As a little girl in Heidelberg, Germany, I believed that every town had a castle and a navigable river. Now living in the Midwest, I have long learned to appreciate a different kind of beauty – wide open spaces, richly fertile fields, big, sunny skies, and human sized, caring communities.
Looking at our planet from above amazes me every time anew, and makes me ponder the place of humanity in this universe. Most memorable on that scale have been for me the sights of the entire Great Lakes system of North America (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario); of the vast Amur River valley of Siberia; and of ancient caravan trails still visible in the Sahara Desert.
At Illinois College, whether in the classroom, or working with students going abroad, or with international students here, my goals are the same: equipping students to expand their horizons; to have the courage to think and step beyond the familiar; to recognize that, in the end, human communities are similar everywhere; and, ultimately, to work toward justice and peace in a sustainable world.