Alumni News | How we met at ISB

At the International School of Beijing (ISB), the connections made often extend well beyond graduation. Many of our alumni have seen their High School relationships turn into lifelong partnerships. Whether it’s a couple who first met over a shared project or long-time friends who became something more, these stories highlight how the bonds formed at ISB can last a lifetime. Discover how some of our alumni have turned their school connections into lasting relationships – proving that sometimes the best thing you get from a group project isn’t just a good grade! 

Elias Kibby (Class of 2016), partner of Elaine Kibby (Class of 2016) 

“Elaine and I first met in Ms. Samarzia’s Freshman English class in spring of 2013, tasked together in a group assignment to come up with a play inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream and perform it to the rest of the class. Elaine, an avid filmmaker who spent much of her years at ISB writing, shooting, and editing screenplays in Mr. Breen O’Reilly’s classroom, and myself, one of the newest members of ISB’s chapter of the International Thespian Society, were not ones to let an outlet for creativity go to waste. We spent days after school crafting a screenplay to be performed in a classroom production that all the other groups improvised, far in excess of what was required for the High School assignment.  

“We kept in touch over that summer, so much so that I was invited to sit at Elaine’s lunch table in the fall, a tremendous honor. After a few weeks of sitting together at lunch and hanging out after school, we finally went on our first official date: a day at the Beijing Zoo followed by a trip to see Oblivion (2013) in Sanlitun. From then on, we were inseparable. After our initial script in Freshman English class, we would go on to write and produce more than five short films, most of them shot in the halls or classrooms of ISB starring our fellow students, perform together in five plays put on in ISB’s theater, two of which we wrote, walk the red carpet at various film festivals, breakdance together at TCIS for APAC Theater, and finally throw our hats up together at graduation.  

“We remained close after ISB, both moving first to Maryland to attend bachelor’s and master’s programs at the University of Maryland, then to New Jersey, where we both currently live and work. Last May, we were happily married, and are very thankful for each other and the journey that we’ve shared.  

“Attending our first ISB alumni event in New York this July was a great experience. It allowed us to catch up with old friends, hear about past and future classes’ experiences at ISB, and reflect fondly over the time we spent there. ISB is certainly a place that we hold dear in our hearts, but more importantly, it is a community of people around the world that can instantaneously connect with one another, even after many years.” 

Grace Robertson (Class of 2014) and Daniel Liu (Class of 2014) 

So rarely do high school sweethearts make it past the first year of university, but despite their polar opposite locations (and MBTI’s), Grace and Dan beat the odds.  

Their journey began during Senior Year at a mutual friend’s house. As soon as Dan walked in wearing a Yankees T-shirt, Grace, a native New Yorker, knew he was someone she wanted to meet. From there, their story unfolded – China Link and Senior Prom brought magical memories, and graduation was bittersweet as they looked toward to the next six years of long distance. 

Now, more than 10 years later, Dan and Grace have lived in Hong Kong and various cities in the U.S. They’ve traveled the world but have always made sure to stay close with the same ISB friends who have supported them from the start. Through it all, they remain forever grateful to ISB for bringing them together and setting the stage for a life filled with adventure and countless unforgettable moments.