The Next Step

Dear Future Honors Student,

If you are anything like me, you are going to be excited to start your first semester at college. At the start of this semester, I was excited to meet new friends and be challenged in my thinking. This class definitely did that. You may have heard of the “Hero’s Journey,” but not fully understand it yet. That’s okay! I have not truly understood what it means to be on the Hero’s Journey till now… at the end of the semester.

“Thinking does not have a destination, a stopping point, a “Well, we’re finally here” … What is needed for the life of thinking is hope: hope of knowing more, understanding more, being more than we currently are.” ~ Alan Jacobs

                Keep this quote in mind as you journey through what feels like the endless number of books you will be reading and questioning throughout the semester.

As my freshman semester comes to an end, it is the perfect time to look back on my Hero’s Journey and how far I have come.  Early this November, our class was tasked with reading Hidden Figures and I believe this was the best way to capstone our class.  We began this semester with reading Alan Jacobs’ book How to Think and it really opened my eyes to some of the ways I fail at thinking for myself and being a divergent thinker.

Hidden Figures definitely displays this concept of divergent thinkers and how it is so important in our lives. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson push through all sorts of circumstances and are constantly pushed back for their thinking. Not only were they pushed aside for being divergent thinkers, but also because they were African-American women! Not only were these women tasked with overcoming the goal of putting people into space, but they had to overcome the way people viewed them. I would argue, that would be one of the most challenging part in their journey. Getting people to recognize them and see them as smart women, who are capable of anything they put their mind to. This is why I believe that ending with this book is so important to my journey. It encourages me to continue, even in the midst of adversity and trials.

There are going to be people who disagree with me and try to oppose me, and that’s okay. There are going to be trials and hardships that make me feel like I need to give up on my journey and turn back, but this class has taught to stand firm. As we watched the movie Arrival, this changed my view on communication and how I need to be able to fully understand the question before I can even think of a response. This class has changed my view on better thinking and communication. It has made me realize that I can always grow in my thinking, and that I can always improve my communication with others.

Lastly, Hidden Figures, taught me how to stand up and be a leader, even when it feels like everyone is going against you. Rick Warren states, “Great leaders inspire. They maintain a hopeful attitude, even in that face of discouraging setbacks, constant criticism and abundant opposition. People don’t follow discouraged leaders, they follow those who persist with hope.” This is exactly what Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson did. They were told by everyone that women could not do what they were doing, but yet they pushed through and they accomplished the impossible. This encourages me to strive to be a leader who gives hope to those who feels overwhelmed in the face of opposition.

In the end, strive to learn more, reach greater heights, get out of your comfort zone and become a better learner. Your journey is not done as soon as you reach the end of this class. You will always be learning, and if you payed any attention, questioning. Question what you hear and read. Question everything and strive for greatness!

Best of Luck,

Hannah Taunton