Jeffrey Doonan grew up on Cape Cod, enjoying the expansive shorelines nestled between the mainland and Nonamesset Island. When it came time to look at colleges, Doonan surprisingly found himself drawn to the landlocked hills of Vermont and Castleton University. For him, the pairing checked two significant boxes.
“It was the fact that they had a lacrosse team, and I also wanted to attend a state school,” he explained.
The young athlete quickly found an unexpected home in the English Department thanks to their collaborative approach to education.
“The English department at my time had some great teachers who forced me to question things I never really questioned,” he said. “They allowed me to form my own answers many of the times and that has been key in my teaching of Philosophy, to let the students come to their own answers.”
After completing his English degree in 1985 and searching for his place within the workforce, Doonan moved home to Cape Cod, got his teaching license, and began teaching at the high school where he graduated. The comfort in the reset was not longstanding. He felt his attention pulled elsewhere after four years of teaching and embarked on a new quest.
“I decided I wanted an adventure, so I took a two-year contract to teach in Istanbul, Turkey. Two years led to five, after which I moved to Northern Cyprus for a while longer, then London, then Athens, and now in Ankara, Turkey. Those two years are now close to 32 years abroad.”
Doonan currently works full-time at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey teaching Social and Political Philosophy, as well as the occasional Academic English classes.
"I enjoy teaching," he explained, "Because it allows me to introduce many close to taboo topics, and the students enjoy the chance to discuss such issues in an academic setting."
When he is not molding minds in the classroom, Doonan is expanding his own. In addition to his global travels, he is also an avid collector of books.
"I like to collect books, mainly used books that I find on my wanderings here in Turkey and Greece and whenever and wherever I travel,” shared Doonan, whose office and home shelves are peppered with more than 3,000 books and novels. “I don’t have a particular favorite, but a First Edition of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Report to Greco, that I found at Shakespeare and Company in Paris, would be a contender."
Not limiting himself to his field of study and allowing his journeys to open him to different perspectives and opportunities has given Doonan unexpected gifts and experiences he wishes to share with all.
"To any and all Castleton grads, never hesitate to take a chance at employment outside of your comfort zone or outside of your known environment, dare to wander, dare to have adventures,” he offered. “That is probably why I place Kazantzakis so high among all my books, he was a true adventurer and he certainly knew how to live a full life."