Powell Center Alumni ProfileSydney Jorcool,
Colin Powell Leadership Fellow, 2004-2006
Two years ago, Syd Jorcool, a former Powell Center Leadership Fellow, relocated to Antigua, Guatemala, and began teaching English at the Colegio Colonial Bilingue, a local pre-k through high school cooperative. Within months, Syd became the school’s English coordinator and also began teaching middle-school social studies and history there.
In her classes, Syd draws upon the knowledge she received through the Powell Center’s policy and leadership training. “At the Center, I learned a lot of about globalization, international markets, democratization, and the relationships that go on between governments,” says Syd, 26. “This knowledge has enabled me to give my students an understanding of their place in the larger scheme of things. That's empowering to them.”
Syd also credits the Powell Center with expanding her view of her possibilities. “I was exposed to scholars who had traveled all over the world, doing all kinds of international research,” she says, “It helped me see what I could do.” As a Powell Center scholar, Syd eventually traveled to Rwanda and El Salvador for internships. “Without those experiences, I never would have taken the plunge to live in Guatemala now,” she adds.
