An exemplary member of the Whitworth community who has served the students and faculty members as a mentor, leader and friend is retiring at the end of this year. Professor Lindy Scott has devoted over forty years to higher education and the personal development of his students.
Although Scott’s accomplishments speak volumes to the success of his career, they do not capture the impact he has had on so many people.
“Walking alongside students as a teacher, mentor and friend is one of the greatest privileges and professions on earth!” Scott said.
Scott came to Whitworth in 2007 as a professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies and is a member of the Core 350 team.
“These subjects are important tools of the trade, but my students are the principal object of my teaching. My main goal is to help shape and sharpen my students as they walk through life. I hope to accompany them as they aim to become mature seekers of truth,” Scott said.
Scott also is the Director of Whitworth’s Costa Rica Center and Co-Director of Whitworth’s Central American Study Program (CASP).
“Overseas study programs are great ways to get to know students. The 24/7 activities combined with the fact that we are all out of our comfort zones lead to important shared experiences. Following the pedagogy of Jesus, we have deep reflections on these experiences and praxis,” Soctt said.
An author of several books, Scott has written much about Latin American culture and theology.
Kim Hernandez, another professor of the World Languages Department, has fostered a friendship with Scott over the years. Together, the two co-authored Challenged and Changed: Living and Learning in Central America. Also, Hernandez has worked side by side with Scott as co-director of CASP.
“I have witnessed his passion and commitment to the developing world in Latin America and to guiding his students and colleagues in this important endeavor,” Hernandez said.
Hernadez pointed to Whitworth’s mission as being the “very essence of who Lindy is as a scholar and global citizen.”
“The centrality of his faith has informed and directed his educational and vocational choices throughout his life, as demonstrated by his lengthy professional history in the areas of church pastoring and leadership, as well as university teaching of theology, ethics, Latin American culture, and Spanish language both in the US and abroad,” Hernadez said.
Hernadez considers Scott as a mentor who has invested in many aspects of her life.
“ He loves and leads and does life with passion and joy, and the great thing is that he’s very contagious,” Hernadez said.
Lauren Davies, a Whitworth Alumni from the 2013 graduating class, is one of the many students who have appreciated Scott over the years She worked with Scott as a Program Coordinator at the Costa Rica Center.
“I am so grateful for all that he taught me about Spanish, the world and myself. He has the unique ability to make friends wherever he goes,” Davies said. “I’ll never forget how people in Costa Rica would see him walking around town and shout, ‘¡Hola Don Luis!’ from several blocks away. What a blessing Lindy has been to Whitworth both in the United States and abroad.”
Junior Emma Ransom had the opportunity to go abroad this spring with Professor Scott’s last CASP cohort.
“His passion for life and teaching go hand-in-hand, and I’m beyond grateful to have gotten the opportunity to learn from him and be part of his last CASP cohort,” Ransom said. “I know that the academic and life lessons that he’s taught us will continue to shape our lives for years to come, even when he’s no longer just a short walk away in Westminster.”
Dr. Scott’s passion for teaching and his endless love for his students will undoubtedly be missed by many on campus.
