Expanding her knowledge and thriving at CMC

Upon graduating from high school, Jocelyn Livier ‘24 was craving a deep academic challenge. Livier was focused on selecting a college or university that would allow her to pursue interests in a dynamic way. As an individual passionate about the intersectionality of our world and how that impacts societal systems, CMC’s education has allowed her to expand her knowledge of the topic, and experience that dynamic intersectionality within the curriculum. This semester alone Livier commented, “In all my courses, I’ve heard conversations about identity. In biology, our syllabus covers environmental racism and ecofeminism; [my course on] Mexican politics discusses the consistent transferring of presidential power between males; … and my favorite course on war has had me question whether the commonly known excitements of voluntarily enlisting in the military comes with a sense of privilege.”

Being challenged to think beyond one’s preconceived thoughts and beliefs is a signature CMC experience. As with many CMC students, Livier has thrived in environments where she has pushed personal boundaries. In particular, a favorite professor, Bill Ascher, has provided these types of intellectual challenges. “I have never had a professor be so critical, direct, and blunt in responding to my thoughts, especially when disagreeing with me. However, his probing questions often led me to develop my own ideas. I began to think that perhaps concepts I had previously thought were irrelevant or of little value to the construction of political beliefs were actually very important in determining the policies formed by different cultures and nations,” Livier reflected.

Growing as a student inside the classroom has made Livier feel confident about her future. She said, “I’ve learned that my courses do not define me, it is my holistic experience and a set of skills rather than a lump of knowledge on a particular subject. While that can help, CMC teaches us how to learn and apply, which is more important.” This integration of the liberal arts has allowed her to see new ways of seeing her future. This past summer Livier completed an internship in New York City for EY-Parthenon, a management consulting firm. Next semester she will be participating in the Silicon Valley Program. Regardless of the future paths she decides to take, she knows the holistic liberal arts experience CMC is providing will allow her to have a meaningful career.