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Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Minor in Music Studies
Caitlyn Keery of Spencerport, NY, was able to complete all of her graduation requirements early. In her last year of high school, she started taking classes at the College, taught piano, and even dabbled in modeling, but she was never sure what she wanted to do. She finally found her passion with help from Professor Harold Greenstein.
“I took a logic class with Dr. Greenstein, and it got me really hooked on philosophy,” Keery said. “We had a lot of conversations and I thought, ‘Oh, this is really something I want to major in,’ and I fell in love with the faculty here.”
The Department of Philosophy is small, but Keery enjoys the fact that she can forge close relationships with her professors and tailor her education to learn about different branches of philosophy.
After a couple of years as a philosophy major, Keery grew inspired to provide students the chance to become more involved in the philosophy community outside of the classroom. She called the office of Phi Sigma Tau, the international honors society for philosophy, to find out if she could set up a chapter on campus. She found out that Brockport was eligible, and that if she could find a professor who was willing to be an advocate, she could start the process. Gordon Barnes was that professor, and the pair began the process in the summer of 2017. An induction ceremony welcomed the first group of eligible juniors and seniors in Fall 2018.
Keery plans on either studying philosophy at the graduate level or attending law school to become a lawyer like her mother. Last summer, the Department of Philosophy set her up with a unique opportunity.
“The department presented me the opportunity to apply to different diversity conferences, so I applied to a couple last year,” Keery said. “I was accepted to the Rutgers Summer Institute For Diversity in Philosophy. They only accept 18 people internationally.”
The accepted students attended two lectures by philosophers and participated in a question-and-answer session.
“The lecturers would actually stay with us during meals, so we basically had 12-hour days of philosophy,” Keery said. “That might be some peoples’ nightmare, but it was really fun, informative, and a great experience.”
Keery still stays in contact with the people she met at the conference. She and the other students who attended have a group Facebook page and email they use to share their academic accomplishments, such as published papers, with each other.
Regardless of what Keery chooses to do after she graduates, she can take the connections, experiences, and determination she has found at the College with her. She’ll leave her legacy behind in the form of Phi Sigma Tau.