Raised in Michigan's "Little Bavaria," I grew up in a tight-knit community that treasures history and culture. I was brought up by two faithful and loving parents who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much for my younger brother and me. In addition, I was blessed to attend an encouraging and grounded church and school where I grew closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and developed a love for academics, athletics, and music. In high school, I spent my time playing football, basketball, and running track for Frankenmuth High School while also participating in jazz band, concert band, show choir, tap dance, mission trips through my church, Bible studies and other extracurricular activities. While not studying at Hillsdale, I continue to stay busy by working as a student ambassador and student mentor, participating in the college Big Band and the German honorary (Delta Phi Alpha), playing and coaching intramural sports, and by involving myself in several Bible studies on campus.

Initially determined to attend a large state university, I visited Hillsdale the summer before my senior year of high school to appease my family and friends who claimed it would be the perfect fit for my academic and social interests. After this brief visit, I decided to give this small classical liberal arts college a chance. I visited again that fall. Following that brisk November day, I knew that Hillsdale was the college for me. The students genuinely loved learning and were extremely inviting and hospitable, the classes were dynamic and relevant, and ultimately, the campus embodied everything that I was looking for in a college. Drawn to its mission and philosophy, Hillsdale was the only college I considered attending the rest of my senior year. In short, I chose to attend Hillsdale because of its exciting academic rigor, the students who happily pursue truth, and the environment of a campus united in growing together in the best aspects of life.

Overall, my favorite thing about Hillsdale is the genuine kindness and caring attitude of the students, faculty, and staff. They all legitimately care for each other and show it through their actions. Professors gladly meet with students to discuss topics from a class or simply to talk about a student's faith or interests. Their main goal is to teach and guide students in their pursuit of truth. In addition to having extremely caring and involved professors, the students at Hillsdale are supportive, encouraging, and, overall, some of the most diligent individuals I have ever met. They challenge each other daily in all aspects of college life and genuinely care about other students' well-being. Many times, individuals go out of their way to make new students feel welcome at Hillsdale. This learning and growing environment enables students to work hard in their studies and social commitments without any fears and makes Hillsdale a delightful place to grow in faith and knowledge.

Knowing that God's ultimate plan for me is better than anything I could possibly hope to dream of, I intend to trust Him on whatever path He leads me. That being said, I currently plan to pursue my education further by attending a graduate program for economics or law school. Eventually, I would love to work internationally or domestically in the field of economic policy.

Of the many joys that one experiences every day at Hillsdale, a few that stick out to me include: Going on an overnight mission trip to Detroit through Hillsdale Christian Fellowship, participating in various spontaneous dorm activities late at night, listening to many prominent speakers on campus, and having review sessions with professors outside at night before a big exam. The unique experiences I have had at Hillsdale have come in many different ways and have only confirmed my decision to come here.

Though I have many fond memories of all my professors at Hillsdale whether during office hours, class, or simply seeing them around campus, one of my favorite professor stories is simply Professor Gaetano's end-of-the-semester lecture for Western Heritage. In this lecture, he expressed the importance of studying things from the past as well our role in the future. In addition, he told us how it was a joy to teach our class and to get to know us all. This type of caring attitude is apparent with all of the teachers at Hillsdale. They love what they teach and encourage their students to enjoy the subject as much as they do.

Hillsdale's core curriculum has been quite a blessing for me as it has taught me how to better express my thoughts through writing, introduced me to multiple different subjects that are crucial to understanding the world and, most importantly, taught me how to think and fully understand the concepts I am taught, instead of simply memorizing facts. Coming into Hillsdale, I believed that I was a skillful writer; however, after receiving my first paper back from my Great Books professor, I realized that I had much to learn. Classes in the core pushed me to improve my writing and reading skills. These skills are crucial for truly expressing understanding in any occupation.

sbell@hillsdale.edu