Alumni Stories: Steve Ripp '97

As a double major in comparative religion and government, I studied the two great shapers of societies around the world. History, philosophy, literature, and art history all weaved throughout my religion classes, inspiring and enriching me. Thanks to my studies, upon graduation I felt I could engage meaningfully with individuals from anywhere in the world. Studies have shown that successful leadership starts with empathy, a quality in dwindling supply in an increasingly polarized world. By exploring competing answers to life's deepest questions, a religion major broadens one's capacity for empathy to a level unlikely to be matched by other pursuits. And as an added bonus, the foreign study program in Edinburgh, Scotland is terrific and should not be missed!