MY HERO: JON JEREMY BREEN ’96 BY SEAN BREEN, Performing Arts Teacher
Imagine being present when a person becomes a hero. Consider how wonderful it would be to witness someone you know, and love, become a model of compassion and significant action. This is how I feel about a special hero in my life—my son Jon.
ABOVE: Jon with former U.S. Ambassador to Albania, Alexander Arvizu RIGHT: Kampi Pa Emer is a camp that brings together Roma, Non-Roma, and Albanian children
ABOVE: Jon in mosque minaret in El Dasan, Albania LEFT: Kampi Pa Emer fundraising efforts at work supporting critically needed oral health for Albanian children
The Peace Corps offered Jon a choice between two world regions. He selected to be placed in an “eastern European country.” Jon was placed in Albania, a Balkan country, which is located north of Greece but at the bottom of the European economic ladder. Decades of exploitive relationships with global political powers (such as the former Soviet Union and China, to name a few) left Albania with a staggering lack of basic services. Additionally, the historically important role of religion had
been erased as a concession to Albania’s alliance with China during the 1980s. These factors resulted in a country with a struggling economy but without a religious safety net. After an intense language immersion program (Jon is now fluent in Shqip, or Albanian), the Peace Corps placed Jon in the small town of Librazhd, on the Macedonia border. Jon immediately assessed the needs of the community and—here is where the “hero” comes Continued on page 38 FALL 2016 • RED & GOLD | 37
FOLLOWING HIS NINE YEARS AT CSB, “Jon” Jeremy Breen ’96 followed a rather circuitous path through the world of higher education with stops at Lowell High School, Delta College, Laney College, and, eventually, University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. During this same time, Jon was also interested in joining a service organization, such as AmeriCorps. In 2013, Jon decided to apply to the Peace Corps.
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