Putting a Cap on my Concordia Experience: A Cap(stone) Experience

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The Liberal Learning Foundation

In my opinion, the idea of a liberal arts institution means gaining knowledge in multiple fields (taking classes in different departments,  the multitudes of majors and studies you are surrounded by, etc.), critical thinking, and focusing on an individual as a whole rather than one specialization or skill set. From more foundational abilities  (learning how to read a research paper, how to learn, studying) to higher level skills (critical thinking, making connections, analyzing, problem solving, contemplating nuances, asking questions), Concordia emphasizes these characteristics. After I graduate, I will carry these foundational skills and ways of thinking with me in all aspects of my life.

Concordia strives to push us to all become responsibly engaged in the world (BREW). I think a large part of being responsibly engaged is being able to consider different perspectives, form your own conclusions, and caring about what is happening around you. This class built on the skills I had developed in previous courses, and allowed me to cultivate them in new ways. This was especially true for  refining those high level skills mentioned above. Applying knowledge to new ideas, discussing complex topics, considering various theories, and researching are a few examples. In addition to building my foundational knowledge of neurochemistry, I developed skills that will go beyond the classroom and impact the way I perceive my surroundings and contemplate information.

A love for learning

Over the past four years hereI have had the opportunity to learn about various topics and take a variety of classes, including this Neurochemistry class. Of course, there have been a few classes I did not particularly enjoy and did not “love to learn” in. However, the majority of my classes I have absolutely loved the content. College, especially at Concordia, provides such a unique and beautiful opportunity to choose what you are interested in learning about, as well as explore that when you are not sure. When I entered college, I did not know what I wanted to study. I began as a mathematics and biology major, before quickly realizing that I was not excited about learning in those classes. I took a neuroscience class and discovered a passion I did not realize I had. Instead of struggling to pick between classes I did not want to take, I wanted to take all the classes listed, and had a hard time choosing between all the options I wanted the opportunity to learn from.

This class was no different. I was excited about all the interesting topics I got to learn about. It was hard at times and there were moments I felt like I did not understand anything, but I wanted to keep figuring out as much as I could. This class is unique in the way it applies to experiences of the world – looking at all these diseases and disorders we hear about all the time but in a completely new way, focused on the neurochemistry. My friends who “got” to hear about all the concepts I found so cool can attest to the fact that I found this class fascinating and loved learning the content, as well as the way it allowed me to think about matters in a completely new way.

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The Future

In addition to the skills I developed in this class being applicable in how I think and exist in general, this class also provided experience and familiarity with topics applicable to the field I want to go into. Eventually, I would like to become a therapist and work in the mental health field. This class greatly enriched my understanding of the brain and how it functions, directly connecting to my future plans. In addition, the ability to quickly understand research articles and consider multiple causes and perspectives will be greatly beneficial in my work in the mental health field. It also has provided me the knowledge to better consider problems with an interdisciplinary lens and make more thoughtful connections.

If I were to highlight a specific skill or competency I improved upon this semester, I would include comprehensive analysis and persistence. This class had many complex topics and papers. There were moments I was so confused and was not sure how to even start bettering my understanding. I gained many tools to persist through difficult assignments and complex ideas. This class also encouraged me to connect so many ideas, pieces of knowledge, and topics in a way that no other class has done to this extent.

Another thing I think makes this class so unique is that it is interdisciplinary in and of itself. It is a neuroscience and chemistry class that includes biological understanding, biochemistry, organic chemistry, psychology, medical knowledge, etc. This class is also unique in the variety of majors that are present from the individuals that take it. Many various perspectives are presented, and it is wonderful to have a collaborative environment where we can all learn so much from each other.

Responsibly Engaged in the World

As I mentioned above, I think an important part of being responsibly engaged in the world is being able to consider different perspectives, form your own conclusions, and caring about what is happening around you. I think this class contributed to my development of these in various ways. First, I think increasing understanding provides the opportunity to increase empathy and care. In this class, we learned about many disorders and diseases that carry a lot of stigma. Learning about the biological and chemical underlying factors helps to reduce stigma and increases knowledge and understanding. Also, as I have described previously, this class helped me to see different perspectives and allowed me to critically think and form my own conclusions.

Conclusions

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of our brains is not easy. The knowledge I learned as well as skills I developed to do so will surface in many aspects of my life – from conversations about the brain to persistence, critical thinking, everything I already mentioned and more, what I have learned in this class will impact the way I engage with the world.

Footnotes

[1] Beck Benson – Canva Artstract

[2] Sweeting, D. (2019, August 22). Chaos and Order: The Extraordinary Advantages of a Christian Liberal Arts Education. Don Sweeting Blog. https://www.donsweeting.com/chaos-and-order-the-extraordinary-advantages-of-a-christian-liberal-arts-education/

[3] Unveiling the intricacies of neurochemicals: Exploring their role in brain function and mental health | Penn LPS Online. (2024, July 9). https://lpsonline.sas.upenn.edu/features/unveiling-intricacies-neurochemicals-exploring-their-role-brain-function-and-mental-health

[4] Download Mental Health Icon. Hands Brain Symbol. For free. (n.d.). Vecteezy. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/60433863-mental-health-icon-hands-brain-symbol

[5] Free Holding Cosmic Earth Image—Universe, Galaxy, Earth | Download at StockCake. (n.d.). StockCake. Retrieved April 28, 2026, from https://stockcake.com/i/holding-cosmic-earth_1405727_1129799