Tag: Jesuit Values

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A Time for Discovery and Transformation: SCS Alumna Reflects on Ignatian Year Pilgrimage to Spain

Mission in Motion has spent over a year shining a light on the significance of the Ignatian Year, the 500th anniversary of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, undergoing his personal transformation that eventually led to the birth of a new religious order and a global network of schools, like Georgetown. A recent post describes a series of pilgrimage immersions in Spain that took place this summer for students, faculty, staff, and alumni who desired an even deeper engagement with the meaningfulness of St. Ignatius’ own sacred story and its relevance today. 

This week, we hear directly from SCS alumna Karim Trueblood, who participated in Georgetown’s alumni pilgrimage to Spain. Mission in Motion has previously interviewed Karim about her reflections on Georgetown SCS, the relationship between Ignatian principles and her professional life, and how the Jesuit Values she experienced as a student in the Master of Professional Studies in Emergency & Disaster Management (EDM) program have shaped her vocation. 

Having taught Karim in the SCS Jesuit Values in Professional Practice course, I can personally attest to how much she has appropriated the principles and characteristics of Jesuit education and spirituality in her life. It is fair to say that Karim’s life has been transformed by her Ignatian experiences, so much so that she is currently pursuing a doctorate in these topics. What I find so important about Karim’s reflection below is the way that she interprets the Ignatian holy sites in a way that respects both religious diversity and the integrity of the Jesuit tradition. 

In this week’s Mission in Motion, SCS alumna Karim Trueblood (pictured second row, middle) reflects on her time in Spain as part of an Ignatian Year pilgrimage with Georgetown alumni. Credit: Javi Valdivieso

As part of the celebration of the Ignatian Year, I recently participated in a Shrines of Spain Pilgrimage following the Footsteps of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. This pilgrimage for Georgetown alums was guided by Jesuits Fr. Mark Bosco and Fr. Jerry Hayes. The trip took us to Spain, starting in Madrid and finishing in Barcelona while visiting influential places in the life of Saint Ignatius along the way. The meticulously curated itinerary provided an array of magnificent thought-provoking stops, delightful people, and delicious food.

 To be transparent about my experience, this was my first time traveling with a group, and to say that I was hesitant is an understatement. Additionally, in our home we share our faith between Catholicism and Quakerism. I have found that the Society of Jesus and the Society of Friends share similar values and were eager to start the journey. I started this journey with 20 strangers and many questions and ended the journey with 20 friends and even more questions.

 It was only after returning home, intentionally reflecting on the pilgrimage and reviewing my notes, that I understood the significance of this unique opportunity. In retrospect, this was a journey to deepen my relationship with God, myself, my husband, fellow pilgrims, and locals that graciously shared their country, customs, and history. Part of my commitment to increase awareness required me to limit the use of technology, so pictures are limited, but there are enough notes and journal entries to write a book.

In addition to deepening my relationship with God and others, I found the experience was closely related to the Jesuit values guiding Georgetown University. It was an opportunity for community building and to practice intentionality regardless of religious background. The visits to sites like the Loyola Castle, Saint Ignatius’ place of birth, or Pamplona, where Saint Ignatius was injured in battle leading to his spiritual conversion, were perfect for engaging our minds and hearts in imagination and contemplation.

Montserrat, pictured here, is a sacred place in the life of St. Ignatius.  Credit: Javi Valdivieso

The visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu, nestled in nature and visited by Saint Ignatius on his way to Manresa, evoked tranquility while highlighting the importance of Caring for Our Common Home. It was important for the Franciscans there that people felt the impact of nature while in the basilica. From my perspective, the feeling of being connected with nature was undeniable, perhaps one of my favorite places during the pilgrimage. The visit also prompted questions about my role in advancing or hindering environmental justice due to everyday decisions. 

The visit to Montserrat was spectacular and provided the perfect preamble to Manresa. In the Cove of Saint Ignatius in Manresa, where Saint Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises, I found a deeper understanding of the value of learning directly from these places that inspired Saint Ignatius, how a life in disorder and spiritual desolation was crucial to engaging in deep reflection to seek to conquer the self and discern our purpose.  

The pilgrimage was not strictly about religion, but thinking about religion allowed me to reflect on the impact religion has on culture and individuals. The pilgrimage reminded me of the importance of community and how flawed individuals searching for unique answers can come together and become grounded in love. This opportunity was only possible because of Georgetown. I was reminded of the value of discovery and transformation. 

In order to grow, it is imperative to experience new things, engage with different people, and visit new places. Georgetown University is a place with unlimited opportunities to engage in discovery and transformation. Seek more in the spirit of Magis and for the Greater Glory of God regardless of career path or religious background; you might surprise yourself, just like I continue to do even after graduation. 

