SEGA, Through the Words and Photos of Dr. Jean Merrill
Dr. Jean Merrill reading The Wild Life of Limericks to SEGA students. Jean co-wrote the book with her husband Doug.
As a board member of Nurturing Minds, Sherley Young has been making valuable contributions to our organization for many years. In addition to her generous financial contributions, she has introduced many influential and passionate friends to SEGA. Many of these introductions have led to new volunteers and financial support for Nurturing Minds and the school. One such introduction was to Dr. Jean Merrill who, like Sherley, is a Smith College graduate.
Jean is also an award-winning photographer and retired neuroscientist who spent her entire career in academia and the biotech and pharmaceutical businesses studying the cause and treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. She has been a proponent of science education for women throughout her career, fostering the education and professional successes of undergraduate interns, graduate and postgraduate students, medical students, and junior female colleagues.
Nurturing Minds Board members Annie de Cossy Forsyth (back left) and Clarke Blynn (back right) with SEGA students during the English Fluency Program in 2017.
While spending two weeks together on a Smith College-sponsored trip to Egypt, Sherley and Jean bonded over similar travels and world experiences. Sherley asked Jean and another Smith graduate from that trip to join her in the SEGA English Fluency Program in 2017. The English Fluency Program, started by Smith College graduate Sherley Young, was designed to solidify the students’ English language skills since English is required for their secondary studies of 11 different subjects. Embracing the experience and joy of teaching young women just entering secondary school that year prompted Jean to return in 2019 to teach a new class of students. She hopes to return in 2021, when safe travel resumes, to witness the graduation of her first group of students.
Jean says, “The SEGA experience continues to nurture my need to educate young women to be independent, to think creatively, to be leaders, to dream big dreams and realize them, and to move their lives out of poverty in the most productive way possible. Through its curriculum, development of life, business, and leadership skills, and bringing an understanding of community service and environmental stewardship, SEGA has made great strides to ensure that all of these goals are possible for their graduates.”
The SEGA Campus situated at the foot of the Uluguru Mountains.
She continues, “I was impressed with the students’ curiosity and intelligence. The two-year hiatus between visits produced a transformation in the Pre-Form 1 girls we met in 2017 to the mature young women who met me in 2019 with questions about world politics (particularly their concern about the next US president) and opinions about how their own country, Tanzania, would get out from under the influence and economic dependency on other countries (such as China). They told me they longed for their nation to become industrially independent and start exporting homemade products (steel, textiles). I had an adult conversation with them that left me so proud of them.”
“One of the most memorable experiences was when I became the student and my students taught me something during our discussion of famous women. We had read the biography of Oprah Winfrey. The girls knew vaguely of her because she had started a school for girls in South Africa. We spoke about the meaning of philanthropy, Oprah’s generosity, and her being a TV and movie personality.”
“But when I asked them, ‘What was the most interesting thing about Oprah Winfrey’s life?”, one of my students responded, “When Oprah was young, she was abused. This caused her mental and physical harm. But she overcame that pain by reading books”. Lesson learned: Their lives and the context of their existence will frame the way they learn and the impact of their education.”
We are appreciative of Jean’s recent efforts to grow awareness about SEGA by presenting her experiences, accompanied by slides, in a Zoom talk sponsored by the NYC Smith Club. Using her photojournalist’s talents, Jean introduced the audience to Tanzania, its topography, history, British education system, and the SEGA Girls’ School, covering the school’s cycle of learning, community service, traditions, and joyous celebrations, including graduation.
You can watch Jean’s Zoom talk by clicking here.
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If you are interested in learning how you can become an English Fluency Program volunteer or ideas for how you can introduce Nurturing Minds and SEGA to your alumni network at your alma mater, please email us at info@nurturingmindsinafrica.org.
View additional photos below from Jean’s time at SEGA and travels in Tanzania.
