My name is Thayer Luscian, and I am an information technology specialist at Veritas Press and a graduate of Veritas Scholars Academy. As I work to develop new technologies for our families, I have found my classical education to be an invaluable resource time and time again. For many, the thought of a classical education evokes images of grand libraries and ancient books. While the traditions and history behind our Western culture are certainly a vital component of this new old way of learning, students are exposed to far more than esoteric bibliophila. The methods and ideas encompassed by classical education have practical applications in the workforce, even in STEM fields such as information technology.

My classical education has improved my executive functions and helped me to become an effective and productive worker. Years of rigorous courses and self-directed work have built natural time management skills, so I am able to budget my time and set reasonable priorities. My Rhetoric and English courses have enabled me to communicate clearly and effectively. Logic and Omnibus courses help me to think critically and make good decisions. And, the leadership opportunities I took advantage of have improved my ability to manage and support a team of web developers.

In addition to increasing my productivity, I’ve found that my classical education to be useful in performing the duties specific to my job. Of course, having an intimate knowledge of our curriculum is invaluable as an administrator, but I also apply this knowledge when performing complex tasks. For example, when I write code, I often apply the deductive reasoning skills I learned in my Logic and Mathematics courses. This same logic is also useful many other areas of computer science, and I am grateful to have a strong foundation in this area. I also often take advantage of the Biblical principles I learned in Omnibus when engaging with students, which enables me to speak from a place of wisdom in my capacity as a role model.

No matter the task with which I am engaged, I constantly use the knowledge and skills I developed during my classical education. Despite preconceptions to the contrary, classical education is equally useful in STEM fields as in the liberal arts. In addition to empowering more effective productivity in communication, the concepts taught by classical educators have great utility in advanced work across all fields. I am truly blessed to have such a solid educational foundation, and I find great satisfaction in working to provide this same blessing to thousands of students across the world.