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New to SCS? An Introduction to Georgetown’s Mission and Values in Four Points 

This is an exciting time of year at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies. With the summer calendar coming to a close, our attentions turn to the beginning of the fall semester. While the academic programs at SCS tend to start for students on a rolling basis throughout the year, the inauguration of the fall semester has a special calendar significance at SCS. With new student, staff, and faculty orientations soon underway, this is a good opportunity to offer a brief introduction to our University’s distinctive mission and values and how they will influence your Georgetown experience. 

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This week’s post introduces the Spirit of Georgetown to new members of the SCS community. 

Many new members of our community ask similar questions at this time of year: What does it mean to be part of Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States? What’s so different about an education inspired by the Jesuit tradition? 

There is a longer story here than a short blog post allows (If you’re a student and really curious about the deeper answer to this question, you might consider taking a special free elective offered at SCS called “Jesuit Values in Professional Practice.” Similar seminar opportunities are available for faculty and staff). 

Here are four important ways that the University’s Jesuit mission and values will come to life in your time at Georgetown. 

  1. SCS is committed to sharing the Spirit of Georgetown, the 10 values distilled from five centuries of the Jesuit tradition of education, in an inclusive and invitational way that respects a plurality of religious and philosophical perspectives. This is why the University’s Office of Mission and Ministry houses a large multi-faith team of chaplains and staff that are available to spiritually accompany students, faculty, and staff across the campuses. The mission of Georgetown comes alive in a unique way for each individual person and no one will have the exact same experience as someone else. 
  1. Academic excellence is core to realizing Georgetown’s mission. This means that our rigorous and high-quality style of professional education is not by accident but an outgrowth of a living tradition that strives for the highest standards of teaching and learning as a way of reverencing the divine. At SCS, you’ll likely notice this commitment in the innovative and creative uses of technology to enhance the learning process. 
  1. A signature value of Jesuit education is a commitment to being People for Others. In this way, all learning, teaching, and working has a potential connection to supporting social justice and the common good. You will see this manifested in community service outside the classroom, course projects that focus on the needs of marginalized persons and groups, opportunities for social impact entrepreneurship, and the University’s public advocacy for justice. 
  1. Finally, you might find that “Cura Personalis,” or the value of Care for the Whole Person, is more than a superficial buzzword – it’s a deep-seated commitment to paying attention to all facets of the human person. Being a student at SCS is more than acquiring technical knowledge or skills; it is about attending to the emotional, spiritual, social, and physical aspects of developing as a well-rounded professional. A mission-committed faculty and staff are key to making this aspiration a reality. As a student, you can take advantage of this commitment through retreats, meditation, and other co-curricular experiences that animate Georgetown’s striving to form graduates who are generous life-long learners in the service of others. 

The start of a new semester is always filled with a mix of emotions. Whether you’re feeling mostly excited or mostly nervous (or a mix of both) about this new experience, I hope you find some comfort in the mission-based resources that are here to accompany you along the way.

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SCS Course “Thinking to Thrive” Brings Jesuit Values into Ethical Decision-Making

In working toward its mission to “deliver a world-class, values-based education to a diverse array of communities and individuals throughout their academic and professional careers,” Georgetown SCS offers a range of degree and non-degree learning experiences. Professional Bootcamps are dynamic six- to 12-week programs filled with knowledge, skills, and critical and strategic thinking intended to help boost the career prospects of professional learners. And other SCS programs, Professional Bootcamps strive to integrate Georgetown values into their intensive courses. 

This week’s post explores the “Thinking to Thrive” course offered through the Georgetown SCS Professional Bootcamps. 

One such example of intentional integration of mission and values is the featured bootcamp course “Thinking to Thrive,” designed to help students make better decisions. Taught by Stewart Brown, a management consultant with over 40 years of experience as a planner on the tactical, operational, and strategic levels in both government and civilian commercial enterprises, “Thinking to Thrive” operates from the assumption that a new set of leadership skills is needed for junior managers and senior executives in the 21st century. The course prepares emerging professional leaders to become “flexible, adaptable, multidisciplinary problem-solvers and change makers” through an exploration of how biases and fallacies cause errors in judgment and choice. Along the way, students assess a range of models for decision processes and tools, articulating each framework’s strengths as well as its limitations. 

“Thinking to Thrive” features a dedicated module on the role of ethics in decision-making. And like the ethics curricula in other SCS courses, this module introduces students to the resources and toolkits of ethical choice-making in the Jesuit tradition of discernment. This session is set up as a rich space for open-ended conversation as students engage difficult questions about how to bring to life ethical principles in ethically challenging work settings and situations. As a professional education program focused on the needs of adult learners, the objective of this module is not reflection for its own sake. Instead, students are challenged to make direct connections to their own professional development by articulating the ethical meaning of their own professional experiences.

One of the course materials in this module that explicitly connects the discussion of ethics in decision-making to the Spirit of Georgetown is an article by Kirk Hanson, senior fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Hanson offers five themes that differentiate the distinctiveness of learning ethics for managers and executives in a Jesuit school: 

  1. The development of the moral and spiritual character of the manager;
  2. The responsibility to use one’s managerial skills for the benefit of ‘others’; 
  3. A concern for the welfare of employees in the manager’s organization; 
  4. A focus on the social impact of business and organizational decisions; and 
  5. A special concern for the poor and marginalized frequently left out of the economy. 

