Gigi & Scott

Gigi Werner ’82 and Scott Winslow ’82

Gigi and Scott get ready for prom in 1982; The Winslows cut their wedding cake in 1986

How did you meet? We met in the summer of 1981. We were both Embassy kids: Scott’s dad found our family Embassy housing, and Scott’s mom provided us with Embassy IDs. She told me she had a son in my year and thought I must be incredibly bored so had him call me.

What was your first impression of Scott? I thought that we would have nothing in common: he was a baseball and rugby player, while I was a band and theater person.

What was your first date? We attended a party together. The plan was to meet at Swiss Cottage tube station. I went to the only entrance I knew, which turned out to be the least accessible; he waited inside. When he didn't show up after a bit, I returned home; as I went in, his dad telephoned and told me to go back and go inside the station (clearly, we were both being forced by our parents); we eventually met. His friend Sam Aronson ’82 had given up and gone on to the party that we eventually made it to.

How would your ASL friends and teachers describe your relationship in high school? After Lianne Dick ’82 and Steve Burdett ’82 broke up, we were voted the cutest couple. Mr. Lockwood (ASL 1967-2007) passed us as we were headed to school one day and told us to do something cute—we were the most serious students ever. It made no sense.

What are your favorite shared ASL memories? Oh so many! Band trips and ISST, times together with friends at pubs, prom and Amro’s; just being in London; stimulating classes with teachers.

Describe your life today. We have recently moved from Alexandria to Charlottesville, Virginia. We lived in Alexandria for 20 years, in the midst of which, from 2003 to 2008, we were blessed to move back to London to send our three children to ASL. We feel so grateful that we could provide them with the opportunities that ASL gave both us and them: a world-class education; and an opportunity to experience engaging with communities throughout the world. Our children have gone on to varied careers in service, research, and being a student. Scott works at the Education Advisory Board, and I’m doing social justice work. 

Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? We’ll likely be doing the same things: Scott will be doing research, and I’ll be working toward social justice. The thing about ASL is that it’s the best international school—ever. So it gave both of us an education in discovering who we are in the world, and what the world is; as well as providing us with educators who allowed us to grow as individuals. That’s why we so seamlessly went from high school to college to marriage, in Virginia, where Sophia Banerji ’81 was one of my maids of honor and Giles Knox ’82 and Sam Aronson ’82 were groomsmen for Scott. We were so thrilled that we could provide a way for our children to spend a few short years at ASL, and that’s why we were so devastated to leave again. We are so grateful that those years shaped our children so fully.

 Three generations of ASLers celebrate Gigi and Scott's daugther Sasha's ASL graduation in 2008!