Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2022 graduates.

Jonah McCoy is not shy about his academic achievements and career goals. ASU graduate Jonah McCoy is a double major in civic and economic thought and leadership and in economics. He aims at winning prestigious Leo Strauss Award. Download Full Image

“I seek to become a peer with my mentors,” he said.

The Arizona State University graduate — an early adopter of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) program — is confident about his future. In the fall of 2022, Jonah will start his PhD in political philosophy at the University of Houston, a well-deserved recognition of his academic skills.

“Jonah's talent and commitment to the life of the mind were immediately apparent to all of us in those early days of SCETL, when Jonah was one of our first majors,” said Assistant Professor Karen Taliaferro, adding, “I have come to see how exceptional he is not only in his intelligence but in his determination and perseverance. Beyond this, he is a fundamentally kindhearted person.”

Born in Fresno, California, Jonah moved with his family to Nogales, Arizona, when he was in second grade. He says he knew at an early age that he would follow an academic career, and in 2017 he joined ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College as an economics major, but his path took a slight turn in the fall of that year.

Question: How did you learn about SCETL?

Answer: I walked by a flyer on campus promoting the Civic Discourse Project lecture series on “Free Speech and Intellectual Diversity,” and I started attending the events. Then in the following summer, I enrolled in SCETL’s Summer Leadership Seminar “Shakespeare's Leadership Lessons” in Sedona, and it was delightful. That week, I met phenomenal people, including Cameron Vega and Robert Bartlemay, among others. That experience pushed me to enroll in CEL 100 with Professor Karen Taliaferro, who became a prominent figure in my life. Then came a course on religion with Professor Paul Carrese, and when I realized I was getting a major in civic and economic thought and leadership. One realizes one is in the right place. Things happen for a reason.

Jonah McCoy reads aloud from Shakespeare's "Henry V" during the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership's summer 2018 course in Sedona, Arizona.

Q: Which course was your favorite?

A: I can’t say there was a SCETL course that wasn’t phenomenal.

Q: What makes SCETL so special?

A: It’s a community of like-minded individuals. We are all interested in these important topics in a department that encourages free and open debate. We are free to disagree and discuss everything. At SCETL, I have never met slouchers. Every student at the school is a mover and shaker. Everyone goes on to do big things, to become student body presidents, top-level students participating in big projects that matter, and so on. Ultimately, it’s the quality of students. SCETL doesn’t attract mediocrity. They are all bright, genuinely phenomenal individuals, and do amazing things. SCETL people think big and have big dreams. It comes from the faculty. They are all intentionally here to provide an education, not just a degree.

Q: How did your peers push you forward?

A: At SCETL, one can’t be intellectually complacent because one is surrounded by great thinkers. The debates we engage with at the school challenge you, and you will be called out if you say nonsensical claims. This community of thinkers encourages you to substantiate yourself.

Q: Did you ever think you would pursue a career in classical education?

A: My understanding at the time was that classical education was in full retreat across the country when I came in. And today I am who I am, and I am going where I am going because of SCETL’s faculty. I will receive a doctorate degree fully funded from the University of Houston, and I am grateful to Professor Michael Zuckert, who identified in me the potential to do it. He found a place that is amicable to me and went out of his way to help find a good fit for me.

Q: What is your goal?

A: I want to teach at a place like SCETL. It’s the only thing I see myself doing: teaching at a place like this, surrounding myself with pupils and seeking truth through dialogue and inquiry.

Q: What would you say to an incoming SCETL student?

A: Embrace this small, phenomenal community. Go to the events, become the spirit of it. Making connections with your peers is one of the most important parts of this education. It’s a fantastic cohort.

Q: What is your favorite part about SCETL?

A: The faculty. If SCETL didn’t believe in the education it offers, it could not be what it is, and students would not go as far as they go.

Q: What is the biggest takeaway from your experience as a SCETL major?

A: The absolute beauty of political philosophy, which led me to become a Tocqueville scholar.

Q: What is your bedside-table favorite Tocqueville book?

A: “The Ancient Regime.” It’s his most important book, in my opinion.