By the end of the session on ethics in “Thinking to Thrive,” students have spent intentional time engaging with the Jesuit tradition of education. The discussion always surfaces new insights about the relevance of the Jesuit framework of ethical decision-making. A course that presents models of critical and reflective thinking as a necessary skill set for today’s aspiring managers and executives helps SCS bring its mission and values to life by meeting the interdisciplinary challenges of the 21st century.

For more information and inquire, check out the Professional Bootcamps at SCS! 

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Bringing Interreligious Understanding to Life in the Classroom

With the fall semester approaching as summer courses enter into their final phase, faculty are reviewing and preparing their syllabi for next semester. One of the exciting parts of teaching at SCS is the ongoing opportunity to evaluate teaching strategies and make changes for the better. Teaching professionally applicable content and skills at SCS, which are dependent on ever-evolving trends in society and the marketplace, demands this kind of regular review. Through student feedback and other means, faculty are encouraged to continuously refine their pedagogical methods in pursuit of Academic Excellence, one of the core values in the Spirit of Georgetown. Regular evaluation that informs reflective action is also an essential component of Jesuit Pedagogy, a framework for teaching and learning inspired by the dynamics of Ignatian spirituality. 

This week’s post examines “Interreligious Understanding,” one of the Spirit of Georgetown values, by reflecting on a recent podcast on the topic put together by the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. 

SCS has made considerable efforts in recent years to support its faculty with guidance and resources about how to incorporate the University’s defining mission and values into online and on-ground courses. The SCS “Strategies to Integrate Georgetown Values into Online and On-Campus Courses” takes each of the Spirit of Georgetown values and offers ideas about how to operationalize these values into practical learning activities. The value of “Interreligious Understanding,” which we hold dear at Georgetown given our long-standing commitment to honoring a pluralism of religious and spiritual traditions, deserves a closer look. In my experience, many faculty are uncertain about how to make this particular value animated in coursework or might be inclined to avoid it altogether because of the potential for conflict or misunderstanding about a sensitive topic like religious difference. 

Recently, Georgetown’s Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS) took up this teaching challenge by hosting a podcast, “Religious and Spiritual Diversity in the Classroom.” In a packed 30 minutes of insightful conversation, religious leaders at Georgetown representing Jewish, Muslim, and Dharmic communities offered insights about the concerns that arise for students when religious identity is marginalized or ignored. There are several important takeaways from the conversation that I would like to highlight as best practices for faculty who want to discern how to activate religious diversity as a valuable component of the learning process. 

Rabbi Rachel Gartner (most recently Director for Jewish Life), Imam Yahya Hendi (Director for Muslim Life), Brahmachari Sharan (Director for Dharmic Life), and David Ebenbach (Professor of the Practice at CNDLS and the Center for Jewish Civilization) point to the need for faculty to express humility and a willingness to listen and learn about religious traditions with which they are unfamiliar. 

Georgetown SCS produced a document, “Strategies to Integrate Georgetown Values into Online and On-Campus Courses,” to help faculty integrate values, like Interreligious Understanding, into the learning experience. 

First, false assumptions about religious traditions can be perpetuated unless the classroom fosters an open-ended atmosphere in which individual students are invited to educate the class about their religious or spiritual identities. Having book knowledge about a cultural or religious tradition is not the same thing as having felt knowledge based on a relationship of trust with someone belonging to that specific tradition. While sharing openly about religious identity might not be comfortable for everyone, it is good practice to provide the opportunity (either in a group setting or individually) for students to express this part of themselves during a class. 

Second, learning is inhibited when students feel like aspects of their religious identity are not properly respected or valued. This often comes up when seemingly harmless comments are made about religious practices related to wardrobe and eating. Faculty can encourage respectful engagement about such cultural differences by establishing a set of shared community agreements at the start of the course and then regularly reinforcing their importance during moments of conflict that come up along the way. 

Finally, learning is an opportunity for growth. In today’s increasingly globalized workplaces, there is an ever-greater need for interreligious literacy and understanding. By actively listening to the experiences of religiously and spiritually motivated students, especially those belonging to non-dominant traditions, classrooms can become a place where religious difference is more than merely tolerated. These learning experiences have the potential to be transformative for all involved.

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Summer College Immersion Students Enter into Silence   

This week’s post describes the Jesuit reflection sessions experienced by the 2022 cohort of the Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP). This was the first in-person version of the reflection instruction offered since the pandemic began. 

In his book, An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation, contemplative and academic Martin Laird makes the case for contemplative practices. To advance his argument early in the book, Laird brings together two unlikely thought partners: the post-modernist author David Foster Wallace and the contemporary Christian mystic Thomas Merton. 

