One World
By Betsy Hickok
Charles W. Day traveled to developing countries to teach. But during his many months in the universities, hospitals, and other organizations of India and Thailand, he also learned.
“I was always aware of the general poverty of the people and the great difficulty they face in getting an education,” Charlie recalls. “Yet, whatever their hardships, they were all very generous and hospitable. I felt especially grateful for the insights they provided me into the many cultural and ethnic differences within their countries, as well as into the fabled differences between East and West.”
A clinical psychologist and consultant who was raised in Iowa and earned three degrees from the UI (1960 B.A., 1962 M.A., 1964 Ph.D.), Charlie returned to Des Moines more than a decade ago after living in California for many years.
He had his first encounter with a developing country when he was a speaker at an international conference in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. After his talk, a group of Indian physicians approached him to discuss the need for training in psychotherapy in their country.
Tom Langdon at the UI Foundation
Charles W. Day
Inspired by their professional commitment and his own interest in Eastern philosophies and meditation practices, Charlie made his first working visit to Asia in 1985. He spent six months teaching psychotherapy and counseling skills to staff and students at hospitals, clinics, and educational institutions in Bombay. He returned every year until 1992—for four more years to India and then for three years to Thailand as visiting professor at Chiang Mai University—devoting several months each year to teaching and additional time to traveling in the surrounding countries and meditating at retreat centers.
“Asia is an absolutely fascinating part of the world!” Charlie says enthusiastically. “The people have very different ways of looking at life, influenced by their beliefs in reincarnation, ‘karma,’ and meditation, and by their devotion to their extended family and respect for the wisdom of their elders.
“At the same time, there is a great thirst among Asian students to learn about the United States by studying here. Yet, unless they come from a wealthy or very influential family, this is an impossible dream.”
Charlie was determined to help. He contributed to scholarship funds for many years through The University of Iowa Foundation. He decided to create his own fund through the Foundation—one specifically for students who are citizens of developing countries.
The stated purpose of the Charles W. Day One World Scholarship Fund is “to promote world peace, understanding, compassion, and harmony among different ethnic and cultural groups through higher education.”
Sanyukta Jaiswal
Tom Langdon at the UI Foundation
Sanyukta Jaiswal
One of the recipients, Sanyukta Jaiswal, from Varanasi, India, is completing a Ph.D. degree in speech pathology and audiology, and plans to graduate in December 2006. “I was between assistantships, and I was applying to licensure programs, which is expensive. I thought I might have to take a hiatus from the program. Receiving the One World Scholarship allowed me to stay and finish my studies. I am really thankful for the support.”
Says Charlie, “I’m glad to be able to make a difference in students’ lives and help them in their success.” Although he retired, as he says, “from income-producing activity” in 1997, Charlie continues to make a difference in other ways.
Directly following the attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, he served as a mental health volunteer at a Red Cross Respite Center at ground zero, a life-changing experience that filled him with “joy, awe, and gratitude for . . . the resilience of the human spirit expressed by ordinary folks in the face of tragedy.”
Today, he devotes much of his time to teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy to individuals and groups, including at the Iowa Correctional Women’s Prison in Mitchellville, Iowa.
Says Charlie, “I’ve always felt that education—especially when it involves learning across cultures—is the ultimate key to solving the world’s problems, from poverty to prejudice to war. In a small way, I hope the One World Scholarship will help.”