2008 Woodie Awards
Masare: a treasure found 24 years ago
Date created: 12/7/04 Section: FEATURES
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At the age of 28, Masare decided to leave home. Tanzania, which only later in 1992 became a multi-party system, was one-party regime at the time and had no other ideologies. Masare always wanted to be a teacher and if he stayed in Tanzania, he knew he couldn't teach any other ideas contrary to their own. So, he left.
When Masare moved here, he changed his last name from Mwanajimba, to Masare, which is his father's first name, because it was hard for many people to pronounce his original last name. Since he already taught at the University of Dar-es-Saalam, which is in a modernized city in Tanzania, before coming to America, the states were not so much a culture shock to Masare. But he was still quite surprised with certain things about America's culture.
"In my culture there is no word to describe a beggar or millionaire," Masare said. "They are just people."
Masare was shocked to see people on the streets with their hands out asking for money and food. In his village, in which he still visits when time and money permits him to, there was always enough food for everyone; there were never any beggars.
Donna Bestock, dean of Social Science and Creative Arts here at Skyline, has known Masare since he first came to Skyline 24 years ago. She describes him as a "treasure."
"He brings, both to his students and his colleagues, a perspective that we otherwise don't get," she said. "He is very generous about sharing his cultural perspective and it's a very peaceful, compassionate, open caring kind of culture that he comes from."
Lori Slicton, an anthropology professor at Skyline and a long time colleague of Masare, agrees with Bestock.
"He gives a lot of himself. He is one of the most generous individuals to the community, not just the campus, but in general. Johannes is a gift to the entire community."
"I've never had a professor who cared so deeply about his students," Marc Conui, who is taking Masare's class this semester, said. "He realizes that the students are the future of America and he wants them to get the best education."
So, with all this praise, it's no wonder Masare decided to become a teacher rather than a diplomat.
"It's expanding the horizon of the minds of my students," Professor Masare said, "Nothing is more important than that."
When Masare moved here, he changed his last name from Mwanajimba, to Masare, which is his father's first name, because it was hard for many people to pronounce his original last name. Since he already taught at the University of Dar-es-Saalam, which is in a modernized city in Tanzania, before coming to America, the states were not so much a culture shock to Masare. But he was still quite surprised with certain things about America's culture.
"In my culture there is no word to describe a beggar or millionaire," Masare said. "They are just people."
Masare was shocked to see people on the streets with their hands out asking for money and food. In his village, in which he still visits when time and money permits him to, there was always enough food for everyone; there were never any beggars.
Donna Bestock, dean of Social Science and Creative Arts here at Skyline, has known Masare since he first came to Skyline 24 years ago. She describes him as a "treasure."
"He brings, both to his students and his colleagues, a perspective that we otherwise don't get," she said. "He is very generous about sharing his cultural perspective and it's a very peaceful, compassionate, open caring kind of culture that he comes from."
Lori Slicton, an anthropology professor at Skyline and a long time colleague of Masare, agrees with Bestock.
"He gives a lot of himself. He is one of the most generous individuals to the community, not just the campus, but in general. Johannes is a gift to the entire community."
"I've never had a professor who cared so deeply about his students," Marc Conui, who is taking Masare's class this semester, said. "He realizes that the students are the future of America and he wants them to get the best education."
So, with all this praise, it's no wonder Masare decided to become a teacher rather than a diplomat.
"It's expanding the horizon of the minds of my students," Professor Masare said, "Nothing is more important than that."
