The Hero's Journey

Many lament that our Western culture is bereft of rites of passage. I envision college playing this role. College can be experienced as the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey begins with separation from the known and common. The hero ventures forth, encounters adventures, is endowed with new powers, and returns to the community to share what s/he has learned while on the journey. Many students are bored with college. I believe college would become more exciting and meaningful for students if the college experience were explicitly framed within the myth of the hero’s journey. This would make college more than merely preparation for a career. College would become a journey of the spirit.