Expanding Cultural Connections Through a Shared Meal

Over 30 Millbrook international students gathered in the Class of 2018 Meeting Room for an elegant dinner with International Student Program Coordinators Xhaohong Wen and Annabella Vizcardo Goshen, Director of Admission Meg Grover, and Head of School Jonathan Downs '98. The dinner is a yearly tradition, and Mr. Downs expressed his gratitude to the assembled for their exceptional resilience in pursuit of a Millbrook education, especially in complex global conditions.

 

Attendees dined at a single banquet table, symbolic perhaps of their unity and common purpose, and the kitchen prepared an incredible Italian feast using the universal language of delicious food. Crossing borders and oceans from Canada, China, Ghana, Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere, a diverse student body makes Millbrook, Millbrook. 

 

Embracing the theme of "Expanding Our World View," Mr. Downs commended students and their families on their commitment to curiosity, the core value of this school year, and shared personal stories about his own experiences as a young child and as a Millbrook student. "I believe that our lives are enriched when peers of different ethnicities surround us," said Mr. Downs, "When we share experiences with those who come from different countries and cultures, our understanding of the world broadens." He also called on guests to talk about their unique perspectives and experiences as faculty and international students at Millbrook, perhaps in a Chapel Talk or Tuesday Talk.