CEDARVILLE — Exploring 10 European countries while completing a 15-credit-hour course may be the highlight to Austin Macnamara’s time as a student at Cedarville University.
He accomplished this during the fall 2016 semester, and it’s been a life-changing experience for the senior liberal arts major from New York.
“In many ways, this study abroad experience was an enhancement to my liberal arts experience, which has been very much like putting together a puzzle,” Macnamara said. “Traveling to Europe allowed me to see with even more clarity the grand picture God is painting with the nations, cultures and people’s hearts, and what the Gospel means for it all.”
The diversity in experience and education is what initially drew Macnamara to Cedarville University’s liberal arts major. Rather than study one particular subject, Macnamara wanted a broader education that would give him the freedom to study the world, humanity and culture more completely. He found exactly what he was looking for in Cedarville’s liberal arts program.
The major provides students with a broad base of knowledge in social science and history, theology and philosophy, math and science and fine arts and humanities. The goal, according to Dr. Kevin Sims, professor of political science and member of the liberal arts faculty committee, is to develop graduates who are able to communicate well and think critically. These traits are ones that employers look for in potential hires, Sims said, and they often provide students with opportunities for continuing education.
“We pride ourselves on having graduates who communicate well and think well,” Sims said. “And I think they really find themselves adaptable to any career opportunity that’s in front of them.”