Q: What comes after your doctorate degree?

A: That’s easy. The Leo Strauss Award from the American Political Philosophy Association for my dissertation. I am interested in breaking trends and going off to do something new with bold ideas.

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2022 graduates.

A Phoenix native, Gregory Abbott entered Arizona State University in 2018 after graduating from Brophy College Preparatory with a much different perspective than the one he has today. Dean’s Medalist Gregory Abbott Download Full Image

“I always had an interest in the U.S. Constitution and political thought, but my original major was biological science,” he said.

One night, though, his father mentioned he had heard about a new ASU program, one focused on civic and economic thought and leadership.

“We checked out the (School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership) website that evening and I decided to take a course,” Abbott said.

His first course at the school was CEL 100 with Professor Karen Taliaferro. 

“I was intimidated at first, but I fell in love with the Socratic seminars and with the opportunity to share my ideas. Slowly, I became more confident and pushed myself. It was a growth process,” he said.

The following semester, he took CEL 200 Great Debates in American Politics with Professor Zachary German.

“I was hooked. I switched to a major in civic and economic thought and leadership and never looked back,” he says.

Abbott graduates in spring 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in civic and economic thought and leadership and brings home the 2022 Dean’s Medal, but his journey has just begun.

In May, he moves to the University of Notre Dame campus in Indiana to begin his graduate studies in education. We talked to him about his experience at ASU, his career goals and about receiving the Dean’s Medal.

Question: How has the School of Economic Thought and Leadership impacted you?

Answer: I came in very cynical about our country, but by learning about our government, its institutions, the fragile equilibrium between the different powers, the compromises and the genius of our constitutional democracy, I gained a deep respect for it. I learned that it all relies on compromises and civil disagreement. And this made me want to help preserve it. It is our task to make it last.

Q: What is your ultimate goal?

A: My goal is to remain dedicated to being a part of the conversations to find common ground to solve the civics crisis in America. I plan on becoming an American history and civics teacher at the high school level.

Q: What do the next two years look like for you?

A: The program I’m entering at the University of Notre Dame has a teaching component. I will teach in Florida for two years during my master’s, then I intend to apply for the doctorate program in constitutional studies at the same university. 

Q: What makes the school special?

A: It feels like family. My favorite part is the (school's) community, something I never expected to find in such a large university. It is much more than I had expected. The tight community gave me the confidence to apply for fellowships, courses and opportunities.

Q: What would you say to an incoming School of Economic Thought and Leadership student?

A: The (school's) education is more than studying history. It’s more than studying political science. And it’s more than studying philosophy. It’s learning about those subject matters to find ways to make our country stronger. In essence, it combines critical thinking and analytical skills for the purpose of improving society.

Q: Your career path shows your passion for civic education. How did your professors impact you?

A: I feel immense gratitude for (the school) for making me a student, who loves to learn and grow, and receiving the Dean’s Medal is a symbolic representation of the (school) community’s faith in me.

The United States of America is in constant change and under great pressure from many directions. As new challenges to government arise and increasing demands surface each day, public servants face expectations and ethical dilemmas that most citizens can’t even fathom.

How can public officials guide their decisions with virtue in the midst of a rapidly changing environment domestically and internationally? Former U.S Air Force Secretary and former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson.

Heather Wilson has a few suggestions. Over the last three decades, Wilson has been at the forefront of many of our country’s most challenging moments, transitioning between the U.S. Congress, the Air Force, the private sector and public education. On Tuesday, March 29, she will speak at Arizona State University about the lessons she has learned in leadership positions.

This event is part of the the Civic Discourse Project, a series of lectures with some of the country’s most respected intellectuals and leaders. The program is co-sponsored by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Registration is now open for in-person attendance, and the event will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

“Heather Wilson is a respected and effective public servant, leader in the private sector, pilot and president of the University of Texas at El Paso,” said Paul Carrese, founding director of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. “We will certainly learn important lessons from her and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced daily in public office by men and women leading and serving our country and our communities.”