“Composed over fifty years ago, ‘Contemplation in a World of Action’ remains one of Merton’s most important essays. Wallace acknowledges our need to have sufficient skills of interiority in order to become aware of our own self-centered patterns of thinking and behaving. He likewise realizes that we can actually choose what we give our attention to. In choosing to give our attention to something other than the monologues going on in our heads, we meet the possibility of becoming less self-centered and more compassionate people. Merton would have no problem with Wallace on this point, but Merton would say that we have to go yet deeper – journey much deeper into our own uncharted lands.”

Over the last three weeks, students in Georgetown’s Summer College Immersion Program (previously discussed by Mission in Motion here, here, and here) have had the opportunity to develop the skills of interiority through four reflection sessions that I’ve led. The purpose of these four sessions is to introduce the rising high school seniors, who come to Georgetown for three intensive weeks from KIPP, Cristo Rey, and other similar schools around the country, to the critical importance of developing habits of self-reflection. While four sessions are not enough to go as deep as our “uncharted lands” as Merton would prefer, there is no doubt that students leave the experience with a clearer impression that Georgetown strives to live out its commitment to educating the whole person by embodying contemplation in action. 

The sessions are structured as a movement in four stages. The first session is a broad introduction to the mission and values of Georgetown with a special emphasis on the University’s interreligious character and principle of inclusive spiritual life. Students learn early about the Examen of Consciousness, a uniquely Jesuit approach to reflecting on daily experience. 

The second session explores different strands in the historical development of spiritual practice. Students learn about different ways of praying and meditating, appreciating the distinction between image-less models (called apophatic) of prayer and models that rely on concepts, ideas, and texts (called kataphatic). These ideas are applied through a practice of silent meditation that resembles the tradition of Centering Prayer. 

Session three introduces the Jesuit concept of discernment and demonstrates its inherent practicality and applicability to personal and professional life. Students learn about what ingredients are necessary for an authentic discernment and are invited to begin considering their own discernments. With the college decision process animating their lives, the SCIP students especially appreciate this opportunity to further reflect on what they are deeply seeking from the college admissions process. 

And finally, the fourth session brings the reflection sessions to a close with a focused look at the Ignatian decision-making framework. Students have the opportunity to listen to each other and share advice about how to approach their biggest decisions in the coming year. Almost everyone raises similar questions about the college search process. During the mock interview process at the end of the final week in which the students are paired with Georgetown staff and faculty acting as interviewers, I had the opportunity to ask students to share more about their desires and goals for their college search. I could tell in these interviews that the techniques of Jesuit discernment introduced in the reflection sessions had begun to take hold. 

The SCIP program is truly one of the most mission-aligned efforts led by Georgetown SCS. The opportunity to introduce such promising young people to the invitational and inclusive style of Jesuit reflection practiced at Georgetown is a joy. In a way that would likely satisfy Laird, Merton, and Wallace, students learn firsthand how to practice inner reflection in a way that encourages them to be even more generous and other-centered in a noisy world.

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SCS Institute for Transformational Leadership Examines Body Intelligence & Leadership

This week’s Mission in Motion reflects on a recent podcast by Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. Listen to the podcast. 

Of the many deeply mission-aligned programs at SCS, the Institute for Transformational Leadership (ITL) is one of the most obvious. Mission in Motion has previously reflected on the deep connections between Georgetown’s mission and values and the work of ITL. Recently, ITL, through its podcast, hosted an important discussion about the relationship between body intelligence and transformational leadership. ITL academic director Bill Pullen interviewed Marcia Feola, a master certified coach and faculty member in ITL. 

What resonated strongly is an opportunity in the conversation to make more explicit the relationship between leadership coaching and a diversity of religious and spiritual wisdom teachings about the body. Bill and Marcia use the language of “whole person” to describe an approach to embodied leadership development, which links up nicely with the commitment in the Spirit of Georgetown to “Educating the Whole Person.” This value encourages all of our endeavors at Georgetown SCS to integrate the holistic development of the human person’s many facets – intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual – in the learning experience. 

The podcast helped me appreciate how much good leaders need to attend to knowledge of their own bodies in the work of exercising transformational leadership with and for others. It is common to speak of the need for emotional intelligence, a reflective self-awareness of how affective sensations influence one’s thoughts and behavior. But body intelligence is no less important. And this focus on the body is manifested in different religious and spiritual traditions. 

Ignatian spirituality, which gives rise to the Spirit of Georgetown, emphasizes the body as a location for encountering God. St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, invites the retreatant to experience the mystery and love of the Divine by encountering God in one’s own body and in the body of Christ. God’s desire to be in relationship with human beings does not occur in the abstract but through the fleshy, incarnational reality of the human body. The Australian Jesuits offer further insights about this connection between the body and the Spiritual Exercises in this piece: “Ignatian Spirituality and the Wisdom of the Body.” 

