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When I was young, I learned to crave experiencing
the unknown by sitting in front of the telvision on a red shag
carpet on Saturdy mornings and watching National Geographic
specials. These shows opened up whole new worlds to me, revealing
how ordinary and extraordinary people led lives so different from my
own. They sparked in me an interest that was fed and encouraged by
reading book after book, by hearing the tales of the international
travelers who visited my childhood home, and by the teachers and
professors who influenced my life.
As the Director of the Center for Global Citizenship at
Hathaway Brown, I help students realize the joy in discovering the
diverse, interesting, and amazing people and places that make up our
world. In many ways, my whole life has let me to this position.
I’ve spent years traveling the globe and studying
international relations and politics. Together, the more than 50
countries I’ve visited tell a story. Some chapters are exciting
(Thailand), some comforting (Switzerland), some will remain stamped
in my memory forever (Yemen, East Timor, Laos), and other remind me
of how little I know about how short life really is (Uzbekistan).
There are places, such as Indonesia and Italy, that have called me
back time and time again because of the wonderful experiences I’ve
had there. And there are others, such as Russia, that have
continually beckoned for me just to try to figure them out.
In my travels, I’ve learned that there are places that
look best during certain months or seasons (you really should see
Germany in springtime), and that good friends – like the ones I have
in Vietnam and Haiti – often can be found across distant borders.
I’ve just returned from an exciting trip with HB students to India,
where we spent time learning about the women there and we even got
to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama. And the girls and I are very
much looking forward to the voyage we’ll make to China in 2013.
Over the years, I’ve learned that I feel most
alive when I’m the accepted guest in a place where little can be
called familiar, and when I’m in the classroom teaching what I love.
Too often, we know too little about the diversity of the world, the
roots of conflict, the importance of alliances, and the work of
intergovernmental and nongovernamental organizations. I want to help
girls learn and experience enough to be the compassionate and
informed citizens our world so desperately needs.
HB students will graduate in an era of globalization, and it
it my goal that the Center for Global Citizenship prepares them for
the immense challenges and rewarding opportunities that lie ahead.
I’m thrilled to be their tour guide for the first part of what
promises to be an incredible journey. |
