News from Nairobi

For the first time in the history of Christ the Teacher Institute for Education, two separate graduation ceremonies were held in recent months. On May 3, the first took place in the traditional time. On that occasion, 32 students received their diplomas or degrees from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Because of increased requirements in Kenya in recent years, a number  of students were not quite able to complete their studies at that time. So, this past weekend, on July 12, another 17 CTIE students culminated their studies with either the diploma or the degree from Saint Mary’s.

The expectation is that CTIE will return to one spring graduation next year. While the additional months were challenging for our July graduates, they may take some consolation that they are likely to be the only July graduation ever in the history of CTIE.

Brother Robert Smith, FSC, vice president, Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, presided over the Commencement Exercises with great enthusiasm, as it was a homecoming for him, having served as CTIE Director from 2000-03. He encouraged the graduates to pay attention to the recent Vatican document, “Educating Today and Tomorrow: A Renewing Passion.” In his closing, he cited the practice of the philosopher, Martin Buber, who entered into rooms by reminding himself that he Robert encouraged these new teachers that it was a practice that they may wish to replicate whenever they enter their classrooms.

A unique feature of this graduation was the presence of Brother Paulos’s immediate predecessors as director, Brother Robert Smith and Brother Dominic Ehrmantraut.