You will gain insights into the depth of the work being done to promote intercultural learning, as well as faculty and student research, and study abroad. I have now had the wonderful opportunity to view this outreach, literally, on the ground. Together with 31 other members of an Illinois College delegation, I landed in Tokyo on May 25 for a two-week adventure that touched and changed all our lives in many different ways. Our group included Illinois College trustees, alumni, faculty, staff and Jacksonville residents with connections to the Intercultural Exchange Program between IC and Ritsumeikan University.

This trip illuminated the College’s vision of building an international reputation. Our carefully planned days took us to many notable cities in Japan: Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Takayama and Kyoto. As we traveled, we marveled at the breathtaking scenery, including sparkling views of Mount Fuji and green mountainsides. Old and young, we were all a group of lifelong learners ready to experience the grace of Japanese culture and cuisine, face the heart-wrenching devastation of atomic warfare and consider the complexities of history. I cannot say enough about the warmth of our welcome from the Japanese people we met. At each stop, we were embraced by delightful school children who wanted to speak English with us.

The culmination of our trip was a formal ceremony at Ritsumeikan University that marked the 30th Anniversary of our institutions’ successful exchange program. I witnessed the power of intercultural relationships when I saw Japanese alumni reunited with host families, many of whom had never before visited Japan. No matter whether a Ritsumeikan student had been in Jacksonville a year ago or 15 years ago, these jubilant reunions provided tangible evidence of the power of this program on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. These connections run deep. Particularly poignant for me was meeting two mothers who accompanied their daughters to Tokyo to meet Keith ’73 and Nancy Utter Bradbury ’75, who had hosted them in Jacksonville. These mothers had come to meet the girls’ “American parents.”

While in Japan I met with current IC students who were conducting research in a program funded, in part, by a generous grant from the Luce Foundation. I also talked with a recent alumna who is working in Japan as an English language teacher. Other alumni you will meet in this issue have forged successful, long-term careers in the Pacific Rim.

Illinois College students are going places and making a difference in the world. We want to share their stories with you. Over the summer, faculty and students also traveled to Bolivia, France, Belize and Austria on short-term BreakAway study-abroad programs that explored sustainability, pop culture and the classical arts, and economics. I am excited to announce that the 2017-2018 BreakAway program includes another marvelous array of courses in a variety of international venues: Education and Culture of Jamaica; Early Education and Technology in Norway, Sweden and Denmark; and Cuba Revisited: Healthcare, Orchids, Bats and Photography.

In August we welcomed Illinois College’s new and returning students to campus. As a campus community, we believe in the promise of our newest members and wish them courage and resilience as they embark on the next phase of their educational journey. My hope for each of them is that they will be open to the awe and wonder of learning and take full advantage of all Illinois College has to offer them.

All the best,

Barbara A. Farley, President