Meet the Prefects: Jean Guerreiro (’22)

Below is the first installment in a series introducing students and their families to the prefects for the 2021 Great Books High Summer Program. To read the series in full as it published, visit the Summer Program Blog.

As head men’s prefect, Jean Guerreiro (NE’22) is sure to bring his vivacious joy and love for the liberal arts to every moment of the upcoming Great Books Summer Program on the New England campus. Jean remembers traveling 5,000 miles from his home in Brazil to attend the program as a high school student in 2018. He came to Southern California not knowing what to expect, but the two weeks ended up changing his life. “I can say almost for sure that if I didn’t come to the Summer Program, I would not be in the school,” he notes. 

Having worked three programs since then, Jean encourages students to live every moment to the fullest during their two weeks on campus: “Don’t come thinking whether or not you want to attend the College, don’t come in thinking whether or not you can do the program, don’t come in thinking whether or not you’ll be able to make friends,” he advises, “The main thing is to come with is just an openness to the beauty of the pursuit of truth and the way we do it here, and being open for God’s grace to act throughout those two weeks. After that, you’ll have a whole year to think about all these other questions, but if you’re focused on them during the program, you’ll not be able to focus on the here and now that God has given.”

Always energetic and outgoing, Jean can’t wait to give the students a run for their money on the soccer field or during intense games of ping-pong. (Watch out, he’s an expert!) Better yet, he is always ready for a good conversation about the College’s curriculum. Jean will be working on the New England campus in the Admissions Department over the summer, and he is very much looking forward to greeting this year’s attendees in July!