Perspectives From Parents Bring World Geography Unit to Life

As the course description for seventh-grade World Geography notes, students spend the year “examining the world in which they live, from ancient to contemporary times,” exploring a variety of civilizations and cultures while analyzing “the role that geography plays in each one’s development.” Ravens in this course learn about many aspects of these places, including government, economics, religion, arts, communication, dress and food.

This fall, students’ learning about faraway places took on a whole new perspective as four seventh-grade parents shared firsthand accounts — through stories, photos and reflections — about living in or visiting different countries in Africa. Teachers Melissa Ramel and Catherine Cody envisioned the grade-level assembly as a way to make their Unit 2 content more personal and engaging.

“Anytime we can provide students with real-life examples, it helps them develop empathy, cultural inclusivity and awareness of other people and cultures, which helps in their development as global citizens,” Cody said.

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Lynn Mason: Life lessons from Mount Kilimanjaro

Lynn Mason shared the story of her transformative experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak at 19,341 feet, to inspire students to embrace challenges and push beyond their comfort zones. As part of the program Align Leadership: Mountains and Marathons, Mason set out on her journey in 2022 not just to conquer a literal mountain but to reflect on leadership and personal growth.

“This program was designed to help participants tackle big goals, whether it’s climbing a mountain or running a marathon,” Mason explained. “The idea is that life itself is a mountain — it’s filled with ups and downs, and it’s up to each of us to decide if we’ll keep moving forward, even when it’s hard.”

She said that the grueling five-and-a-half-day trek, which took her across five distinct climate zones, tested her limits.

Lynn Mason stands at the Lava Tower Camp, elevation 4,600 meters (just over 15,000 feet), as she prepares to continue her ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; Mason smiles with two of the guides who led her group up the mountain.

“I remember hitting 14,000 feet and thinking, ‘This is the highest I’ve ever climbed.’ The question then became, do I stop here or do I keep going?” she said. “It was about mentally preparing myself to push through the discomfort and keep my focus on the summit.”

Mason’s message to students was to take risks and seize opportunities that expand their horizons.

“I wanted them to understand that growth comes from discomfort,” she said. “Don’t let fear hold you back. Say yes to the opportunities that scare you a little. Those are the moments that will shape who you are.”

Mason shares a moment of levity with a fellow climber; bundled up against the cold, Mason triumphs in making it to the peak — 19,341 feet.

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Carla Williams: Immersion in Ghana

Carla Williams’s journey to Ghana as a college student pushed her to try new things and experience life beyond the classroom. During the summer of 2001, Williams lived with host families, participated in traditional ceremonies and explored the nation’s rich landscapes, learning things that continue to shape her perspective.

“This experience taught me that education isn’t confined to the walls of a classroom,” Williams explained. “When you immerse yourself in a new culture, you grow in ways you never imagined. It’s truly life-changing.”

Carla Williams crosses a suspension bridge nearly 90 feet above the forest floor at Kakum National Park, one of Ghana’s most-visited attractions; Williams (standing, second from left) and fellow participants in NC State’s Study Abroad program in Ghana pose with the ocean sparkling behind them.

Williams shared with students her memories of attending a Ghanaian “home-going” funeral, a multiday celebration of life that reflects the community’s deep connection to its traditions. Her message to students was to push past the familiar and embrace new experiences.

“I want them to see that the world is so much bigger than their bubble,” she said. “Travel, explore and don’t be afraid to step into the unknown. Those moments of discomfort are where the greatest growth happens.”

Williams (second from left) visits Ghana’s Elmina Slave Castle, built in 1482 by the Portuguese and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that, along with other castles and forts in Ghana, stands as testimony to the Atlantic slave trade; Williams (at right) poses with local Ghanaian students at University of Ghana in Accra.

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Mike El Mann: A childhood in Zaire

For Mike El Mann, growing up in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) taught him resilience, resourcefulness and an appreciation for simplicity. El Mann lived in the country from 1976 to 1991, during a time of political unrest and significant cultural contrast.

“My childhood in Zaire was simple but rich in experiences that shaped who I am,” he said. “I wanted the students to see that life can be very different from theirs but equally meaningful in ways they might not expect.”

Mike El Mann, who recently retired after a 21-year career in the U.S. Air Force, says his childhood years in Zaire were “simple but rich in experiences that shaped who I am.”; a young El Mann (at left) and his sister pretend to be monkeys, which are common in the deep forests and palm tree groves around Kinshasa, Zaire.

Reflecting on the contrast between Zaire’s community-centered lifestyle and the consumer-driven culture he sees in the United States today, El Mann emphasized the importance of relationships and shared experiences.

“In Zaire, people relied on one another in a way that felt very humanizing. That’s a lesson I carry with me even now, as a parent,” he said. “I want my son, Joey ’30, and his classmates to understand that growth comes from exploring new perspectives. Learn from others and embrace the differences you encounter. That’s how you grow as a person.”

In this 1982 photo, El Mann heads off to school in Kinshasa, Zaire, in the bus provided to families by the Pepsi Cola franchise both of his parents worked for; El Mann (front row at right) poses with sixth-grade classmates at the Lycée Prince de Liège, a Belgian primary school, in 1982.

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Victor Hu: Connecting through cultures

Victor Hu’s stories about South Africa and Uganda provided students with another powerful example of how living abroad can shape one’s worldview.

“Having spent seven years of my childhood in South Africa shaped who I am today,” Hu said. “It taught me to appreciate different perspectives and to value the diversity that makes our world so unique.”

During his presentation, Hu shared photos from his family’s recent trip to Uganda, where they met the young woman they sponsor through a nonprofit organization. He talked about visiting local schools and orphanages, describing how the students and teachers welcomed them with songs and dances.

Hu (fifth from left) and his family are welcomed at a primary school in Uganda during a recent trip to the country; Hu’s daughters play netball with children at an orphanage the family visited in Kampala, Uganda.

“It was an incredible moment of connection,” he said. “Their hospitality and joy in sharing their culture was unforgettable.”

Hu encouraged students to see beyond their immediate surroundings and focus on gratitude, curiosity and the importance of finding connections across cultures.

“I wanted them to imagine what it feels like to step into someone else’s world,” he said. “It’s not just about understanding differences — it’s about finding the common threads that connect us all.”

These giraffes, photographed in Murchison Falls National Park, are an endangered species found only in several areas of Uganda; Hu (front row at right) poses with his classmates in 1980 in Pretoria, South Africa, where he and his family lived for seven years; Hu captured video of Ugandan students performing a traditional African dance to welcome their visitors.

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Students connect to global perspectives

Seventh-graders said hearing from people who had lived and traveled in these countries brought the lessons of their geography unit to life in unexpected ways.

Genevieve Holman ’30 said the stories these parents shared in the assembly “expanded my knowledge and helped me see different perspectives.”

“Hearing about the experiences of parents of people who we are friends with was so much easier to relate to,” Lily Ferretti ’30 added. “We were interested in learning more about the stories [the parents] were going to share because we were intrigued that maybe we didn’t already know these things about them!”

By combining traditional classroom instruction with real-world perspectives, Ravenscroft educators continue to inspire students to be globally aware and culturally inclusive.

“More than our understanding of specific places, we are often amazed and humbled by the resources we have in the parents and guardians of those we teach,” Ramel said. “As much as we would love to take our students on global field trips, bringing these incredible stories into our classroom is very powerful.”

Above, clockwise from top left: Carla Williams during study abroad in Ghana; Mike El Mann as a child living in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo); Lynn Mason with guides during her ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; a view of Murchison Falls in Uganda shared by Victor Hu