“I feel prepared through this department to engage in my workplace communities and to explore diversity in ideas in those spaces.”
As a Communication Studies Major, Maddy’s passion for deliberation, communication, and navigating cultural differences led her to pursue a minor in Religion.
Within the Religion Department, Maddy has found an environment in which her perceptions of the world can be challenged, and a community of people who inspire curiosity and personal spiritual development.
Maddy appreciates the faculty within the department, saying, “The faculty I have worked with in my courses are ridiculously passionate about what they teach and it engages their students, inviting them to explore new ideas and concepts.” The faculty within the Religion Department are very responsive to their students’ questions and curiosity, even planning a “Free Will Dinner” event after Maddy had emailed a professor to ask about free will. This event ended up being one of Maddy’s favorite experiences within the department, being a great opportunity to engage in dialogue outside of the classroom with other philosophers and theologians who were able to bring many different perspectives into the discussion.
During her time at Gustavus, Maddy has been able to develop a particularly important relationship with religion professor Dr. Kessler, saying, “His candor, enthusiasm, and passion for his work is incredibly apparent and makes me truly excited to learn and engage.”
As a whole, the professors within the Religion Department have made Maddy feel inclined to discuss topics after class, and she feels that she is “treated as an equal in my pursuit of answers to the big questions.” Maddy has also appreciated opportunities to bring themes from course work into activities off campus, particularly in her Religion of Happiness course. This class provided her with the opportunity to explore themes of community service work reflected in religious texts by taking shifts volunteering at the Saint Peter food shelf. Also within this course, students were able to participate in meditation and prayer practices. Maddy says, “This was a great example of how coursework actually improved my own life, learning and adopting my own meditative and contemplative practices.”
Maddy feels that the Religion Department has prepared her to navigate a future career, possibly within the corporate world, while maintaining her convictions and continuing to ask questions.
On campus, Maddy is also involved in Gustavus Women in Leadership, Multi-faith Leadership Council, and the Gustavus Choir.