An open mind led the Tar Heel to two majors, study abroad in South Korea and his dream job after graduation.
If Ethan Delves could impart just one piece of advice to the next generation of Tar Heels, it would be “embrace the journey.”
Those three words were something of a mantra to Delves, a senior from Raleigh who chose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill because of the breadth and depth of experiences — academic, professional and extracurricular — that were available.
“The biggest thing for me was Carolina’s liberal arts education,” he said. “I knew that developing my interests meant connecting with individuals who were passionate about sharing theirs.”
A passion for understanding
Delves drew on his love of high school speech and debate when he signed up for philosophy classes during his first year, a decision that quickly led to his first major.
In courses ranging in focus from discourse on metaphysics and probability theory to intergenerational discussions with older members of the Chapel Hill community, Delves said he felt invigorated by getting to the “center of why we believe things.”
In addition to coursework, Delves joined the philosophy department’s Parr Center for Ethics as an Ethics Scholar, which offers Tar Heels interested in ethical reflection, leadership and skills development a space to build community — and give back to it.
Over two years in the program, Delves has contributed about 170 hours of his time to supporting the National High School Ethics Bowl, a program established at the Parr Center in 2012. The competition, which has regional and national components, encourages clear, collaborative and constructive dialogue and reasoning among high school students.
“As an Ethics Scholar, I have both moderated and judged ethics bowl events on the regional and national level,” Delves said. “It’s super exciting and reminds me of my time in debate.”
Delves is also helping to chart a new path at the Parr Center as an Educating for Character Initiative Fellow. The grant-supported fellowship led by UNC-Chapel Hill philosopher Michael Vazquez is focused on expanding character-centered leaders and developing intellectual virtue.
“The fellowship asks, ‘What does it mean to be a good thinker?’” Delves explained. “‘What makes a well-rounded student who is able to engage with such a massive and diverse curriculum at UNC?’”
Delves and about a half dozen other fellows asked this question, too — literally. This semester, they walked around Carolina’s campus with tiny microphones to ask students what being a critical thinker really means.
Courage, open-mindedness and ample conversation are all key components in Delves’ mind.
“Philosophy is something that has to be done with a community,” he said. “It’s not a course of study where you can engage with a textbook privately and gain the same understanding that you would by having intellectual peers.”
Investigating the ‘why’
Delves credits “the exploratory nature of the liberal arts” with helping him find a second major, one that came a bit later during his time at Carolina.
He took Economics 101 out of curiosity and loved it. The introductory class snowballed into a passion for econometrics, which applies statistical methods to important economic questions. Chris Handy, teaching associate professor of economics, had a significant influence on Delves’ interest in the field.
“Dr. Handy explains things incredibly clearly and sparked my interest in econometrics,” Delves said. “And he’s currently the head of the economics peer tutoring program.”
As a peer tutor through UNC-Chapel Hill’s ECON Aid Center, Delves helps fellow Tar Heels navigate assignments and prepare for exams. But he also encourages students to dig deeper into the “why” behind each problem, a practice he borrows from his background in philosophy.
“I see the same people pretty much every week,” said Delves, who offers about four hours of office hours weekly. “We all know each other’s names. It’s become a very consistent community over time.”
Peer tutoring is just one area where Delves sees philosophy and economics complementing each other. To him, the two disciplines are “inseparable.”
“I view economics as a powerhouse of theories, statistical practices and methods that are all grounded in philosophical commitments that are worth studying carefully,” he said. “The disciplines jointly provide a set of reasoning and empirical skills that are essential for critical thinking.”
Carolina and beyond
Though it was difficult to leave Chapel Hill even briefly, Delves was determined to try something “totally new” while at Carolina.
“My goal was to step as far out of my comfort zone as I could, go to a country where I don’t speak the language, and see how I hold my own,” said Delves, a lifelong North Carolinian.
The summer before junior year, he studied abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, as a Phillips Ambassador and Honors Carolina Will Fellow.
While there, he took courses in Korean American history and macroeconomics, joined classmates from around the world for gym sessions after class and snuck in a short trip to Japan.
“I learned how to build my social structure from the ground up,” he said.
The summer before senior year, Delves had another life-changing experience, this time, in New York City with the support of Honors Carolina.
As an intern with National Economic Research Associates (NERA), he got a glimpse into a career in economic consulting. The job in the company’s antitrust and competition practice — and the organization’s focus on lifelong learning — were a perfect match.
“My philosophy background was so pivotal in succeeding at this job,” he said. Every day, he consulted economics texts in the company’s library, discussed proofs with colleagues and focused on the “why” of antitrust litigation and its implications.
When he received a full-time offer from NERA at the end of his internship, it was an automatic yes.
Looking back on his time at Carolina, Delves is grateful for Honors Carolina mentors like Todd Ballenger and Meghan Gosk, who helped him build the steppingstones of his career and life as a young professional. It would have been impossible for Delves to imagine all that he would experience and accomplish as a Tar Heel when he was just starting out.
And that is exactly the point.
“There’s no way to know prior to doing something if you’re going to like it,” he said. “Your time in university isn’t about finding the ‘right answer’ or following a linear path to success. Instead, it’s about collecting those small moments of discovery that reveal what makes you passionate, skilled and fulfilled.”
Originally by Jess Abel ’19