Other faith traditions also speak to the central importance of the body in the quest for spiritual insight and knowledge. The Jewish tradition describes the need for healthy living with particular emphasis on caring for the body. So many of the teachings and laws of the Hebrew Bible focus on care for the physical self. The Islamic tradition similarly draws attention to this connection between a sound body and a healthy spiritual life. For Muslims, the human body is a gift from God and humans are responsible for being good stewards of this gift. 

Practicing care for the body happens in many ways. A mindfulness meditation practice, like the one offered in the SCS Daily Digital Meditations (sign up here), typically begins with a body scan exercise that relaxes the body and makes one more present and aware of their physical sensations. The body communicates its status with all sorts of sensations, but making sense of these signals requires paying mindful attention to them. Reflective awareness of our emotions, another key feature of mindful meditation, depends on our achieving some sort of grounded centeredness in our physical bodies. In these SCS mindfulness meditations, one enters into greater emotional awareness through conscious breathing exercises. The body, the mind, and the spirit all co-exist in an interdependent and interrelated relationship. 

I encourage you to listen to the ITL podcast on body intelligence and reflect on how you might grow in deeper awareness of how your body affects – in both positive and negative ways – how you lead in the world. 

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Making an Impact Along the Way: an Interview with Caitlin Cochran, SCS Associate Dean, Summer and Special Programs

Last week’s post was dedicated to spiritual and self-development resources, namely an examen meditation inspired by the Jesuit tradition, that one might try out during the summer months when life and work tend to be slower for many people. But summer is actually a very busy season for others, including the dedicated team of staff and faculty that run Georgetown SCS’s Summer Sessions and Summer High School programs. Mission in Motion sat down with Caitlin Cochran, who oversees the SCS summer team, to discuss the mission commitment of the summer programs, the opportunities and challenges of this work, and personal reflections on her time at the University. An alumna of Georgetown College with years of service at the University, Caitlin is also nearing the completion of a doctoral program in education focused on leadership and learning in organizations. 

This week’s Mission in Motion post is an interview with Caitlin Cochran, SCS Associate Dean, Summer and Special Programs. She reflects on the mission significance of Georgetown’s diverse summer offerings and provides some insights about the status of higher education. 

1. You’ve been a member of the Georgetown community for some time, beginning as an undergraduate student and now years later serving as the SCS Associate Dean for Summer and Special Programs. Can you share some reflections about your Georgetown experience and what stands out to you during your journey at the University? 

It has been a long journey, and so many things stand out. GU is just a really special place, and so is SCS. I actually chose Georgetown for college because I wanted to get far away from my hometown, but I struggled to fit in and find a place. The term “imposter syndrome” was not really used much then, but I definitely felt like I didn’t belong. I worked 30+ hours a week, actually for SCS, but it was called SSCE then (School for Summer and Continuing Education), plus I was a student-athlete and had to be enrolled full-time every semester. So I didn’t have a lot of free time to make friends or try things out like other students, and I really let that get to me. But one of the best things about Georgetown is that while you are here, you meet people who change you for the better. 

I’ve been here a long time, so that list of people is pretty long for me and includes faculty, coaches, teammates, co-workers, and, of course, my former deans. I actually don’t think I would have finished my degree here if it wasn’t for my advising deans in the College. I remember talking to Dean Cloke after class one day because I wanted to take a leave of absence my junior year. I was tired, anxious, depressed, burnt out, and for some inexplicable reason I registered for Mathematical Modeling which basically sealed the deal on my self-doubt and made me wonder why I was even here. After reassuring me that I did not need to be a mathematician, Dean Cloke said to me, “It doesn’t matter how you got here. What matters is what you do with the opportunity you have.” I don’t know why that made all the difference, but it did. Maybe it’s because I needed the reassurance that indeed I was not a unique failure in the system and I was not the first (or last) student to struggle. When I think back on that conversation, I can still feel a sense of relief and freedom at a renewed understanding of the word “opportunity.” 

My education here was never anything I took for granted, yet I almost gave it up in a blur of stress and loneliness. What has driven me since then is finding ways to provide opportunities for others and making it easier and more accessible for students, especially those doing it all on their own. In a lot of ways, I have come full circle and I can only hope that I have a similar impact along the way that my deans had on me. 

2. SCS runs many programs in the summer. Can you tell us more about these many different programs and how they all fit together as a unified whole? 

The summer team offers something for everyone. Literally, a learner at almost any stage can find something with us. On our non-credit and pre-college side, we design our offerings around career development theory which explains the different stages one experiences as they explore, test, and ultimately develop an affinity and identity within a certain field. High school-age students are in the career exploration stage, which focuses on information seeking, self-cognition, and testing the environment. So we provide opportunities for about 2,000 students every summer to experiment with different areas of study in a variety of ways so they can start to determine if the area and the environment match with their interests and abilities. A big part of this is reflection and understanding one’s beliefs, values, and passions, so incorporating Jesuit tools like the examen or simple reflection is built into a lot of our programs. 

