Welcome, Class of 2019!

Written by Marie Wathen

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Welcome to Hillsdale! We’re excited to meet you and to usher you into the tradition of education at Hillsdale College. It’s impossible to know exactly what your time at Hillsdale will look like, but I can assure you that it will be full of surprising challenges and blessings.

As a talented and overachieving bunch, it’s likely that you have grand plans for your Hillsdale years and beyond. When I arrived at Hillsdale, I knew that I wanted to succeed in all that Hillsdale could throw at me: to earn straight A’s, to participate in the best activities, and to have the most fun with the coolest friends. Sounds simple, right?

In a real way, my freshman year was about overcoming my perfectionism in order to embrace the gift of a Hillsdale College education. In my Rhetoric and Great Books class, I was so concerned with writing the perfect paper to achieve the perfect grade that I closed myself to the real learning along the way. I went to the text demanding what I wanted, rather than seeking true understanding. I went to office hours looking for a 3-step process to a successful paper, and didn’t find it. I forced my interpretation onto literature, rather than allowing the words to inform my interpretation. A couple weeks after this English class concluded, I realized that the problem wasn’t the books we read, nor the teacher who taught them; the issue was my inability to see what was right before my eyes.

At Hillsdale, I have learned to pursue a different kind of excellence than the perfection I sought as a freshman. Rather than trying to jump through hoops to attain my dream GPA, I have come to see that education is about being formed into a person of character, virtue, and true understanding. That formation is much more difficult to achieve because it requires me to humbly acknowledge that I don’t have all the answers. But that excellence is also much more exciting because it entails embracing each and every day with joy and a readiness to grow.

Upcoming freshmen, I challenge you to pursue the excellence of a life well lived in your years at Hillsdale. Take advantage of the incredible classes available at Hillsdale by fully engaging, doing your reading, and participating in discussions. Ask for help when you don’t understand. Discuss ideas with your classmates and professors. Allow yourself to be shaped by the truth, goodness and beauty that you will encounter here.  Delve into the community of tremendous individuals surrounding you at Hillsdale, and experience the beauty and joy of a life lived with and for others. Use your time and talent for the good of others, both within the college and beyond in the larger Hillsdale community.  Challenge yourself to figure out fun and creative ways to spend your time with friends in the tiny, lovely town of Hillsdale.

You may be surprised to find that your happiest memories at Hillsdale revolve around the simplest things: having a game night with friends, playing on an intramural sports team, or cramming into cars for a donut run in the wee hours of the morning.

So as you begin these four years, be prepared for the hurdle of that first English paper; brace yourself for the inevitable moment Dr. Arnn approaches your lunch table armed with the question “What is the good?”; and embrace the joys and challenges right in front of you. A liberal arts education won’t give you all the answers, but it will challenge you to ask better questions. Most importantly, it will awaken your desire to live thoughtfully, and purposefully, in constant pursuit of a life of excellence.