Congratulations to Muthu Meenakshisundaram (Eagle Ridge Academy Class of 2022) for giving such a thoughtful and inspiring speech as the University of Minnesota - Morris' 2026 Curtis H. Larson Award recipient!
Muthu's words were a powerful reminder that education is not merely about information, credentials, or career preparation - it is about the formation of the human person.
A true Classical education does something extraordinary: it liberates students. It frees them from ignorance, from shallow thinking, and from the tyranny of living only for the moment. It teaches students "how to make difficult choices well," how to think, how to discern truth, how to appreciate beauty, and how to pursue goodness.
When students encounter great books, timeless ideas, meaningful dialogue, history, philosophy, literature, mathematics, and the arts, they begin to understand what it means to be fully human. They gain intellectual freedom and moral imagination. They are no longer captive to trends, slogans, or fleeting cultural pressures. Classical education forms young people who can lead wisely, speak clearly, reason carefully, and live courageously.
Thank you, Muthu, for articulating so well the deeper purpose of education: not simply to prepare students for a job, but to prepare them for a flourishing life. Watch his speech here.