Kendall Smith

Gateway to University Honors 007

Values Reflection
Recall specific instances when your values played a role in your decision making. How did your
values show up? What were you thinking?
When I think of my values, I can recall several different occasions where my values were
put into question. I think it is very important for a person to defend their values and stay true to
them, especially when those around them are pressuring them to abandon their values. One time
I recall this happened to me was in high school. I attended a Catholic high school although I am
not religious, so I frequently disagreed with the religious teachings with which I was presented,
although I respected them to the best of my ability. In my senior year, my religion class was
offered extra credit to attend a vigil outside of a local Planned Parenthood, a prayer session for
those Planned Parenthood provided abortion and birth control services for, as well as aborted
fetuses. I was not forced to go to this event, but I felt a lot of pressure from many of my
classmates. However, I disagree with the stance that abortions should not be provided to anyone
who should need one. My teacher even confronted me to convince me to go, but I highly value
the right to free choice and bodily autonomy. These values made me decide not to attend the
prayer session, and I am very thankful I was able to put my values ahead of my desire to please
the people around me.
Another instance that comes to mind when I think about values influencing decisionmaking is actually the choice I made to attend UC. I have always valued education, which I
inherited from my familys shared value of high quality schooling. I applied and was accepted to
eight different schools, and I was excited by the thought of moving far from home to get a taste
of independence. I live about 20 minutes from the University of Cincinnati, so it felt a little too
close to home when I thought about it, but when I visited the Classics department at UC for the
first time, I knew that the quality of education was far greater than at some other schools. I left
behind my wish to move far away in pursuit of knowledge, and I know that I made the right
choice valuing education over distance. My values have shaped the person I am today and I am
excited to strengthen them farther and discover others in my time at UC and in the University
Honors Program.