College of Charleston Course Teaches Students About Themselves

^{Above: After rucking the stairs at Credit One Stadium, students cold-plunged for three minutes as part of a day themed “Expanding Your Comfort Zone.”}

“Know thyself.”

That is what the Greek inscription says above the triumphal arch of Porter’s Lodge, the pillared, Greek Revival-style building on George Street that dates to 1850. The passage through the arch serves as the symbolic threshold into and out of the College of Charleston for first-year students during convocation and new graduates during commencement.

The call to self-discovery, of course, is designed to bring awareness to the personal growth that inevitably happens during college. But in the 250-year history of the College, perhaps no course has been more finely tuned to that journey than a new course on intentionality in the School of Business.

Taught by local businessman and philanthropist Ben Navarro and Andrea Kindorf, who works for the Beemok Family Foundation, the Navarro family foundation, the course proved hugely popular when the school first offered it last fall semester. They are teaching it once again this semester, and only the 31 of the most dedicated students gained entry after applying and being interviewed by Navarro and Kindorf.

“It sounds completely cliché to say this, but it truly is a life-changing experience and class,” says Nicholas Bove, a junior Honors economics major who took it last fall. “It wholeheartedly puts life into perspective whereas I do not see any other standard college math, science or business class having the ability to do the same thing. I recall Ben stating at the beginning that this class was everything he wished he had been taught in college. This class was everything I needed in my life to be pushed past the limits I thought I held for myself.”

Intentionality is defined as being committed and deliberate. “It’s about living a life driven by purpose,” Kindorf says, “and making yourself better than you were yesterday.”

Navarro and Kindorf want to dispel the notion that success is a zero-sum game, that you either make the winning catch or you don’t. Success happens by self-reflection and then building a solid foundation. If you start with “the why” of who you are, then work on the foundation (“the how”), it will lead to “the what” you will become. Most people have it backward and start with the what.

Navarro and Kindorf have curated 45 hours of content, covering such topics as success versus happiness, overcoming limiting beliefs and your inner voice is not the boss of you.

“What stood out most was the deep-dive into the three pillars of success: values, habits and relationships,” says Jeriel Adejobi, a senior Honors computer information systems major who took the 2023 class. “We explored how to craft life decisions and plans that are not only aspirational but actionable. Since completing the course, I’ve shared its insights with nearly everyone close to me. It has transformed the way I shape my personal goals and approach my everyday life.”

Just about every class has a notable guest speaker whom Navarro and the students spend time interviewing about that class’ subject in a fireside chat-like setting. Journaling, reading related books/articles and accomplishing difficult tasks are also part of the curriculum.

One of the “Do Hard Things Challenge” the students did first semester was a ruck up the Ravenel Bridge with 50 lbs. of weight on their backs followed by a cold plunge at Beemok-affiliated Synchronicity wellness center in Mount Pleasant.

“I appreciated how every class was focused on a new topic, like how to get out of your comfort zone or the importance of relationships,” says Lexi Drumm, a senior Honors business administration major who went grocery shopping in an inflatable shark costume for a Hard Things Challenge. “As silly as this was, it made me learn a lot about what my internal thought process is when I get uncomfortable and how to manage it. This exercise allowed me to later apply what I learned from it to new experiences and to be more comfortable with the uncomfortable, especially in situations where I know I may not succeed or that are unfamiliar.”

The class helped Katie Horton create a vision for what she wants for her future and an understanding of how to achieve it, not to mention it also led to a summer internship at Credit One Stadium, another Beemok business on Daniel Island.

“The class was life changing,” says the junior Honors arts management major with a music industry concentration. “We delved into important topics that are not talked about in the traditional classroom, such as mental and physical health, the meaning of happiness, personal values, relationships, etc., which is what makes the class so well-rounded and successful.”

Turns out “knowing thyself” is a lifelong process

“It’s the best class I’ve ever taken, and I’m in my 60s,” says David Wyman, associate chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, who provided logistical guidance to Navarro and Kindorf the first semester. “I’ve never seen anybody put as much time and effort into a class as those two, and Ben is such a good teacher. He has all these incredible lessons about transcending yourself, and the students just eat it up. It’s changed my life as much as it has theirs.”

For Navarro, the learning never stops either. This summer while rock climbing in Greece (appropriately, given the inscription above Porter’s), the guide said to him, “If you want to get somewhere fast, you have to go slow.” It’s become their new definition of intentionality and a reminder to Navarro that even after you’ve discovered “the what” as he has done very successfully, “the how” can always be improved – and passed onto others.

“He’s at the point in his life where he finds value in giving back,” Kindorf says. “The course was a way for him to help kids and give them something that he wished he had when he was their age and that they can really use throughout their life.”

An attitude of gratitude is a big part of that, which is exactly what Adejobi feels today about the learning opportunity.

“Today, I live a values-driven life, focusing on the people, habits and opportunities that offer the greatest potential for fulfillment and optionality,” he says. “I am forever grateful for the lessons I’ve learned. I believe that for many of us who took this class, a defining moment in the next 10 years will be the realization that meeting Ben Navarro changed the way we approach life and success.”