I was first introduced to Stoic philosophy while serving in the United States Navy through the Chief of Naval Operation’s Sailor Development reading list. At the time, I found that my values and world view were particularly aligned with Stoicism. I then promptly forgot about it for a decade.
Years later, as a civilian, I returned to Seneca’s Moral Epistles to help me put the physical pain of recurrent kidney stones (I’ve passed hundreds of them) into perspective, and found in it much more than mere resilience: that the philosophy offered a coherent and total framework for a meaningful and virtuous life, no matter the circumstances. Over the years, I half-heartedly dabbled my way through the Meditations and the Enchiridion before moving on to the more modern takes. Then, in 2024, a series of difficult life events (and my mixed performance at navigating them) forced me to acknowledge that if I wanted to really live a eudaimonic life, I would need formal training, which I found at the College. I completed Stoic Essential Studies in late 2024 and the Marcus Aurelius Program mid-2025, and now I’m looking forward to helping others to flourish on the path of the Prokopton!
Some of my favorite hobbies are mushroom hunting, disc golf, and playing the Commander variant of Magic: The Gathering with friends.