My "Statement of Intent" to the Augustine Institute of St. Louis, MO, for an MA in Theology program to which I was accepted on my 70th birthday.
Statement of Intent * In 600-800 words, please describe your personal and academic background, and explain why the M.A. in Theology is a good fit for you in light of your interests and goals. Note: This went a bit long, so maybe it can dually serve as a writing sample. I was raised a cradle Catholic in a church-going family, originally in a mid-size city in Connecticut. Kindergarten through 4 th grade was spent in a depressing public school. When a new Catholic school opened around the corner, my parents asked if I would be interested and I said yes. It was like landing in Oz. Coinciding with my new start was a family announcement that we would be moving to the small town on Cape Cod where we had recently purchased a summer cottage. I loved this new summer escape but did not want to live there. So my Catholic school career lasted a mere four months. I was thriving there and asked if there would be a Catholic school I could attend once we moved, but was told no. I ...