Dacque Tirado
Director of InterCultural Diversity, Dorm Parent

During my Sophomore year of high-school (a boarding school in the Northeast Corner of Connecticut – CT “Quiet Corner”) I sang in the school chorus. We were fortunate to host a choir from Eastern Europe that year – they performed with us, lived with our small day student population and got a window into the lives of 90s student culture. Most of my chorus mates were over the moon when we were told we could then reciprocate and be part of a delegation representing the school in Eastern Europe that year. Save for a trip to Puerto-Rico as a young boy to visit family, I did not travel that far from my NYC roots and remained mostly lukewarm about the opportunity despite efforts by the choir leader, friends and my mother all trying to persuade me to take the once-in-a-lifetime trip. I held my ground and never did take them up on it and until this day it is a decision I still regret – can you imagine a history teacher getting to see that area of the world on the cusp of the Fall of the Soviet Union.

I vowed after that high school experience to never let an opportunity of deepening my appreciation for the culture, language and history of other parts of the world pass me by. I was now ready to nourish my desire to become a more informed citizen and ultimately teacher through global education when presented. In college, I jumped at chances to visit London (Ludere causa Ludendi for all the Queen Park Rangers fans) for Spring Break, and visit friends studying abroad in Greece and the islands in the Aegean Sea. Early in my teaching career I sprinted at opportunities to study the American Revolution at Worcester College, Oxford University and be part of a cohort of American educators to receive acceptance in the Fulbright Memorial Fund (FMF) Teacher Program – a short term study opportunity in Japan.

By the time I started teaching at Georgetown Prep, I was well aware of the importance and educational value of global travel and learning. Despite this I was blown away by the international programs and global engagement opportunities GP afforded the student-body and those in this learning community – quite remarkable. From being on a campus with a true global student population (21 countries and 20 states, plus Washington, DC), summer language immersions, service programs, international sports friendlies, cultural travel tours, and inter-disciplinary centered world travel, GP students have a multitude of ways to personally and authentically engage with the world outside.

Global education, when done right, seeks to expand student horizons, develop a deeper understanding and foster solidarity between other cultures and communities, as well as build compassionate, strong, wise and kind leaders – all hallmarks of responsible global citizens.

At Georgetown Prep we offer many opportunities to become a Global Leader.

1. Be a resident student and learn from students from all over the world
2. Become a Global Scholar and travel abroad (see photos from France)
3. Go on a Language Immersion trip (view photos from Spain and Germany)
4. Go on a Service Immersion Trip - these are offered to our rising seniors in the summer
5. Participate in the Model United Nations, Organization of American States, Model Arab League conference simulations
6. Sign up with the International Relations Club annual Spring Break voyage
7. Discover the Student and Faculty Ignatian Student Formation Travel
8. Travel with your sport team over spring break (see photos from the UK)
9. Head to Washington, DC to the Embassies, Museum, and International Cuisine restaurants
10. Invite an international student from the Residential Hall home for the weekend to share culture, food and Hoya fellowship

To learn more from our student’s global experiences, visit our website at www.gprep.org/community/global-opportunities

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain