Fostering global citizenship through The Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa ’26 Memorial Fund for Global Studies

“My cultural connections are diverse,” Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa ’26 wrote just weeks before he was killed tragically at age 11 in 2019’s Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka. “I am one-quarter Sin- halese, one-quarter Tamil, three-eighths Russian, and one- eighth German. My family is Buddhist, Christian, Quaker, and Jewish. We celebrate peraharas and poya days, Christmas, and Hanukkah. [I am] made up of many different ingredients and spices. I am connected to many cultures. I am stronger because I belong to them all.”

In 2020, Kieran’s mother, Dhulsini de Zoysa ’85, established the Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa ’26 Memorial Fund for Global Studies to foster in Sidwell Friends students Kieran’s innate curiosity about the world around him. This endowed fund will initially support a social studies program in the Lower School that weaves the study of geography, history, economics, and environmental conservation across countries and cultures that students may not otherwise consider.

“I wanted Kieran to adapt to any corner of the world that life would take him,” de Zoysa said. That included his move from Sidwell Friends to a rigorous British school in Colombo, Sri Lanka for a year abroad. There, Kieran tried his hand at cricket; was learning to read, write, and speak in Sinhala; and felt a strong sense of belonging.

“I hoped that, by traveling to the far corners of the world, Kieran would see past our superficial differences, recognize our universal humanity, and rejoice in the opportunities to learn,” de Zoysa reflected. “And now, I hope that this endowment helps our youngest students to not see otherness or fear or mock our differences—to value the richness in every corner of this increasingly connected world.”

Global citizenship begins with empathy, which is why this endowed fund will infuse Kieran’s generosity, kindness, and compassion into the Lower School through programs for students as well as a garden where children who feel lonely or in need of kindness can visit. Those who knew Kieran recognize that he would be the first to provide comfort. 

“Kieran walked through the world with joy in his heart. He instinctively knew who needed a smile and a friendly hello. He used his charm and his bright smile to draw them into the sunshine where he lived,” de Zoysa said. 

Ultimately, Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa ’26 Memorial Fund will encourage Sidwell Friends students to grow into thoughtful, responsible, and ethical citizens of the planet, like Kieran. “To be like Kieran means to be optimistic, open to adventure, receptive to people from every walk of life, and an enthusiastic learner,” de Zoysa said. “He formed connections with people from Bethesda to Botswana, London to Johannesburg, California to Colombo.” Now, Lower School students will have new opportunities to do so as well.

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