NMH Magazine : Winter 2003

Opening Lines: The Heart of the Matter

by Head of the School, Richard W. Mueller '62

The New York Times recently noted the passing of John Rawls, an eminent political theorist who rejected the idea that justice means achieving the greatest good for the greatest number. Instead, he proposed that justice is based on the idea that the rules we choose to live by—our values, if you will—must work equally well for those who have advantages and those who do not. When our values meet that criteria, justice is served. 

To achieve a just society, Rawls postulated, each person growing to adulthood should develop values to hold for a lifetime without knowing in advance whether she or he will be among the advantaged. Ideally, each would adhere to values that would ensure the well-being of all, even the least advantaged. While it may seem a complicated theory, it is, in fact, quite simple. It is the idea that justice is served if one treats others as one would want to be treated. Let me show you this theory in action at NMH. 

Some years ago, a bright and motivated 14-year-old girl was identified as a candidate for NMH by a nonprofit community organization working in the Latino community of East Los Angeles. Her mother, a widow who spoke no English and couldn't read or write, was employed at marginal pay in an illegal sweatshop. The girl was offered admission and a full scholarship underwritten by an alumnus, including plane tickets for the midwinter holidays to and from school in the fall and spring. 

Once on campus, she settled into classes, dorm life, sports, and making new friends. Within a couple of weeks, she appeared at the outreach office and asked to be assigned as a Big Sister to a local youngster in need. Every Friday night for the next four years, she served as a mentor, guide, and friend to an elementary school child, taking her Little Sister to activities on and off campus, borrowing a faculty kitchen to bake cookies together, or just talking. Having virtually no material resources of her own, this young woman found a way to give a gift of the heart. 

Approaching her graduation, the student seemed a little sad, and a member of her house faculty asked if everything was going well. She replied that she was down because her mother couldn't afford to come and see her graduate. The faculty member spoke quietly to other adults, including an Independence Master whose fellowship includes funds for just such possibilities. A sum was raised, a ticket purchased, and an invitation to stay in a faculty apartment was extended. 

Let me be clear: this was not charity—this was justice, according to Rawls's prescription. And it is based on the idea, put into action here by D. L. Moody, that the least advantaged should suffer no disadvantage at NMH. From the ongoing search for strong candidates from every quarter to the generosity of the scholarship donor to the faculty's support, actions from the heart created and informed this young person's life-forming experience. It is, in essence, what we are all about. 

And the young woman? Admission to an Ivy League university ultimately propelled her into graduate school, and she plans on returning to her East LA neighborhood as a teacher. So many of our graduates find ways to give from the heart, and we are proud that they do so. They honor us, and they honor themselves.