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Traveling the Way

Harris family establishes a study abroad scholarship to encourage william & mary students to explore spain’s camino de santiago.

July 7, 2023 By Tina Eshleman

Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain is a meaningful way to prepare a William & Mary student for life as a global citizen. Just ask Jonathan Harris ’94, who traveled the centuries-old pilgrimage trail by foot the summer after his sophomore year at the university.

During the 500-mile trek from the French-Spanish border to Santiago de Compostela, Harris experienced the landscape, culture and history of Spain in a deeply personal way. While doing so, he walked alongside a Brazilian ship’s captain and a Dutch land-rights negotiator, among others who came seeking spiritual renewal, a deeper understanding of their place in the world and a human connection away from everyday distractions.

“It opened my eyes to our shared journey in life, and that people are more similar than we sometimes think,” Harris says. “On the Camino, everybody is doing the same thing. It’s not about status or position, but taking it step by step.”

To make this kind of experience possible for other William & Mary students, Harris’ family, including his parents and siblings, has established the Harris Family Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment. The donor group includes Don Harris ’57, P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and Ruth Harris P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and their sons and daughters-in-law: Tim Harris ’91 and Amy Brown Harris ’91, M.A.Ed. ’96; Jonathan Harris ’94 and Stacey Reid Harris; and Chris Harris ’98 and Rian Harker Harris ’98.

Two additional donors who wish to remain anonymous partnered with the family to fund the endowment for a combined gift of $100,000. The scholarship will provide support for W&M students to participate in Camino pilgrimages or, if those opportunities are not available in a given year, other study abroad opportunities in Spain.

The Camino de Santiago, also known in English as the Way of St. James, comprises a network of trails that pilgrims have traveled since the ninth century to reach the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral was built at the site where, around the year 813, a hermit discovered a tomb believed to contain the remains of the Christian apostle James the Greater and two of his disciples. As recounted in the Book of Acts, James was martyred, and tradition holds that his body was transported from the Middle East to what is now northwestern Spain, where he had spent time evangelizing.

Today the pilgrimage routes continue to attract people from near and far, and interest has grown over the past 20 years. According to statistics published by the Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino (Pilgrim’s Welcome Office), more than 437,000 made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 2022.

“Spiritually you get something out of it because you’re out of touch with the ordinary world,” Don Harris says. “You meet strangers with similar experiences and it’s very enriching. For some people, it deepens their faith.”

A Boston-area native, Don randomly picked out a William & Mary catalog at his high school library in the early 1950s and was captivated by pictures of the historic Wren and Brafferton buildings. Harris’ three sons followed in his footsteps to become William & Mary alumni. Tim and Jonathan run the Williamsburg-based family business, La Tienda, which Don founded in 1996 with his sons’ help. Previously, he had served as Episcopal chaplain for William & Mary students, based at Bruton Parish Church, after retiring from the Navy, and Ruth Harris served as music librarian at W&M from 1989 to 2004. The leading online U.S. retailer of gourmet food and cookware from Spain, La Tienda expanded with a retail shop and tapas bar in 2010.

As La Tienda’s CEO, Tim is responsible for the operational and financial side of the business, while Jonathan is president and head of product development. Their younger brother, Chris, works for the U.S. Department of State and will soon move from the Republic of Georgia to Madrid, where his wife, Rian, will serve as deputy U.S. ambassador to Spain. (Read more about La Tienda in the fall 2023 W&M Alumni Magazine small business profile "A Taste of Spain." )

In addition to establishing the scholarship, the Harris family encourages cross-cultural learning through their business. Because La Tienda’s employees represent at least eight different nationalities in Latin America, Asia and Europe, the company made it a priority early on to provide English literacy classes during work hours. More recently, they have added Spanish instruction for English speakers as well. La Tienda regularly employs William & Mary students as interns and provides case studies for business analytics students at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

“Williamsburg turned out to be a wonderful place for La Tienda to be based because we have so many neighbors who worked in the State Department, CIA or the military and have spent time in Spain,” Tim says. “A lot of William & Mary professors have also been over there to study or travel.

“That’s why we decided to open the restaurant and retail store on Jamestown Road as a way for my father, in particular, to continue to connect with people face-to-face, and share the way that the Spaniards celebrate life with their families around food — that’s his favorite part.”

The family first discovered the Camino de Santiago when Don was serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy in Spain in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While there, the Harrises came to love the warmth of the Spanish people, the flavorful cuisine and the beauty of Romanesque art and architecture.

Since then, family members have returned periodically. Jonathan and Stacey walked a 62-mile stretch of the Camino for their honeymoon; they recently traveled there again to share the experience with their daughters, one of whom was making a pilgrimage with a college group, just as Jonathan had done.

Tim has traveled portions of the trails multiple times. While attending William & Mary, he studied with George Greenia, co-founder of the university’s Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, now a professor emeritus of Hispanic studies. An authority on the Camino de Santiago. Greenia founded the W&M Institute for Pilgrimage Studies and has taken undergraduates backpacking on the Camino de Santiago to conduct interdisciplinary field research. He noted in a 2019 interview that his students had conversed with fellow pilgrims in English and Spanish as well as in French, German, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and even Hebrew.

