The family holiday gathering is the perfect setting for all Hoyas preparing for a life in politics and diplomacy. Along with dry small talk with distant relatives and the forced laughs masking “that thing we don’t mention in front of uncle Jim,” there is the inevitable period of questoning. The two most common questions Georgetown students entertain: “What are you studying?” and “So what are you going to do after college?”
The first question I attribute to innocent curiosity. The second hits on a more contemptuous interest-is that ritzy Georgetown education really worth it? Will this hefty investment in your college education realize high returns?
After all, Georgetown University is the super-elite; practically the Ivy League, and if you can’t get a one up on that cousin from Harvard who just landed a job with a first-class investment firm, you might as well pick on the nephew from Georgetown. Nothing is more satisfying than hearing the words “I really haven’t thought that far ahead,” from a student who has received well over 180,000 dollars worth of supposedly higher learning.
Whether this is too cynical or not, the point holds true: most students’ families approach college with the belief that education is a mere stepping stone to future careers.
Jesuit educators would disagree, at least the ones in the College Dean’s office. The somewhat cliched image of the academic who learns for the sake of learning is espoused in the good advice of liberal arts educators: simply take courses in subjects that interest you.
Easier for scholars to say than for students to hear. I’m talking about John J. DeGioia’s announcement of the one billion dollars raised in the Third Century Campaign. Among other things, this achievement allows scholars to continue their research, blissfully living the life of education for the sake of education. The magnitude of the Third Century Campaign’s realization also reflects the immense resources necessary for that great quest for knowledge.
Professors can rely on the institution and what DeGioia calls “a culture of philanthropy” to fund their interests. Students, however, don’t necessarily have that luxury. For some, the free ride only lasts four years; for others, college learning is sandwiched between working a part-time job, applying for scholarships and wrangling with financial aid. In either case, students and parents expect a return on their investment in time and money, and for many, that return is measured in dollars.
According to DeGioia, we’re one of only 20 universities nationwide to fulfill a fundraising goal of one billion dollars. That is something to be proud of, but for students, it doesn’t eliminate the need to think money.
