A critique of my fellow Notre Dame students in our university’s newspaper made me just a bit happier this fall. Apparently our students don’t pursue PhDs as much as students at other top universities.
While the article presented this negatively, I was encouraged by it. Not all of our 8,000 students could possibly be meant to advance in academia. My heart warmed to see that our students are still committed to service; 80 percent volunteer in South Bend and 10 percent of graduates commit to a year or more of service. While some of us are surely called to further education, we are not distanced from the immediate needs of society that need attention, including our own families. Many of my classmates are willing to delay a career because they believe committing time to raise a family at home is still valuable and honorable.
