Student Testimonials
Student outreach is a vital part of how the Maritain Center works toward its mission of bringing the insights of Maritain, the Thomistic tradition, and broader humanistic tradition to cultivate deep conversations on the perennial questions of human existence, not only in the present generation, but also in the next. Here you can find recent testimonials from students on how our programming has impacted their experiences here at Notre Dame.
Maritain Student Fellows Chapter Presidents
Current Student Presidents
Nicholas Ramirez, President of the Graduate Maritain Fellows
PhD Student in Moral Theology (second year)
What inspired you to serve as the second president the graduate Maritain Fellows?
The Maritain Center has greatly enriched my intellectual life at the University of Notre Dame by affording me many opportunities to more deeply engage in the Catholic intellectual tradition under the tutelage of St. Thomas Aquinas and Jacques Maritain. As a Maritain Fellow, I have had the privilege of listening and conversing with faithful and accomplished guest speakers, of partaking in several reading groups on the works of Jacques Maritain, and of being supported in presenting my research related to the Catholic intellectual tradition at various conferences. Prof. John Betz's presentation on the meaning of a Catholic education, grounded in the thought of Jacques Maritain, at a Cercle d'Etudes session last year deepened my understanding of and appreciation for the centrality of theology and philosophy as the foundation and principle of unity of a distinctly Catholic education.
What are you looking forward to for next year?
Next year, I am looking forward to the Maritain Center's upcoming lectures and the continued growth of the Maritain Center! I am excited for the speakers and events we will be hosting, and look forward to welcoming both new and familiar faces at these events!
Mark Mikhail, President of the Undergraduate Maritain Fellows
Sophomore, double major in Biological Sciences and Theology
What inspired you to serve as the second president the undergraduate Maritain Fellows?
In pursuit of holiness, I thought theological knowledge was something that was good but not that important. However, when I came to the University of Notre Dame and found the number of individuals who love engaging in deep intellectual Theological discussions, I knew that it was something that I loved and wanted to pursue. I realized the gift of intelligence can be directed towards deepening our understanding of God. Ever since then, I have deliberately pursued learning theology in and outside of class.
What are you looking forward to for next year?
Next year, I am looking forward to expanding my theological philosophical knowledge by doing many readings on my own and by engaging with many inspiring intellectuals at the University of Notre Dame. I am hoping that I can nourish my mind and heart with the number of opportunities at the university to grow.
Inaugural Student Presidents
Arjun Wasan, Inaugural President of the Undergraduate Maritain Fellows
B.A., class of 2026, philosophy major with German minor
What inspired you to serve as founding president the undergraduate Maritain Fellows?
I felt that there was a great gap in providing in-depth philosophical and other intellectual formation in the Catholic tradition to Notre Dame undergraduates, and the Jacques Maritain Center seemed to be the best fit for starting something new to fill this gap.
Alexa Kawlewski, Inaugural President of Graduate Maritain Fellows
J.D. Candidate, 2026
What inspired you to serve as founding president the graduate Maritain Fellows?
I wanted to continue engaging with my liberal arts education and interest in philosophy and ethics while I pursue a degree in law. Legal education, and very specialized graduate education in the liberal arts, often requires students to intensely study one area without considering the whole picture. The Maritain Fellows take students back to the whole picture, to the roots of western and Christian thought.
My time at ND was critically shaped by the Maritain Center, specifically the Fellows program. A highlight of the first year was participating in the Maritain Center’s first student reading group! Led by Professor MacArt, we studied works by Charles De Koninck and Jacques Maritain on the concept of the common good. We asked why and how these debates are important for our modern society on a level that I had not explored before. From participation in the Cercle d'Etudes course and engaging with interesting scholarship by ND faculty, to academic lectures by figures like Bishop Barron, and engagement with these speakers at social events, I found my love and interest in life's great questions blossoming, even while studying for the more technical legal degree. The multi-disciplinary focus of the Fellows program encourages expansion of thought while also exploring the shared tradition found in these many fields.
Cercle d'études
Cercle d'études is a regular discussion seminar, which is also available as a for-credit course, hosted by the Maritain Center. The Cercle gives students the opportunity to discuss perennial questions related to faith, philosophy, and public life with each other and special visiting guests, drawn from Notre Dame’s world-leading faculty.
Student testimonials from Cercle d’études:
Spring, 2026: I quite enjoyed all of the Cercle. It was nice to come and listen to someone super knowledgeable, and have a small group discussion, and have some snacks. I liked the economics session about happiness tracking with GDP. – Quinn (freshman, Notre Dame)
Spring, 2026: I enjoyed the open discussion, interesting topics, and participants not scared to voice their opinions and making insightful claims. The weekly meetings showed the vibrant culture of Notre Dame in discussion. – ND Junior
Spring, 2026: The fact that anyone could come and listen was a cool feature. I also like the small size that makes participating less daunting. I especially enjoyed discussing the question, “How does my catholic faith influence my view on politics?” – Will (freshman, Notre Dame)
Spring, 2026: My favorite session was the presentation about the structure of our government and how we can define it and what it should perhaps be. And our discussion of the concept of how love works and is practiced was also very helpful for my thinking. – ND Sophomore
Fall, 2025: At the Cercle seminars, there was always a hunger and humility for knowledge—there was great and active discussion (so much so that there was a long queue of people waiting to ask questions). Everyone openly shared their thoughts in a communal and respectful atmosphere.
Fall, 2025: The Cercle d'études helped me rethink how I approach intense questions.
Fall, 2025: Sitting around the table, chatting with professors about complicated questions - it reminded me of a scene in a movie I saw about C.S. Lewis' life. It is how I imagined college would be.
Fall, 2025: We often touched on questions of beauty and relationship with the natural world, topics which I don't often engage with in my academic studies but found myself reflecting on more in my personal life because of my time spent in the seminar.
