How Mike Muhlherr Found Empathy & Adventure at JIS/JES

I attended the Joint Embassy School (JES) from 1973 to 1976 for my Freshman to Junior years. Unfortunately, I did not graduate from JES. My father was working for an oil Company — Huffco — at the time. He was always looking for opportunities to live overseas, so when Huffco offered him the job, he took it. I have two sisters and a brother who, along with my mom, went with him.

It was definitely a unique experience in my life, and I have so many fond memories and lasting relationships with people I met at that time and at the numerous reunions we have had over the years since I left. It’s funny how a three-year part of my life has stayed in my memory longer and more vividly than any other time I can think of. I learned to appreciate other cultures and people during my time there. The number of students from other countries who attended JES and being immersed in the Indonesian lifestyle gave me an empathy and respect for people who had different backgrounds than mine. I think this definitely affected how I have tried to treat others throughout my life in how I relate to business situations, and to people I meet. Those were formative years for me.

I have so many standout memories [of JES], but if I had to choose one, it would be a trip several of us students took by train from Jakarta to Bali. We traveled third-class. People, chickens, ducks, and just general mayhem on the trains. It was great. We stayed for several days in Yogyakarta, exploring the ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples, experiencing the art scene that was so vibrant, and making a pre-dawn trip up the side of Mount Merapi to see the sunrise over the rim of the volcano. When we reached Bali, we rented motorcycles and drove all over the island. It was a fantastic trip.

The Indonesian experience has lasted me to this day. I have met so many people who went to JES/JIS at our almost yearly reunions, many of whom were not there when I was or who were in earlier grades. It doesn’t matter — once a Dragon, always a Dragon!

The single most important thing is, I would advise you to learn the language. It is the key to having an enriching experience. When you can converse with vendors or others you meet, going deeper than just being able to get by, it opens so many more opportunities, and one can immediately see an invisible wall go down. We take English for granted, but it shows your willingness to want to relate to a person on their level when you make that extra effort to speak to them in their language.