Claudia Bassols graduated from the American School of Barcelona in 1997. She studied Musical Comedy at Coco Comín, English Language and Literature at the University of Barcelona, and dramatic arts in Paris, London, Los Angeles, North Carolina (UNC Wilmington), and Sydney, Australia (NIDA).

With an accolade of film and television performances to her name, Claudia is humble about her successes in life. She attributes her open-mindedness and approach to opportunities in life to the relationships, lessons, and experiences she encountered as a student at ASB.
 

With fond memories of former teachers, like Mr. Pennington, who was an inspiration beyond his health and biology classes, Claudia was pleased to learn that many of her former teachers were still working at the school - like Ms. Minu, Ms. Torrengo, Ms. Marta, Mr. Smith, Mr. Bartlett, and Ms. Susan - some of whom she was able to meet during her visit.

We were delighted to welcome her back to campus and to learn about her journey since ASB. "The campus has changed a lot since 1997, so it was incredibly wholesome to hear her recollections and memories as we toured," shared Michelle Collin, Director of Alumni Relations. In particular, the cast and crew from our upcoming Spotlight Productions show Greased Lightnin', which debuts this week, were encouraged to have her stop by their rehearsal to share some words of inspiration. Claudia has generously offered to return to school to speak in person with students interested in pursuing a career in the dramatic arts.

"ASB was a place of tolerance." she shared, "It allowed my spirit to dream, and it was one of the best gifts I ever received. I will always be grateful to my parents for sending me there."

While scrolling through the yearbooks with Ms. Marta, the duo found many photos, including some depicting Claudia's early love of the stage, including one of her acting debut in Kindergarten playing Snow White, another in Middle School, and a drama class trip to London, her Junior year with the late Ms. Macnamee. Her signature hair resembling "Cleopatra" was always easily identifiable.

A passionate dog lover, Claudia thinks allowing supervised dog/student interactions on campus would be a welcome addition to the school. "There are so many benefits to being around dogs!" she shared. "They reduce anxiety, promote compassion, teach responsibility, and bring enjoyment to virtually every environment. Perhaps we can start with Drake - after all, we reconnected because of him!"

Watch the Instagram reel from her visit to campus HERE!