Fall, 2025: Prof David Cory on Augustine and why we choose evil was both theologically rich and generated amusing, insightful discussion!
Lectures and Special Events
A core piece of our Maritain Student Fellows Program is our regular series of Maritain Fellows Lecture series. Through this program, our student fellows identify speakers from across the country and the world whom they would like to hear on topics related to the Center’s mission. The Center also hosts regular one-off events, as well as the Maritain Lecture Series, which is geared towards a broad audience, including students and members of the broader Michiana community.
Student testimonials from our on-campus events:
On Bishop Barron’s Third Annual Maritain Lecture, “An Old Testament Theology of God:” “I learned a lot about how the Bible should be interpreted theologically and not only historically, and how spirituality, theology and the Bible all should be in unity with each other.” - Anna Chase, Freshman at Holy Cross College (as quoted in The Observer).
On Bishop Barron’s Third Annual Maritain Lecture, “An Old Testament Theology of God:” “The Maritain Center provides so many wonderful opportunities to deepen my love for theology, through listening to lectures by brilliant theologians like Bp. Barron and discussing with other passionate students and professors.” - Undergraduate Maritain Fellow Sabrina Richter (as quoted in The Irish Rover).
On the Faith and Music Event, with Maestro Honeck: “I really enjoyed the Chicago trip in the fall. I had good discussions with students and professors that I would not have had if I had not gone to this event. I valued the opportunity to learn about philosophy of music and composition from a professional as well.” – Lilly, Junior Philosophy and Economics Major
On Bishop Barron’s Third Annual Maritain Lecture, “An Old Testament Theology of God:” “I enjoyed the meeting with Bishop Barron. It was incredible to hear his insights and for him to share personal stories. Additionally, I enjoyed the smaller group that was present in the morning and how we were able to ask more personal questions etc.” – Jonah, Junior Philosophy and Theology Major
On our Cercle d'études sessions: “I really enjoyed the Cercle section on ugliness. I'm interested in aesthetics and it's always interesting to get a new perspective on that topic. It was also interesting to see generational differences in perspectives on aesthetics.” – Lillian, Junior History and Philosophy Major
Want to see these lectures for yourself?
Visit our Maritain Center Videos page
History of Philosophy Forum Programming
The History of Philosophy Forum, a major sponsored initiative of the Maritain Center, allows the Center to engage a broad range of scholarly communities. Its student-facing programs allow young scholars at Notre Dame to learn from and build relationships with scholars from around the world.
Student testimonials from the History of Philosophy Forum programming:
“The WIP luncheons have been a central part of my academic formation. The Forum has provided me with the chance to present my work to and receive feedback from local and visiting scholars. In addition, I've learned a lot about current research from our impressive group of visiting fellows. This experience has broadened my knowledge of the history of philosophy and strengthened my relationship with colleagues at Notre Dame and abroad.” – Abigail Whalen, Forum Fellow and PhD Student in Philosophy
“It’s really important both to have the opportunity to present the work that I am doing and to get feedback on it and also to see much more senior scholars doing the same thing as me, to see that modelled for me, and then to be able to participate in that myself. That has been a very important part of my intellectual formation here.” – Claire Murphy, Forum Fellow and PhD Candidate in the History and Philosophy of Science
“I think pretty much all of the top scholars in my field, at one point or another, have passed through Notre Dame by means of the History of Philosophy Forum. That helps me build confidence with this broader international community.” Samuel Pell, Forum Fellow and PhD Candidate in Philosophy
Maritain Center Student Fellow Grants
The Center regularly awards grants for Student Fellows to pursue research and extra-curricular education on areas central to the Center’s mission.
Student testimonials from the Maritain Fellows Grants programs:
Michael Caplan, J.D. Candidate 2026: During the Spring of 2026 the Maritain Center also supported Michael Caplan (J.D. Candidate, 2026) as he attended the Federalist Society’s National Student Symposium at the Arizona State University College of Law. Highlights of the trip included a personal conversation with the Attorney General of Florida, James Uthmeier, who gave Michael insight into pursuing a career in law and public policy after some time in private practice. Michael also enjoyed hearing a panel on a variety of issues related to natural rights and bodily autonomy, and particularly appreciated that Professor Hadley Arkes, a renowned champion of natural law, emphasized that the issues at hand were not only legal, but also moral questions.
Read Michael’s reflection on his trip.
Nicholas Ramirez, Ph.D. in Moral Theology, first year: The Maritain Center supported Nicholas Ramirez's presentation at a conference on Thomas Aquinas, "To Heaven or Hell We Go: Political Implications of a Thomistic Thesis on Nature and Grace after the Fall," at Ave Maria University. Reflecting on the experience, Nicholas wrote, “Whether Christians can have the acquired virtues has been a much debated topic in the recent academic literature, and since last semester I have been very interested and have done much research into habitus in the Thomistic tradition. The papers at this conference and the conversations that followed gave me much encouragement in one of my other research interests which I am considering working on for my doctoral dissertation”
Read Nicholas’ reflection on his trip
Caitlin Fitzgerald, Ph.D. in Sociology, second year I participated in the 2025 Institute for Human Ecology’s Rome Seminar on “The Vision of God,” taking place in Rome at the Angelicum. By engaging in this intense formation in the Catholic intellectual tradition, I strengthened my spiritual life as I believe that it is through knowledge and study of the faith that one comes to deepen their love and relationship with God. I am excited by the idea of taking the ideas learned in this seminar and applying them to my prayer life. Moreover, as a social scientist committed to integrating the Catholic intellectual tradition into my future research and teaching, this seminar has equipped me with theological and philosophical insights that will enrich my academic contributions and mentoring of students.