From the Editor
Winter 2024BY JARED G. FRITZ-MCCARTY ON JOURNEYS
JARED G. FRITZ-MCCARTY
On my recent trip to Australia, I witnessed one of the longest migrations in the natural world—humpback whales guiding their young along a 3,100-mile journey from the warm Coral Sea to the frigid, nutrient-rich waters of Antarctica. The experience was magical. My inner child couldn’t help but imagine joining these majestic creatures on their underwater adventure.
Sailing the vast ocean, I closed my eyes and absorbed my surroundings: the warmth of the sun on my face, the rhythm of the sea below me and the sound of crashing waves. In the moment, I was reminded just how small we are in comparison to the world we call “home.”
Even the most beautiful photos could not capture the complete story, nor the impact the moment had on me. I am simply amazed each and every time I travel to a new place and inspired to visit the next.
We discover the value of our travels through reflection: remembering the people we meet, reliving cultural experiences and even revisiting moments of unease. Each memory is a unique vignette captured in our mental sketchbook—its pages unfurling like a gallery of unfinished stories, a portal to the world waiting to be discovered.
This issue resembles that sketchbook. It is a collection of people’s stories, photos from distant corners of the world and small reminders about simple things. It represents two types of journeys. The first, a physical voyage. The second, a process of personal and intellectual transformation. Their coexistence is something uniquely experienced by humans, and something that transcends geographical boundaries.
Journeys are all around us. Some journeys—like the whales’—are about survival. Others are about personal fulfillment—like a family vacation. And while our journeys may share destinations, our stories are different. Our encounters add diverse viewpoints to places which are otherwise just points on a map. I hope this issue broadens your perspective and inspires you to further explore the world. Your sketchbook is waiting to be filled.
Cheers,
Jared G. Fritz-McCarty, (he/him)
Editor
Assistant Vice President of Advancement
More in this section
To the Editor: “You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Alumna Nyrobi Wheeler reflects on her journey to Robert Morris University Illinois, now Roosevelt. “The value of an education was important, especially as a Black Woman.”
From the Editor: On People
Editor Jared G. Fritz-McCarty shares how the people of Roosevelt defined his own student experience. Those people are his Roosevelt story.
To the Editor: “You’re just the kind of student we’re looking for.”
Alumna Judith Levison reflects on her journey to Roosevelt and the late Ralph Meinking.