Miguel Gracia-Zhang

B.A. in History, Princeton University

Miguel was born in central Pennsylvania, but he grew up in a small town in northern California, in a Buddhist monastic community called the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. There, he attended a K-12 Buddhist school and graduated in a class of just 12.With a father from Spain and a mother from China, Miguel’s upbringing was shaped by a blend of languages, cultures, and traditions, all interwoven with the values of his religious community.
From his sheltered childhood, he had the life-changing opportunity to join the Princeton Bridge Year program in Cochabamba, Bolivia. There he volunteered at a school and learned (and unlearned) different ways of seeing the world. This experience opened his eyes to the power of cultural exchange and experiential education in fostering growth and understanding.

After Bolivia, Miguel studied History at Princeton, where he grappled with questions of culture and memory, and learned to investigate and see the world through a more critical and nuanced lens. After University, Miguel taught English in Can Tho, Vietnam for two semesters, and led a service-centered summer program with Putney Student Travel. He has also worked as a youth soccer coach, tutor, substitute teacher, and garbage man.
Outside of work, Miguel enjoys playing soccer, running, cooking (and sharing meals with friends), and wandering through new cities on foot. He speaks Spanish, Chinese, English, and a smattering of Vietnamese, and is so excited to help students navigate their own paths of exploration, reflection, learning, and growth.