September 2026 Dinner Seminar Recap

The Caldwell Fellows dove deep into the 2026-2027 theme of “Journey” with their September Dinner Seminar. The event opened with a video recap of the Camino Trek 2026, put together by Kieran Wood and dinner co-lead Cali Mitchum (Class of ’28). The video highlighted the joy and community found by the Caldwell pilgrims along their difficult journey from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. After kicking off the event with the memories of a recent journey, Class of 2028 fellow Kevin Kim opened the conversation with words of gratitude for the program. His reflection described the personal path he has been down with his identity and the self-concept that he is working towards with help from the program.

Then, the guest speaker of the night took the stage. Dr. Marc Mullinax, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Mars Hill University, prepared an eye-opening discussion for the fellows. His presentation reframed the idea of a journey in three movements, referencing different cultures, ideologies, and historical thinkers along the way. From the Marathon Monks of Mt. Hiei to Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, Dr. Mullinax drew from all corners of the world to contextualize the questions one should ask themselves and they transform as individuals and move through life. 

Into what kind of person is your way of living making you? What do you leave behind? Is there something you are pursuing because you genuinely want it, or because you want to be the kind of person who has it? In between talking points, Dr. Mullinax posed these thought-provoking questions to the fellows. To call them icebreakers would be a disservice; the inquiries delved deep into who the students are and why they do what they do. Tables rotated to diversify discussion as the Caldwells laid themselves bare and learned from each other with the guidance of Dr. Mullinax.

The evening closed with programmatic announcements and a sendoff from program director Dr. Odom herself. Dr. Mullinax distributed free copies of his translation of the Tao Te Ching to interested students for further insights. Per usual, the Caldwell Fellows communed long past the end of the event, continuing their discussions of each other’s personal journeys. Look forward to our October Dinner Seminar, where students will bring their faculty network from across campus and be joined by some very special guests!