Smitley Gives 2024 Martin Lecture
On September 9, the Institute hosted the 2024 Dorothy Garrett Martin Lecture in Values and Ethics, featuring Kyle Smitley, a 2007 DePauw alumnus. Smitley, an accomplished entrepreneur and educator, framed her talk around the children’s book “Pleasant Fieldmouse” to explore the concept of goodness in school, work, and life.
Smitley shared her journey from founding a children’s clothing brand to establishing the Detroit Achievement Academy. She emphasized the importance of moral conviction, which led her to sell her company and donate a large portion of the proceeds. Smitley stressed the significance of purpose over tangible successes and highlighted the challenges she faced while trying to improve Detroit’s school system.
The speaker divided her life into two parts: pre- and post-ethical maturity. She encouraged students to break free from groupthink mentality and embrace curiosity, a core value of liberal arts education at DePauw. Smitley proposed three key elements for living ethically: honesty, avoiding intentional harm, and taking action when necessary.
Concluding her talk, Smitley reminded the audience that being good is an ongoing process. In moderated conversation with Hillman Intern Alex Bittle, Smitley encouraged students to continually question themselves and curate their own “personal picnic” by deciding who they want to be and surrounding themselves with like-minded individuals.