Alumni-in Residence Initiative Begins Its Third Year

Next month, the campus will welcome the first of this season’s Alumni-in Residence participants, Raquel Moya Agudo (Year 06/1981, Spain).

Raquel attended the College from 1979 to 1981 and, after recently retiring from her 36-year career as a flight attendant and occasional translator, is looking forward to sharing her “energy and optimism to help spread the values that makes Pearson College and the UWC movement so beautifully and greatly special.”

After Pearson, Raquel studied Translation at the University of Granada  then Spanish Linguistics and Literature at Autonoma University in Madrid. Around the same time, she started working as a part-time flight attendant for Iberia Airlines. Raquel adds that she is very active and loves painting watercolors, reading, and “trying to write short stories.”

“I am very happy and grateful for the opportunity of being part of the Pearson community again, 36 years after I graduated.”

The Alumni-in Residence Program began with the arrival of Dani McArthur (Year 6/1981,Canada) and her "Tiny House.” The program encourages alumni to engage in life and learning on our experiential education campus and to enrich campus life for current students, faculty and staff. Alumni are invited to bring their expertise and passions and work collaboratively with the community to offer new activities or learning opportunities based on their work, world experience, or passions.

The program was kick-started by Dani when she responded to Desiree McGraw's challenge to all Pearson alumni to find creative ways to dedicate time and talent to the College's mission: "To make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures, for peace and a sustainable future." Dani was enthusiastic about the invitation, and her proposal to live on campus and volunteer her expansive experience teaching English as a second language was something we were absolutely thrilled to take her up on! The added bonus was that she was bringing her own house with her!

With nearly 45 years of educating young leaders here on the Pacific Coast of Canada, we know that our most valuable resource is that pool of educated, experienced, motivated and diverse alumni. Alumni know that the Pearson experience is unique and something they remember forever.

Many alumni recall this time with fondness and are enthusiastic about giving back to help ensure other young people of promise are given the chance to have a similar experience. We eagerly invite this engagement, and encourage alumni to join us here on campus to continue to live the mission, and continue to educate and inspire young leaders to make a difference in their communities, organizations and the world.