A Story of a Starfish

by President Henry A. Zimon, Ph.D.

inston Churchill said it well when he noted that, “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”

Over 40 years ago John F. Kennedy captured this same spirit for an entire generation when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

Here at Albright, we think these are words to live by. One of our goals is that liberally educated graduates develop a sense of personal and civic responsibility that guides their actions in every phase of life. By exposing them to the needs of others, we hope our students will be reminded that society is improved only through the commitment of individuals to the betterment of those around them.

Why is civic engagement a seminal value of the Albright education? Because our students, those whom we educate to be the doers and leaders of the future, seem to be in a world that is increasingly disengaged; a world where it is easy and tempting to say, “I cannot make a difference.”

At Albright we believe that an individual can make a difference. We believe, for the sake of our world and our children, that we must make a difference. And we believe that the future of our democratic society depends on people with both civic skills and commitment to improve the society in which they live.

On the 4th of July a few years ago, college and university presidents nationwide jointly issued a public statement decrying the evidence of disengagement of many Americans from the communal life of society and the responsibilities of democracy. The presidents’ concluded that the college experience must teach the skills and values of democracy and service, and create opportunities for our students both to practice and reap the results of the real, hard work of citizenship. I believe this wholeheartedly: We simply cannot be complacent.

Colleges — through the youthful enthusiasm of their students and the talents and expertise of their faculty — can make a powerful difference in the civic life of their communities. To avoid engagement and ignore the insistent needs of lives “out there” is to retreat behind the “ivy covered walls” and distance ourselves from life on the other side. I simply cannot accept that.

There is a wealth of talent and a treasure of potential on Albright’s campus that is being harnessed for the betterment of the human condition. We value that journey of discovery, one person, one student at a time. We nurture the spirit and enthusiasm that comes with tackling intractable problems. As hackneyed as it may sound, the journey of an entire lifetime begins with a commitment to others learned and practiced here, today, at Albright. Time spent at Albright—living and working closely with others—refines and develops that purpose so that students view life not in terms of what the world can provide but, rather, in terms of what the graduate can contribute to the betterment of the human condition. In this way, Albright truly is the alma mater, the “fostering mother,” nurturing and preparing those in her care for a life of commitment and service to others.

You see it in our faculty as they engage in Reading’s various ethnic communities. You can witness it in students and administrators working to renew Reading’s riverfront. You can observe it in our participation in community-based educational projects like the Berks County Science and Engineering Fair, the model United Nations, and our summer “Science in the Park” program. You can see it in our student teachers.

We nurture civic responsibility because it is a forceful way to impress students with their ability to make a difference. And with their choice of making a difference — or being indifferent. And making that difference means engaging with others to improve the community in which we live.

As I meet and engage with students I have often told them the following story.

A man was walking along the beach littered with starfish washed up by the tide. He bent over again and again, picking up a starfish tossing it back into the sea. His friends noticed what he was doing and laughed at him. “Why are you wasting your time? Thousands of starfish wash up on these beaches every day. You can’t possibly make any kind of difference.”

The man reached down and picked up another starfish and tossed it into the surf, and replied, “I sure made a difference for that one.”

“ Just remember the starfish,” I tell students. “And you will recall the rest.”