2018 Award: Jerry Kohls Excellence in Philosophy
Major: Biology and Philosophy
Minor: Writing
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Extracurricular activities: Residence Life (RA), Ethics Bowl
About the award
In her time in the philosophy department, Jessica Heron has proven herself to be a careful reader of dense philosophical texts, an excellent writer, and a clear thinker. She has a genuine passion for philosophical dialogue with others and is as generous a listener in conversations as she is a speaker. She brings these qualities to both the philosophy classroom and to extracurricular philosophical activities. Jessica currently serves as the captain of Gonzaga’s Ethics Bowl team, and in Fall of 2017, she helped lead the team to the Northwest Regional Ethics Bowl Semi-Finals.
More about Jessica
Professional goals:
Graduate School
How did you find your way to a Philosophy major?
I had an amazing time in my human nature class and decided to add a philosophy minor. But, as soon as I started taking my upper division courses, I realized that a minor wasn't going to be enough.
How has your study of philosophy contributed to your academic and personal development?
Studying philosophy has completely changed the lens through which I view the world. It has such a broad reach that you begin to see different connections between events, subjects, and ideas. It's certainly helped me to develop a critical eye and enriched my thought in a way that no other subject has. It always provides a challenge, and it often forces me to reach outside of my comfort zone and open my mind to different ideas and perspectives.