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International Programs: The Changing Face of CM
Twenty-five years ago the students at Catholic Memorial were predominantly white, Irish Catholic, and from the city of Boston. Today half of our students come from the city, half from the surrounding suburbs. In fact, today Catholic Memorial’s students draw from some ninety towns and municipalities with students traveling daily from such places as Plymouth, Weymouth, Pembroke, Woburn, Randolph, and Bellingham. In addition, today we have students coming to us from as far away as China, South Korea, and Japan.
In March 2006 CM became an educational institution approved by the Department of Homeland Security to issue documents to foreign students to enable them to study at Catholic Memorial. In April of that same year, two representatives from Catholic Memorial,  Vice Principal, Dr. James Keane, and Director of Admissions, Mr. John Mazza, traveled to Seoul, Korea to meet with the president of CiCiEdNet Corporation. CiCiEdNet is one of the largest international placement agencies in South Korea. They also met with several hundred interested parents and prospective students.
As a result of those efforts, student orientation in September 2006 included fourteen students from South Korea. Spread out in grades 7-12, many of our Korean students today live in a private residence in Canton, MA that is fully staffed by Harvard and M.I.T. graduates with cross-cultural experience. The program reinforces CM’s academic program by also offering intensive English language instruction and SAT preparation. In addition, we have some Korean and Chinese student living with homestay families in the area.
The assimilation of these students to CM culture has been, in the words of our International Student Coordinator, Mr. William Hahn, “seamless.” According to Mr. Hahn, “It is important to understand that these students are not ‘icing on a CM cake’—they are part of the essential ingredients of our school community. Their presence enriches and strengthens our community.”
Pamela Carpenter of Norwood, mother of recent CM graduate, Craig Carpenter, and Vice President of International Trade Banking for Sovereign Bank, agrees. “As an international banker for the past twenty-six years, I have witnessed firsthand the increasing need to expand beyond our domestic borders. Catholic Memorial’s embrace of multiculturalism helped prepare my son for the eclecticism of Harvard University. For Craig, the pathway to success began with his CM experience. CM students naturally incorporate diversity into their everyday lives, which allows the academic community to build a culture that is empowered by such differences.”
Although Catholic Memorial offers strong academic and athletic programs that enjoy state and national reputations, its new focus upon internationalism is helping to strategically position the school as “the place to go” to prepare for an ever-changing world economy.
“The international experience gained from this diversity of the Catholic Memorial student body will be invaluable for CM students as they become our business leaders of tomorrow,” say Mr. Charles Galligan, CM class of 1980. “As a manager of a global business, I am always looking for people with international experience and language skills who can bridge the gaps between different cultures."
Mr. Kevin Kiley, CM class of 1972, agrees. As President of Shamash & Sons an International Textile Company with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Mr. Kiley adds,
It is encouraging to see that CM has undertaken efforts to offer cross-cultural experiences which may serve to stimulate the desire for a career which is internationally related. Although the internet and email have served to make the global market a smaller place by greatly expediting communications and the transfer of information, there is still no substitute for direct contact and personal relationships in establishing long term, successful business partnerships and friendships. The opportunities CM is now able to offer students valuable insight into what life is like outside of the United States, greatly broadening their educational experience.
Other International Initiatives
Efforts to internationalize Catholic Memorial include the addition of several courses such as The History and Politics of Africa (introduced some three years ago) and Irish Studies I and II which include a rigorous introduction to basic Gaelic and an overview of Irish history, politics, and culture.
Through a special partnership with The College Board and the Ministry of Education for the People’s Republic of China, Catholic Memorial received in late January 2007 a fully funded teacher of Mandarin Chinese. The teacher, Mr. Li Yuwei, spent eighteen months at CM creating the foundation for a full-fledged program in Advanced Placement Mandarin Chinese. Indeed, in April 2008, Catholic Memorial was recognized as a “model program” by the Confucius Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, MA. In July 2008, Mr. Jia and Mr. Xu of mainland China arrived to deepen and expand the efforts initiated by Mr. Li.
In the words of Principal Mr. Richard Chisholm, “Mandarin is the most spoken language on the planet---beating out English by some 500 million speakers. Although the introduction of Mandarin in a Boston area middle school and high school is relatively new, CM is responding to the needs of a changing world.” Indeed, even in the United States study of Mandarin is fast taking hold.
A survey by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages found that where in 2000, only about 5,000 students in U.S. public secondary schools were studying Chinese, that number now ranges between 30,000- 50,000 students. Also, British public schools now require all students to study Mandarin and the Republic of South Korea established a similar requirement just this past September.
To give our students the tools they need to compete in international business and international law it is imperative to offer them the means to communicate with what is fast becoming one of the largest and most powerful economic forces in the world. Also, the addition of Mandarin Chinese can only help to strengthen student transcripts---helping to further set our students apart from the pack when they apply to college.
Brendan M. Murray, CM class of '89, is a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State currently working as the Bureau's International Training Program Coordinator in Washington. From 2003 through 2006, after previous tours in France and Algeria, he served as Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, working as the U.S. Government's primary law enforcement liaison to the Shanghai government and those of three neighboring provinces. About the Mandarin languages offered at CM, Murray remarked:
The U.S.-China relationship is probably the most important bilateral relationship between two nations anywhere in the world in terms of its impact on transnational security and prosperity, and its importance will only continue to grow….. Any facility in Mandarin Chinese is guaranteed to make C.M. students more competitive for admission to the best colleges and universities and for careers afterward in business, government, education, etc. But even more importantly, this type of initiative and the cultural awareness it cultivates will make C.M. graduates better citizens and people. At meetings and receptions with Chinese officials I often remembered Br. Cavet joking to us in the late '80s that the world extended well beyond route 128... As usual, he was right!
Where Do We Go From Here?
Catholic Memorial is now inviting students at other Christian Brother schools in countries such as Argentina, India, England, and Ireland an opportunity to study here. We are also exploring opportunities for our American students to study abroad. Catholic Memorial is also looking to form relationships with U.S. College and university programs that center about international studies and international relations.
Over the past five years, our BERSI (Blessed Edmund Rice Solidarity Initiative) trips to such places as Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Montreal, and Peru have help cultivate an interest and receptivity among our students and faculty for people of other cultures and backgrounds. In June 2009, a delegation of eleven students and teachers will travel to South Korea as the first-ever BERSI-Asia experiences.
One surprising result of these cross-cultural travel experiences is that many of our students are beginning explore career paths in international relations be it law, business, education, or advocacy.
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