Title:Students learning to care for others—and themselves

For many students, the pursuit of success can limit the amount of time and energy they have to invest in their wellbeing. National surveys, meanwhile, have found that mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression, are on the rise among today’s students.

Blowing Up Perfection, a five-week course from Georgetown’s Division of Student Affairs, works to respond to the pressures modern learners face by helping them build communities of care that allow them to feel supported and be a source of support for others. The course is funded in part by a gift from the Ortus Foundation, an organization established by Sabrina Kuhl Gracias (B’93, Parent’27) to bolster mental health and suicide prevention efforts for youth and young adults.

Co-led by Eleanor J.B. Daugherty, vice president for student affairs, and Jennifer Woolard, vice dean for faculty affairs and professor in the department of psychology, the course brings together undergraduate and graduate students who feel a calling to lead in their communities. Students learn how research on human behavior during team situations can inform and transform their Georgetown experiences.

Each class features a guest speaker who is an expert in cultivating effective leadership, from Georgetown leaders, such as School of Health Dean Christopher King and Residential Ministry Director Shazetta Thompson-Hill, to Georgetown alumni, including Stéphane Dujarric (SFS’88), spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General. Speakers and students discuss topics related to psychologist Bruce Tuckman’s stages of group development, including how to face tension in group dynamics, engage in meaningful conflict, and lead with vulnerability and purpose.

“In this course, we blow up concepts of perfection and instead look for meaningful connections between students. We also work to advance an authentic understanding of humanity and what it means to serve others and ourselves,” says Daugherty, an advocate with more than two decades of experience working in student life and wellbeing. “Georgetown has a unique position, through this course and other student-centered programs, to cherish and understand adolescence and allow students to embrace their imperfections and the humanity of the people they serve.”

Students say the class has empowered them to build a welcoming and inclusive network and take on academic, professional, and personal challenges.

“Perhaps the greatest lesson that I learned in the course was the role that self-care and sense-of-self play in leadership,” says one student. “The course reminded me of the humanity of people who accomplish great things.”

“This class has taught me so much about not only the leader I want to be, but also the leader and person I am now,” says another student. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I hope this class continues for years to come.”