Calvin Weng ’27
Contributor
Staff Spotlight: The Robisons
After almost a year spent in Spain, the Robison couple—Mr. Curtis Robison, Mathematics Faculty, and Mrs. Delphine Robison, Modern & Classical Languages – French Faculty—have finally returned to the warm embrace of the Loomis Chaffee community.
The Robisons’ traveled to Spain to have the opportunity to learn Spanish in the very place it was born.
“I had been wanting to learn Spanish for a while and wasn’t taking the time to do it,” said Mrs. Robison. “Growing up in Europe, the importance of learning your neighbors’ languages is part of the culture. Living in the U.S. and near Hartford, Spanish seemed like an important language for me to know.”
From September to Christmas, the Robisons studied at the Granada Academy in Southern Spain, where the influence of North African and Arab cultures can still be found today. While Ms. Robison got involved full-time, taking classes for 30 hours a week, Mr. Robison took a few weeks off to enjoy his free time exploring the historic town they lived in by bike. He also played table tennis in a professional club run by a former Spanish champion for some weeks and saw rapid improvements in his game.
The next stop of the Robisons’ expedition was at the Don Quijote Academy at the Canary Islands, where they made significant progress while engaging in the local community. They also hiked to the highest point in Spain.
The Robisons then headed to San Pedro, where they got to catch up with the Matlacks, who were teaching in an international school. There, the Robisons took Spanish classes with a diverse group of other students from China, Brazil, Germany, Austria, and Russia.
Last year was a big one for their family too. Mr. Robison went to France for the 100th birthdays of both his parents, his mother’s passing four months afterward, and the birth of his grandchildren. Mrs. Robison also spent time with her family, in addition to volunteering with an organization that worked to help young refugees.
“I was part of a group that helps teach them French,” said Mrs. Robison. “But the organization does a lot more, providing host families, legal help, and health and wellness. It was a very enriching and rewarding experience.”
While the Robinsons got to enjoy their year away, they also missed a lot about Loomis.
“We roamed around quite a bit when we were in Spain and I missed not being part of a community,” Mrs. Robison said.
However, now that the couple has gotten back from a year of traveling and learning, they can return to engaging with the community they love.
Thinking back, Mr. Robison wants to thank the school for giving him the opportunity to explore Europe.
“One thing that I appreciate is that Loomis has been very supportive of my personal and professional development, and encourages me to do this kind of project a lot,” Mr. Robison said.
Ms. Robison also has great appreciation for the experience she had.
“Being a teacher, it’s hard to feel free from work and that freedom was a nice thing to have for the year,” Ms. Robison said. “In addition to enabling me to learn a new language, [this break] enabled me to volunteer in my community, something that I wish I could do more of when I am at Loomis.”