AETN, UCA Host Election 2010 Debates

Posted on September 22, 2010

Arkansas Educational Television Network and the University of Central Arkansas are hosting a series of Election 2010 debates in October. The debates will be taped in the Reynolds Performance Hall and aired later the day of the taping on AETN. The debates are free and open to the public.

The debate schedule times are:

Monday, October 11

U.S. District 1 tapes @ 11 a.m. (60 min.)

Ken Adler (G)

Chad Causey (D)

Rick Crawford (R)

Airs 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

U.S. District 2 tapes @ 3 p.m. (90 min.)

Joyce Elliott (D)

Tim Griffin (R)

Lewis Kennedy (G)

Lance Levi (I)

Airs 7:30 – 9 p.m.

Tuesday, October 12

Lt. Governor tapes @ 10 a.m. (60 min.)

Shane Broadway (D)

Mark Oarr (R)

Airs 7- 8 p.m.

Governor tapes @ 2 p.m.

Mike Beebe (D)

Jim Keet (R)

Jim Lendall (G)

Airs 8 – 9 p.m.

Wednesday, October 13

U.S. Senate tapes @ 10:00 a.m. (90 min.)

John Boozman (R)

Trevor Orown (I)

John Gray (G)

Blanche Lincoln (D)

Airs  6:30 – 8 p.m.

U.S. District 4 tapes @ 3 p.m. (60 min .)

Joshua Drake (G)

Beth Anne Rankin (R)

Mike Ross (D)

Airs 8- 9 p.m.

Thursday, October 14

Secretary of State tapes @ 10 a.m. (60 min.)

Mark Martin (R)

Pat O’Brien (D)

Airs 7 – 8 p.m.

U.S. District 3 tapes @ 2 p.m. (60 min.)

David Whitaker (D)

Steve Womack (R) not scheduled to attend

Airs 8 – 9 p.m.

Friday, October 15

Attorney General tapes @ 1Oa.m. (60 min.)

Dustin McDaniel (D)

Rebekah Kennedy (G)

Airs 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Staff Senate Accepting Applications for Professional Development Funds

Posted on September 22, 2010

The Staff Senate is now accepting applications for Professional Development funds.  The Staff Senate Professional Development fund was established by the Staff Senate of the University of Central Arkansas to assist a staff employee in pursuing opportunities for professional development, whether you are seeking support for a book scholarship or travel funds.

The senate seeks to advance opportunities of continuing education, advanced or higher education, certification programs, or conference participation.

All full-time classified or non-classified staff are eligible to apply.  The value of the funding depends on the available funds and the number of applicants.  The deadline for the application is Monday, November 1st.  The link to the application is https://uca.edu/staffsenate/profdevfunding.php

If you have questions, please contact Patricia Smith, director of student engagement, UCA Honors College, McAlister 305A at 450-5465 or psmith@uca.edu.

UCA Alumnus Awarded Scholarship to Study in Morocco

Posted on September 22, 2010

UCA alumnus Jacob Perry has been awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar scholarship to Morocco by Rotary International.

Jacob will be studying Arabic at the University Mohamed V in Rabat, Morocco. He is one of more than 500 students from 29 countries who will be studying abroad for the 2010-2011 academic year as Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholars.

“I am honored to receive this scholarship from Rotary International and to join the extensive community of present and past ambassadorial scholars,” Jacob said. “I am excited about what I will learn from my experience in Morocco, but I also look forward to representing Arkansas, the U.S.A., and Rotary International while abroad. During my year in Morocco, I hope to contribute to Rotary’s mission of bridging continents and building communities.”

Jacob, 23, grew up in Fayetteville. He graduated in December 2009 with degrees in Biology and Spanish. His global perspectives have been shaped and fostered in part by Spanish, French, and his involvement in an orphanage in Honduras, as well as his travels through India, Nepal, Tibet, and studying abroad in Costa Rica and Spain.

