Four years ago when Justin Bieber was the bees knees and the iPhone 4S was the “must-have” item, I read through numerous college brochures, pamphlets, magazines, websites, and as many admissions materials as I could get my hands on. The only thought on my mind was what college I would call home for the next four years.
“Dedicated faculty, enriching environments, a home academically and socially …”
All of these colleges and universities promised the same things: unforgettable experiences utterly worth the grand price tags. But what school would actually hold true on these guaranteed resources and experiences for me? I visited nine schools, and my confusion only seemed to increase tenfold.
Bless my patient, loving mother, for she persuaded me to finally visit the first labeled, “much-too-close-to-home-school,” the University of Mount Union. I would like to retell the heartwarming love story of how I fell in love with Mount Union; however, it is not as charming as the majority of college stories, yet it was just as special and magical to me.
Despite the rain and the typical Ohio chill, I strolled along campus with the biggest, cheesiest grin plastered on my face, because I finally saw what I have been promised. From my hat-topped head to my trembling knees, I knew I was home.
One of the reasons Mount Union left such a profound mark on me was the emphasis on moral and intellectual development together. As John Henry Cardinal Newman stated: “education is a higher word; it implies an action upon our mental nature, and the formation of a character; it is something individual and permanent, and is commonly spoken of in connection with religion and virtue” (Newman, p. 1079). To me, moral development is equally as critical to an individual as knowledge itself.
I am thankful that Mount Union’s mission statement echoes my beliefs as well: “The mission of the University of Mount Union is to prepare students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work and responsible citizenship.” (Ok, please disregard the fact that our very own mission statement does not possess the Oxford comma, it could be because it was written in AP style other than Chicago style, but it is still a little unsettling to me … ).
Knowing that my institution’s mission is to prepare for a fulfilling life beyond intellectual knowledge is comforting. It helps to reassure me that I chose the right place to grow and learn.
Yet, a “liberal education” is thought to encompass much more than a standard education (hence the large price tags). A liberal education is described as a more well-rounded, independent rearing, thorough, and higher cultural education than its counterparts. Newman describes “this process of training, by which the intellect, instead of being formed or sacrificed to some particular or accidental purpose, some specific trade or profession, or study or science, is disciplined for its own sake, for the perception of its own proper object, and for its own highest culture, is called Liberal Education” (p. 1080).
The University of Mount Union is a liberal arts university and strives to provide each of its students just as Newman as expressed. Although, I am not an expert on education, let alone the complexity of a liberal education, I strive to achieve its principles to not only better myself, but to better society as a whole. Education is a beautiful gift, and regardless of politics or money, I think that is something we can all agree on. Happy learning everyone, whether or not it's in a classroom.
