NOTE: This is the first in a series of profiles of our staff and faculty here at Champlain College Dublin. These are for you (potential students, parents, or whoever is reading) to get to know a little bit about the Champlain College Dublin community.
Claire Gannon, our Head Resident and Activities coordinator, has been with Champlain College Dublin for just over 3 years. Claire is a native of County Sligo, but emigrated with her family to the USA when she was young. She grew up in Wisconsin and attended Lawrence University, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science and Geology. After graduation Claire returned to Ireland and soon joined the Champlain College Dublin team. Claire lives in the student residence (with boyfriend Damhan) and is responsible for the day to day operations there, including student health and safety.
Claire believes that the Champlain College Dublin experience allows the students ‘to become more independent…but more importantly they leave having developed cultural sensitivity and competence. Not everything outside the US is bad / weird / not right. Sometimes the right thing to do is to stop, notice that something is different, and instead of judging this difference accept it and maybe even take the next step of figuring out WHY it is different.’
Claire works very hard planning activities in Dublin and the community for the students. But while Champlain does provide a lot of activities, it is also up to the students to participate in their own immersion experience. Sometimes it can be hard for the students to take charge of ‘getting out there‘, but some of Claire’s top tips include ‘leaving your apartment for activities other than going to class or grocery shopping. Go for a walk, get comfortable with Dublin’s streets and navigating your way without a map, visit museums (they’re free here), use the internet to find things you’re interested in… the experience will not just come to you… you HAVE to put in effort to get something out of your time here.’
When not on duty or at work, Claire likes to ‘head out of the city, with camera in hand, for a nice long walk in the mountains or by the sea.’ She also has the travel bug, with her favourite spots being Istanbul, Turkey and Granada, Spain.