Mustang Pride
As one of almost 80 ASIJ alumni who are also parents to current ASIJ students, Drew Little ’87 has a lasting love of ASIJ. “I care about ASIJ,” Drew says. Simply worded but loaded with emotion, this is just one of the reasons why Drew and his wife Jen have chosen to support both ASIJ’s endowment and the Annual Fund, knowing that their generosity will impact current and future students and faculty.
Drew moved to Japan in the 1980s for his father’s executive role in Alcoa Aluminum, Inc. He returned with his family last summer for son Campbell ’24’s junior year. They have enjoyed exploring Tokyo’s many neighborhoods, meeting new friends, and socializing at the Tokyo American Club.
Eager to adventure, try new things, and explore is how Drew, and his wife, Jen, lead their lives. As parents, Drew and Jen relish being part of the school community. They love getting to know the students, teachers, and coaches, and feeling school spirit.
Drew has frequently come back to campus to work with high school teacher Jason Cancella in his Intro to Entrepreneurship class, one of ASIJ’s Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) courses, where Drew has shared thoughts on business and strategy. After his graduation from ASIJ, Drew moved back to the States and graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in international relations. An entrepreneur and investor, Drew has sold several successful businesses over the years, while Jen spent several years in tech recruiting. “We worked hard to get where we are. We are very grateful to give back,” they said.
It’s exciting to Drew and Jen to see the impact that philanthropy has on the campus and community. “We want to directly impact the kids,” Jen emphasized. Drew and Jen want to help the school community by supporting existing programs and finding ways to build school spirit.
This year, the couple chose to make an unrestricted gift to ASIJ’s endowment, meaning the School has flexibility to direct these funds as it needs. They understand the importance of continuing to grow ASIJ’s endowment overtime, which will help to stabilize the school and ensure its future. Jen told us that “this is Drew’s legacy and will be our son’s.”
If you’d like to join Drew and Jen in supporting ASIJ’s endowment, or want to learn more about creating a named fund, please get in touch with the Advancement Office at donate@asij.ac.jp.
More ASIJ Stories
Life at school is full of stories and the narrative of where our vision will take us is told each day through the learning our students experience in the classroom and beyond.
