Jeffrey Blascyk
Student spotlight details
'I am originally from the United States. I am a combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan, spending 20 years in the US armed forces. After my time in the infantry, my work centred on mentorship and senior leader development. My path to philosophy has not been linear. I left high school early and went directly into the workforce, later joining the military. Much of my adult life was oriented around that service. I studied philosophy briefly during my first stint in higher education, scattered courses rather than a sustained programme. Over time, it became less of an interest and more of a calling to deeper study.
'What drew me specifically to the Certificate of Higher Education in Philosophy with the University of Oxford was not simply the reputation of the institution, though that certainly was appealing. It was the opportunity to engage philosophy seriously, in a structured and rigorous way, with students and faculty who share my genuine passion for the subject, while still balancing a full-time career. I was not looking for casual exposure; I wanted to be challenged, to read the texts carefully, to wrestle with arguments, and to be held to a standard that demanded clarity of thought.
'I attended Oxford University Summer School for Adults for all three years of the programme, each summer taking another philosophy course. My time studying in person, meeting great tutors and passionate students, was the highlight of the programme for me. Just as important have been those dialogues with the tutors and peers; this is where ideas are tested, refined, and sometimes overturned. That process has been both humbling and invigorating. Outside of the Certificate of Higher Education, I was also able to pursue some language classes through the Oxford University Language Centre, which allowed me an opportunity to brush up on my Russian language skills as well.
'The most challenging aspect of the programme has been precisely that standard. Philosophy, when treated properly, can be unforgiving. It exposes vague thinking quickly, and the tutors do as well. They encouraged me to write with more precision, to construct arguments that can withstand academic scrutiny, and to engage critically with primary and secondary texts. It has required a level of discipline that goes beyond casual learning.
'This course sits in the middle of passion and purpose. It has already informed new approaches to leadership development and mentorship, offering a sharper framework for teaching the slower decision-making and guiding others toward more deliberate thinking. It also helped me toward a new horizon. I am an aspiring fiction writer—my first science fiction novel, releasing later this year, is in part an effort to carry philosophical ideas into a wider conversation, within a compelling and entertaining framework. This programme has deepened the foundation that I needed for my work to be anchored in.
'As military retirement approaches, I'm moving into a new phase; one I intend to spend developing academically and creatively, through formal study or independent work or some combination of both. The goal hasn't changed: to pursue philosophical inquiry not as a discipline to be credentialed, but as a way of being in the world.
'For anyone considering this course, my advice is straightforward: take it seriously. Do not approach it as passive learning or casual enrichment. Be prepared to be challenged and put in the time required to extract the most out of this opportunity.'
