Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Peace Corps Volunteer & TH Grad Nick Bayard Visits Upper School
Last month, Tower Hill was honored to welcome Nick Bayard, a 2000 TH
and 2004 Brown University graduate. Nick is presently starting his
second year as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay.
While there, he has perfected his Spanish and become fluent in Guaraní, the indigenous language of Paraguay. He is located in a small and poor area near Asunción called Costa Jhu-u.
In the fall of 2005, Nick and Señor Pardo, US Spanish teacher, decided to stay connected and enroll in a Peace Corps (PC) program called World Wise Schools (http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond/). In this program, a PC volunteer and a teacher in the US are matched and stay in constant communication, preferably with a class, while in the program. Some of our Upper School Spanish classes have been in direct communication with Nick's town and students in Paraguay. We have established a pen-pal program with students in a small rural school of Costa Jhu-u. Nick’s students had never seen a letter before, not to mention one addressed to them. Receiving individual letters and pictures from their American buddies has totally transformed their lives. According to Nick, it was probably the highlight of their year. Our students also communicate with Nick's students by phone directly from class at times.
While at Tower Hill, Nick led a thought-provoking Upper School power point presentation in which he explained to us his new life and duties in Paraguay and showed us great pictures of his new town and friends. The highlight of the presentation was the answer he gave to a great student question: “Why did you decide to do Peace Corps?” To which he replied: “I was a K-12 Tower Hill graduate who felt so privileged in life that I wanted to give something back. I want to devote my life to helping people in third world countries.”
Nick also visited numerous Spanish classes in the Middle and Upper School in addition to some visits to the lower school. He impressed us all with his fluency in Spanish and amazing anecdotes. Our students will not forget his Paraguayan Polka dance lessons and Mate tea sampling, better known as “Tereré” in Paraguay.
We can’t say enough about the positive impact that Nick had and continues to have on our students. The Tower Hill community is very proud of his achievements. For more information about the World Wise School program with Tower Hill, please contact Jorge Pardo at: jpardo@towerhill.org
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In the fall of 2005, Nick and Señor Pardo, US Spanish teacher, decided to stay connected and enroll in a Peace Corps (PC) program called World Wise Schools (http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond/). In this program, a PC volunteer and a teacher in the US are matched and stay in constant communication, preferably with a class, while in the program. Some of our Upper School Spanish classes have been in direct communication with Nick's town and students in Paraguay. We have established a pen-pal program with students in a small rural school of Costa Jhu-u. Nick’s students had never seen a letter before, not to mention one addressed to them. Receiving individual letters and pictures from their American buddies has totally transformed their lives. According to Nick, it was probably the highlight of their year. Our students also communicate with Nick's students by phone directly from class at times.
While at Tower Hill, Nick led a thought-provoking Upper School power point presentation in which he explained to us his new life and duties in Paraguay and showed us great pictures of his new town and friends. The highlight of the presentation was the answer he gave to a great student question: “Why did you decide to do Peace Corps?” To which he replied: “I was a K-12 Tower Hill graduate who felt so privileged in life that I wanted to give something back. I want to devote my life to helping people in third world countries.”
Nick also visited numerous Spanish classes in the Middle and Upper School in addition to some visits to the lower school. He impressed us all with his fluency in Spanish and amazing anecdotes. Our students will not forget his Paraguayan Polka dance lessons and Mate tea sampling, better known as “Tereré” in Paraguay.
We can’t say enough about the positive impact that Nick had and continues to have on our students. The Tower Hill community is very proud of his achievements. For more information about the World Wise School program with Tower Hill, please contact Jorge Pardo at: jpardo@towerhill.org
