The Great Connections: A Life-Changing Summer of Reason and Love
At The Great Connections, we strive to create a truly transformative experience for our students each summer. This year’s program was no exception, offering a unique blend of intellectual rigor, personal growth, and creative exploration. We are excited to share some of the highlights from this summer’s program and the profound impact it had on our wide-ranging group of students.
A Diverse Group of Students from Around the Globe
Our group included high school-to-graduate school students from places as far-flung as Wisconsin and Argentina, Texas to Colombia. One particularly special attendee was the sister of a three-time Great Connections student. She found the program just as enriching as her sister had, and now both sisters are eager to return—and both are now embarking on careers in business.
Delving into “Reason and Love”
Our theme this year, “Reason and Love,” led us through texts that explore love from various perspectives. We engaged with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Ayn Rand’s “The Objectivist Ethics,” Ortega y Gasset’s “The Role of Choice in Love,” and De Tocqueville’s “Origin of the Anglo-Americans” from Democracy in America. The discussions that emerged from these readings were both profound and personal.
Amir, a sixteen-year-old high school student, shared how the readings helped him better understand his relationships. “I have been struggling with girls and thus reading [about love] has helped me learn about myself and the standards I should have after reading Aristotle,” he said. Amir realized many of his friendships were lopsided and that he needed to be more careful in how he chose them.
Engaging with Industry Leaders
This summer, our students had the unique opportunity to hear from Sean Summers, Executive Vice President of Mercado Libre, the largest South American online site. Sean shared the ups and downs of his varied career, from his father’s bankruptcy in an Argentine economic collapse to his work growing Mercado Libre by 30% a year. His story was deeply personal, and the students found his insights invaluable for navigating their own paths. Sean was so impressed with their questions that he offered them his personal email for further discussion.
Exploring Art and Creativity
In another session, I showed students different pieces of sculpture without telling them anything about the pieces. Instead, I asked the students to examine their shapes, positions, and textures, drawing their own conclusions about the meaning behind each piece. We looked at sculptures across the ages, from the 15,000-year-old European “Venus of Willendorf” to modern abstract works. This exercise allowed them to develop their own first-hand judgment before learning about others’ interpretations.
We also engaged in some active fun with Improv comedy games, culminating in an amazing Improv show at Revival Improv. The players took audience suggestions for themes, actions, and characters and created a musical on the spot! The students were dazzled by the hilarious and inventive performance.
Reflections from Alumni
It’s always a joy to reconnect with our alumni, and I recently spoke with several from 2009 and later who are now thriving in their careers. These alumni include a materials engineer at an aerospace company, an operations executive at another aerospace company, and a product and tech lead at a web company. They shared how the program not only impacted them at the time but continues to influence their professional lives today.
Eric Rhodes, the materials engineer, explained something crucial about the magic that happens at The Great Connections:
“You’re talking in-depth stuff for hours and hours, and you’re learning how [the other students] think about things… and when you come to a new idea together, it’s a very powerful and connecting feeling… then, in our free time, we get to know each other more personally. This way, you get to know the other people better than almost anyone else you know. I’ve made very good friends. [The entire program experience] every time was a boost to passion in life.”
The Principles Behind The Great Connections
Our program is guided by life-enhancing principles that shape every aspect of the experience:
- Requiring evidence and reasoning for all thoughts and arguments.
- Critically analyzing ideas to ensure they’re based on facts and sound reasoning.
- Connecting abstract ideas to real-world applications.
- Respecting the autonomous, reasoning minds of others.
- Recognizing that each individual lives to achieve their highest well-being.
- Striving for heroic accomplishments and seeking models in every human sphere.
- Treating others as traders, offering value for value, in both the spiritual and material realms.
These principles are at the heart of what makes The Great Connections so impactful, and they will continue to be integral to our vision as we expand into Reliance College.
