A Legacy Built Over 27 Years

After 27 years of service to the American School of Barcelona, our Assistant Director, Mr. Bill Volchok, stepped down in April 2026. His impact over nearly three decades is impossible to overstate, as is the lasting difference he made in the lives of the many students he helped shape.

Before serving as Assistant Director for the past 10 years, Mr. Volchok served as our High School Principal for 17 years. Many of you will remember him from your own time at ASB; as a leader, a mentor, or simply as someone who made the school feel like a place you could grow and belong. Over the years, he's also been a dedicated champion of our growing alumni community.

When the time came to say goodbye, the ASB community made sure he knew just how appreciated he was. Colleagues from all divisions gathered at the Chiringuito to celebrate his remarkable career and send him off in true ASB style.

As a lasting tribute to Bill's contributions to ASB, the school planted a white magnolia tree on campus in his honor. The white blossom was chosen as a nod to his signature braid, a detail added to the tree's plaque, ensuring his story is woven into the school grounds for years to come.

The celebration didn't stop there. Later, staff and alumni came together off campus at Can Ginesta in Sant Just Desvern to continue marking the occasion; a fitting tribute for someone who has always bridged the gap between the school community and its alumni.

In a wonderful turn of events, he's now an official member of that community himself, and we're excited to welcome him to our global alumni association. Keep an eye out for him at upcoming reunions!

In his own words, Mr. Volchok shared this heartfelt letter with our alumni community: a reflection on 27 years of memories, growth, and the bonds that make ASB so special.

Dearest Alumni,

While I find it very emotional to be leaving the active ASB campus, I’m excited to join the active alumni community. You have all remained engaged in your own way, from networking amongst yourselves to contributing to the ongoing student experience at ASB. It is so wonderful to watch our growing alumni reunions take on a life of their own as you all engage in the excitement of a shared past and identity. 

27 years at ASB have been full of memories that we have all created together. As the HS Principal to so many of you, I feel very lucky to have supported your development during those "stressful" years of your High School careers. I apologize for the detentions. It wasn’t so much about keeping you in line with our HS rules as counseling you to become more caring and responsible for yourselves and your community. The detentions were just a way to get you to listen.

What I remember most were the opportunities I helped create where you could all find a place to shine. Supporting Ms. Marta to create a solid Service Learning program, Coach Plancke to develop strong sports teams, and Mr. Kevin to develop an awesome Performing Arts program that gave many of you a venue to develop your talents. Driving the growth of MUN and Debate programs also filled me with pride for how those activities contributed to developing your awareness and creating the responsible global citizens you are today.  

Of course, my first year with that 6th-grade class was so memorable as I could watch you grow through the years towards your graduation. I know it was a struggle for many of you to learn physics in 10th grade when it just wasn’t really for you. But we were a family that worked our way through the demise of the Selectividad and the growth of the IB program. In the end, we learned so much from that local cohort of committed teachers from that era: Ms. Rosa, Ms. Margarita, Ms. Montse (x2), Mr. Iranzo, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bartlett. 

So I’m looking forward to some new projects and will continue to participate in and collaborate with the ASB community as an ASB alum. So now it's time for Mr. Volchok, aka Principal Bill or King Bill, to say hasta luego.  As we all know, “Once a Lynx, Always a Lynx”.

Bill Volchok