Dale Brown wants more than a bachelor's degree; he wants an education. This Mississippi native graduated high school in 1985 and went to the local community college. A job interrupted his associate's degree, and then he married and had children, deferring his college dream until his children approached college age themselves. When he finally explored part-time programs offered to professional adults, Dale was frustrated by their lack of intellectual rigor. But at Georgetown, his long search for an academic home ended.

Dale credits the Liberal Studies program with helping him develop his moral compass. "We have to learn to find ways to cooperate — Republicans and Democrats, Sunni and Shiite, Israeli and Palestinian, American and Iranian, Men and Women, Evangelical and Atheist," he says.

An individualized study student, Dale focuses on democratic theory and political processes, describing the program as a Socratic encounter with views, histories and realities that often challenge your instinctual reactions. He emphasizes that the program can help anyone succeed, and that, regardless of professional title or status, everyone is equal in the classroom. Dale is in classes with housewives, retirees who had distinguished careers, and everyone in between. The program has helped him prepare to change the world for the better.