As a newcomer to DeSales University (DSU), I am especially impressed with the Salesian vision that guides our educational community. We are dedicated to “expanding the minds, the talents, and the hearts of curious students to construct new ideas and lead lives of impact.” I want us to ponder this vision.
I am a very unusual MBA director because my Ph.D. is in Social Gerontology. A main tenant in studying gerontology is understanding the life course and how events, experience, spirituality, and resiliency shape our life trajectory. The pandemic impacts us here and now, but this experience will influence the rest of our lives, and for generations to come. I encourage you to think about the generations that came before you and how their experience shaped who you are. This may give you a chance to consider how today’s experience will impact you and future generations.
When I consider my own life, I am influenced by my parents’ life experiences. My father, the son of immigrants, was born in 1917. As an infant, he and his family contracted the Spanish Flu and my grandmother nearly died. My father grew up during the Depression and when his college scholarship was rescinded because the college’s endowment dried up, he had to pursue another path in life. His talent was organization and logistics. During WWII, he was quickly promoted to First Sargent, unheard of, even then. While in England, helping to prepare for D-Day, he met my mother at a dance. My father’s heart and mind were forever changed by all of these experiences, which occurred early in his life. He and my mother raised five children. They stressed hard work, education, serving others, and seeking truth. Their influence – shaped by war, limited opportunities, limited income, yet enhanced by gratitude, curiosity, and tenacity – impacted my life choices, as well as my children’s lives.
Think about your own choices and how they are shaped by those who came before you. The “linked lives” social theory explains that life’s strongest storylines are punctuated by and enmeshed with other people. How will you take this experience and change your trajectory? I believe God is giving us an opportunity to make new choices. Our natural environment is improving. People are getting back to basics – cooking at home, baking bread (that is if you can find yeast!), breaking bread with our families, and finding joy in simple times such as making a puzzle and playing games. Even when “breaking bread” is virtual, we have technology to stay connected. I cannot imagine the challenges my grandmother endured in 1918. How blessed we are in many ways!
I encourage you to take this moment to expand your minds, use your talents, and follow your heart. Help those in your community who are alone and scared. Our Salesian spirit will guide us on this path.
Keep the faith, be well, and I wish you all the best.
Karen Kent, PhD
Assistant Professor & Director, DeSales University MBA Program
Mary & Joseph’s daughter
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