I never had any interest racing in the Vendée Globe. The course is around the world, single-handed, non-stop. It’s too hard, too long, too dangerous and the boats are too far from land for help. Yet, the unique symbolism of the Vendée Globe is that it actually circles the world, and thus offers a chance to create a global school program.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. I hold this day close to my heart. My father was a native Spanish speaker growing up in the Southwest United States in the 1960s and was a victim of an often told tale about being belittled, ill-treated and isolated for speaking Spanish, his native language.