Being Present with Our Students in Segovia

I have learned that to truly know and lead Proctor, I need to be present where our students are so I can witness and understand the transformational moments they are experiencing. Last week, I went to Segovia to be with our ten students studying there this winter. I wanted to see their days up close, to sit in their classrooms, to meet the families who care for them, and to walk the streets they now know by heart. If experiential learning is central to who we are, then it matters to me to experience it alongside them.

Being with our students has brought the Segovia experience alive for me in a way I could not have fully understood from campus. I have seen how happy our students are, engaged, confident, and so proud to welcome me into their world. In true Proctor fashion, as soon as I arrived, they immediately included me in the community that they have made thousands of miles away from campus.

The first class I sat in on was with director/producer Robert Bahar, who had come to Segovia to discuss his film The Silence of Others with the students. He spoke about the lingering impact of the victims of the dictatorship of Franco. The students asked thoughtful questions and engaged deeply with the complexity of the history. Later, they moved into history class where they studied the bombing of Guernica and Picasso’s painting in response. They then transitioned into literature, where Rosanna joined virtually from campus to talk about how we might think about and react to art when we stand before it in the Madrid museum. What struck me most was how connected it all was. Film, history, literature, and art were all woven together, and the learning was layered and intentional.

Pippa took me home for lunch, the big family meal of the day, with her host family, Jesus, Berta, Noa, and Bruno. We shared a delicious meal together, and what struck me most was how well they knew her. They lovingly teased one another, laughed easily, and moved around the table with the kind of comfort that only comes with real relationships. It was clear she is not just a guest in their home, rather she is part of it. We then visited Adam’s host parents, Ana and Jose Luis, who have been welcoming Proctor students for over two decades, flipped through albums of students from years past, and saw in Adam’s room metal pieces crafted by Proctor students, including a Proctor hornet proudly displayed on the wall, a reminder that these families do not simply provide housing, they open their homes and their hearts. 

I painted ceramics alongside students and shared tapas and their favorite baked goods. (There are a lot of delicious croissants to be had in Segovia!) I watched them gather Saturday night as they headed out for dinner as a group of ten, prioritizing being together as they navigate this city with confidence and joy.

Before leaving Segovia, I had a pocket of time that felt especially meaningful. I met Adam, Nico, and Penelope at a café for brunch. We ordered Coca-Cola and coffee and sampled several unidentified Spanish tapas, with Nico and Adam bravely trying everything. Afterwards, we wandered into a bakery to share cakes and croissants and buy cookies for the rest of the group.

They then brought me to the castle and, as we walked through the courtyard, they eagerly shared what they had learned, historical details, stories, and the pieces that had stayed with them. I was struck by how much they had absorbed. Their enthusiasm was contagious. I found myself less focused on the architecture and more focused on them, their confidence, their ownership of the learning, and their joy.

We gathered the rest of the group, and the students helped carry my luggage to the bus to Madrid for their planned outing. We rode an hour to Madrid, navigated the metro together, and walked through the city streets before heading to the museum to see the Picasso painting, Guernica, they had studied. Standing in front of that enormous painting with Proctor students was breathtaking.

Later, wandering through Madrid, I had the gift of unhurried conversations about their families, what they have learned here, and their hopes for the future. Away from the schedule of campus, those conversations are able to happen at a pace that allows for deeper connection and relationship building. As always, I felt that the Proctor students are more accessible than others I have known. They allow us to see their hearts and what matters most to them. And as always, I am amazed at their curiosity about my life, what is in my heart and what matters most to me. I wish for every educator to have this kind of experience with their students.

We said goodbye in the Plaza del Sol after a fun evening together. Watching them walk off, enthusiastic, confident, and connected, I felt such pride and gratitude.

As I reflect on this week, I keep coming back to how much this experience connects to what matters most. Walking beside students through these streets, sitting in cafés, listening to their stories – this is the heart of the relationship building that we do at Proctor. It is through shared experience. The good, bad, challenging, and joyful. These experiential moments build trust, and students feel seen for who they are, not just what they accomplish.
My time with our students in Spain was a gift. It fills me with gratitude and real confidence in who they are becoming. I cannot wait to welcome them back to campus soon and watch how this experience continues to shape them long after this final week in Spain ends.

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