Valuable Summer Opportunities for G.U. Philosophy Students

Published: April 13, 2021

Two students majoring in philosophy within the Bastian School of Theology, Philosophy, and Ministry will embark on prestigious adventures this summer.

Ivy Lyons 19 will travel to Washington, D.C., as a summer intern for Illinois Senator Dick Durbins office. Summer Mengarelli 19 will attend the annual Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Symposium at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois from May 29 to June 2.

Lyons internship will take him to the D.C. office of Senator Dick Durbin, where he will perform the general duties of a summer interneverything from research to involvement with events to giving tours. A stipend awarded to interns of Durbins office will help ease the cost of a summer away from home.

Lyons pursued this opportunity due to his interest in the application of political theory, sparked by his philosophy major. He has considered pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy after college and working as a specialist within political philosophy.

I want the opportunity to get a combined higher education and law degree, so [this internship] is a great catch-all, he explains.

At Greenville University, Lyons is a member of the Greenville University Choir, Chamber Singers and Gospel Choir, performs various tasks for the Music Department and works for the Residence Life office as an assistant CRE.

Mengarelli will travel to Wheaton College campus for her symposium. The Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Symposium creates an atmosphere where students with an interest in interdisciplinary study come together for dialogue and writing exercises on a variety of topics pertaining to contemporary society. They also read material on interdisciplinary collaboration from leading scholars.

The symposium not only fosters deeper knowledge on modern issues; it allows students to hone the skills of collaborative dialogue and cross-disciplinary study.

Students are nominated for the program by a professor, then complete an application process including an essay. Only 12 students within the CCCU network are chosen for this event, making it a significant honor for Mengarelli.

In addition to her philosophy major, Mengarelli is also pursuing majors in Spanish and history/political science at G.U., and is enrolled in the McAllaster Scholars program.

Ivy Lyons and Summer Mengarelli are the grateful recipients of donor-funded scholarships. Your generosity helps ambitious students like these capture extraordinary educational opportunities. Thank you for giving.