Kayla Mykeloff

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Kayla Mykeloff

Written by Kayla Mykeloff

I knew from an early age that I wanted to work in politics when I grew up. I was that kid who walked around telling people that I was going to be president one day and that they should vote for me in the future. Now that I know a bit more about the presidential office and the stress that comes along with it, I no longer desire to be President of the United States. However, my dream to work in politics remains.

When I began my college search as a junior in high school, I knew that I wanted a smaller school. I had visited big universities and didn’t like how overwhelming they felt. After attending a small, private school my whole life, I loved the close-knit community and wanted that in a college. I heard about Hillsdale from an admissions representative at a college fair, and she sold me on Hillsdale’s politics department and the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP). From that moment, Hillsdale became one of my top choices.

I first visited Hillsdale in March of my junior year. It was a gross, cold, and drizzly day. Coming from Dallas, Texas, I was surprised that it could still be so cold in March. When my mom and I first drove to campus, it wasn’t anything I had expected, and I felt skeptical. However, as our tour guide showed us around, I could feel myself falling in love. Everyone we passed would smile and say hello. Despite the cold rain, the Union was warm and cozy. Our guide talked about how at Hillsdale, professors push you in the classroom because they want you to become the best version of yourself, and they want you to be successful in life after college.

I decided to visit again spring of my senior year to see if Hillsdale was truly where I wanted to be. It had been over a year since my first visit, and I had since checked out other colleges that I liked. However, when I stepped foot on campus for the second time, I felt like I was home, and I fell in love all over again. The types of people I met and observed were the types of people I wanted to associate with. They were hard-working, intelligent people who were passionate about the mission of the College and truly desired to know the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.

I chose Hillsdale College because of the warm community and that sense of home I felt when I walked on campus. I fell in love with the College at its worst—on a gross, cold, and drizzly day—and knew that I would love it at its best.

Now as a junior, I’ve seen firsthand how Hillsdale’s motto virtus tentamine gaudet (“strength rejoices in the challenge”) pushes me to be the best version of myself, how the small class sizes enable me to form relationships with professors, and how WHIP will allow me to get my foot in the door and form connections for my future career in politics. I knew that Hillsdale College was the best place that would prepare me for what I wanted to do, and I’m so glad I came.

Kayla MykeloffKayla Mykeloff, ‘19, is a politics major and business minor from Frisco, TX, and is a member of Pi Beta Phi. When she isn’t studying or working for the marketing department as a web tech, you can find her eating gummy worms or Pi Phi Nachos and binge watching Criminal Minds or House of Cards.