At UCA, Jacob developed an interest in Latin Culture and the Spanish language. He later used his Spanish while at an orphanage in Honduras, playing with the children, organizing activities, reading to them, giving English lessons, and teaching hygiene. His humanitarian interests have broadened since his first trip to Honduras, and he began studying French in order to do similar humanitarian work in French-speaking African nations. He is now studying Arabic in Morocco to do future work in development and/or education in the Middle East.

The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships program is one of the world’s largest privately sponsored international scholarship programs. Focused on humanitarian service, personal diplomacy, and academic excellence, the program has sponsored more than 40,000 scholars since 1947.

Designed to bridge cultures and encourage goodwill, the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is one of Rotary’s leading efforts to promote world peace and understanding.

Ambassadorial Scholarships provide undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to study at participating universities in the 200 countries and geographical areas where Rotary clubs are active. While abroad, scholars participate in community service projects and speak at local Rotary club meetings and conferences, schools, civic organizations, and other forums where they serve as “goodwill ambassadors” for their home countries.

Bonner Named UCA Distinguished Alumnus

Posted on September 22, 2010

Tom Bonner, a former local TV personality for KARK-TV in Little Rock and senior vice president at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the University of Central Arkansas Distinguished Alumnus Award.

In August, the UCA Board of Trustees approved a resolution to recognize Bonner with the award. Bonner, a 1959 graduate, will be formally honored during UCA Homecoming Week, Oct. 24-30.

He will be presented the Distinguished Alumnus medallion and a plaque will be unveiled during the Half-Century Club Induction Ceremony and Brunch at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Later that afternoon, Bonner will be joined by fellow members of the Class of 1959 on the football field at the UCA vs. Southeastern Louisiana game for a halftime celebration.

The award recognizes alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to the university, community, state or society, who possess a reputation that enhances the university and serves as an example to students.

“Tom Bonner is truly one of UCA’s most distinguished graduates and an Arkansas celebrity of the first order,” said Dr. Rollin Potter, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. “Tom has contributed his talents and time to thousands yearly, both in his profession and as an outstanding friend and colleague to many. He is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Bonner was born in Memphis and lived with his parents and two younger brothers in Blackton, Ark. (Monroe County) until he was 17. At that time, he enrolled at Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway, now the University of Central Arkansas, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree.

In 1961, he joined KARK-TV in Little Rock where he was part of the all-time top rated news and weather teams for more than three decades. This culminated with his service as the station’s executive vice president and station manager.

In 1997, he joined Arkansas Children’s Hospital as the director of public affairs and started successful efforts leading to more national and international recognition of the important and groundbreaking medical services available. He is now senior vice president of administration and continues to be an innovative leader.

The hospital is now a regular contributor of stories for the major national network news divisions as well as the Discovery Channel and other well-respected cable channels. Most recently, NBC’s Dateline news program featured Arkansas Children’s Hospital in January 2010 with follow-up coverage on the Today show and TLC Network.

Bonner has also offered his talents to UCA in many ways including serving as master of ceremonies at the Reynolds Performance Hall opening, as a member of the James Bridges Scholarship committee and as a member of the College of Fine Arts and Communication Advisory Board.

Bonner will be the 25th recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus award joining the ranks alongside best-selling author Dee Brown, five-time NBA All-Star Scottie Pippen, J.B. Hunt Transport Co-Founder Johnelle Hunt, former U.S. Department of Education Deputy Secretary Ray Simon and Pulitzer Prize-nominated photographer Will Counts. — Jennifer Boyett

UCA New Employees

Posted on September 22, 2010

The following individuals recently joined the UCA family:

Jamie Alea, instructor, Office of Candidate Services and Field Experience, Aug. 16.

Veda Charlton, assistant dean of students, Disability Support Services, Aug. 16.

Linda Clark, visiting assistant professor, Physics and Astronomy, Aug. 16.

Sherry Crenshaw, administrative specialist III, College of Education, Aug. 16

Jamie Dallas, resident master/instructor, Child Study, Aug. 16.

Kristin Dooley, assistant professor, Chemistry, Aug. 16.

Taine Duncan, instructor, Philosophy-Religion, Aug. 16.

Sonya Fritz, assistant professor, English, Aug. 16.