The high school students can also take our credit courses. We typically see students who are further along in their career exploration participate in these courses, and many of them are testing the waters here at Georgetown to see if this is the right fit for them. Anecdotally, I have come across quite a few GU undergrads who participated in one of our programs while they were in high school, so that must be a good sign! 

In addition to the almost 200 high school students who enroll in our credit courses, we also  serve over 1,000 GU undergraduates plus close to 200 visiting students from around the world in our Summer Sessions. Students range in age and stage in these courses. By that I mean, some students are still exploring career options while others are actually exploring career changes. We have some students who are coming back to college to take courses required for a graduate or professional program or to reskill in preparation for a new job. And for our international students, our summer session courses are a way for them to experience higher education while being exposed to American culture. 

3. Your service at Georgetown has been distinguished by your commitment to the University’s mission and values. For example, you serve on the leadership group of the SCS Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion Council (DEBIC). In what ways do you think the summer programs that you oversee uniquely animate Georgetown’s mission? 

One of the things I love about my job is that I get some freedom that a lot of people in similar positions in higher education don’t get–freedom to try things that aren’t always about enrollments or revenue. Education accessibility, affordability, and opportunity are truly important to me and need to be a part of my work, and I am so lucky to have a team of people who are just as passionate about these issues as I am. Despite long days and heavy workloads, I have never had a teammate shy away from helping with a mission-driven program. 

Our Summer College Immersion Program is the one that always comes to mind because it is long-standing and has proven to be effective. In the 12 years the program has been running, close to 85 percent of SCIP alumni graduate college in four years, which is over 30 percent higher than the national average. We’ve even seen close to 100 SCIP alumni graduate from Georgetown.

New this year, we are partnering with SFS to offer a program for HBCU students interested in exploring security studies as a career option. We have the chance to administratively support this program and be “behind the scenes” which is a new perspective for us but one we are happy to take on so we can be a part of these students’ journeys and embody our values. 

4.  As a higher education professional and scholar-practitioner studying and writing about leadership in organizations, do you have any final reflections to share? 

We’ve all heard it already, but higher education is truly at a critical moment right now, in so many ways. There has always been a tension between the desire to change and evolve and the need to remain stable and true to traditions, but we see the unintended consequences of resisting change. From very real decreases in enrollments and students questioning the value of a degree to students demanding change because the systems and processes were not designed for them–these are all consequences of maintaining the status quo of certain normative systems, structures, and cultures. And these systems, structures, and cultures are at the very heart of the student experience. Faculty and administrators have a role to play in creating this environment. As it is now, there are pockets of individuals or departments who are ready, willing, and able to embrace change; however, leaders at all levels need to embrace change if we want to course correct and change people’s minds and hearts about higher education. And some of that change may seem radical and scary. Things like rethinking degree requirements, faculty tenure, and how to truly support a diverse student body could have a meaningful, positive, and lasting impact. 

I would be remiss if I did not emphasize the importance of university staff in all of this. So often the focus and attention and accolades go to faculty, but staff play a critical role, too. I worry about the state of higher education when staff everywhere are burned out, under-resourced, and overwhelmed. We are all human and have a finite capacity to withstand certain conditions, and when we are near our capacity so consistently, things break down. Interpersonal relationships and communication suffers. Processes break down. People break down. Cultures break down. In our ecosystem, when staff break down, faculty break down and then students break down. It behooves us to take care of one another and for leadership to look after and value its staff as much as they value faculty and students.

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Finding Your Deep Passion: An Interview with 2022 SCS Spirit of Georgetown Awardee, Lorena Chirinos

Every year, Georgetown SCS honors a graduating student or alumni who exemplifies the University’s values, grounded in our Jesuit heritage, of people in service to others, commitment to justice and the common good, intellectual openness, and leadership. A committee of SCS faculty and staff select the winner of the Spirit of Georgetown award after a thoughtful and discerning review of nominating statements that come in from across the community. The winner receives this prestigious award at the conclusion of the SCS Tropaia Ceremony taking place in Gaston Hall on the Hilltop campus.

Public honors like this are important for the work of mission integration because they publicly communicate the values and commitments that SCS aspires to. This year, SCS is proud to give the Spirit of Georgetown award to Lorena Chirinos, a 2022 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Lorena came to Georgetown from Venezuela to realize a dream for herself and her family, and in only a few short years has made a considerable impression on fellow students, faculty, and colleagues because of her commitment to public service. One of her nominators reflected on Lorena’s generous spirit: “Lorena is a living, breathing example of our Jesuit values personified in her commitment to social justice through education. … She has not just excelled academically but also applied her values and experience in support to the university.” 

This week’s Mission in Motion is an interview with Lorena about her time at Georgetown, her advice for students, and lessons she is taking away for her professional future. 

This week’s post is an interview with Lorena Chirinos, a 2022 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications, who will receive the Spirit of Georgetown award at next week’s SCS Tropaia ceremony.

