There is no doubt that my liberal arts education positively affected my life, in ways I had hoped for and in some ways I did not expect.
My hope when I started college as an older student was to fulfill a simple dream to become a college graduate, the first in my family to do so. That dream came true and in and of itself was a major accomplishment for me.
Although earning a degree was satisfying, benefits that I had not foreseen were even more fulfilling: a heightened awareness of the world outside family, friends, and community; a connection with the past through the study of ancient literature and philosophy; and a sense of continuity to the future as I began to understand the true purpose of education for the first time.
I had always thought that the route was, you attend college, you graduate, the learning process ends, and then you go to work. My liberal arts experience taught me that learning never has to stop. Many times over the years I have drawn on that experience for the discipline to make better use of the creativity that I discovered in myself.
Professors definitely played a major role in my liberal arts experience. My strong impression is that independent liberal arts colleges attract faculty who are more willing and capable of interacting with the individual student.
Unlike most traditional students, I did not pursue a career after graduation. I enrolled at a nearby university and attained a master of arts degree with a concentration in English literature. My master’s thesis was the first in decades to receive a Pass with Distinction. I recall clearly how convinced I was (and still am) that the foundation I had built at Barton College was in large part responsible for my success.
I would say to any high school student that a liberal arts education is the very best basis for their future. I believe that all professions or careers are enhanced by the well-rounded education that is offered in a liberal arts program.
I would say to parents that the choice of a college is one of the most important decisions they will ever make for their children. My advice to any parents would be to consider an independent liberal arts college because that experience will go a very long way in preparing their children to successfully cope with the inevitable personal and professional challenges that will arise in their future.
Annis Ward Jackson is an author of more than 20 books—including murder mysteries, historical fiction, and nonfiction—and has sold over 50,000 copies since 2009.
Earlier, she was a special projects director for the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges responsible for creating an English as a Second Language curriculum to be used in all 50 colleges in the system. The curriculum, published in 1992, was titled
The Warp and Weft: ESL Program Guide for North Carolina Community Colleges.
Jackson began her liberal arts experience while Barton College was still Atlantic Christian College. She graduated magna cum laude in 1987 with a BA in English. Two years later, she attained an MA degree at East Carolina University.