Asuka Naito ’93 20th reunion then By the time Asuka Naito came to Williston Northampton at the age of 17, she was a trilingual, worldwide traveler. “The space [Williston Northampton] provided for international students was very safe and comforting,” she says. “Williston was so diverse and international that I actually missed high school when I went to college.” At first, Ms. Naito struggled with the volume of homework teachers assigned. “I had no idea how to read 50 pages of American History in a night on top of three of four other subjects,” she says. Outside of class, she was thrilled to realize that she could try more than one sport. “In Japan, we do sports, but if you play tennis when you’re young, you’re going to play tennis until you graduate,” she says. But her great love was modern dance, which she says was such a “treat and pleasure” to explore with the instructors at Williston Northampton. She performed an improvisational modern dance piece at school while teacher Greg Tuleja played the flute. “I had never danced improv, never danced
alone on stage, and I found collaborating with someone so great for the artistic soul,” Ms. Naito says. “That was one of my top three performances, even today.” now Ms. Naito has done it all — she’s been a trilingual voiceover artist, translator and interpreter, radio host, professional dancer and instructor, and yogi. Listen for Ms. Naito’s voice on flights to Asia; she is the host of Singapore Airlines’ inflight program, J-GOLD, and China Airlines’ NIPPON GOLD. “I feel like I want to experience so many things in my lifetime,” she says. “There are so many things out there that you don’t even know exist.” Now living in Los Angeles, she’s exploring the voiceover industry in the United States and starting a photography business with her fiancé, snapping professional headshots for the web. “For me, the challenge up until now has been how to bring the art and the business side together,” she says. “I have a very solid business background, but I’m an artist at heart. My goal from here on out is finding out how to merge art and commerce and business all in one good package to make an impact in people’s lives.”
Chris Miller ’93 20th reunion
then At Williston Northampton, Chris Miller was an all-around athlete; he played basketball and was captain of the football and baseball teams. “I was confident, arrogant, insensitive, sensitive, happy, unhappy, etc.,” he says. “I suppose ranges of emotion and states of mind is typical amongst most teenagers.” Mr. Miller says he has fond memories of Williston Northampton, like the time, “Dr. Seybolt, my English teacher, invited me to his home and showed me his wood shop and many wonderful pieces he had crafted.” Or when, “Harris Thompson, another English teacher, took the basketball team on a miserable overnight adventure in the freezing cold woods of some forest.” And he says he was impressed with the diversity of students at Williston Northampton, remembering classmates from every corner of the world: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, China, Japan, Africa, Bermuda, London, and South America. “I’m an open-minded, social, conscientious person,” he says. “I believe these qualities were derived from Williston. The Medici Effect works.”
now Mr. Miller started his own company when he was relatively young, and he says that Williston Northampton helped instill his self-reliance. “I know that Williston matured me; it was a big step to be away from my mother at 15 years old.”
Mr. Miller balances work with play — heavy on the play. His sports of choice: fishing, golf, tennis, wiffle ball, football, basketball, and paintball. He’s still “trying to compete with the younger guys.” But he’s also keeping up with his two young daughters, who run endless circles in their playroom. And he takes an occasional run to Foxwoods or Vegas to try his luck. “I enjoy playing poker, specifically No Limit Texas Hold’em.” Talk about lucky? For his birthday every July, Mr. Miller’s wife plans “mini adventures,” like whitewater rafting and chartered fishing trips. 24 williston northampton school