Georgetown’s status as a top university in the world is not in doubt. Students apply to the University because of its heritage as one of the globe’s most accomplished educational institutions. The academic quality of Georgetown’s schools and programs, including those at SCS, is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind, however, when considering the University’s Jesuit values. Some might wonder how a commitment to excellence in teaching and research can live alongside other values that emphasize social justice, environmental sustainability, and a community in diversity. But academic excellence is one of the core values of the Spirit of Georgetown and has been a guiding principle since Jesuits started running schools in the mid-16th century.
To commit to academic excellence is to commit to the life of the mind as a means of uncovering truth, discovering meaning, and serving the common good. The reflection document “Characteristics of Jesuit Higher Education” by the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities describes the Academic Life as the second characteristic of Jesuit schools. According to the document, Jesuit education is distinctive because of its “emphasis on developing the whole person” who “relies not only on the communication of content, but also on the quality of relationships among a wide community of educators and co-learners.” And in their document “A Distinctive Education: Reflections by Georgetown Jesuits on Education at Georgetown,” Georgetown’s Jesuit community affirms the social impact of a high-quality education:
“Academic endeavors can contribute to the project for the common good in a variety of ways: sensitizing students to the challenges facing various communities (our own but also those facing the national and global communities); helping students to see connections between esoteric learning and practical responses; challenging students to develop balanced and sophisticated understandings of these issues; providing students with the resources to discover real life responses to these challenges. The Jesuit educational tradition places great value on how knowledge can contribute to the common good.”
With this larger context of the purpose of Jesuit education in mind, I turn to the recent news of several SCS students winning prestigious national and global fellowships and scholarships. Gabriel Antuna-Rivera, who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies degree, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach abroad in Mongolia. Gabriel will teach English to vocational and university-level students, helping him realize his mission-oriented goal to become a public educator. In addition to this Fulbright, two incoming SCS students, Courtney Souter and Lisa Guagliano, were recently awarded the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship. The FAIT fellowship involves two years of academic funding for IT-related master’s degree programs along with internships, professional development, and mentorship in preparation for work in the U.S. Foreign Service. Courtney is pursuing a Master’s in Information Technology Management and Lisa is pursuing a Master’s in Cybersecurity Risk Management.
These SCS students exemplify the value of Academic Excellence and make the University’s Jesuit mission and values come to life with their mission commitment to serving others and the common good. SCS is proud to advance the mission of Georgetown in this way.