Meet the Class of 2021: Seasoned Traveler, Volunteer Will Teach
Date published: Sept. 19, 2017
None of his four older siblings went to college, and Daniel Bishop, BA ’21, has been
working in the ticket office at the Perot Museum for the past couple of years since
graduating from high school, nurturing a vague interest in architecture and doing
his best to educate himself. Finally reaching the conclusion that anything he really
wanted to do with his life would require more formal schooling, he began looking at
his options; immediately, UD’s website caught his eye.
“It’s a really good site,” he said. Upon delving into the pages, he discovered what
he needed to know: that the University of Dallas is the best school in the Dallas/Fort
Worth area at which to learn the classics.
An Orthodox Christian who is studying Byzantine chant and enjoys reading poetry and
metaphysical works, Bishop should fit in well at UD; he plans to major in English
but is also interested in theology. Another pastime commonly favored at UD, world
travel, also ranks high on his list: the highlight of his life so far was a two-week
pilgrimage he took with his godfather to the Isle of Iona, the base of the Irish Christian
missionary St. Columba, in Scotland. The Scottish people, as much as the isle itself,
sparked his interest and imagination.
“They were very friendly, always willing to strike up a conversation with strangers
in the street,” Bishop said.
Additionally, this Denton, Texas, native recently spent two weeks in Poland, specifically
at Auschwitz and in Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, carrying equipment for his friend’s documentary
film crew. These experiences make him appreciate that UD is a school with a concern
for not only the here and now, but also other times and places — and how the far-back
and far-away connect to what we’re encountering in our world today.
Bishop’s past has also included seven years of the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary
cadet program of the Air Force, which performs search and rescue as well as aerospace
education. Bishop was a squadron cadet commander, which meant he ran the squadron
and trained cadets in both moral leadership and drills, as well as participating in
orientation flights.
"I wasn't prepared for the responsibilities of command when I received this position,
but having to teach things forced me to learn the subject matter well. I learned that
the ability to teach is the sign of true knowledge,” said Bishop.
A different but equally enriching opportunity to positively affect the lives of others
came when Bishop’s sister developed an interest in horses. Her involvement at a local
stable led to Bishop helping with equine therapy there, assisting physically or mentally
disabled children and young adults during their horseback therapy sessions.
“I really miss the riders and the horses, and I plan to go back to volunteering at
the stable during school breaks,” he said.
With such a wealth of experiences under his belt, Bishop sees a future in teaching,
especially high school English or theology. And now that he’s here at UD, he looks
forward to doing the thing he’s been doing on his own for the past couple of years,
but now with more structure: dedicating himself simply to learning.