This week’s post is an interview with Lorena Chirinos, a 2022 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications, who will receive the Spirit of Georgetown award at next week’s SCS Tropaia ceremony. 

1. Congratulations on winning the SCS Spirit of Georgetown award! What was your reaction to learning of this news? 

I was so proud and excited at the same time. I can’t believe that two years ago I was receiving the news that I got into Georgetown, and now I get to graduate and receive this incredible award. For the past two years I have been a full-time student, while working at Georgetown, and dealing with many of the pressures we immigrants and international students have to deal with, and to receive this recognition just makes me feel like all my hard work was worth it and also noted by everyone around me.

2. How has your education at Georgetown SCS informed your professional discernment? What are you taking away from Georgetown for your next steps in life and career?  

The education I received at Georgetown SCS has taught me to be a well-rounded professional. Prior to attending Georgetown, I obtained my B.A. in Mass Communications back in Venezuela and worked as a marketing coordinator for several years. Even though I had extensive knowledge of the industry, Georgetown SCS’s IMC program gave me the strategic tools to make the most out of my expertise. Additionally, I believe that being able to customize your own path by picking the electives that make the most sense to you gives you the opportunity to hone the skills you will need in the future. During this time I also found a deep passion for market research, which has made me want to learn more about this industry and maybe even work at a market research firm someday.

3. What advice would you give to an incoming student at SCS? 

First, enjoy it! It is surprising how fast time flew by and how much I’m going to miss going to Georgetown. Secondly, to connect with everyone around you: other students, faculty, and staff. As you navigate graduate school you are going to learn how valuable these connections are, not only professionally but also for your personal development. And lastly, treasure every piece of knowledge you obtain during your journey at Georgetown SCS. I know it can feel overwhelming at times being a grad student and, for many of us, working at the same time. But everything you learn at Georgetown is going to make you a better professional and, overall, a better person.

4. What are you most looking forward to about Commencement? 

To see my mom! I haven’t seen my mom in almost three years, and I am very excited to share this celebratory moment with her. I’m also very happy to see my fellow classmates in person. Even though I have had the immense pleasure to meet some of them, I know there are a lot of my online classmates that are going to be coming to the ceremony. It is so crazy and exciting at the same time that I get to meet them after two years since we started the program.

5. How has the Spirit of Georgetown, the Jesuit values that animate the University, come alive for you during your time here? 

I loved my time at Georgetown and all the opportunities it presented for me to live the Jesuit values in my day-to-day life. For over a year I had the chance to work as a marketing assistant for Biomedical Graduate Education at Georgetown University. During my time there I had the opportunity to help other fellow Hoyas in their professional development. This position also gave me the opportunity to actively promote resources for other international students and to advocate for diversity and inclusion among our student population. Additionally, I had the pleasure to work with The Red House organization under Georgetown. Working with them helped me understand even further our student population and how we can transform education by breaking paradigms while aspiring to build whole persons that go beyond academic excellence. Lastly, I have had the pleasure to be part of the organizing committee for the first Multicultural Graduation Ceremonies for graduate students at Georgetown University. This experience has allowed me to connect with different Hoyas from different cultural backgrounds and has been an overall enriching experience that I will never forget.

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Georgetown Honors Sr. Thea Bowman, an Inspiration for Ecumenism and Social Justice

This week, Georgetown honored Sr. Thea Bowman during a naming ceremony of the Copley chapel. Mission in Motion reflects on the significance and implications of Sr. Thea’s life for us today. 

As spring semester comes to a conclusion and the joyous celebration of Commencement approaches, Georgetown made time this week for several significant events related to Sr. Thea Bowman. Bowman, a Roman Catholic religious sister considered a “Servant of God” (meaning that she is on the path to canonization by the Church), made important contributions in her lifetime both to her faith community and to the world. University President DeGioia captured some of Sr. Thea’s defining legacies in his announcement: 

“[H]er vibrant Christian faith; her Protestant roots; her joining the Catholic community and the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration; her courage in calling the Catholic Church and our nation to more fully engage with Black Catholics and to reject racism; her own academic background and role in establishing scholarship around the Black Catholic experience; her embrace of music as a form of ministry; and her faith-filled service and witness in living the Gospel.”

The context for honoring Bowman at the University is the naming this week of the chapel in Copley Hall in her honor. The chapel in Copley is both a consecrated Catholic chapel and the spiritual home for Georgetown’s Protestant community. An ecumenical service took place to commemorate the naming of the chapel and included the Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, Wilton Gregory, as well as Fr. Mark Bosco, Vice President for Mission and Ministry; Rev. Ebony Grisom, Interim Director of Protestant Ministry; and Rev. TauVaughn Toney, Protestant Christian Chaplain. The event featured lively music provided by Georgetown’s Gospel Choir along with reflections by President DeGioia and testimonials about Bowman’s life from religious women who knew her well. 

