Waleed J. Iskandar
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(1967-1984) Kindergarten and Primary school: The first school, which Waleed attended in the year 1970, was "Lycée Français", a kindergarten school run by the French Embassy in Kuwait. We wanted the kids to be able to talk and understand three languages, French, English and Arabic. It is always easier to learn the French Language before learning the English language. That is why we chose to send them at the beginning to the French school. Their French accent will be more correct and their grasping of the English language will be easier. Waleed attended his kindergarten and his primary classes, a total of six years, at the "Lycée Français". Elementary School In 1976, we enrolled him at the "New English School" in Kuwait. He attended four years of Elementary school. Waleed loved the acting and the stage. He used to participate in the school yearly plays. One time they acted the play, "The Prince and the ugly sister". He had the role of the Prince and his beautiful cousin, Maria, was the ugly sister. He excelled in the role and was outstanding.  (The Prince and the Ugly Sister) Waleed participated in all the extra curricular events of his class. He loved sports of all kinds. He was the goal keeper of the class soccer team. He was in the track and field events. He was on the swimming team. He took classes in tennis. Academically, he always was amongst the top five percent of his class. He was always commended by his teachers. We used to love the parents day meeting with the teachers. From all his teachers, we heard all kinds of good reviews and enchanting compliments. Secondary School In 1980, Waleed attended the "American School in Kuwait", ASK. Waleed was a part in all the activities of his class. He was the goal keeper for the varsity soccer team of the school. He was the representative of his class in the student council, He was a member in the Honor Society. During the third and the fourth year of his secondary years, he was a member of the group of students who were chosen to represent ASK in the Model United Nations meeting in the Hague, The Netherlands. The first time chosen, Waleed was the representative of Lebanon. The year after, he was the representative of Kuwait. During his last year of secondary school, Waleed was chosen the president of the Student Council.  (Waleed in "Hague" the Netherlands) In 1984, there was a music festival in Cairo, Egypt. He joined a group of students in a trip to the festival. Lately, Jennifer Matthews, one of the students who were on that trip, sent me some pictures of the group. Here is a slide show of the pictures. 
(Waleed and some friends in Cairo, 1984) His mother still remembers the cooking at home of Kebbe balls, pizza and spinach pies. Waleed used to ask her to prepare these delicious plates so that he takes them to school and sells them to the students. The proceeds of the sale used to finance the other activities of the Student Council Society. As the goal keeper of his soccer team, he used to travel with them all over the Middle East to play against other American School soccer teams in the area. I remember the trips he made to Egypt, Bahrain, Amman and specially Greece. One time, they were coming back from a trip to Athens. We were at the airport waiting for him to get off the plane. We saw him approaching towards us with a bandage on top of his eye. We were disturbed and looked worried. Instantly, his reaction was "Don't say anything, I am going to be on the team when we travel next month to Amman, Jordan for the soccer game". He had an accident, a player kicked him in the head instead of kicking the ball. He was taken to the emergency room where they put a bandage on his eye. He was a valedictorian speaker at the graduation ceremony at his graduation from the secondary school. It was a beautiful Graduation Ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel, in Kuwait. After graduation, he took a trip with some of his friends to Denmark, where they spent two weeks sight seeing. 
 (Waleed on stage) Waleed was now ready for College ..... (Next - The Stanford Years) |