Jesuit Values

For high school, I attended Fordham Preparatory School a Jesuit school on the campus of Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. Jesuit values have been instilled in me since the very first moment I began. The words Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam appear as soon as you step through the front halls. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam meaning for the greater glory of God. Taking required religion classes, having Jesuit priests as teachers, and going to mass at least once a month with the entire school was definitely a part of the Jesuit education but hardly the entirety of it. One thing that I strove for in high school and will continue to strive for at Georgetown is being the grad at graduation. The Graduate at Graduation is 5-fold and it is what every Jesuit institution and high school strives for their students to be. The five characteristics of the Grad at Grad are Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice. During my time here at Georgetown, I hope to grow in all areas but some more than others. In high school and even grade school, community service was always a huge part of my life whether that be through Boy Scouts or Habitat Humanities builds I would go on in Tennessee with my high school. Since arriving at Georgetown I have not done anything service oriented. Hopefully through service aspect of this Flourishing class I can get back into the groove again.  I feel as though the Jesuit phrase “Finding God in all things” directly correlates with the gratitude journal we are expected to keep.  Every day I think about all of the good events that occurred in my life that day, and within these things, whether it be a person, place, or event, I was able to see God in them. What I like and respect about Georgetown is that even though we are a Jesuit institution, no one is forcing any Catholic ideals upon anybody. The required religion courses can be about all aspects of religion, spirituality, and faith. In fact, my first class ever at Georgetown was an 8 am Problem of God class about Eastern Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, taught by a Hindu monk, which I found to be incredibly interesting.