I knew I was going to apply to be a Periclean Scholar within just a few weeks of school thanks to a very influential professor. My first semester of college, I took a general studies requirement called The Global Experience with the Director of the College Fellows program, Dr. Nancy Harris, as my professor. In this class, we focused on issues in Haiti and followed the same general system as Periclean Scholars. Even before we delved into the curriculum of the course, Dr. Harris could tell that it was something I would be interested in, so she familiarized me with the Periclean Scholars Program and suggested that I apply. Now almost a year later, this past week we had our first class gathering since the induction and jumped right in getting to know each other and brainstorming how we wanted to approach the huge task we have of learning about and working to help the Namibian community.
I was drawn to the Periclean Scholars Program because of it’s uniquity and focus on sustainable development. I have already learned an unprecedented amount regarding social issues and social change in my short time here, and as a science major, no less. I have already re-evaluated many of the values and goals that I had coming into school by applying educated rather than fancified thoughts. For example, I’ve come to recognize the importance of social movements and change here in our own country. There are a number of issues in the United States that deserve as much attention as those abroad, which is something I did not strongly believe in before my time at Elon.
I am really looking forward to the progress we will make this semester in learning about Namibia as well as the Periclean Scholars Program itself. I am hoping that we will be able to take a very close look at the work done by the classes that precede us so that we can learn from each group’s challenges and successes. I also think that it is important that we learn as much as we can, without rushing ourselves, about Namibia and move on to choosing a cause so that we have plenty of time to accomplish all that we see possible, and maybe even a few that seem impossible. Because the program will be a big part of all of our lives in the next three years, it may seem like we have all the time in the world. But at the same time, it will go by much more quickly than we expect and I know I don’t want to lose any precious moments of this unique experience I have the opportunity to take part in.
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