When I began my college search, I had a strict list of qualifications that my future university needed. As someone who does not come from a wealthy family, my number one concern was the amount of scholarships that I would receive. I applied and was accepted to a wide range of colleges. The majority of these colleges were large, public universities where I felt the "we say you're not just a number...but you really are just a number" vibe. Other colleges had promised me roughly $1,000 in scholarships because of my academic merit. $1,000? REALLY? Wow, thank you for giving me just enough money to pay for two semesters worth of books.
I ultimately applied to a small, liberal arts college nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This college has a no tuition promise--once I was accepted, I knew I would be stupid to go anywhere else. This college was the perfect size, and I had the possibility of graduating debt free. I was sold.
Um, liberal arts? I didn't really know what that meant, but this school was the perfect fit for me, so I didn't really care.
Others seemed to believe that I would come back home for Christmas break with a half-shaved head, a far left mindset, and a distaste for every aspect of capitalism. They assumed that a liberal arts education would change me.
A year has come and gone, and I have changed. My liberal arts education has changed me.
I learned that diversity is much more than, "Yea, I have some black friends."
According to the U.S Census, 95.8 percent of the people in my home-town are white. In addition to this, the majority of people are Christians. "Diversity" in my town was often conveyed as, "We have a few black kids and like one Mormon." The diversity of religion, race, and sexuality at my college is astounding. I have met people who practice religions that I had not, and I have friends from literally (I'm not exaggerating) all walks of life.
My eyes have been opened to the oppression of minorities.
Once again the "whiteness" of my community blinded me to the real issues going on in the world. I knew that stereotyping and discrimination was present in our nation. Despite this, I had never experienced oppression first hand. My heart breaks for each and every oppressed group of people in our nation. White privilege is very real and rampant in our nation. If you find yourself thinking, "Wow, she really has gone crazy..." I can almost guarantee that you are white, straight, and Christian and your 10 closest friends are also white, straight and Christian.
You can be a Christian with a liberal arts degree.
Our nation has ruined the words "liberal" and "conservative." In today's society there is no gray area. Liberal actually means, "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values." If you're a conservative Christian college student who is quite fond of pre-marital sex...that's discarding traditional values. You're liberal, bud. On the other hand, a liberal arts education simply means, "an education mainly concerned with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training." My college environment has challenged my Christian faith, but that's the real world. My education has only strengthened my beliefs.
A liberal arts education doesn't prepare you for a future job. Instead, you are taught how to be a dynamic thinker who is able to step back and see the world from anyone's perspective.