Lina Gan, instructor, Han Ban Teacher Project, Aug. 16.

Elizabeth Harper, assistant professor, English, Aug. 16.

Rosalea Hyland, instructor, Family and Consumer Services, Aug. 16.

Yufei Li, instructor, Han Ban Teacher Project, Aug. 16.

Mark Lowery, lecturer II, Speech and Public Relations, Aug. 16.

Kaye McKinzie, assistant professor, Management Information Systems, Aug. 16.

Constance McKnight, assistant professor, Accounting, Aug. 16.

Harry Odamtten, visiting assistant professor, History, Aug. 16.

Vicki Parish, instructional tech support, Faculty Development, Aug.16.

Robert Reising, instructor, Academic Success Center, Aug. 16.

Tammy Scaife, instructor, Writing, Aug. 16.

Thomas Snyder, assistant professor, Economics, Aug. 16.

Mary Sullivan, assistant professor, Political Science, Aug. 16.

Bhupinder Vohra, assistant professor, Biology, Aug. 16.

Donna Wake, assistant professor, Department of Teaching, Learning & Technology, Aug. 16

Allison Worthen, instructor, Family and Consumer Sciences, Aug.16.

Fang Xie, instructor, Han Ban Teacher Project, Aug. 16.

Eliseo Barrios, apprentice tradesman, Building Maintenance, Aug.17.

Shannon Avra, assistant dean of students, Admissions, Aug. 23.

Maegan Dyson, development officer, cheerleaders, Aug. 23.

Sandra Luckett, visiting assistant professor, Art, Aug. 23.

Christie McCrory, interim director of Student Health, Office of Student Health Services, Aug. 23.

Jonathan Vest, assistant dean of students, Admissions, Aug. 23.

Joshua Rauls, assistant dean of students, Admissions, Aug. 24.

September

Sherry Bunt, instructional services assistant, Custodial Care, Sept. 1.

Wanda Harris, residential care assistant, College Square Retirement Center, Sept. 1.

Patricia Rogers, administrative specialist III, Torreyson Library, Sept. 1.

Crisstopher Walker, public safety officer, University Police, Sept. 1.

Andrew Winkelman, Project/Program Specialist, Student Center, Sept. 1.

College of Business News

Posted on September 22, 2010
Alex Fayman, assistant professor of finance, had his paper An Empirical Examination of the Stated Purposes of Issuer Tender Offers to Purchase Common Stock” recently accepted by Financial Management, which is considered an elite journal in the field of Finance. This paper documents the purposes of issuer tender offers to repurchase stock, as stated in SEC disclosures, over the period 1994-2006. The paper was co-authored by Jessica Kay Dunn and Jamie John McNutt, both of SIU Carbondale.
Dr. Doug Voss, assistant professor and director of the UCA College of Business Center for Cooperative Logistics Education, Advancement, and Research (CLEAR) Center,  has been named to the editorial review board of the International Journal of Logistics Management beginning Fall 2010 and the editorial review board for Journal of Business Logistics. The Journal is regarded as the premier logistics journal in the supply chain management discipline.
 
Dr. Michael Hargis, assistant professor of management, was a part of a research team that presented a manuscript entitled “Internal Motivation, Ethical Leadership, and Ethical Mindfulness in Organizations” at the August meeting of the Academy of Management.  This paper examines the person-based and context-based factors that influence an employee’s ethical judgments of discretionary deviant behavior (e.g., being abusive; employee theft, not following instructions) and prosocial behaviors (helping colleagues who have been absent; adhering to informal rules and norms) within the workplace.   Co-authors on the paper were Christian Resick, Tyra Shoa, and Scott Dust, all from Drexel University.