In addition to establishing the scholarship endowment, the Harris family is providing funds through La Tienda to maintain the infrastructure in communities along the Camino de Santiago, such as installing water fountains and helping with repairs to the boarding houses or albergues where travelers stay.

“We encourage the La Tienda community to support this effort along with us and maybe go over there and help out,” Tim says.

The goal of the Harris Family Study Abroad Scholarship is for at least one or two William & Mary students each year to have the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago on the W&M faculty-led summer program managed by the Reves Center for International Studies. Since 2012, 117 William & Mary students have participated in the Santiago de Compostela program. Faculty directors have represented Hispanic studies, theatre, sociology, chemistry and education. Typically, students spend two weeks walking from León, Spain, to Santiago de Compostela and then a few weeks in the medieval city completing their projects.

The Harris scholarship ties in with the university’s commitment to study abroad experiences as a way to enhance academic excellence and prepare students for successful careers in a global economy. W&M ranks fourth among public universities in the nation in study-abroad programs, with almost 60% of undergraduates studying abroad before earning their degrees.

Adryan Flores ’16 sketches the landscape in O Cebreiro, Spain, between the O Courel and Os Ancares mountain ranges while walking the Camino de Santiago in 2016. (Photo by   Matthew Allar)

By participating in the Santiago de Compostela program and other study abroad opportunities, students can fulfill the university’s COLL 300 requirement — part of the W&M College Curriculum courses designed to integrate knowledge across the academic disciplines. COLL 300 programs introduce students to people and ideas outside of their familiar surroundings.

“Study abroad on the Camino de Santiago hits all the right notes for a William & Mary experience — interdisciplinary inquiry, experiential learning, close student-faculty collaborations and global learning,” says Ben Boone ’07, M.Ed. ’09, Ph.D. ’19, assistant dean for undergraduate education in Arts & Sciences. He has led the program twice and wrote his dissertation on the Camino de Santiago and study abroad.

The Harrises hope that students who walk the Camino will connect with other pilgrims and bring back stories of learning and growth to share with their family and friends, Tim says. “We believe this experience will give them a different perspective on the world and on their lives.”

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William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe issued the following message Wednesday. – Ed .

The violence unfolding in Israel and Gaza this week surpasses shock and anguish; it goes beyond what many of us have seen in our lifetimes. We hold all those affected by this growing conflict and its immeasurable tragedies in our thoughts. At this time of distress, anger and grief, William & Mary affirms our commitment to supporting our students, staff and faculty. Their safety, and the values of respect and belonging that anchor this educational community, are our highest priority.

Our vision reminds us that “people come to William & Mary wanting to understand and change the world.” The roots of conflict in this region are deep. We cannot expect a community as large and diverse as William & Mary’s to hold the same understanding of them. Yet one thing must be clear: terrorism should never be condoned and will not be condoned by this university. The brutal terrorism against Israeli civilians perpetrated by Hamas in recent days is abhorrent. In seeking to better understand our world and one another, each of us must be a change agent for peace.

As we go to Fall Break, pausing to reflect even as emotions are high, we must hold firm to these commitments: that civil discourse and respect are central to our community of learning. At times of fear and anger, the risk of all kinds of bias, including antisemitism, is always heightened. At William & Mary, the way to counter that risk is to challenge ideas, not persons, even and most especially when we passionately disagree.

What we cannot tolerate on this campus are incidents of harassment, discrimination or threats to safety. Such behavior is in stark contrast to W&M’s stated values and mission. I encourage anyone to report such incidents at [email protected] . Counseling services are also available 24/7 by calling 757-221-3620.

Ours is a community grounded in belonging, respect and mutual care. Now is a time to hold close to those values – in Williamsburg and wherever we gather. I saw firsthand this week, at our candlelight vigil, the power that this community has to raise each other up: members of campus, neighbors, friends and strangers. I am deeply proud to be part of a community that comes together as it did last evening at the Wren. It is in community that we are able to experience the power of connection and compassion, drawing from it especially during times of unfathomable pain.

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The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of William & Mary Libraries is pleased to announce that it will award travel grants to faculty members, graduate students, and/or independent researchers to support research use of its collections. Writers, creative and performing artists, filmmakers, and journalists are welcome to apply.

The SCRC is offering travel grants of maximum $1,500 for researchers 100 miles or more from Williamsburg, VA, and maximum $750 for researchers within 100 miles of Williamsburg, VA. Researchers should specify for which grant they are applying. Recipients may use the funds for more than one trip to the SCRC.

For information on the manuscripts, rare books, and university archives held in the Special Collections Research Center, please visit the SCRC  webpage . Strengths of the collections include, but are not limited to, books on dogs, fore-edge painting books, Virginia family papers and libraries, twentieth-century Southern politics, women’s diaries, travel diaries, veterans’ letters, notable alumni, and university history. Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss their research project and the collections that might support it with Special Collections staff before submitting an application.

About the grant

Eligibility.

