Alumni Spotlight: Sarah and Marcus Gilbert, Class of 2012

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah and Marcus Gilbert, Class of 2012

In our first alumni spotlight, hear what alums Sarah and Marcus Gilbert have been up to since their graduation in 2012. 

Tell us a little bit about your background/how you met.

Sarah: I went through Bryn Athyn’s school system starting in Kindergarten, and Marcus came to ANC as a freshman to play on the basketball team.

We met our sophomore year of high school; we had photography together that year, and in the next few years would also take World Cultures and Spanish together.

Marcus: After high school we went to separate colleges to pursue our own goals and entered into a long distance relationship. Upon graduation, I signed to play basketball in Europe while Sarah stayed in the States. In total, we were long distance for about 8 years.

What’s it been like living abroad/playing basketball during a pandemic? 

Sarah: Living abroad during a pandemic has had its pros and cons. On one hand, it’s been nice living in countries that have been more proactive & aggressive at stopping the spread of COVID. In order to leave our house (legally) lately we’re required to call an automated phone line and state our reason for leaving. Luckily we’re homebodies who don’t mind being stuck at home for the most part. That being said, it’s been a bit tough not being able to go out for date nights or sightseeing.

Marcus: Surprisingly basketball practices are continuing as normal, aside from a cancelled practice here or there due to a COVID diagnosis in the league. Games have normally continued as scheduled but there aren’t any fans (other than a short list of people close to the team) which, as you can imagine, changes the dynamic/experience a lot! Some leagues in other countries haven’t been as lucky though and have had to postpone the season. We’re blessed that we’re playing on a fairly isolated island this season (Cyprus) and all games are on the island which has helped the league manage the spread.

Sarah - tell us a little bit about your business. What do you enjoy most about working from home/ running your own business?

I’m starting a remote digital marketing agency specializing in Instagram account growth. I love the flexibility, freedom, and ability to work in any country (since we move to a different one each year). 

The thing you miss the most about living in the US?

Marcus: We miss our family and friends the most. We love reuniting with them over the summers while we’re state-side. We’re especially excited to see them this summer since we stayed in Europe last summer due to COVID. We also miss American food/restaurants.

Sarah: This isn’t really something we miss exactly, but it’s always funny landing in the USA after 9 months abroad and being able to speak English normally again (and hear others speaking it). Luckily most people in Cyprus do speak English fluently, but in most countries the Google Translate app is our best friend, especially when grocery shopping.

What does a typical day look like?

Marcus: I normally have two practices a day and a game once per week. I like to play video games and listen to music in my free time.

Sarah: I work remotely, work out daily, and cook most evenings. Before COVID, we enjoyed eating out for date nights and going sightseeing on Marcus’s day off. Lately, we’ve been enjoying watching shows and movies together in the evenings with our new cat, Myla.

Have you learned any Greek or Spanish?

Marcus: Our Spanish improved while living in Spain, especially for me since I had daily interaction with my Spanish teammates. It helped that we had a basic understanding of Spanish (from our high school Spanish classes) to build on.

Sarah: Neither of us have learned much Greek because it’s more difficult, in our opinion.

How do you communicate with friends and family back home?

Sarah: We primarily use our iPhones for iMessage and FaceTime calls.

What is the most interesting new food that you’ve tried in your travels

Sarah: We aren’t very adventurous eaters, but we’ve both tried fresh fish. 

Marcus: I had a Portuguese cod fish dish called “bacalhau” and Sarah tried a variety of fresh fish in Southern Portugal.

Sarah: We’ve also enjoyed fresh produce, as well as eggs with feathers still stuck to them!

What custom/tradition in Greece or Spain will you bring with you when you return to the USA?

Sarah: We like that Europe is often calmer and slower paced than America; taking time to de-stress is important.

What’s different between competing abroad and here in the US?

Marcus: Games in Europe are often more strategic. The game is also a bit faster here since there’s a 24 second shot clock compared to a 30 second shot clock in college games in America. The professional players here also tend to have a higher basketball IQ than college players in America.

What advice would you give your high school self?

Sarah: I wish I prioritized sleep and did better in Spanish class; I never imagined living in Spain one day, but you never know!

Marcus: I encourage you to find what you’re passionate about and go for it. Work hard and don’t wait!

What is your favorite memory from ANC?

Sarah: I loved the high school dances.

Marcus: I loved all of the Phi Alpha activities in the dorm.

What was your favorite class at ANC and why?

Sarah: Our favorite class was World Cultures because it was interesting to learn about different cultures and we’re experiencing it first hand now. 

What show have you recently binged and loved?

Marcus: We recently finished a Marvel movie marathon where we watched them all in chronological order, and just finished watching WandaVision on Friday when the last weekly episode was released. If you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend it!

Are you a night owl or early bird?

Sarah: I am a night owl (which often works well now that we’re 7 hours ahead of EST).

Marcus: I have a flexible sleep schedule and will wake up (or stay up) when I need to.