Dr. Don B. Bradley, III, a professor of marketing at the University of Central Arkansas, was recently elected president of the International Council for Small Business at its annual ICSB World Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. With this honor, Bradley will be president-elect at the International Conference in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2011 and will serve as international president at the ICSB conference in New Zealand in June 2012.  Bradley has previously served as a senior vice-president and a director at large for the ICSB Board. He has also served as the national president of three United States Associations for Small Business and Marketing.  He is the executive director of the Small Business Advancement National Center. Bradley was a featured speaker at a special VIP Event hosted by Cisco and the Cincinnati Bell Technology Group during the recent ICSB World Conference.  He spoke on how small businesses utilize social networking in their marketing plan.  He was joined at the podium by Dr. Thomas Conney of the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland and Dr. Rob van der Horst, Director of the Brussels Office EIM at the Hague, Netherlands.  Bradley also presented a paper co-authored by Michael J. Rubach, Ph.D., professor of management at the University of Central Arkansas,  and Justin E. Brown, Hewlett-Packard – Conway that was entitled, “The Challenges Facing Iraqi Entrepreneurs and the Response of the U.S. Government.”

College of Education News

Posted on September 22, 2010

Ratliff Recieves First Chapter Grant from Kappa Delta Pi

Miranda Ratliff  is the recipient of the first chapter grant from Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education.

Applicants must be active members of the KDP chapter and demonstrate leadership in the chapter as well as potential as a professional educator.

Miranda’s leadership ability was evident in a recent class, where the faculty member shared the following about a classroom activity: “I noticed that Miranda emerged as a leader in this team project. She brought resources to share with the other teacher candidates, and she motivated the team to stay on track.” The following excerpt from her essay demonstrates her potential as an educator: “I plan to always work hard on getting to know my students so that they are the ones that benefit the most out of our interactions. I know that students come in every size, shape, color, intellect and behavioral issue. This does not sound discouraging to me, but rather an opportunity to allow myself to grow.”

UCA Graduates Exceed State Average in Classroom Teaching Performance Assessment

UCA graduates execeeded state average in classroom teaching performance assessment, according to the 2010 Praxis III results recently released by the Arkansas Department of Education.  The Praxis III assessment is a classroom teaching performance assessment that is required to qualify for a standard teaching license in Arkansas.   This assessment is done after an individual begins teaching with the three-year initial teaching license and is typically completed at the end of the first year of teaching.  The 2010 PRAXIS III Assessment revealed a state average score of 51.4 with a standard deviation of 2.6; the highest score possible and also earned was  57; the minimum passing score is 45.   

The 2010 UCA Praxis III results are identified by the route of preparation the person completed to qualify for the initial teaching license.  UCA has two approved initial teacher preparation programs — the traditional undergraduate program and the Master of Arts in Teaching program.   Other graduates from UCA that are identified in the Praxis III results have completed a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, but have elected to enter the Non-Traditional Licensure Program administered by the Arkansas Department of Education.   The results from all three initial licensure routes indicate that UCA graduates meet required classroom performance standards to earn a standard Arkansas teaching license.  Specifically, teaching performance assessed with the Praxis III indicates that individuals prepared through the Master of Arts in Teaching have a somewhat higher average performance score (52.7) than that of other UCA student groups.  The second highest average (52.2) was made by those prepared in the traditional undergraduate teacher education program.  Those UCA graduates completing the Non-Traditional Licensure Program had the lowest average score (51.5).  The UCA College of Education celebrates with all UCA graduates who have successfully completed this assessment and who are teaching in Arkansas schools.

Teachers United Students Support Conway Public Schools Referendum

Members of UCA’s Teachers United, a recognized student organization in the College of Education, recently answered a call for help from Conway Public Schools and the Conway 2012 Committee.   After hosting Jan Spann, a 2012 Committee member, as a guest speaker for the September Teachers United meeting in Mashburn Hall, several UCA students volunteered to help the committee and school district generate support for the passing of a millage increase that will fund renovation of Conway High School West and support construction projects to benefit Conway students.  Volunteers distributed informational fliers at Conway athletic events and called registered voters to encourage support of the millage increase, which passed on September 21st.  The relationship between UCA’s College of Education and Conway Public Schools has a long history of mutually beneficial cooperation.  Thank you Teachers United members for your continuation of this tradition:  Haley White, Lynzie Lamb, Casey Hoanzl, and Ashley Westerman.    

