While many college students spend their spring breaks relaxing on vacation, ETSU students in the Roan Scholars Leadership Program spent their break reflecting on the meaning of life. Sound boring? Not if the philosopher is Dr. Tom Morris who taught at Notre Dame for 15 years and was known as “TV Morris,” the first philosopher to ever appear in network television commercials.
Morris, author more than 18 books, currently serves as chairman of the Morris Institute of Human Values located in Wilmington, N.C. During the seminars for the ETSU students, he was assisted by institute fellows Dr. Edward Brenegar, educational consultant, and Craig Wheeler, self-made CEO and business entrepreneur.
The purpose of the trip was to focus on positive development of character, one of the pillars of the Roan Scholars Program. Upon arriving at Wrightsville Beach, the group was greeted warmly by Morris and his staff. And from that point on, the Roan Scholars started absorbing a series of philosophical principles via lectures and hands-on assignments. Subjects included lessons on “True Success,” “Personal Responsibility and the 7 C’s of Success,” “Ethics, Excellence and The Four Foundations of Leadership Greatness,” as well as a guided reflection on “What Is Excellence?”
“Spending time with Tom is a privilege and we quickly learned why he is such a sought-after national speaker,” Kristina Bullock, ETSU’s program director and coordinator of the retreat. “He embodies a wealth of wisdom of the ages pulled from the accounts of philosophers while being an uncomplicated, open and fun-loving person that you simply enjoy being around. Learning about the meaning of life with Tom Morris is not a chore but rather an elaborate journey into self-discovery. His insight has cultivated our students’ interest in philosophy and ideas of good character, even after we’ve been back home. He will definitely have a lasting impact with the Scholars and workshop students.”
The scholars spent the return trip to Johnson City planning new, engaging ways to improve various organizations in which they participate. Roan Scholar Sabrina Satterfield is applying knowledge gained from “The 7 C’s of Success” and places an emphasis on strengthening “Commitment” in her organization.
“The week with Tom Morris was an unbelievable learning experience,” says Phillip Ross.?” I have never spent time with someone so encouraging, down-to-earth, successful and intelligent.? He took everyday things and made us put them in a whole new light.? He gave us certain ‘tools of success’ that we will continue to use in our school activities and daily lives. The trip was also a great time to get to know our peer scholars better.? We had plenty of free time to walk around Wilmington, which was absolutely beautiful.? I will continue to remember this week and use the many useful things that I learned throughout my life.? Thank you!”
The trip was made possible by the support of the Mooneyhan Foundation.

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