From 2013-2020, over 30 students were invited each spring to participate in "The Character Project," a weekly class in which students engaged in guided discussions as to how personal value systems and beliefs influence moral character.
I am so grateful for the opportunity that The Character Project provided to more deeply explore my values and beliefs before entering the work force. I gained an increased appreciation and understanding of others’ perspectives that built the foundation for my future interactions with people from all walks of life. I take the insights I learned through The Character Project with me and apply them daily. - Allie Adelman '14
The ways that The Character Project asks more of us as individuals, friends, and contributors to business and society is something I knew I also wanted to be an integral part of my MBA journey. - Jordan Schiemer '15
I participated in The Character Project during my last semester at UP. The experience confirmed the importance of my liberal arts education by pushing me to grow as an individual as well as an engineer. The readings and discussions in class prompted me to incorporate content from other classes I had taken, such as sociology and ethics, with both my role as an engineering researcher and my daily interactions with friends, family, and coworkers. - Shannon Danforth '16
Having taken the class has made me better able to approach problems by coming at them from multiple angles and feeling comfortable talking through my opinions with others who may have their own ideas. In the future, I am hoping to go to medical school, and I know that being able to think through an ethical dilemma and being okay with no one right answer is going to be a useful skill. - Ariana Giblin '19
To be able to discuss how our values and beliefs can influence moral character with a diverse group of caring students from across campus, to be able to break bread in the evening and share in each other’s stories, reflections, and deep thoughts around this centrally human question—this was one of the most formative experiences I had on the Bluff. - Ryan Gillespie '14
Having taken The Character Project, I am better equipped to answer questions regarding what I believe and why I believe it. I also know, having taken the course, that it is okay to disagree with others and to have my beliefs challenged. These lessons will be invaluable as I continue through law school and into my career as an attorney. - Lydia Heye '19
As a C-130 pilot, I’ve had the privilege to lead a number of crews—often with an average age of just 23 years old—both into combat and on international disaster relief missions. As I’ve sought to unite my comrades, each with his or her own story and perspective, a particular lesson from The Character Project remains true: each person’s character is an active, everyday task that, above all, requires active participation from those around him or her. If we are to make the most of this life and fulfill our calling as Christians, we require the support and challenges of those on the journey with us. - Nick MacKinnon '15
UP was an intellectual Eden, giving me the freedom to ask tough questions, wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and bring technology conversations into my theology classes and vice versa—and the Character Project epitomized that. - Corey Trujillo '14
The Character Project encouraged us to be empathetic humans, caring, open-minded, and understanding of the challenges our colleagues face at various points in our lives as well as the barriers of underserved communities. - Silvia Plascencia '15
With The Character Project, what we were told about college was actually true. We were given intentional space to listen to various professors of different backgrounds and even more space to have discussions about the current and ever-present issues of our time. The Character Project truly fulfilled the idea that college is a place where our values, minds, and ability to have important discourse develops, and I am very grateful for that. - Catherine Jacobs '18
I was better equipped than most of my fellow [graduate school] apprentices because of my time exploring formation and character development as part of The Character Project curriculum. The class made me accustom to asking difficult and deep questions such as “Who I am? What are my habits? Are these good habits? Am I forming the kind of person I want to me? Will my character have a positive or negative impact on others? Does my current character lead me to service and love? How can I do better?” - Stephanie Petrie '14
Being a part of The Character Project changed my life by helping me find my voice. I had never had the safe and respectful space to reflect on myself, my thoughts, my feelings, my life, the way The Character Project provided and encouraged… - Jaime Rompel '15
The Character Project provided the opportunity to have honest conversation and deep reflection. Conversations ranged from everyday dilemmas to moments that defined our lives. This experience was exactly what I needed. When the course concluded, I knew what values defined my life. - Georgia Ullmann '13
I now find myself well ahead of the curve, morally and spiritually ready to face this next phase of life—and all due to the guidance gained through The Character Project. The time and space to start working early on my moral character as a mature adult has been one of the most valuable components of my time at UP. - Matt Baer '15
In The Character Project, I found myself challenged with the task of both defending and engaging with values I have always held close to my heart. It was during this course that I was able to fully understand not only the essence of these values, but also the pivotal areas of disagreement between my colleagues, or instructors, and myself. This course was unique because it required me to actively engage rigorous critical thinking skills while opening myself up on a deep level of vulnerability that I was previously incapable of exploring. - Micaela Snashall '18
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
