A love of learning about people and cultures has taken Andrew Dever ’25 around the world and introduced him to new ways of thinking.
Dever, from Dallas, Texas, was chosen to represent the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) at the Athens Democracy Forum in October—a three-day international conference that brings together speakers, activists, politicians, and students from around the world to talk about issues facing democracy globally. The annual event is organized by the Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times.
“I grew a lot in a week,” Dever said. “I was pushed intellectually to examine my own beliefs, and also not to make assumptions, but rather to ask questions and learn about what informs other people’s beliefs and identities.”
Senior Associate Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Spanish Jane Hardy knew Dever, an aspiring lawyer and senior fellow in the Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse (WDPD), would represent Wabash well at the Forum.
“He’s a proactive student who’s always looking for opportunities,” Hardy says. “I knew he would not be reluctant to apply and give it a chance. I knew he would take it seriously as a responsibility and would do the work needed.”
Dever began preparing for the Forum months ahead of the event. Topics ranged from artificial intelligence in government, the Middle East, to global politics and nationalism.
“I worked with students from around the world—the U.S., Greece, India—to start gaining background knowledge on the topics and the speakers,” Dever said. “At the conference, the youth were very intentional about trying to solve problems instead of just talking about it. We asked, ‘How can we do that through action, representation, and advocacy?”
A highlight of the Forum for Dever was interacting with and learning about students from many different countries.
“One day I had lunch with someone from India, Georgia, Greece, and a guy who is originally from Yemen, but studies in Egypt,” Dever said. “We went around the table and asked each other questions. Then each of us answered it from our perspectives of where we live and go to school. It was fascinating to see that we’re more similar than we think in our global community. But it’s hard to know that without actually having conversations with people.”
Dever credits his experiences through Wabash—including a semester studying in Spain, an immersion course that studied in Greece for a week, and the opportunity to participate in the Athens Democracy Forum—as helping shape his appreciation for and understanding of other viewpoints.
“My senior year in high school was right after COVID, I spent a lot of it angry,” Dever said. “I felt like there was a lot of rhetoric, not a lot of action or solutions. I was very much on one side of the issue and didn't even want to hear out the other side. Coming to Wabash—meeting people from all over the world, learning about their perspectives, and participating in things like Moot Court, where you have to argue two sides of an issue—I have developed an ability to understand where people come from, and a genuine desire to learn about them as individuals to better contextualize their positions.
“When I came to Wabash, I was very passionate about my beliefs but I realized that’s not the most productive way to live. I still have that passion and desire to make change, but I also balance that with an understanding that things aren’t always as I see them. Seeking out others, learning about them, and engaging in conversations can give you a better collective understanding.”
The history and Spanish double major and member of the soccer team, Pre-Law Society, War Council, and Theta Delta Chi recognizes that the busy-ness of being a student can get in the way of the learning one can get from talking with others.
“People have a lot things that are front and center. We’re all really busy,” Dever said. “Are you going to really focus on your grades, your next test, this interview you have coming up? Or might you take an extra 30 minutes to sit down with somebody and have a conversation? I think a lot of people focus on the here and the now and might not have those deep conversations. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience.”
Dever is grateful to Wabash and the GLCA for the opportunities open to students and to the Mothers Fund for assistance with travel costs for the Athens Democracy Forum. He invites students who are interested in applying to attend the Athens Democracy Forum to join him at an information session on February 20 at noon in Detchon 209.