Preparing Students to Serve the Public Good
Headmaster Temba Maqubela welcomed back Groton’s faculty on Thursday afternoon with a chapel talk that emphasized the impact teachers can have on tomorrow's leaders and the hope that education may be the answer for our troubled, divisive times.
The opening faculty chapel service—an annual tradition held several days before students arrive—allows for contemplation before the bustle of the school year begins.
Educating Grotonians, the headmaster told the faculty gathered in St. John’s Chapel, means nurturing not only the students’ intellect, but also their potential to serve and become community builders. “Education should be viewed as the new frontier for diplomacy,” said Mr. Maqubela, echoing a message he had heard at a conference from James Montoya, an executive at the College Board and former dean of admission at Stanford University. By college, it may be too late to plant the initial seeds of public service. High school, Mr. Maqubela said, “is where the most resilient seeds of diplomacy are sown and nurtured.”
“Vuyelwa and I had the great fortune of teaching Seth and Dan, and both are committed to public service,” Mr. Maqubela said. “They are examples of how our schools can be places that serve the public good.” Currently, three Groton graduates serve in the U.S. Congress, representing Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.
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Educating Grotonians, the headmaster told the faculty gathered in St. John’s Chapel, means nurturing not only the students’ intellect, but also their potential to serve and become community builders. “Education should be viewed as the new frontier for diplomacy,” said Mr. Maqubela, echoing a message he had heard at a conference from James Montoya, an executive at the College Board and former dean of admission at Stanford University. By college, it may be too late to plant the initial seeds of public service. High school, Mr. Maqubela said, “is where the most resilient seeds of diplomacy are sown and nurtured.”
Mr. Maqubela spoke from personal experience: a student he taught (at Phillips Andover) is a U.S. Congressman and another former student is running for Congress. “One of the highlights of the summer was attending a house party where Congressman Seth Moulton spoke about serving America, and later on Vuyelwa and I attended another one where Dan Koh was speaking about diversity and inclusion.” Congressman Moulton represents the sixth district of Massachusetts. Mr. Koh, former chief of staff to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, is in a ten-way race in the state’s third district.
“Vuyelwa and I had the great fortune of teaching Seth and Dan, and both are committed to public service,” Mr. Maqubela said. “They are examples of how our schools can be places that serve the public good.” Currently, three Groton graduates serve in the U.S. Congress, representing Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Groton School Mission: To inspire lives of character, scholarship, leadership, and service within a diverse, inclusive, and close-knit community.
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