A 15 Year Journey with SYA

McCanns to End Barcelona Term This Summer

Reprint from Winter/Spring 1992 SYA Newsletter

In its 27-year history, School Year Abroad has been served by many outstanding teachers and directors. One truly dedicated individual has led the organization so ably and so long that it is hard to imagine SYA without him. That individual is Harrison McCann.

Before SYA, Hal McCann led an active professional life at Northfield Mount Hermon. He taught Spanish for 14 years, chaired the Modern Language Department for four years, directed the summer school, the summer program abroad and the International Studies Program. Ever since he arrived at the Executive Director's office in 1976, Hal has shared himself unstintingly with SYA. He directed the organization from the main office for ten years, and in September 1986 embraced the opportunity to move to Barcelona when Ed Sainati retired after 15 years as Resident Director there. For the past six years Hal has animated SYA life at Rambla de Cataluña, 16. An aura of crackling energy surrounds this man. It isn't easy to picture him in repose; even his quiet moments seem loaded with action about to happen. When Hal spent 1989-90 back in the home office, the staffers at headquarters were often startled to catch him standing (because of back fatigue) behind a speaker's stand in the corner of his office, as if at any moment he would spring forward into the midst of a phantom audience and stir it to bustling activity. When he felt his energy beginning to ebb in the early afternoon, he would go out for a run and return visibly refreshed.

Nobody has uttered the word "retirement." When the McCanns leave Spain, Hal will return to Phillips Academy for a sabbatical, while Becky will rejoin the Phillips Academy Spanish Department. We at SYA central look forward to discovering where Hal will direct his talent and energy next.

 

McCanns Bid “Adios” to Barcelona

Reprint from Summer/Fall 1992 SYA Newsletter

(Hal with incoming Resident Director Francesca Piana)

Hal and Becky McCann left Barcelona in August, after a lingering farewell to this city and friends that they will always love. Their work had not ended with the departure of the 1991-92 students; they stayed to run a successful SYA Teacher Workshop in June and on August 4 hosted a reception at the school for alumni visiting the city for the Olympics. A "mini-reunion" for SYA alumni who now live in Barcelona or were studying in Spain took place at the McCanns' apartment before school ended.

As Hal enjoys his sabbatical ("I've always been on a treadmill from the moment I got up in the morning, but lately I've been able to read the morning paper and start my day when I want to. I could get used to this!") and makes long-range plans that for the first time in 16 years do not include School Year Abroad, Becky has returned to teaching Spanish at Phillips Academy. We are delighted to announce that she has agreed to serve as the Academy’s new Coordinator for applicants to SYA.

A Reflection

circa 1992

by Hal McCann

I discovered SYA through wrestling! After the Andover-Northfield-Mt Hermon wrestling meet in 1975, Crayton Bedford and I learned that in addition to coaching wrestling, we shared a sincere belief in the importance of the international experience for young people. My wife and I created a summer program in Spain for NMH and had led it for 8 summers. My responsibilities at NMH at the time of the meet included directing several programs abroad both during the summer and school year. Crayton, of course, had spent several years in France, both as teacher and Resident Director, and at that time was SYA's Executive Director. I do not remember who won that meet, but I do know that it changed the course of my life. A few months later Crayton encouraged me to apply for his position.

I felt overwhelmed in my early days in my new Andover office. Where to begin? Fortunately, Crayton was still in the area, and following up on many of his initiatives got me started. Where SYA needed to go was clear, but I did not know how to get there. I needed help and turned to Josh Minor, an SYA parent and the Director of Admissions at Phillips Academy and founder here in the States of Outward Bound. I explained to Josh my situation. He turned his back to me and for several minutes (it seemed an eternity!) pecked away with his index fingers on his typewriter. Then he whirled back towards me, handed me the sheet, and explained in detail the outline he had written. I returned to my office, Josh's notes in hand, eager to put several of these ideas to practice.

