Revista Los Nogales no. 4 - Febrero 2015 | Page 8

Notas de la Rectoría
Notas de la Rectoría

Embracing differences

Nearly two years ago , the Board of Directors of Colegio Los Nogales , made a clear statement regarding their view of diversity at CLN . In naming me , a foreigner and non-Catholic , Head of School , our Board demonstrated not just their acceptance of differences , but also their celebration and embracing of these differences . This was a courageous decision by our Board , not because of my abilities or inabilities , but because of my background , language , religion and nationality .

Certainly , many wondered why would a school , which forms its identity in large part as a Colombian institution grounded in Catholic traditions , hired a Head of School who represents neither of these foundational aspects of the school ? It is a fair question , and one I have tried to answer with some frequency over the past two years .
The answer , I believe , is that our Board chose to focus on the many ways in which I represented the philosophy of Colegio Los Nogales , not the few ways in which I did not . Rather than using a few details to mark or polarize a discussion or decision , they chose to look more deeply at core values and shared beliefs . They did not hire me in the name of diversity , nor did they exclude me due to the differences I represented .
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