Each year, during the preparatory stage of the learning journey to India, I ask the seniors to reflect on what they hope to gain from the experience, individually and collectively. Together, we consider a series of guiding questions so that they can tease out their thinking and be purposeful in their intention setting. As part of this process, the senior class selects a word that will serve as a compass on their journey; something that can anchor them to their purpose.
Language is fascinating. Entire concepts and complex ideas can be captured in one single word, and at times the complexity contained within that word is almost impossible to fully translate. The word the seniors selected this year is one such word: Yatra.
Roughly translated, Yatra is a journey that helps free us from mental and physical conditioning. It is a journey of rediscovery of self. This single word, in its complexity, perfectly encapsulates what the senior class hopes to gain from their learning journey.
We invite you to follow along as we embark on this journey of rediscovery of self.
The 2026 journey to India will take place February 13 – March 1.
On April 20 the Mount Madonna School (MMS) junior class, along with their teachers Chelsea Otterness, Greg Shirley and Claire Otterness, will travel to Washington, D.C. Their week will be filled with tours and interviews with an array of interesting individuals. Unfortunately, I am unable to join them due to an injury. While I am sorry to miss this opportunity, I am confident that the trip will be a success.
The Government in Action program was started in 1989 by Sadanand Ward Mailliard. Over the years, Mount Madonna School students have been fortunate to meet and interview some of our nation’s finest public servants. The Washington, D.C. learning journey is an integral part of the “Values in World Thought” program at Mount Madonna School. This unique trip to Washington, D.C. provides MMS juniors with a direct personal experience of those who devote their lives to public service.
We are motivated by a sincere desire to inquire into the values and experiences of those who serve our nation in all branches of government and beyond. We interview individuals who are committed to improving the quality of life in our nation and around the world, and who have the values and character that we wish to instill in our students.
In a time of division, the Government in Action program provides our students the opportunity to actively listen with open minds and hearts. It is our belief that we can positively impact the world by engaging in conversations of meaning, being curious, and being open to learning from people with different perspectives and lived experiences.
This past year, everyone has had to adapt to new routines and ways of life as we have learned to live during a pandemic. We have had to restrict ourselves from seeing our community in person, and adapt to connecting with others over Zoom, be that for school or business or just our friends and family. Even though adapting to this new way of life has been difficult, it has given us amazing opportunities to continue our lives and talk to people from faraway places that might not have been possible in the past.
As with everything that has changed this year, so have the learning journeys here at Mount Madonna School. We have had to rethink our past traditions and create new ones, which is exactly what the Mount Madonna school seniors are doing with this year’s India trip. As with any loss, we need to acknowledge there is sadness around what couldn’t be, but after processing and hearing that we could still have an India trip experience the class leapt onto the idea.
This newly imagined India trip will take place here on our beautiful campus amidst the redwood trees and wandering turkeys. During our week-long virtual trip, we will be interviewing Kamla Bhasin, Dr. Kshama Metre and Radha Sharan. The Senior class is more than excited to get a taste of the Indian culture through interviewing and learning from these wonderful individuals. We are also thrilled to be able to talk with some of the girls from Pardada Pardadi and kids from the Sri Ram Ashram. Over this next week, the Mount Madonna School senior class will be stepping into a different world to learn more about India and ourselves, and yet we won’t even be leaving the campus. Please check back regularly throughout the week to read our reflections and highlights from our various interviews and experiences.
Octavio Moreno
This year has been hard for everyone. Especially for students and those transitioning from high school into a new environment or career. Yet, the senior class at Mount Madonna is excited more than ever to hear new perspectives and explore the rich culture that surrounds the very foundation of Mount Madonna as an organization and a school. Having lost the opportunity to explore and experience India in person, we are excited to give our all to the success of this virtual India journey. Being presented with these new challenges further highlights the importance of connection and search for meaning that Mount Madonna has offered students year after year . It has also shown us that it is a choice to show up and learn, and not something out of our control.
This year we are fortunate to be able to interview Kamla Bhasin, Dr. Kshama Metre, and Radha Sharan. In addition to having this opportunity to speak with these amazing leaders, we are speaking with some of the children and young people from Sri Ram Ashram and Pardada Pardadi. We are overjoyed to have this opportunity to learn more about each and every person we meet and are excited to get to know ourselves more through this process. If you would like to follow our experience, please check back to see what we have been up to.
