I have enjoyed being part of a community of students and professors that genuinely care about my educational growth, spiritual life, and overall well-being. I have enjoyed having deep and important conversations with people that are not just my classmates and professors but also my friends. Many conversations often begin in the classroom but carry on throughout daily conversation. It is often through those conversations that relationships are built and community is strengthened even more.

The Templeton professors really contribute to the excellence of the Honors College experience. Not only do they challenge us to grow academically, but also as human beings. They challenge us through the stories we read, the knowledge they share, and the conversations we have inside and outside of the classroom. It means so much when the professors take the time to get to know each one of us on a personal level—which they do—and it means that much more when the connections made with our professors continue even after we have completed their course.

Templeton is preparing me to become a nurse by developing my thoughts, character, and approach to human life. Through conversations on crucial topics like human nature, sickness and death, and the importance of loving your neighbor, Templeton is preparing me to foster meaningful relationships with patients, care for people as holistic beings, and view nursing as a vocation rather than just a career.

On my freshman year camping trip we discussed a quote that says, “The kind of conversation I like is one in which you are prepared to emerge a slightly different person” (Theodore Zeldin). Throughout my Templeton education, I have learned that approaching conversation with an open mind allows for a deeper level of understanding, growth, and respect. Most everyone has a perspective and reason for what they understand or believe, and oftentimes my perspective will differ from that of another. But the best way for me to approach a conversation with them is to attempt to understand them as I would want to be understood.