The year before my arrival in 1976, SYA had incorporated. Crayton had suffered through all the legal problems, thank goodness, and so I started being able to concentrate primarily on SYA's main problem: recruitment. As I look back on my eleven years, recruitment remained the primary goal of the Central Office every year! We created a mailer to be sent to thousands of schools, we developed a catalog, but most importantly we began to visit schools. Those visits occupied most of my time during the fall of each year, and included schools throughout the country. My goal was always to present to the students themselves, rather than talk with teachers or school administrators. I felt confident that if I could get in front of the future participants themselves with my slide show and 20 minutes of time, I could spark interest. It sometimes took several visits to schools to finally get a candidate, but word of the program spread with each presentation. A problem that has plagued me all my life, I think, is not being happy with the status quo. Daily I would change the slide show, for example, or the talk I wanted to give. I just could never get it "just right". Once at St Paul's School in Baltimore, I set up the show in a classroom and went for a cup of coffee. When the lights went out to start the presentation a few minutes later, the slides appeared, several upside down! I am not sure whether I had created this mess in my haste to "improve the show" or whether the slide carousel had been sabotaged during my coffee break. I do know, however, that the school visits were key to SYA's growth during the next decade. Those ten years included activities other than recruitment, of course, most importantly the development of a substantial scholarship program, the creation of an Alumni Office and an enlarged pool of Associate Schools. Success in spreading the word about SYA and the steady increase in student applications gave me my greatest satisfaction, however. It is hard for me to believe that I presented SYA as many as 14 times a day! I never tired of talking about its challenges and rewards. But after nine years, the creative spark disappeared; I was just reworking old ideas. Midlife crises? Perhaps. My time with students during my school visits and my talks with SYA returnees convinced me that that I needed to return to the trenches. Our five years in Barcelona were extraordinary. No two days were alike; the weeks flew by. I had known that a resident director performed myriad duties, as principal, academic dean, dean of the faculty, counselor, business manager, (the list goes on), and I soon learned that there is a huge difference between overseeing the resident director (as I had done for ten years) and actually exercising that role. I never worked so hard in my life or felt so fulfilled.

As everyone connected with SYA knows, the experience abroad transforms the vast majority of our students. They grow two feet before our very eyes. Being a small part of that transformation and seeing it take place in such a short period of time constantly energized me throughout the five years. I had enjoyed my decade stateside as Executive Director and was proud of the progress SYA made during that time, but being a part of SYA's growth as an institution paled in comparison to the rewards of sharing in the growth of the young men and women studying in Barcelona. Indeed, the best decision I ever made in my working life was leaving the Central Office and accepting the position of Resident Director in Spain.

A surprise for me was how closely my experience abroad paralleled that of the students. Like them, I had to do things that were totally unfamiliar, facing new challenges in all areas of my life. Indeed, much of the advice I passed along to them was learned from first-hand experience, ... and on several occasions, I found out just how hard it was to follow my own counsel! Just as the SYA students received support from the SYA staff, their host family and friends, I too received invaluable guidance from my wife, Becky, and my wonderful secretary, Edna Atkinson. My real mentor, however, was Ed Sainati. Although small in stature, Ed was one of biggest men I have known. It is rare that one relinquishes a job that he has loved and exercised so well for 15 years and then voluntarily stays involved in a totally supportive way with his successor. Ed did so with incredible graciousness. He knew more about Barcelona, SYA in Barcelona, Spain, ... and baseball ... than I could ever know. We met often, especially during the first year. He always offered sage advice, when asked...he was never one to intrude. In later years the meetings became more social in nature, moments of much laughter and fun, but I always returned to the office with useful insights. How fortunate I was. And so, along with the students I was shepherding, I too grew in new ways.

That brief conversation with Crayton on the wrestling mats in 1975 led to unimaginable changes in my life. In all, I spent 16 years with SYA. I regret none.