Over the past decade, nearly 200 Nobles students have traveled to Rwanda through the school’s Experiential and Community Engaged Learning (EXCEL) program. This past June marked a significant milestone: the trip was dedicated exclusively to faculty and staff for the first time.
The trip—titled “Rwanda’s Resilience and Renewal”—invited participants to explore the profound transformation of a nation scarred by genocide into a place of reconciliation, education, and empowerment. In 1994, Rwanda endured one of the most horrific genocides of the 20th century, when an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed in just 100 days by extremist Hutu militias. In the mere 31 years since, the country has resisted revenge, instead embracing a path of forgiveness and healing.
“Anybody in that country who is alive and over 30 has endured something horrific and yet still has found a way to love their country, move forward, be positive, and be really giving,” says Nobles Athletic Director Alex Gallagher, who has led the student trip 10 times. Now, Rwanda is flourishing. “They’ve done it through forgiveness and education. It’s remarkable.”
The faculty trip—rooted in Nobles’ mission to foster human connection and aligned with its strategic plan—was both a professional development opportunity and a way to strengthen the internal community. “Being in Rwanda leaves people humbled and inspired to come back and give as much as we can to our students,” Gallagher adds.
Over 12 days, the group visited long-standing partners of Nobles: the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, African Leadership University, the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), and Shooting Touch, a basketball-based empowerment program for girls.
Director of College Counseling Kate Boyle Ramsdell noted the trust that has developed with Rwandan partners. “Because Nobles returns year after year to the same communities, the impact is so much greater than a singular touchpoint. You can see and feel the deep relationships people are building,” she says.
The trip also nurtured internal bonds among faculty and staff. “This trip intentionally created collisions between people,” Gallagher explains. “These collisions led to a newfound respect for the incredible work being done throughout the Nobles community by truly remarkable educators.”
Ramsdell appreciated the “palpable energy and exchange of ideas about how we teach and learn at Nobles,” adding, “Now I have a bunch of new friends. It was such a different experience from showing up for school every day and running into each other periodically. It was an accelerant for connection.”
French teacher Amadou Seck was particularly moved during the visit to SOLA when the Afghan girls—many of whom fled the Taliban—began reciting their morning prayers. “Chills ran over my whole body,” he recalls. “I’m a Muslim from a Muslim country, so I was familiar with the prayers, and I joined in the singing. It was a very intense personal connection for me. These girls and I had something in common.”
For Seck, the trip also underscored Nobles’ belief in the importance of faculty and staff well-being. “Nobles is committed to retaining faculty and providing a great work environment, and also allowing us to grow professionally and personally so that we can do our jobs better. It’s an investment that is a win-win situation for everyone.”
