First Place, 2013-14 UW-Superior Liberal Arts Essay Competition: The Inspiration of Diverse Communication by Juliana L. Polson Accounting and Finance Major University of Wisconsin-Superior
Some say that education is a time of searching, a time to find out who we really are, and explore some of our undiscovered traits. One of the best ways to discover more about ourselves is through interaction with others who are traveling along this same college journey. By having the opportunity to expand our horizons within our education, we as students are able to reach goals and overcome obstacles that we may have never encountered before. In William Cronon s essay, Only Connect, he asks what it means to be a liberally educated person. Throughout his inquiry and consideration, he finds a modest, yet precise, answer: So one very simple answer to my question is that liberally educated people have been liberated by their education to explore and fulfill the promise of their own highest talents (Cronon par.3). Through this liberation that Cronon describes, as we achieve aspirations and meet ends that are outside of our regular areas of understanding, we are able to further develop one of the most significant qualities of a liberally educated person: confidence in communication. Within my own college experiences at a liberal arts university, I have found that this diversified form of learning has allowed me to gain the ability to talk to anyone I encounter, with the upmost self-assurance. In Only Connect, Cronon reviews the ten traits that he believes a liberally educated person possesses. Among these traits, he discusses how a student with this form of schooling has the ability not only to read, but to read and understand to listen and actually hear. Cronon writes about how liberally educated people have the intellectual range and emotional generosity to step outside their own experiences and prejudices, thereby opening themselves to perspectives different from their own (Cronon par. 16). Do these traits not glisten with self-reliance? But there is one simple, clear idea that Cronon writes about that has stuck with me ever since I originally read his essay. He believes that those who receive an education of such a liberal nature have the ability to talk to anyone. Cronon writes, Educated people know how to talk. They can
hold a conversation with a high school dropout or a Nobel laureate, a child or a nursing- home resident, a factory worker or a corporate president (Cronon par.12). After pondering this idea, I realized that this author is expressing precisely what we as students have the capacity to do. This education not only has a positive effect on our intelligence but also influences the emotional spirit and overflows into all aspects of our existence. While allowing us to view life from multiple angles, this education gives us the ability and confidence to speak with anyone, about a wide array of matters. As my college career was about to begin a little over a year ago, I pictured myself convening in classrooms with only students who were studying in the same field that I am. I assumed that all of my interactions in college would deal with researching the principles of financial accounting, discussing the various tax laws, and investigating the fundamentals of supply and demand with students who speak the same business lingo. While I knew that this was something that obtaining an accounting degree would entail, I remember a moment within the first few weeks of my college experience where my entire outlook on liberal education changed. While I was sitting in my Asian History discussion group, I realized that I am receiving an education that goes far beyond the realm of what I was expecting. I suddenly gained recognition of just how communicative the next four years of my education would be, and I became aware that my future degree would do far more than assist me in obtaining the job of my dreams. There we were, a group of students with completely different educational goals, deliberating the cultural aspects of the Ming Dynasty while sharing our contrasting college hopes and dreams and unintentionally creating diverse connections that would remain long after the semester was over. I was listening to the ambitions of future scientists, soon-to-be exercise physiologists, and forthcoming mathematicians. Then it hit me: I realized that this is what liberal education is all
about. I suddenly fathomed that this type of education is providing me with opportunities that push me outside of my typical scope of conversation and dialogue. I began to apply this to other areas of my college education. After a few short weeks at a liberal arts school, I realized that I had already discussed the psychological advancements of Sigmund Freud, analyzed the culture of pre-modern Asia, and reviewed the legality of international trade with professors and students from all over the world. My confidence in speaking with others had already increased, and my understanding of areas outside of the accounting and finance field was flourishing. Over the past year and a half at a liberal arts university, I have had the opportunity to discover a whole new person within myself while also learning about those around me and increasing my confidence when communicating with just about anyone. While studying to one day become an accountant, I have been fortunate enough to talk to students about the musical compositions of India and work through differential functions in calculus with my peers while testing my athletic abilities in basketball and working as a team with complete strangers. Several of these experiences were brand new to me as I opened the cover of the textbook or listened to the first piece of music. The exposure that I have gained and the confidence I have obtained while attending a liberal arts school and interacting with scholars of various interests have opened my eyes to the educational path I am walking down. In his essay, Cronon states, From this commitment to tolerance flow all those aspects of a liberal education that oppose parochialism and celebrate the wider world: studying foreign languages, learning about the cultures of distant peoples, exploring the history of long-ago times, discovering the many ways in which men and women have known the sacred and given names to their gods (Cronon par. 16). This diverse form of education that I am receiving has introduced me to a completely new
form of learning: one that reaches to the deepest parts of my mind, teaches me how to converse with people of all walks of life, and instills a new force of certainty within myself. My college journey has only just begun, and I know that my future is bright because of what liberal education is doing for me. I am given incredible opportunities to expand upon my areas of knowledge and speak to those around me about topics outside of the scope of my own personal interests. In his work, Cronon writes, A friend of mine says one of the most important things his father ever told him was that whenever he had a conversation, his job was to figure out what s so neat about what the other person does (Cronon par. 12). Liberal education allows us as students to learn more about what others find fascinating about the world, gives us the conviction to discuss these captivations, and strengthens our ability to speak with just about anyone about the vast curiosities of life.
Work Cited Cronon, William. Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education. American Scholar 67.4 (1998): n. pag. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.