Prep Journeys: Ciaran McGahey ’27

For junior Ciaran McGahey, the journey that defines his time at the Prep extends far beyond the school’s walls at 17th & Girard. This past summer, he embarked on a transformative adventure halfway across the world, spending six weeks in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, fully immersed in the language, culture, and daily rhythms of a country few Americans know well.

Ciaran’s trip was part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), a prestigious and highly competitive program funded by the U.S. State Department that sends high school students abroad to study critical languages. It’s the same program his older brother Aidan ’20 participated in years ago when he studied Arabic in Morocco. Aidan’s experience had sparked a passion for languages and global affairs that continues to guide him today, and Ciaran was inspired to chart his own course.

The process wasn’t easy. Ciaran began applying the previous fall, writing multiple essays and undergoing interviews, all while balancing his Prep workload and extracurricular commitments. When delays caused by a government shutdown pushed back decisions, his anticipation grew. “I wasn’t sure if I’d get in,” he said, “but as soon as I got the acceptance email in March, I knew I was going.”

He chose Indonesia in part because it was the only language in the program that uses the Latin alphabet, which made it feel more accessible. More importantly, though, it was a country he knew almost nothing about, and that was the point. “I wanted the challenge of starting completely fresh,” Ciaran explained. “It was a chance to learn a language and culture that were totally new to me.”

Getting there was an adventure on its own. Originally slated to fly through Qatar, a sudden regional crisis closed the airspace the day before departure. Flights were rerouted through Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur, turning what should have been a 20-hour journey into nearly three days of travel, including a ten-hour layover in Amsterdam. Despite the exhaustion and a chronic struggle to sleep on planes, Ciaran arrived ready to dive in.

Life in Yogyakarta was both intense and eye-opening. Each morning began with the call to prayer at 5:30 a.m. from a nearby mosque. His host family ate breakfast together, and he said goodbye to them by “salim,” a traditional gesture of respect. Riding a motorbike taxi to school each day, Ciaran attended full-immersion Indonesian language classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Afternoons were spent exploring cultural activities: making batik fabric, practicing archery, bargaining in local markets, and visiting ancient temples, including the world’s largest Buddhist temple and a nearby Hindu temple.

The language itself surprised him. “Indonesian was easier to learn than Spanish,” he said. “There’s no gender, no conjugation, no complicated past tense. It’s straightforward and logical, which helped me build my confidence quickly.”

Ciaran’s host family consisted of a retired mother and a father who worked in the oil industry, along with adult siblings who lived on different islands but visited often. Though many locals wanted to practice their English with him, Ciaran insisted on speaking Indonesian as much as possible, a commitment that helped him progress rapidly.

But the experience wasn’t without challenges. During a muddy rice-planting field trip that doubled as a playful game, Ciaran took a hard fall and broke his toe. After visits to two hospitals and a minor surgery to insert a wire, he spent two nights in the hospital and missed a once-every-four-years kite festival.This is something that not just Ciaran was bummed about, but his host family as well. Walking through airport security with the wire still in his foot was a test of resilience, but he bounced back quickly, walking again just two days later.

“That moment really showed me I’m more adaptable than I thought,” he reflected. “Before the program, I worried about whether I could handle new situations and stress. But living in Indonesia, dealing with language barriers, cultural differences, and even an injury, it all taught me I’m capable of more than I imagined.”

The experience also broadened his perspective on religion and culture. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country, and the constant presence of mosques and daily prayer calls were a new normal for Ciaran. Coming back to the Prep’s diverse and welcoming community, he noticed things differently.

“Seeing how religion is part of daily life over there made me more aware of the religious diversity here,” he said. “At home, there are churches everywhere. There, mosques are everywhere. It’s about understanding different perspectives.”

Beyond language and culture, the program gave Ciaran a glimpse of life where the small details are different but meaningful: scooter taxis are the primary mode of transportation, costing mere pennies; traffic laws are informal at best; and everyday life moves at a different pace.

Now back on campus, Ciaran notices the fact that his Prep experience prepared him well. From navigating SEPTA trains to juggling academics and roles in Model UN, Cape and Sword, and other clubs, he’d built the resilience and curiosity that made this journey possible.

“The Prep allows me to be academically ambitious and to take risks,” he said. “Without that foundation, I don’t think I’d have had the confidence to apply to a program like NSLI-Y.”

Looking forward, Ciaran plans to continue studying Indonesian in college and hopes to return to Indonesia someday, keeping alive the friendships and connections he made. His Prep journey, like this summer’s adventure, is far from over, it’s simply taken a bold new direction.