Oscar Lloyd’s six years attending St. Anselm’s Abbey School in Washington inspired what he calls “a passion” for studying philosophy when he attends Columbia University in the fall.
“It’s the combination we learned there of combining philosophical theory plus action,” Lloyd told the Catholic Standard. “It’s the greatest thing you can do.”
His love for philosophy came up several times in an interview, as he returned to the subject again and again to explain how studying history, philosophy and politics “have driven my passions in high school.” He thinks perhaps he’ll combine those interests in a career in journalism or politics, using the grounding in philosophy to think more critically about the world.
“I hope to have a tangible impact on the world,” he said. Lloyd already volunteers with XR Youth, also known as Extinction Rebellion, the youth component of a global environmental movement.
He described his education at St. Anselm’s as having provided “a constant challenging of what I think… it forced me to examine why I was holding certain beliefs. I was constantly reimagining myself.”
Lloyd’s enthusiasm for studying St. Augustine, Plato, Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas might seem a little unexpected given that he’s not Catholic. But he revels in “the sense of community, love, hospitality and stewardship” fostered at the Benedictine school and in particular fostered by “the ethos the monks and staff bring to daily life.”
“It exposed me to a lot of perspectives I wouldn’t have had,” he said. Lloyd said that in seventh or eighth grade he went through “a Catholic phase,” when he considered becoming Catholic, but the interest faded.
Lloyd’s time at St. Anselm’s has also included four years of working on the student publication, the Priory Press, volunteering with a program that helps elderly residents of the area around the school with housecleaning and other tasks, as well as doing gardening at the monastery and participating in an Appalachian service trip. He was captain of the varsity fencing team and has been playing violin since he was little. Besides being part of the St. Anselm’s orchestra, he’s a member of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra based in Virginia. And sometimes he’s been known to set up on a busy sidewalk to play violin for passersby.
Busking, as street performing is called, started for Lloyd when his family visited his homeland, England, a few years ago. “In the U.K. there are always buskers. So I tried it.” It turned out he not only can make a little money that way, but it gave him the chance to develop a skill that will suit him for journalism, passively observing others. “People really don’t notice you,” he said.
