In January 2015, I transferred to Thomas More College from a public college system in Virginia. My initial plan was to finish my degree at the University of Virginia and go on to study law or start a business. However, when a friend from Thomas More College visited me that Christmas of 2014, my plans were entirely disrupted. We spend his visit talking and debating about the nature of the soul—its tripartite characterization and the nature of justice. The conversation lasted all night, and as the sun rose the next morning, I knew I would never get an education that explored truth so fervently if I continued my studies at UVA. Later that day, I began my application and transferred to Thomas More College.
Being a part of the Thomas More College community impacted my life in three ways: academically, culturally, and spiritually. When I arrived at Thomas More in 2015, I sought just the educational aspect. Inspired by Plato’s “Republic,” I wanted to escape the cave. And over the course of the next four years, my tutors at Thomas More College instilled in me habits of thinking, reading, and writing that I have been able to carry with me as I finish working on my doctorate in Theology at the Catholic University of America.
In addition to the academics, I did not anticipate how much the culture would shape my personal life. At Thomas More, you are surrounded by peers who desire your good in learning and your spiritual growth. True friendship, not merely friendships of pleasure, is developed there. As a student, you learn what it takes to develop your own community, which is essential for parents like my wife and myself.
Lastly, because of the frequent opportunities for daily mass, prayer, and confession, I was encouraged to develop a habit of praying that I have carried with me into life after college. When I was a third-year student, a group of men began getting up at 5 am to say St. Thomas More’s Psalm of Detachment, and some of us have continued this practice nearly a decade later.
My hope for the future students of Thomas More College is that they will be able to attend Thomas More and receive these same benefits, which, more than anything else, will set them up for success of the most important kind in life.