The celebration of Sr. Thea continued into the evening as the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life hosted a Dahlgren Dialogue: “Faithful Life, Powerful Legacy, Continuing Lessons.” The panel of distinguished leaders explored key questions about the implications and lessons of Bowman’s life. At the center of the discussion was the recognition of the burdens Sr. Thea bore in battling the intersecting oppressions of racism and patriarchalism. She faced these challenges along with other marginalizations as she sought to lift up the Black Catholic experience in a Church and society that too often excluded and excludes the fullness of Black identity and experience. 

As part of the celebration of Sr. Thea Bowman’s life, a panel at Georgetown explored the lessons that we can take away from how she lived. You can watch a recording. 

All of the panelists pointed to Bowman’s 1989 address to the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops for insights about how to proceed today with hope in spite of the dispiriting challenges to greater inclusion and justice for marginalized persons and communities. Sr. Thea’s lively and courageous embrace of her own authentic self was a resource for her loving actions in the world and offers inspiration for us today: 

“What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my Church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? I come to my Church fully functioning. I bring myself; my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become. I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture, my African American song and dance and gesture and movement and teaching and preaching and healing and responsibility – as gifts to the Church.”

The panelists described a necessary caution in interpreting the significance of Sr. Thea’s life. It would be a temptation to reduce her life’s work only to the cause of racial justice and fail to appreciate the many other ways that she worked against social structures of exclusion. To honor Sr. Thea in a genuine way, the panelists agreed, is to live out her message by proactively and continuously standing with people of color, through policies, practices, and ways of being community, in the pursuit of justice and the common good. That would truly be honoring Sr. Thea’s legacy!

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A Practice-Based Approach to Interreligious Dialogue 

A hallmark of Georgetown University is a commitment to Interreligious Dialogue. This commitment, enshrined in the Spirit of Georgetown, is evident in many ways throughout SCS and across the campuses. The aspiration to ecumenical and interreligious engagement and understanding is more than theoretical, however. Georgetown seeks to live out the fullness of this value not just because interreligious commitment is integral to a Catholic and Jesuit education but because interreligious understanding is an important skill to be fostered in today’s world. 

This week’s post focuses on interreligious dialogue as a key value at Georgetown that is best realized through practice. During Ramadan, members of the University have been invited to join the Muslim community at the Iftar. You can learn more about all of the religious communities at Georgetown at the Campus Ministry website. 

A recent report from the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) makes clear that fostering interreligious dialogue and action is key to the social mission of Jesuit schools around the globe. The IAJU Task Force on Interreligious Dialogue and Understanding issued a document, “Encounter, Dialogue and Action in a World of Religious Plurality,” that emphasizes a knowledge- and skills-based approach to this work: 

“Jesuit education should expose students to other cultures to foster critical awareness, innovation and attentiveness by ‘leaving home’ – i.e. exiting their comfort zones of thinking and accepted paradigms. The practices of interreligious encounter have a value that transcends the strictly religious domain and can be applied to a range of fields, including supporting democracy, ecology, and reconciliation. University education can tend to apply scientific post-Enlightenment values as the only valid standard of judgment. In areas of deep secularization, religious literacy lags behind the realities of global religious diversity. In this light, interreligious encounters can be a prime educational tool and a value for our students, leading to enhanced intercultural competency in a rapidly diversifying yet interconnected world.” 

The document goes on to consider how fostering an atmosphere of dialogue and encounter contributes to meaningful actions at a Jesuit university in service of the common good, which is at the heart of a humanistic Jesuit education. 

During this season’s religiously significant sacred observances for multiple traditions (Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and Pascha), Georgetown has realized a practice-based commitment to interreligious dialogue. One particularly moving example of this is the way the University community has celebrated Ramadan with its Muslim community by actively participating in the Iftar, or the evening meal in which Muslims end their Ramadan fast at sunset.

During the holy time of Ramadan, different offices and groups have sponsored Iftars for the Muslim community, including the Office of the President and Dharmic Life. In sharing the opportunity with the community, Dr. Vrajivhari Sharan, Director for Dharmic Life, encouraged attendance by articulating a present connection between living traditions and appealed to the “examples of our great Dharmic Spiritual Teachers.” President DeGioia’s welcome message for Ramadan to the Muslim community noted that followers of other religious traditions can deepen in their own faith by engaging with the religious practices of others. And Provost Groves’ recent blog post, “The Nurturance of Groups: Large and Small,” reflected that the Iftar was an occasion of value because it was “being with those whose shared experiences at Georgetown, to gather sustenance from the bonds with those shared experiences.” 

My invitation is to experience the practices of another religious tradition as an opportunity to grow in your own interreligious literacy and skills. Fostering this competency is especially valuable for students entering professional industries that are increasingly global in their focus. You might take advantage of Georgetown resources for this kind of encounter by first signing up for the newsletters of one of the many religious communities represented and animated at the University.