education this year! Being an international teacher has always been my dream, and I am excited to share this experience with my family, meet new friends, and explore new adventures along the way.
I am also thrilled to be able to return to Southeast Asia to teach and compete in IASAS and experience all the wonderful aspects of living in KL.
Can you tell us more about your ES PE Teacher position? What are your daily activities?
This is my second year working in Elementary School as a PE Teacher and my first year as a team leader.
Some days start with morning track practice at 6:00 am or swimming laps with our amazing Master’s Panther Swim Team. Each day, I am so grateful to be able to teach PE to all grade levels, from Grade 5 down to Prep Senior.
Some days, I will finish the day with a fun After School Activity (ASA) class, such as beginning bikers or rock climbing.
What is the most enjoyable part of your job? What is the most challenging?
There are truly so many enjoyable parts of my day. When students come to our class smiling and are excited about our plans – each day never gets old.
It always warms my heart when students play challenging activities, show sportsmanship, and high-five at the end. The most challenging part of my job is having to say goodbye or jumpa lagi when students and families leave KL.
Can you tell us something you are working on now that you are excited about?
We are preparing for our Varsity Track and Field trip to IASAS in Bangkok! We started pre-season training in January and are now a few days away from IASAS. We have such a wonderful, hard-working, and talented team that no matter what happens, we will know we trained hard, prepared well, and did our best! “Champions aren’t just the ones with the most medals around their necks, but are the ones who gave it their all and never gave up!”
Can you tell us more about your hobbies and interests? What do you do after work?
I enjoy exercising, usually cycling, running, or swimming. During Covid, I started painting, which has been a wonderful hobby.
Who or what inspires you?
There are a few people who inspire me.
My wife Kelley has always been by my side, supporting and encouraging me to continue coaching because she knows it’s something that I love. My father, who passed away last year, was my swimming coach growing up. He constantly challenged me to be better and to do my best.
What is your best memory (or most memorable moment) so far working at ISKL?
Two volleyball seasons ago, in 2022, our Varsity team made it to the championship final against Taipei American School (TAS) in Bangkok. It was an amazing match going to the 5th set, with the gym going wild until we lost by only a few points. It was a moment you could never forget – we were so proud of our team even though the outcome didn’t go our way!
What does ‘”Know yourself, care for all, and create a better world”‘ mean to you?
To me, this vision statement for ISKL means that when I can know myself, who I am, and where I came from, I can care for others and celebrate other third-culture students like me who are or may be going through similar experiences that I had growing up.
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.
