Students Archives

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Ellen Sweet

There is a depth to Hillsdale that I could not have imagined as a senior in high school. During freshman orientation, Dr. David Whalen gave a lecture in which he warned me and my fellow freshmen that college is dangerous—that, in fact, Hillsdale would change our souls.

A Liberal Arts Education for Missionaries

Why bother spending four years in a classroom studying Greek philosophers and ancient history when you could be spending your time helping others as a missionary or in an orphanage? That’s what Kathryn Lewis, ’17, wanted to know when she began studying great books at Hillsdale.

Learning to Ask Questions

Though junior Jared Eckert spent many years growing up in Hillsdale, he wasn’t drawn to the college until a “shameless” Google search for top politics schools led him to Hillsdale College. He then began to seriously consider staying in his hometown for undergraduate studies.

Mauck Hall: A Transplanted Community

Attempting to transplant a community is always a risky endeavor. How will the integral relationships change, and will they disappear altogether?

Impressions of Fall

On a recent October day, I noticed more people outside than in the summer, probably because the weather was that perfect fall temperature. I talked with several students lounging on the grass, sitting on benches, and studying at tables dispersed around campus to gather their opinions on Hillsdale autumn.

From Struggling Writer to English Major

Like the rest of Hillsdale, Matt took his two Great Books core English classes, and like so many Hillsdale students, he struggled to write good papers at first. “Failing to produce a clear reading of a text on Great Books made me really want to see what it was like to know what was going on in a book and be able to express it,” Matt says.

Nobody Stands Alone

For the volleyball players, academics come first, while volleyball is a close second.

A Tight-Knit Team Both On and Off the Playing Field

Between being a member of the Hillsdale College women’s volleyball team, volunteering at a local women’s shelter, teaching Sunday school, and pursuing a bio-chem major and biology minor, junior Kyra Rodi doesn’t have a lot of time for Netflix. But when I asked about her experience as a student athlete, a huge smile spread across her face.

Speech Majors Katharine Torres and Christine Nishinaga.

The Art of Rhetoric and Public Speaking

I interviewed speech majors Katharine Torres, ’17, and Christine Nishinaga, ’16, separately, so it was by pure coincidence that both emphasized how much they love their advanced public speaking course and Dr. Kiledal herself. It was exciting to see how passionate these girls are about their major and how much good the speech department has done for them already.

A Heart for Helping People

Senior exercise-science major Shannon O’Hearn always had a heart for helping people, and her fascination with anatomy led her to believe that she belongs in the medical field. This belief was confirmed the night she saved a man’s life.

Pursuing Artistry In Literature And Dance

At first glance, dancing and book editing have very little in common, but sophomore Rachel Watson has found a connection. Rachel has been dancing since she was five and is pursuing Hillsdale’s dance minor, but she is also studying English and minoring in Greek, as she aspires to be an editor for young-adult books.

Numbers and Notes

Hannah Andrews is a junior math major, a member of the Kappa Mu Epsilon math honorary, and co-founder and president of Hillsdale’s Actuarial Club, the discipline combining math and statistical methods to assess risks in investing and finance.