Wilson joined the University of Texas at El Paso after serving as Secretary of the United States Air Force. She is the former president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, an engineering and science research university in Rapid City, South Dakota, and represented New Mexico in the United States Congress for 10 years. Wilson has also worked in the private sector, serving as a senior adviser to the defense and scientific industry and as president of Keystone International, a company she founded that conducted business development and program planning work.

Wilson was the first person in her family to attend college. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in the third class to admit women and earned her master's and doctoral degrees in international relations from Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar. She and her husband, Jay Hone, have three adult children. 

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership is an academic unit inside The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. Founded in 2017, the school combines liberal arts education with outside-the-classroom learning experiences to prepare students for leadership roles in the public and private sectors. The school also hosts a robust public programming schedule in its Civic Discourse Project, which addresses the pressing issues of our times and is aired on Arizona PBS. All lectures are free, open to the public and available for viewing at scetl.asu.edu and on YouTube. For more information about the school's academic offerings and events, visit scetl.asu.edu.

For students across the country, spring break is an opportunity to reset mid-semester and let loose from school. But for 18 Arizona State University students, the week of March 7–13 was a chance to reflect on larger-than-life questions and to engage in activities to achieve a fulfilled life experience.

They enrolled in CEL 394 — Leading a Life of Meaning, an experiential course offered annually by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. The group traveled to Prescott, Arizona, for an immersive six-day program of extensive readings, dialogue, bonding and community service.  The 2022 "Leading a Life of Meaning" cohort in Prescott, Arizona. Download Full Image

”This course has made me think differently about every aspect of my life,” wrote student Sophia Herman. “The blend of liberal and experiential education changed something in me. It was exactly what I needed to get out of the rut I’ve been in.”

Through this course, students from a variety of schools retreated to Prescott to read texts ranging from Aristotle and Rumi to Toni Morrison and Wendell Berry. Based on the readings, they brought to bear their own life experiences — to understand concepts of love, friendship, work, community and identity in relation to living an examined life.

These studies were then expanded through practical experiences of service work, meditation and films such as "Good Will Hunting" and "Pride and Prejudice."

ASU student Olivia Stanley reads to classmates.

“Grounding the internal conversations about meaning with why we need to have those conversations for ourselves and for the world was especially helpful in making these lessons be something that last a lifetime and not just a week after we get back,” said Kayleigh Steele, who is pursuing a major in data science at ASU’s School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and a minor in civic and economic thought and leadership at the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.

In the afternoons, students completed written assignments, reflected among themselves, participated in a trail building project and a “where I’m from” poetry recitation, and mailed a gratitude letter. The readings were completed as a group and, combined with discussions over meals and Socratic seminars, totaled seven hours per day.

Leading a Life of Meaning is taught by Susan Carrese, clinical assistant professor, and Carol McNamara, associate director for public programs for the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. 

Still, there was time for s’mores, hikes, charades, making snowmen and new friends,” Carrese said.

This course is intended to develop a tight cohort of ASU students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds who encounter liberal education, classic texts and Socratic seminars in an intensive, supportive and beautiful environment.

— ASU Clinical Assistant Professor Susan Carrese

The assessment for the course was also designed to allow students to home in on liberal learning.

“In this course, we focus on a deepened understanding of classical and contemporary texts, and on creating a place for students to reflect on their own personal and professional education and paths through life,” McNamara said. “The course’s assessment challenges students to engage with poetry and political philosophy to develop strong reading, writing and communication skills.”

Spanning works from Ancient Greece to modern life, students acquired a new vocabulary for understanding concepts of fulfillment, love, work, leisure and community. Through an intensive cohort experience, they developed a sense of intellectual community and shared pursuit of self-understanding and friendship. They discussed issues regarding work-life balance, identity, leadership and service. Finally, the service project inspired them to become active members of their communities.

“Each year, Professor McNamara and I have the privilege of spending six days with students in Prescott, and we are always amazed by how much this learning experience helps them cultivate critical thinking, to passionately pursue a fulfilled life, lead through inspirational example, develop stronger writing and communication skills, and become engaged actors in their communities as a result of the seminar setting, conversations, activities and experiences we shared during this extraordinary time together,” Carrese said.