A Journey of Service and Community—Aled Hollingworth

By Chad Laws (AES Communications Specialist)

Meet Aled Hollingworth, an AES graduate whose journey from Delhi to the United States and around the world reflects the profound impact of the American Embassy School (AES) on his life. Growing up in many countries, and attending international schools, Aled and his family moved to India in 2002 due to his father's work with CARE. Aled and Angharad, his sister, both attended and graduated from AES. Shortly after moving to India, Ann Griffith, Aled’s mother,  joined AES as an Elementary School teacher. The entire family shares fond memories of their close-knit community, highlighting the importance of belonging that AES fosters.

Graduating in 2006, Aled moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education, but the lessons learned at AES remained with him. "I came to Delhi in ninth grade and graduated from AES. When I reflect on my time there, the people, the school, the community, and my peers, like it's-- the list goes on and on about how incredible it was." Now living near Charlotte, NC, he works for buildOn, an international non-profit that constructs schools in eight developing countries and fosters service learning among high school students in six U.S. cities.

The AES Experience: A Foundation for Growth

Reflecting on his time at AES, Aled emphasizes the remarkable community that shaped his experience. "The AES staff—from coaches to counselors—created an environment that inspired me to learn and grow," he recalls. This supportive atmosphere encouraged him to embrace the challenges encapsulated in the school's mission, "A joyful pursuit of excellence."

"That is the thing that I look back on, and I'm like, that is a very unique feature of the international school setting. It is the celebration of that diversity, right? I keep coming back to this concept in my mind, and what's unique about AES and international schools like us is the importance that local staff in the school play in our lives. It is something I look back on as really, really, really critical. Those people played such an important role for so many of my peers. And I know that for sure, that when they look back on their time at AES, the staff were huge influences."

An Active Youth

Sports also played a pivotal role in Aled's AES journey, allowing him to travel and compete in tournaments across South Asia. "These experiences taught me the importance of connecting with others from diverse backgrounds," he notes. "Competing against peers from different cultures not only broadened my perspective but also reinforced the value of unity and understanding."

“I did a lot of sports at AES. That was kind of my thing, where I spent most of my time”. Aled describes the league back in his day: "So there were nine schools in these different countries, and we traveled to each of those places to compete in basketball, volleyball, soccer, track and field, or whatever else. I think I participated in a total of 28 SAISA tournaments many of them in different countries. In retrospect, it was a bit ridiculous. I guess my thing in the yearbook was that I won the best all-around athlete for four years. Aled pauses, streaming through his sports-defined youth. Yeah, so I spent a lot of time in the sports world there.” 

Among his most treasured memories of AES is the warm welcome he received before joining the school. "Before I even moved to Delhi, Coach Janke reached out to me during a basketball tournament... those gestures of kindness laid the foundation for the strong friendships and bonds I developed throughout my time there."

Lifelong Lessons of Service

Turning to a different topic, I'm interested in the influence AES has had on Aled's career. I come to learn it is the AES motto, "Enter to learn. Leave to serve," that resonates deeply. He recalls seeing the motto daily and how it shaped his view of education. "After AES, I became involved in various service initiatives, from tutoring in Springfield, MA, to volunteering in South Africa to promote HIV/AIDS education." Now at buildOn, he continues this mission by collaborating with communities to empower them through education and service. "AES instilled in me the importance of giving back," he says, "and I strive to live that out in my personal and professional life.

“Since joining buildOn, I've had a lot of different roles and now work in fund development, the fundraising side of the house. Since its founding, buildOn has constructed over 2,700 schools in partnership with communities around the world. At buildOn, the whole concept of the organization is that we unite communities through service and education to ignite change. And so it's all about how do we bring communities together and then how do they go out and do something to create change for a more equitable future, right?” 

"Globally, we bring leaders together to organize their communities to construct schools. And then we focus on getting kids into the classroom, making sure that both boys and girls go to school. In such a way, they're providing opportunities at the local level to make the world more equitable in these low-income countries. On the other hand, here in the U.S., we engage with high school students to get them involved in local service-learning work. Our goal is to help them build a foundation of knowledge and experience to then go and change their own communities".

Today, Aled enjoys a fulfilling life with his wife and two children. Their family shares a passion for travel, and exploring new places together. An avid sports fan, he continues to appreciate the lessons of teamwork and perseverance learned during his time at AES. His journey, from AES to a life dedicated to service, illustrates the powerful influence of our vibrant community. Aled's story is a testament to the values instilled at AES—creating compassionate global citizens committed to making a difference. As he reflects on his time at AES, Aled cherishes the memories, friendships, and life lessons that continue to guide him today.