Dear I-House Community,
Last weekend, 272 residents embarked on I-House's annual resident retreat, a tradition many of you will remember as the magical beginning of your own I-House journey. For the first time, we ventured to Cal's Lair of the Golden Bear Camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where residents from more than 40 countries gathered to kick off their I-House experiences.
Connections were formed between residents through dialogue sessions that explored cross-cultural understanding and traditional camp experiences, including hiking, swimming in a lake, kayaking, and sharing stories around the s'mores fire. The retreat also featured team-building activities that had residents breaking into smaller groups to tackle challenges like collaborative Lego bridge builds and an obstacle course with sack races, frisbee tosses, and jianzi circles.
During Friday night's welcome, I reminded residents of something our alumni know well: "You may be strangers now, but the friends you make at I-House will be with you throughout your lifetime." I shared that while they'll graduate as alumni of Cal and their respective schools, their I-House connection will prove the most impactful of all.
In these mountains, the next generation of global leaders discovered what our community has always known — that understanding begins with curiosity, and friendship transcends borders. Thanks to your ongoing support, we're able to offer these transformative experiences to our residents every year.
Go Bears!
Shaun R. Carver Ed.D., MBA
Executive Director and CEO
International House at UC Berkeley
linkedin.com/in/shauncarver
