GMI Impact

“The McDowell Fellows Program serves as a co-curricular, philosophical book club, where participants debate ideas with peers and with the book authors. You feel empowered as a student to interview authors about their work. You get to try on ideas to see if they work and try to figure out the truth for yourself. Now I think about things I was afraid to think about before. The program has given me a lot of confidence to express myself.” Shelby Campbell, ’25

“The McDowell Fellows Program enhanced my analysis skills, which ultimately made me a better writer and participant in all my classes. Because of this program, I’m not afraid to share a controversial opinion.” Anna-Laura Houston, ’25

"The discussions I've had in the last year as a student fellow have been some of the most intellectually stimulating ones in my entire life. Being able to discuss ideologically diverse subject matter with a collection of students who are also passionate about stretching their mind to the limits is incredibly rewarding, and having the opportunity to then discuss the works with the authors themselves has allowed me to view and enjoy new perspectives on all of the most controversial topics. I truly believe that there's no experience at this school that is comparable to being a GMI student fellow." Jack DeKorte, '25

"Something that I appreciate most about GMI, and what makes it so unique, is the opportunity to be intellectually challenged for the sake of intellectual challenge. In conversations with fellows and professors, as well as through visiting speakers, I have been pushed to sharpen my thinking and clearly articulate my points. Those experiences have already shaped how I approach my classes and extracurricular involvement at Richmond and are qualities I hope to carry into my future legal career, where being able to work across differences is indispensable." Katie Sinclair '25