What is the goal of authentic Catholic education?
Why is the Wyoming Catholic College model successful?
Can it be adapted and implemented in Slovakia?
What should a Catholic university look like today in the era of social media, the digital world, and AI? How can tradition be passed on in an increasingly secular world? An inspiring answer is Wyoming Catholic College, an American university that combines teaching and learning with intensive contact with nature and the wilderness. Its president will share the college’s successful story with the goal of inspiring Catholic education in Slovakia. Why is the Wyoming College experience particularly important for Slovak education and the Church?
Kyle Washut is a newly ordained Greek Catholic deacon, professor, and president of Wyoming Catholic College (WCC). He grew up in Casper, Wyoming, where as a teenager he worked in underground nuclear facilities and coal mines. He graduated in 2003 with degrees in political science and Spanish, and in 2007 completed a liberal arts education (known in Slovakia as classical education) at Thomas Aquinas College. He returned to Wyoming as the first dean of student life at WCC. In fall 2009, he continued his studies at the International Theological Institute (ITI) in Austria, earning a degree in sacred theology. Today, Washut teaches a wide range of courses at WCC, including theology, philosophy, grammar, rhetoric, logic, and the humanities. After several years as academic dean, he was appointed president in August 2023.
Samuel Trizuljak studied political science and history at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Heidelberg. His interest in the history of Catholic thought is further developed as a PhD student at Charles University in Prague. As a lecturer he cooperates with the Ladislav Hanus Society and the Anton Neuwirth College. As a speechwriter, he has worked for several politicians, most recently for the Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď. His book At Height to Depth: 33 Advice to Faithful Students in Bratislava, Oxford or elsewhere was published in September 2021.
