Dispatch from Dean McEvoy

I know, I know...it's been quite some time. I've been writing my little butt off, but the events that have commanded my thoughts and words these past months are not appropriate for a public forum such as this. For now, here's a note from our dean, the man who chose Jon and I for this task and made all of it possible from the beginning. Cheers to him for this opportunity and coming out to check up on us!

Words by Thomas McEvoy. Photography by Thomas McEvoy and Robbie Flick.

For those family and friends of Jon and Robbie who don't know me, I'm Tom McEvoy who, along with Professor Hal Fried, works with the Minerva Fellows in this inaugural year of the program. Recently, I wrapped up a little over two weeks visiting Fellows in Cape Town and rural Uganda, with a final stop at Seim Reap to see Jon and Robbie, and learn more about their work with The Global Child.

First, I was glad to see that Robbie looked very healthy and seemed back to his old self after a couple of bouts with illness. Jon started off this visit a little queasy, but looked well, improved every day, and we spent four good days together.

Reading class with Sophal

The work at The Global Child is challenging, and Jon and Robbie’s responsibilities extend far beyond teaching. Few could do the work they do—and do it as well as they do it. When Hal and I, along with our selection team, met with candidates last year, there were specific personality traits and characteristics that we were looking for in each applicant: a sense of commitment and responsibility, someone able to work ‘full time and then some’ and to be held to a higher standard than a paid employee,to have an ability to problem solve, and to keep themselves motivated.

It is almost as if we had the Global Child in mind as we developed these standards. Jon and Robbie are being tested, but there is no question that these two guys are not only meeting our requirements---but are setting a torrid pace. Their week does not begin on Monday and end on Friday; thoughts of their students and The Global Child (both the organization and their students) are never very far from their minds. In Jon’s December 6 blog, he reports on the organizational changes The Global Child is experiencing. This is something we could not have prepared them for, and it is the inner character of each that is helping them play a pivotal role in maintaining order in the face of change.

Yet. ‘pivotal role’ does not quite do it in terms of telling the story of Jon, Robbie and the students of The Global Child.

Taking some time out for silliness with Dan and Sokmao. Laugh, but understand how
important these moments are for one's sanity when under stress.

I know few students in U.S. schools whose teachers would get themselves and their students out on a Saturday evening to listen to some live music to expose them to the richness of a mini multi-cultural music fest. Or, who would give up three hours of a Sunday afternoon to swim, play, and stand watch while their students frolicked, flipped, swam, dove, and learned to swim in the warm waters of a nearby pool. It is all very family - like, and the lines between student and teacher are not easily drawn. Attachments form, roles become harder to maintain. On the one hand, I felt this was great. On the other, I could see the potential for an emotional wipe out on the part of the teacher. They are more than teachers, as I found out.

Jon, during a football game with the Green Gecko

Given the needs of the students it is hard to see how any of us could not be drawn deeply into the lives of these kids. They have already had a shaky past and their futures are far less predictable than their counterparts in good suburban schools in the United States. The stakes must seem high for Robbie and Jon, given an everyday interaction with their students that will only last another few months. I think itchy questions are at play as the clock ticks: How much of a difference [ common theme, I found on this trip ] can a Minerva Fellow make in nine months? Do the students really want to learn? Do these kids really appreciate the preparation and patience required to put one’s self in front of a class day after day?

At a traditional Khmer wedding with Leakena

Even for one week’s worth of work, I say yes they do, although the answer can at times be tentative. If we think of two more Fellows picking up where Robbie and Jon leave off in April, then the yes becomes more absolute. I know both Robbie and Jon are making a difference—a profound one. Perhaps the hardest one, as the task begins. Others will follow. Real change will come.

Self-portrait, with Piron's help

In one of the books we have passed on to the Fellows to read, Three Cups of Tea, we learn that it took mountaineer and humanitarian Greg Mortenson ‘more than three years of false steps, injuries, and delays to drive his first school from promise to completion.’ Lasting change takes time. We tend to want to see change happen fast, and when it doesn’t come at the pace that ticks within, we grow antsy.

I believe that Jon and Robbie will never forget The Global Child [and Children] and have been made better by this experience. Their already strong characters are being made even stronger as they navigate choppy waters by the day. I hope they remember their day in the pool splashing, laughing, living and loving—and giving of themselves. It’s a snapshot of them I will always have in my mind. Great job guys. Union, your families and friends would have nothing but pride and joy in their hearts if they were able to see you at work, with your spirits and talents. Happy New Year.

Self-portrait with Primary Class