News from Transy

Lives of Generosity What do you do when the person seeking help in your hospital is the one who maimed your cousin? What if you live next door to a woman whose husband is incarcerated for taking part in the genocide that killed your husband? What if you grew up in a family devoted to one political value system and find yourself studying next to someone whose beliefs seem inexplicably, even offensively, the opposite? You treat him. You form a women’s co-op. You listen respectfully. “You meet them where they are,” says Riley Bresnahan ’18, a religion major and Transy’s first national debate champion. A recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, Bresnahan studied the reconciliation process in post-genocide Rwanda, listening to the stories of survivors and marveling at the human capacity for forgiveness in the midst of the most grievous atrocities perpetrated by neighbors, friends and family members. These stories represent lives of generosity, capable of recognizing a greater good, setting the self aside, trawling the soul to find a way forward. How much easier would it be to lash out with self-righteous fervor? Last spring, in the midst of deepening political discord and fractured civility in our nation, Transylvania’s faculty members came together to consider a way to help the campus community “move beyond this moral impasse,” as Spanish professor Jeremy Paden describes it. Taking inspiration from French philosopher Simone Weil—“Attention is the

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More Than Money Transylvania is a leading advocate for the liberal arts, so it makes sense the university would prepare its future grads for more than just a high-paying job to keep up with the Joneses. The school’s career and mentoring programs provide skills and experiences that are not only desired by employers—increasing the likelihood of a nice paycheck—but also those that help the grads find personal fulfillment both on the job and off. “In working with students as they select majors and investigate careers, we want to examine their values, skills, personalities and interests as well as learn more about the world of work,” said Mike Nichols, a psychology professor and career counselor. Transylvania facilitates real-life career experiences that can show students pathways they didn’t even think possible and free them from self-imposed limitations such as: I’m an accounting major so I should be a CPA. (After all, the “liberal” in “liberal arts” is derived from the Latin word for free.) Through programs such as the 100 Doors to Success mentoring initiative and internships (academic or otherwise) facilitated by the university’s Career Development office, students travel beyond the Transy bubble to learn about an array of career possibilities—often stepping outside their comfort zone. “It’s like Baskin Robbins: 31 flavors,” said Susan Rayer, director of career development. “Taste test. Go out and see what you like to do.” It’s not likely Rayer will let this ice cream sit around long

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