A successful candidate for the 2024-2025 Travel Scholarship will:

• Reside beyond a 100-mile radius of Williamsburg, Virginia for the $1,500 grant or within a 100-mile radius of Williamsburg for the $750 grant.
• Not be a current William & Mary employee or student.
• Submit a research plan that draws heavily on the manuscripts, rare books, and/or University Archives collections.
• Submit a brief budget with anticipated expenses.
• Commit to schedule their research visit for the 2024-2025 cycle (July 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025).
• Agree to submit a brief research report (1-2 pages) on their findings and experiences.
• Consider placing any published work resulting from their research into the  William & Mary Institutional Repository .
• Participate in the intellectual life of the university by making a public presentation of research findings and experiences, meeting with faculty and students who share similar research interests, and/or other engagement activities with the university community. 

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• The merit of the research plan.
• The demonstrated need for in-person access to the holdings of the Special Collections Research Center. 

How to apply

Please submit the following:

• A brief  research plan  (500 words maximum) that describes the proposed project, lists the specific materials to be consulted, and explains how these materials will benefit the research project. Please name the document: LastName_FirstName_research_plan.pdf.
• A brief  budget of anticipated expenses . Please name the document: LastName_FirstName_budget.pdf.
• Current  curriculum vitae . Please name the document LastName_FirstName_cv.pdf.

Send all application materials by the end of the day on May 31 to  [email protected]  with the email subject line: 2024-2025 Research Travel Grants. Please contact us at  [email protected]  or 757-221-3090 with any questions. 

Important dates

• January 22, 2024:  Application period opens.
• May 31, 2024 : All application materials are due.
• June 17, 2024:  Successful applicants are notified by email.
• July 1, 2024:  Grant cycle begins.
• August 31, 2025:  Deadline for submitting research report. 

What expenses does the grant cover?

Grant money may be used for the following:

• Transportation expenses (including air, train or bus tickets; car rental; mileage using a personal vehicle; parking fees);
• Accommodations (daily standard range of $108 for Williamsburg/James City and York Counties, Virginia);
• Meals & Incidental Expenses (daily standard per diem rate of $64 for Williamsburg/James City and York Counties, Virginia).

Expenses are reimbursed as they are incurred but must adhere to the William & Mary  Travel Guidelines . Please note that reimbursement for travel applies to routes taken based on least mileage. Recipients will not be reimbursed for lodging in an AirBnB. The submission of a William & Mary substitute W-9 Cardinal form is required. Original receipts must be submitted for reimbursement.

Recipients of the Special Collections Research Travel Grant

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Special Collections Research Travel Grant: 

• Dr. Susan Branson (Professor, Syracuse University, New York) // Woolen textile manufacturing in the early American republic 
• Dr. Dan Du (Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina) // Tea in American culture 
• Dr. Katherine Johnston (Assistant Professor, Montana State University, Montana) // Race and breastfeeding 
• Dr. Jaroslav Kušnír (Professor, University of Prešov, Slovakia) // Hip hop culture in Virginia 
• Dr. Todd Peppers (Professor, Roanoke College, Virginia) // Biography of Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger 

2022-2023: 

•  Dr. Ross Nedervelt (Adjunct Professor, Florida International University, Florida) // Imperialism and (in)access to the Bahamas and Bermuda 
• Dr. Brent Sirota (Associate Professor, North Carolina State University, North Carolina) // Jonathan Boucher and religious modernity 
• Dr. Harrison Wick (Associate Professor/Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania) // Leadership and logistics during and after the Civil War 

2020-2021: 

• Dr. Marcus Nevius (Associate Professor, University of Missouri, Missouri) // Petit marronage and the Great Dismal Swamp 
• Dr. Jonathan Jones (Assistant Professor, James Madison University, Virginia) // The Civil War opioid crisis 
• Dr. Kevin James (Professor, University of Guelph, Canada) // Leisure activities of WWI military personnel during and after wartime 
• Dr. Heike Bauer (Professor, Birkbeck, University of London, UK) // The “dangerous dog” in American culture 
• Dr. Jessie Vander Heide (Lehigh University, Pennsylvania) // Friendships as regulating and instructed relationships 
• Dr. James Mackay (Doctoral candidate, University of Edinburgh, Scotland) // The Black refuge experience 

2019-2020: 

• Dr. Alena Pirok (Assistant Professor of History, Georgia Southern University, Georgia) //  
• Dr. Tom Martin (Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Assistant Professor of Management, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky) // Robert Gates and approaches to leadership 
• Russell Hooper (Independent scholar and collector) // Matthew Fontaine Maury and “The Pathfinder Papers” 

2018-2019: 

• Sydney Miller (Doctoral candidate, The Ohio State University, Ohio) // Histories of reading in early Virginia 
• Dr. David Silkenat (Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh, Scotland) // Environmental histories of slavery 
• Dr. Pauls Toutonghi (Associate Professor of Creative Writing, Lewis & Clark College, Oregon) // Relationships between humans and dogs throughout history 

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Especially given current pandemic conditions, we strongly encourage you to consider purchasing travel insurance for cancellation for any reasons. Here are a few things to remember:

• Many policies offer different options with varying flexibility. Please review the options carefully. We recommend travel insurance for cancellation for any reason as it will provide you the greatest flexibility.
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