Economics or Politics, and English

I have a small immediate family -- just me, my parents (Joe and Sandy), one brother (Mark), and two dogs (Abby and Greta). I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but spent a good portion of my childhood in Louisiana. We later moved back to Nebraska, and I went to Mercy High School in Omaha, where I met some of the best friends I will ever have. After high school I chose Hillsdale, and here I am.

Hillsdale had the strongest programs in history and politics out of all of the schools I was considering. The atmosphere here seemed to be really great as well -- very warm and inviting.

I definitely appreciate the small size of most of the classes here. I've gotten the chance to take some upper-level courses this semester, and I really enjoy that they seem to be more discussion than lecture. With a larger average class size, I don't think that would be possible.

I hope to work in research in some way. Someone I met over the summer suggested I look into the CIA to do research, so I might try that. Overall, I just want to work at a job where I can learn something new every day.

Just some of the discussions that take place here among friends are unique to Hillsdale. I don't know of too many other colleges where students debate the merits of conservatism over libertarianism, or argue for predestination versus free will, at least not to the extent that we do here. That type of atmosphere is really what makes Hillsdale Hillsdale -- the idea that well-educated individuals can come together and debate political, philosophical and religious differences without any fear of reprisal.

I took Dr. Renee Clark's basic music course last semester, and enjoyed it immensely. She was so funny, and her off-beat descriptions of operas, symphonies, and composers really helped me learn more about art music than I had ever known before.

It has definitely made me a more well-rounded individual. The core work sometimes seems really large, but it really does help you look outside your set interests. Actually, taking Political Economy this semester as part of my core requirement made me consider a minor in Economics. I think, too, that I learned more from the classes that I thought would be the easiest. I've always done well in history, so I thought the Heritage classes would be something I could handle easily and would be interested in. While I certainly was interested, they definitely were not easy. By the end of Western and American Heritage, though, I could read for comprehension and write better than ever before, and I knew a great deal more about history and the path of humanity. To me, that's the best thing about the core and Hillsdale in general -- it's definitely exceeded my expectations.

cdisomma@hillsdale.edu