 UCA Education Faculty Receive Assessment Training

Twenty UCA education faculty were trained by The Learning Institute (TLI) to be able to incorporate TLI assessment measures into their teacher/administrator coursework.  The Learning Institute is a private company that assists school districts with aligning curriculum, teaching and assessing curriculum, reviewing formative student assessment data, and taking action to improve student learning and instruction based on assessment data.  TLI also provides mathematics and literacy developmental assessments which help to determine strengths and weaknesses in curriculum and instruction. The Institute provides a variety of reporting services so that teachers and administrators can teach to the needs of the students.  Quentin Suffren, chief academic officer of TLI, and Jessica Allen, professional development specialist, provided the five-hour training and explained the TLI web portal procedures, report navigation, and historical data retrieval for Arkansas public schools.  This training opportunity will enhance assessment courses in UCA’s educator preparation programs.

University College News

Posted on September 22, 2010

Flora Salyers, adjunct in transitional reading, will present an original short story at the October 2010 Arkansas Philological Conference in Fayetteville.

College of Fine Arts and Communications News

Posted on September 22, 2010
Robin Becker, an instructor in the Department of Writing, will be featured at the New York Comic Convention in New York City on October 9. The panel she’s on is titled,” Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? “and includes a select group of living dead writers. Becker’s book, Brains: A Zombie Memoir, was published in May by HarperCollins.
Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of writing, recently had his book The Genet Translations: Poetry and Posthumous Plays published by Polemic Press (Pittsburgh). This study culminates 17 years of research, scholarship and literary translation. Also, Spitzer’s campaign for an environmental impact study in a spawning ground of the largest population of alligator gar in Arkansas was recognized nationally in the September 7th edition of USA Today. Conway Corporation intends to build a sewage treatment plant in this location.
John Vanderslice, associate professor in the Department of Writing, recently had his short story “Range of Motion” accepted for publication in Sou’wester magazine.

College of Health and Behavioral Sciences News

Posted on September 22, 2010
Dr. Kim Dielmann, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology & Counseling presented her research entitled, The International School Psychology Survey:  A further understanding of school psychological services in Western Ukraine, at the International School Psychology Association conference in Dublin, Ireland in July.
Dr. John Murphy’s work in solution-focused therapy is featured in Chip and Dan Heath’s NY Times bestselling book, Switch: How to change when change is hard (2010, Random House). Murphy is a professor in the psychology department.
Dr. Ron Bramlett and Dr. John Murphy, professors of psychology and counseling, co-authored a book chapter with John Hall and Katie Williams-Wolf from Arkansas State University entitled “Reponse to intervention: Key considerations for school personnel engaged in intervention assistance programs” to be published  in J.E. Warnick, K. Warnick, & Laffoon, A. (Eds). Eucational Policy and Practice: The good, the bad, and the pseudoscience. Volume II: Applied Practices (pp. 49-83). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Dr. Ron Bramlett, professor of psychology and counseling, co-authored a paper with Gary Cates of Illinois State University and Elena Savina, from James Madison University entitled “Assessing effectiveness and efficiency of academic interventions in school psychology journals: 1995-2005.” published in  Psychology in the Schools, 47, 114-125.

Dr. Ron Bramlett, professor of psychology and counseling,  and Tricia Benish had an article entitled “Using social stories to decrease aggression and increase positive  peer interactions in normally developing  preschool children.” accepted for publication in Educational Psychology in Practice.

Dr. Tiffany Huitt, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, along with colleages at Wake Forest University School of Medicine recently had an abstract published in Epilpsia, the Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, entitled “Imaging Cortical Networks Involved in Preictal and Ictal Childhood Absence Epilepsy with Magnetoencephalography.” Stapleton-Kotloski, J. R.1*, Huitt, T. W. 1*, Boles, W.2, O’Donovan, C. A.2, and Godwin, D. W.1, 2 Epilepsia 0 Suppl. 0, Abstract 3.204, 2010. The paper will also be presented at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, 2010 to be held in San Antonio in December.

Notation: 1Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem,  NC. 2Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem.

