Meet the ISP Staff!

Each of our staff wrote a few sentences to share with all of you our heart for India and the India Studies Program. Enjoy!

Kirk McClelland, ISP director, riding his Indian "Hero" bicycle to the office. He does this each morning along Racecourse road, always waving 'good morning' to students along the way.

India: a place of beauty, a place of extremes, a place that has captured my heart and my imagination. A place where i'm continually learning to slow down and be patient. India: a place where one can see the effects of globalization at its best and worst- a mirror to our own reality allowing us to see our complicity and connections. I fell in love with India in the late nineties and now am priveledged to introduce others to the wonderful, complex, overwhelming cutures of India. Come join us as we discover India, learn about ourselves, and figure out how to stay on a rickshaw.

Jonathan Pinckney, ISP Program Assistant, makes friends with a student at a school in Hyderabad.

My name is Jonathan Pinckney and I'm a Program Assistant here at ISP. I love working for this program because my life has been radically changed both by study abroad and by India.  I've both studied and worked in the study abroad world before and have had my heart stolen by some wonderful Indian children at orphanages across South India.  I love having the opportunity to introduce students to a context that's new and exciting, and to come along side them as they wrestle with the questions that that new context presents.  India is a fascinating place for those transformative conversations to take place and its a privilege for me to be here.

Kandyce Pinckney, ISP Program Assistant, with her friend Deepa, a school student. 

I fell in love with India back in 2005, after deciding to pursue my international field experience requirement for my International Affairs major on a study tour of South India. I never imagined how much my life could change as a result of that 6 weeks abroad! Since my first trip to India 6 years ago, I have spent time working on behalf of India's untouchables with the Dalit Freedom Network and with refugees from around the world, compelled to work on behalf of the least of these in large part because of the experiences I had during my trips to India. I'm incredibly excited to work with our ISP students and walk with them through what will undoubtedly be a life-altering experience for each and every one of them. I'm excited to see them all grow in tremendous and sometimes unexpected ways, to learn more about the global community and their roles and responsibilities in it, and to learn more about the heart of God through those they meet.

Stay tuned for a few guest posts, as well as a post on our upcoming trip to Chennai!