REL STUD 358: Ignatius / Blog 8

As I sit here  looking over these "12 ideals of education" I find it difficult to choose one which has influenced me the most. I suppose that is a good thing though, after all, ideally every one of these elements is meant to present in Jesuit education. I am quickly approaching the end of my journey as an undergraduate and as a student at Loyola, so I value the chance to reflect on the role my school of choice had to play in my education. Regrettably, these are the sorts of questions I rarely thought about during my stay here, even while I was choosing a school. The decision to go to a Jesuit University wasn't really a big deal to me or my family because I had gone to a Jesuit high school. So the question of "what makes a Jesuit education unique/worthwhile?" barely crossed my mind. For me it was simple: - I'm from New Orleans so it would be very easy to commute and save money. -I went to a Jesuit school. -My brother went to Loyola. - Of my list of schools, I got a the best scholarship at Loyola.  If you are entering into a new environment that is foreign to you, it is a bigger deal to question what makes the experience unique, so to be perfectly honest, the fact that the school was a Jesuit institution played a very secondary role in my decision. It sounds harsh, but for me, it was like the most significant difference was a 15 minute commute instead of a 5 minute one.

That is not to say, however, that I didn't benefit from a Jesuit education. Looking back on it now, I value the things I learned here. I really appreciate the Jesuit concept of "Educating the whole person," and ultimately I am glad I have received a Jesuit education. The most important things I've learned haven't been content, but a method of thinking and interacting with the world and the people in it. I think this is what makes a Jesuit education unique from a standard state school. It's more than just getting your credentials so you can get a job. They teach you how to think and interact the with world in a positive and proactive way.
I know the assignment was to choose one ideal but I think that more than a few of them blend into each other. For example, Critical thinking enables us to interact in a unique way with the world which in turn allows us to learn from our experiences in new ways. Similarly, I think the Idea of finding God in all things relates to learning from experience. They both entail paying attention to everything that happens in the world and personal experience and deriving intellectual and spiritual knowledge respectively. Once again, Learning from experience implies a respect for the world. You have to open to "the mystery" of the world in order to learn from it. For me personally, I suppose  I would have to choose being open and aware of the world around us as the most valuable in my education. Through this attitude, I can communicate effectively to many people about a multitude of important issues around the world. Communication is one of the most vital skills to have in the world. If you can listen and communicate effectively alone, you can succeed in most careers.