Best Selling Author To Visit SJA

  “August 27^th will be a very special day for us. To have Greg Mortenson in our presence, a strong humanitarian and an advocate for educating young women, is a tremendous honor.” said SJA President Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis J’71.

Three Cups of Tea is a true story based on Greg Mortenson’s climb up Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain in the Karakoram Range. Recovering from the climb in a small mountain village, Mr. Mortenson discovered that many of the children there were sitting in the dirt, using sticks to write in the sand to learn their lessons. He promised them that he would come back to build them a school. He did more than that! As of 2009, Mortenson has built over 90 schools in the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, educating more than 38,000 children.

SJA students and staff will get to hear first hand Mr. Mortenson’s experiences with Afghan and Pakistani children, his struggles with government policies, and the fierce resistance from the Taliban and other powerful militia groups. Mr. Mortenson states, “Education is the key to help fight terrorism. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

Principal Audrey Menard said, “As we note in our mission statement, Saint Joseph Academy prides itself on preparing young women for compassionate leadership and service in a global society.  Mr. Mortenson is a true inspiration and a wonderful example for our students.”

You don’t want to miss this! Make sure you are reading Three Cups of Tea this summer. Let’s welcome this true hero to our school and show him our wonderful SJA spirit. Further details to come!