Crossroads & Classics: Navigating Transitions with Art & Literature

As associate dean for graduate programs at St. John’s Santa Fe campus, David’s been inspiring minds since joining the faculty in 2000, including a stint as assistant dean from 2008-2010.

With degrees from Pomona College, Claremont Graduate School, and UC Davis, David’s academic journey is impressive – but it’s his life experiences that truly enrich his teaching. Growing up amid the forests of rural Oregon, he later found himself lecturing on philosophy, religion, and literature across the globe, from the streets of India to classrooms in France and Germany.

His recent thought-provoking podcast for St. John’s College, “The Fool’s Paradise: To Where Does Travel Lead?”, perfectly captures his gift for connecting timeless wisdom to our modern search for meaning.

A beloved fixture in the St. John’s Summer Classics program, David’s sessions leave participants seeing their lives through fresh, more illuminating lenses.

Claudia has been opening minds and challenging assumptions at St. John’s College since 1994, bringing ancient wisdom into vibrant conversation with our modern lives. After earning her Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Minnesota and teaching at Cornell, she expanded her influence as Visiting Professor in both Philosophy and English at the Air Force Academy.

Her 2020 book, Strategic Humanism: Lessons on Leadership from the Ancient Greeks, cuts through millennia to reveal how classical wisdom remains surprisingly relevant to today’s leadership challenges. As a sought-after voice on numerous podcasts – including EconTalk, Combat & Classics, Classical Wisdom, and The Reeds – Claudia bridges scholarly depth with accessible insight.

Her recent thought-provoking St. John’s podcast, “Practicing for Death: Integrating Mind and Body, East and West,” exemplifies her gift for connecting seemingly disparate traditions into a coherent whole.

A beloved regular in the St. John’s Summer Classics program, Claudia creates learning experiences that participants describe as both intellectually rigorous and deeply personal – exactly the transformative combination we’ve crafted for this retreat.

Mary Hofstedt is an experienced non profit leader and educator who strives to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world. Her passion for youth and community development led her to work with Challenge Success, spearhead a coalition of youth and adult partners to develop a community arts center, and serve for over a decade within Stanford University’s John W. Gardner Center. She recently wrapped up a mid-career break to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She serves as a Senior Associate with Heartwise Learning and is thrilled to be based back in Santa Fe after a 22 year stint in the Bay Area!

Kari Cardinale is MEA’s Chief Content Officer & Partner who has developed all of our online programs. She is an expert in the longevity industry, a social entrepreneur, expert facilitator, and developer of “digital intimacy” tools to build meaningful connections and global communities.