Each year the First Year Experience Program in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning partners with CEHD Reads to bring the author of the annual FYE Common Book to campus to talk to first-year students and the college community. This year students were excited to welcome Wes Moore, author of The Other Wes Moore, to campus on Nov. 16.
Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar, a veteran of combat in Afghanistan, and served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. These accomplishments, however, are not at the center of the story he tells in his book, which instead focuses on his childhood growing up in Baltimore and the Bronx. The Other Wes Moore examines the barriers and challenges adolescents face growing up in impoverished and violent neighborhoods.
By highlighting the importance of context, as well as the role of mentors, community, and service, Moore spoke to many of the issues students have been exploring as they study his book in their First Year Inquiry course. The author used his time with the college community to inspire students to “make a difference.” Moore — a charismatic and engaging speaker — emphasized that “everybody has a shot at something bigger than where they started from” and that it is our duty to take responsibility for others as well as ourselves if we want to build a stronger community.