Preparing Students for Lifelong Meaning, Success
Co-taught by alum Gene Assaf (far left) and Assistant Professor of Philosophy Emily Kelahan (far right), the class includes guest-lectures by leaders from across a spectrum of industries. Photo by Dan Loh.
Students build skills, insights, networks for purposeful lives
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
For college students, a first job can feel like a finish line, but in reality, it’s only the beginning. A new Dickinson course, co-taught by an alum and a professor, challenges students to think beyond that first milestone and develop the tools they’ll need to chart a course for lifelong satisfaction and success.
The class, Prepared for a Life of Meaning, is cross-listed in Dickinson’s philosophy and international business & management departments, and it’s applicable to students in any major. Its goal: To help students learn about and practice big-picture skills—clarifying values, developing and directing their career and life paths—and also the more granular skills that will help them reach those aims.
“We all know how important career preparedness is right now,” says Gene Assaf ’84, who co-developed the class. “This class goes beyond traditional career prep. It gives students the ability to prepare for the challenges and ambiguities of work and life by putting their liberal-arts education to immediate and long-term practical use.”
Ideas in action
The course is co-taught by Assaf, a retired senior litigation lawyer based in New York City and Washington, D.C., and Emily Kelahan, a leadership coach and assistant professor of philosophy. They developed it with support from President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, and Dickinson’s Burgess Institute for the Global Economy.
It begins with readings about key concepts in education, philosophy, psychology, sociology and leadership studies. Using these frameworks, students think through what successful and meaningful pursuits can look like for them. Weekly reviews of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times help them contextualize their ideas and apply them to the working world.
Distinguished guest-speakers add diverse life lessons to the mix. Traveling to campus from across the U.S., these leaders of public companies, private equity and consulting firms, nonprofits and media outlets share how they mastered their skill set and met with disappointments, mistakes and risks on their way to the top of their fields.
Details with impact
The two instructors also pepper the lessons with their own experiences and advice. Importantly, their views don’t always perfectly align. “It’s important to model that for students so they can see how to navigate differences with integrity. That’s excellent preparation for the world of work,” Kelahan says.
Assignments help students sharpen practical skills, such as creating personal budgets and establishing and building credit. Rather than focusing solely on getting their first job, the students also learn strategies to make the most of their first day and week at work, how to ask for help effectively and how to best leave a job. Students additionally explore how to pursue fulfilling activities, such as charitable causes, why friendships matter and how to establish connections that last.
Creating a circle of counsel
Armed with these insights and skills, the students begin to develop personal narratives and goals. And for their final project, they each develop a personal “board of advisors”—a network of people who can help them with key decisions, now and in the future.
“That’s the critical and long-lasting component of this classroom experience,” explains Assaf. To encourage collaboration and networking within the group, the students and professors meet weekly throughout the semester for shared dinners in the dining hall.
Looking ahead
Assaf proposed the course because, as an alum and as a parent of two college-age children, he was eager to help current student. He met Kelahan during an off-campus event for alumni. Kelahan, who’d spent some time in the corporate world before returning to teaching, spoke about practical applications of philosophy in the working world and became an enthusiastic partner in the cause.
“My time outside of higher education really opened my eyes to some things in the world of work our students need to know about, and how we can help them,” she says.
Landen Hyatt ’26, an international business & management major with a minor in economics, is among the first group of students to take the class. He’s giving a lot of thought to the value of relationships at work and in life and the idea that a positive attitude is a choice, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
“I’ve found this class to be genuinely valuable and directly applicable to my future,” says Hyatt. “I strongly recommend it to all students.”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published February 19, 2026