Dr. Charlotte Yates, assistant professor of physical therapy and Dr. Kevin Garrision, assistant professor of physical therapy, along with third year DPT Students Allison Burba-Horgan and Brittany Sexson recently learned that the following abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the 2011 American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Section Meeting in New Orleans, LA in February.  Yates C, Garrison MK, Burba-Horgan A, Franz J.  Outcome measures for exploring the mechanisms of hyper-reflexia and spasticity that develop post SCI in the rat and the effects of passive exercise intervention on each outcome measure.  American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting; New Orleans, LA; February, 2011. Garrison MK, Yates C, Charlesworth A, Burba-Horgan A, Sexton B.  Regional Cx-36 changes following complete SCI and interventions in the rat. American Physical Therapy Association Combined Section Meeting; New Orleans, LA; February, 2011.

Dr. Charlotte Yates, assistant professor of physical therapy and Dr. Kevin Garrision, assistant professor of physical therapy recently had a paper published in Translational Neuroscience.   Yates C, Garrison MK, Charlesworth A, Reese NB, Garcia-Rill E. Novel therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI).  Translational Neuroscience.  2010 ; In press.

Dr. Charlotte Yates, assistant professor of physical therapy and Dr. Nancy B. Reese, professor and chairperson of physical therapy, recently had a paper published in Brain Research Bulletin. Liu H, Skinner RD,  Arfaj A, Yates C, Reese NB, Garcia-Rill E. L-dopa effect on frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex in adult rats with complete spinal cord transection.  Brain Research Bull.  2010; In press.

Honors College News

Posted on September 22, 2010

Fordham University Press has accepted for publication a collection of essays co-edited by Donna Bowman,  Associate Dean, Honors College, and Clayton Crockett, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.  The book, titled Theology and Energy: Divine Intersections, emerged out of the Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Theology and Energy held at UCA in February 2009, co-sponsored by the American Academy of Religion, the Steel Center at Hendrix, and several UCA departments and institutes.  Catherine Keller of Drew University provides the keynote essay, anchoring contributions from nine other scholars, including Bowman, Crockett, and Jay McDaniel of Hendrix College.  

Senior Honors student Isaac Jones, a philosophy major, journeyed to South Africa this summer to work in the field of human rights.  While there, Jones helped an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo get a Cape Town Refugee Center grant to raise his son, who has cerebral palsy.  Jones also worked in Bonnytoun, a juvenile detention center for boys aged 14-18.  He gave character-building workshops, focusing on drug avoidance and gang resistance.  Jones discovered that most of the Bonnytoun residents know very little about the litigation pending against them or the legal process.  He designed a monitoring system whereby the Projects Abroad Human Rights Office can gather information, anonymize it, and present it to the officials in charge of Bonnytoun in hopes of improving the situation for these boys.  He is currently working on a self-reflective essay on human rights monitoring for his senior Honors thesis project.  Jones’ experience was funded in part by a Travel Abroad Grant (TAG) awarded by the Honors College.  “I’ve always had a passion for human rights,” says Jones. “I was committed to going someplace to become a locus of hope for people who have had their rights violated, but my TAG made it financially possible.”

Honors alumna Sara Mullally, a 2009 International Studies graduate, is the new Assistant Director of the Casa Marianella immigrant shelter in Austin, Texas.  She writes, “It’s been such a beautiful experience, full of growth and consciousness-raising moments.  We to get to know the amazingly strong individuals who are the real life survivors of the stories we hear about in the news: people escaping sharia law in Somalia, Mara Salvatrucha and Las Zetas gang atrocities, hurricanes/natural disasters in Central America, and Maoist torturing in Nepal to name a few.  We help traumatized and abused immigrants be able to restore themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally while also preparing them for their political asylum court case and for life as a new American.  I will always be thankful for the Honors TAG (Travel Abroad Grant) awards that allowed me to go on trips abroad.  These trips provided me with invaluable insight and connections with people from other cultures.  I now work with people escaping violence from the very cities in Central America that I traveled to and learned about on a TAG trip three years ago.  Traveling abroad gave me a perspective that has ultimately shaped what kind of life I will live, how I will relate with others, and what kind of work I will dedicate myself to.”