"Educated": A Sophomore Year Reflection
Going into college, I associated the word educated with grades, degrees, or even the number of facts one can recall. While these are all factors of a traditional education, they only scratch the surface of what it truly means to be educated. In a deeper sense, being educated is the ability to immerse oneself in differing perspectives, think critically, communicate effectively, and engage with the world in a thoughtful and informed way. That sentence is a mouthful, but so is education. It's about curiosity, empathy, and the continuous pursuit of understanding. An "educated" person does not just absorb information; they question it, apply it, and seek to understand its broader implications.
Over the past four semesters, my understanding of what it means to be educated has evolved significantly. When I first began college, I equated education with academic performance. My success was measured by my GPA, memorizing textbook content, and writing polished essays that align perfectly with professor explanations. My focus was on the temporarily significant outcomes: getting the grade, completing the assignment, passing the test. As I progressed through each semester, I started to see education less as a checklist, but rather as a process of transformation. Through courses that challenged my assumptions or introduced me to new ideas, I discovered that being educated also means being willing to change your mind in light of new evidence or insights. What you know right now is not endgame.
Before I found my major, I found the USO. The public speaking and rhetorical inquiry course I took my freshman year helped me to find my major. As a student of public relations, I imagined my major as managing social media accounts, writing press releases, and shaping public image. These things are all very true, but the University Scholars Program; especially its courses in literature, philosophy, and ethics, challenged me to think more critically about the power and responsibility that comes with shaping narratives. That answer is niche, but in an overarching statement, having a diverse range of knowledge at my disposal in this program has given me a unique perspective.
There is a lot that I can say about how this unique aspect of my education has set me apart from my peers in the classroom. However, that is a given for any Scholar. What I think is more important to say is that the core curriculum of the USO has expanded my definition of education because of how much it has gone outside my major. I would have never gone near Hobbes or read Inferno in the MMSC department. The program that I love has never been about checking boxes, it's about becoming someone who can adapt, analyze, reflect, and grow. It is about being in rooms full of ideas that make you uncomfortable, inspired, or both. In these rooms, I decided to become a student of not just public relations, but a student of the world.