Co-author of "Teaching the Classics"

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I spent the majority of my youth in Phoenix, Arizona. The daughter of public school professionals, I attended public school throughout my primary and secondary schooling. My parents being graduates of Olivet College, they desired a similar, small school experience for me. Hillsdale’s high academic achievement combined with its conservative philosophy drew their attention. The warm and welcoming staff and students I met during my campus visit drew mine. During my years at Hillsdale, I met Adam Andrews. We married four days following our graduation. Since then, Adam has gone on to receive graduate degrees in Colonial American history from the University of Washington, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate. I began graduate school as well, but postponed further schooling to have and homeschool my six children: Ian (13), Megan (11), Aaron (9), Molly Kate (8), Calvin (6), and Charlie (4). Their schooling and activities fill my days. A few years ago, approached by another homeschooling mother, I created a class to help homeschooling parents teach literature to their children. Since that time, Adam and I have developed that class into a literary curriculum we call Teaching the Classics from Seuss to Socrates—A Socratic Method for Literary Education. Adam, when not administrating and teaching at Westover Academy, travels the U.S. presenting this material.

The most important thing I learned from my time at Hillsdale College was how to think. Until that time, I’d maintained excellent grades by knowing what to think and when to think, as those are signatures of a public school education. But at Hillsdale, I encountered professors for whom these things weren’t sufficient. As a result of classroom interaction and personal conversations with them, I was forced to learn how to think for myself. Consequently, I graduated well equipped for the life I now live.

Choose carefully. Choose very carefully. Although universities may seem attractive because of their size and reputation, look beneath the surface to the inner workings of the classroom. Many students never attend class with their professors, let alone know them personally. Rather, their instruction comes by satellite television to a class of hundreds, or from a TA (teacher’s assistant). The content of many of these classes revolves around racial and gender politics. These institutions, like their primary and secondary counterparts, major in teaching students what and when to think. Even the social aspects of an institution such as this are limited. One must join an organization to find a social group in the midst of the vast ocean of students, thus limiting the student’s interaction to a narrow group of persons. Hillsdale’s small size eliminates this problem, and allows professors to engage students in ongoing rhetorical exercises that equip students to think intelligently about any subject. Don’t fear Hillsdale’s small size—it is its greatest attribute.

Hillsdale College appealed to me for a combination of reasons. Hillsdale’s high academic standards coupled with its commitment to provide personal attention to individual students promised an unparalleled educational experience. The professional demeanor and personal warmth of the admissions staff, faculty and student body also drew me. The insular environment and beauty of the campus were added perks. Since my grandparents lived in a neighboring town, weekend trips “home” were possible in spite of the great distance between my parents and me.

I shudder to think of how I might function had I not received the education I did. Cast from an insular, academic environment into the world at large and immediately finding myself in the position of doing for others, I was fortunate to have gleaned not only a scholarly education, but also education in virtue and character. Knowledge that laying down one’s life was the path to joy and fulfillment stood me in good stead during the decade of childbearing that followed. Our decision to homeschool cast me as our children’s primary educator. Over the past eight years, I’ve found it necessary to teach not only the subjects in my own discipline, but every subject under the sun. When my son became interested in Latin, a subject I’d never had in my own schooling, I was compelled to learn with him, keeping a page or two ahead at all times. The ability to organize my time, a skill I also gleaned in college, has proven invaluable as I must balance my attention between the academic and extracurricular subjects of six grade levels while maintaining our home. Finally, the education I received at Hillsdale equipped me to develop the literary curriculum Adam and I co-authored. We are excited by the possibility of helping other families who desire to provide a strong foundation in the humanities for their children, yet who received either a technical education or little education themselves. Raising thinkers is akin to raising leaders, a task worthy of our efforts!

One highlight of my Hillsdale experience was my summer exchange trip to Oxford. There I attended classes in Medieval and Renaissance studies with Keble College professors. The tutorial experience did much to influence my understanding of the educational process, and exposure to the history and culture of the Britains widened my horizons. I look forward to providing a similar opportunity for my own children.

clanandrews@inwi.net