💕「愛台灣，我的選擇」系列第五發：高雄美國學校總校長卜傑明與太太來到台灣的甜蜜故事 💕💕
卜傑明：「多年前我曾經參加過美國和平志工團，過程艱辛但豐富有趣。我和睿宜剛開始交往時，她就有打算在海外定居工作，我百分之百支持她的決定。」
卜睿宜：「我畢業於航太工程學系，也曾經在波音公司實習了一段時間。大學畢業後，我到美國洛克達因公司工作，洛克達因公司是美國國家航空暨太空總署（NASA）的承包商，專門製造太空梭的主要引擎。」
卜傑明：「她可是真正的火箭科學家喔！」
卜睿宜：「我的公司在加州設計、製造引擎零件，再運到密西西比史坦尼斯太空中心進行組裝和測試，但我一直都想當個物理老師。我其實是在出差的時候認識傑明，我的同事當時和傑明的室友訂婚……結果我們現在也結婚了！」
卜傑明：「當我們在尋找海外工作機會時，台灣的機會就來了。當時我飛來台灣面試，我還記得第一次推開這扇門的時候，就有種特別的感覺。我在台灣待了兩天，上飛機的剎那，我就非常堅信這學校和台灣都是對的選擇！我那時跟睿宜說：『妳有想過去台灣嗎？』結果她從沙發上跳起來說：『有！台灣就是我的首選！』
卜睿宜：「我一直都想要學中文，我有很多高中和大學的同學都來自台灣。我喜歡溫暖的天氣，也喜歡旅遊。在這邊我結交了好多新朋友，台灣人非常友善開放！」
卜傑明：「我現在是高雄美國學校的總校長，我們有來自超過30個國家、800位學生。我們的美式教育哲學是強調批判性思考而非背誦，並著重發揮創意、創造新知 — 這不是教學法的一種，而是我們的信念。而且，我們身處高雄，就是屬於高雄的一份子。高雄美國學校的建築概念就是『透明』，就算坐在教室裡，我們的學生也能看到他們所屬的城市以及外面的世界。」
✅卜傑明博士於2017年接任高雄美國學校總校長，卜傑明先後取得美國哥倫比亞大學教育碩士及博士學位，並曾擔任過中學校長、副校長、數學及科學老師，他也曾加入美國和平志工團到萬那杜共和國從事海外服務。卜睿宜女士是火箭科學家。夫婦倆熱愛美食、聚會交流及旅遊。
Why I Chose Taiwan #５ 💞
Ben: I was a Peace Corps volunteer many years ago. It was a wonderful and difficult experience. Early in our relationship, Torey told me she eventually planned to live and work overseas. I was one hundred percent on board with that.
Torey: So academically, my background is in aerospace engineering. I interned with Boeing for a while. Then after college, I went to work for Rocketdyne, which is a subcontractor for NASA, they made the space shuttle main engines.
Ben: She’s an actual rocket scientist!
Torey: My company would design and manufacture the parts for engines in California. And then we would ship them to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, where we would assemble and test engines. But I always wanted to be a physics teacher. When I met Ben, I was actually on a business trip. One of my coworkers was engaged to Ben’s roommate…and now we’re married!
Ben: So we were looking for overseas opportunities, and the opportunity in Taiwan came about. And I came out here to interview in person. And I remember when I walked in the front door of this place for the first time…it just felt different. I was here for two days and by the time, I got the plane to go back home, I was sold on the school. I was sold on Taiwan. I went to Torey and I said, “Torey, did you ever consider Taiwan?” She literally jumped up from couch and said, ”Yes, that’s at the top of my list.”
Torey: I always wanted to learn Mandarin and I have so many friends in high school and college who were from Taiwan. I love the heat. I love the travel. I’ve made so many new friends here. People are so nice and so open.
Ben: I now serve as the superintendent of the Kaohsiung American School. We have 800 students from a total of over 30 countries. There is a certain philosophy to American education that we apply here -\-\ an emphasis on critical thinking over memorization; the importance of creativity and creating new knowledge -\-\ we don’t identify them as part of our pedagogy. They are actually part of our beliefs. At the same time, we are in Kaohsiung. We are part of Kaohsiung. This school is designed to be transparent. Even when you’re sitting in the class, we want our students visually connected to the city they are part of and to the place they are part of and to the outside world.
✅Dr. Ben Ploeger joined the Kaohsiung American School community as Superintendent in 2017. He earned his EdD and MEd from Columbia University. Dr. Ploeger has worked as a head of school, principal, vice principal, math teacher, and a science teacher at the high school and middle school levels. He served in the United States Peace Corps in the island nation of Vanuatu. Mrs. Torey Ploeger is a rocket scientist. They enjoy good food, good company and conversation, and traveling together.
