Children of Exec. Doc. student Sue Head with friends from Soweto township.

Even though it’s a small school, GSE is quite diverse in its academic interests, working styles, and even in its summer plans.  This summer, we have ranged over the globe, from South Africa to South Philly, and have done everything from just staying at home to learning new languages. Here are a few examples.

Kathy Schultz and Sharon Ravitch spent a week at an intensive Spanish-language workshop in Guatemala. After five hours of one-on-one instruction in the morning, explained Kathy, “there were optional trips in the afternoon to pueblos and weaving collectives and so on. We learned a lot about the cultures in Guatemala, and their recent civil conflict.” Kathy also mentioned that the primary mode of transportation were “chicken buses” – old American school buses, now painted bright colors and playing loud popular music.

Laura Foltman, Ginger O’Neill, and Marybeth Gasman all joined the Higher Ed Exec. Doc. trip to South Africa in July. Although the weather was cold, the group was able to visit Capetown’s District 6, where in 1968 the apartheid government declared a “white only” zone and, between then and 1982, forcibly evicted 60,000 people of color and bulldozed their homes. The group also went on a photo safari near Sun City, South Africa. The students on the trip visited several universities, where they discussed and wrote about the differences between the South African and American systems of higher education as well as the racial inequities that remain in South African universities.

Closer to home, Sherri King and Ken Zeferes and their families traveled to Disneyworld, while Don Kaufmann and Ron Greene visited family.

Higher ed. student David Soo spent the summer in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. Public Service Academy. The Academy is working toward establishing a West Point-model university with a public service mission. Students would receive a tuition-free, four-year liberal arts education in return for doing five years of service with the federal, state, or local government upon graduation. Among other advantages, David explained, “it would encourage other students to consider public service as a career and recognize that civilian service is a patriotic way to serve the nation.” David’s work focused on research that will help build support in Congress and across the country.

Alyssa d’Alconzo and Doug Lynch both spent time in Europe (in London and the Netherlands, respectively).  Alyssa’s trip to London was “just great. My cousin lives there, so we were able to look at London through the eyes of a resident in addition to seeing all of the highlights.” Doug and his family stayed on an island off the coast of the Netherlands.

Tom Kecskemethy competed in several triathalons this summer; he plans to continue running, swimming, and biking next season.  “I'm still slow, but I’ve done better than I thought I was capable of doing,” he said, adding that “next season I’ll be working hard on my running time – that’s where I need the most improvement.” He's thinking about starting a GSE tri-club, because he's heard rumors of other triathletes in the building.

Whatever you did this summer, we hope that you move into the new academic year relaxed and refreshed.