The School of Civic Leadership at UT Austin is an earnest application of the ideals the University of Texas at Austin has set as its maxim. Every Longhorn may look upon the university’s seal and read “Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis,” that is, “the cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy.” Nowhere on the university campus can this be more directly applied than in the School of Civic Leadership. It is the very cultivation of minds spoken of on the seal. Our present study of America’s past cultivates our minds to shape the future of American democracy.
The cultivated minds produced by the School of Civic Leadership are becoming more and more needed in today’s America. Ideology threatens to quell intellect, and partisanship silences civil discourse. This has become all too apparent in light of the murder of Charlie Kirk and the subsequent celebration of his death by the radical left. By uniting students from across the country in pursuit of these ideals rather than in spite of them, a new generation of citizens can bring them back from the brink.
The School of Civic Leadership is an avenue for cultivating genuine virtue through engagement with classical thought. Whether it is the Founding Fathers, the Greek philosophers, or the medieval saints, professors have provided a rigorous curriculum based in antiquity, offering a return to civility, intellectual pursuit, and traditional values. Rather than demonize America’s past, the School of Civic Leadership celebrates and embraces it, and this is readily apparent in the work of the professors.
Every SCL administrator and professor is passionate and engaging. They are here because they love what they do, and they love to make others think. Every Monday, when every SCL freshman meets for a first-year foundations course, you can see the excitement in the eyes of the administrators. They had been working on this program for years, and seeing their work come to fruition fills every meeting with a sense of elation. SCL students benefit from a smaller pool of peers since the school is still in its infancy, so most students recognize each other by the end of the semester.
Outside of the classroom, the SCL program and its sister organizations –the Civitas Institute and the Cinncinatus Fellows– provide students with numerous opportunities to engage in sophisticated thought through roundtable discussions and keynote speakers. These opportunities can vary in topic, from the effects of World War II on the literature of Tolkien and Lewis to the pursuit of truth in American politics. No matter the topic, students are encouraged to attend and engage with one another and their superiors to deepen their collective understanding and critical thinking skills.
On a more personal level, I am particularly drawn to this program because it combines many of my interests. I have always loved studying history, or reading philosophy books recommended to me by my grandmother, or a quick lesson in economics from my father. Rather than forcing me to pick one of these as a field of study, the School of Civic Leadership takes all my interests and rolls them into one neat package. I have met many people with similar interests and passions, and the SCL program enables us to refine our skills and talents, transforming us into the citizens America so desperately needs.
I am deeply honored to be a part of the first graduating class of the School of Civic Leadership. It is the first step on a long path of reclaiming our American heritage in a world that is quickly discarding it. I am reminded of the mission of the SCL program each and every time I walk by the tower and read the words of Christ: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” The SCL program finds truth in heritage and fosters fellowship in truth and its pursuit, and it is through our common pursuit of truth that we are transformed into cultivated, principled leaders of our communities and our country.
