University of St. Thomas in Houston has a feature story up highlighting Aaron Kildow, an experienced energy trader, father, and recent transfer student.
Kildow made the decision to enroll at UST last fall during Parents' Weekend when he attended a lecture on St. Thomas Aquinas in his son's philosophy of the human person class.
"I had just read a similar discussion in 'The Shorter Summa,' an abbreviated version of 'Summa Theologica,' and was totally hooked on the class. I'm taking it this semester."
From the University:
Kildow said he could quantify the value of a degree; it’s about a six-figure per-year difference. He was not looking to get his degree from just any institution though. He had been through that search many times. He said his Catholic faith is a lifestyle, and he doesn’t want to be a part of a culture that separates daily from religious life.
“We are called to be set apart, in the world but not of it,” he said. “By attending St. Thomas, I can feed my need for a deeper understanding of my Christian faith, but I can also learn the things that will make me better at work. Faith and reason are not opposites, they go hand in hand.”
Kildow didn’t always have this outlook on faith as a young man. Kildow was raised Protestant and often battled with his religious allegiance. It wasn’t until he was an adult that he began the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults sessions at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in 2010.
“I would recommend college as a way to catch up on things you might have missed along the way,” Kildow said. “I would recommend St. Thomas specifically for people who want to grow in their Christian faith; this is the Year of Faith, after all. While I have had a few back-in-my-day type moments, attending classes as an adult just seems easier. I am much more disciplined than I was 20 years ago, and I don’t have to pretend like I know everything, as many young men are prone to do.”
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