Hillsdale Alumni Newsletter Archives

All In On Hillsdale: Haley Strack, ’23, Eager to Give Back After Life-Altering Experience

“I fell in love listening to Dr. Spalding and Dr. Meehan talk about the good, and Shakespeare, and how everything relates back to modern political culture,” Strack said after attending the Statesmanship Weekend for prospective students at the Kirby Center in Washington, D.C. “I cried in the coat closet at the Kirby Center, called my mom and said, ‘Make the deposit. I’m going here.’ Then I was all in.”

Out of the Ordinary: From Meeting Presidents to Surviving 9/11, Family Still Comes First for Kipling Oren

There is nothing ordinary about Kipling Oren, ’94. From his advocacy for helping children with brain disorders to his unique history of meeting former presidents to surviving the tragedy of 9/11, there’s more than meets the eye.

Stopping and Looking Around

The Alumni Office is coming off the completion of the Alumni National Tour, the 50/60-Year Reunion, and most recently the third annual White & Blue Weekend and the Alumni Awards Banquet. Continually amazed by Hillsdale’s graduates, Doug Goodnough, ’90, highlights alumni accomplishments and news.

Leader in the Making: Former Two-Time Captain Frank Isabelle II Now Leads in the Insurance Industry

Frank Isabelle II, ’89, doesn’t have any championship trophies sitting on his mantle from his tennis-playing days at Hillsdale College, but he fondly recalls his athletic experience saying, “It was just good camaraderie.”

Shooting for Excellence: Pieraccini Credits His Hillsdale Experience for Teaching Career

When Lucas Pieraccini, ’20, he arrived on campus, he got his shot at the team’s first travel competition. The result? Not one miss out of 100 trap targets. Four years later, Pieraccini helped the Chargers win two national championships, numerous other competitions, and served as a two-time team captain.

Hillsdale Action Shooting: The Making of a Powerhouse

Gregory Clement, ’23, says his Hillsdale Action Shooting experience was “overwhelmingly positive.” This spring, Hillsdale captured a national championship at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program’s Collegiate Nationals, hosted in Talladega, Alabama. The Chargers claimed first place in the Centerfire division and took second in the 1911 division.

Hometown Hillsdale: Connie Erholtz Continues to Contribute to Her Community

She is known to many in the Hillsdale community as “Miss Connie.” Although she retired years ago after teaching three decades in the classroom, Connie Copp Erholtz, ’63, is still making a big impact on her local community.

The 2022-2023 National Tour is a Wrap

The annual Alumni National Tour closed out the year with two events in Texas in late April. Alumni turned out in force with more than 80 people attendance in Dallas and Austin. Next year, the tour plans to stop in nearly 20 cities across America.

Judge of Character: Kathleen McCann, ’73, Follows in Father’s Footsteps as District Judge

Former attorney and current District Court Judge for Michigan’s 16th District, Kathleen McCann, ’73, has had a long and distinguished career on the bench. McCann’s term as judge ends at the end of 2024, and she said it has been a rewarding career. She said she has Hillsdale in part to thank.

Katherine Montgomery Bennett, ’08, Hillsdale College Pre-law

Hillsdale College: A Great Place to be For Pre-Law

Katherine Montgomery Bennett, ’08, praises Hillsdale’s unique politics program, saying she was very well prepared for law school. Bennett currently acts as an Assistant Attorney General for the Attorney General’s Corporate Oversight Division.

Tracking Success: DuBois Credits Hillsdale for ‘Life-Changing’ Experience

Dan DuBois, ’91, received a life-changing visit from then-Charger baseball coach Pat Riepma. He can’t imagine what his life would have been like without his Hillsdale experience. “If (Riepma) hadn’t come (to recruit me), I don’t know what I would have been doing.”

Something to Say: Duane “Dutch” Van Fleet Survived the Vietnam War to Thrive at Hillsdale College

Duane “Dutch” Van Fleet, ’73, a decorated Vietnam War veteran is grateful for what Hillsdale College did for him when he returned from combat. After being wounded twice in battle and surviving some of the bloodiest and brutal fighting of the war, Van Fleet came home to his native Reading, Michigan, and said Hillsdale College “saved me from me.”