How did Grove City College’s emphasis on Christian faith impact you while you were at school?
The College's emphasis on the Christian faith was unique to me in the sense that the foundations of what I learned was based on the idea that God desired order and created people to flourish. So, the pursuit of the sciences or the arts is based on a God-given purpose for all people. This is a different kind of emphasis and crucially brought together both faith and education in ways I had never experienced before.
How did your academic work and relationships with faculty challenge you while you were at Grove City College?
The community of students and faculty fostered frequent conversations about economics, governance, faith in the public sphere, and so on, and because of that, you begin to enjoy what you are learning and it is far more meaningful for me. Early on, when I first joined Grove City College, I had a number of questions and doubts. I grew up studying economics in India, which is vastly different from the free market economics at Grove City College. My questions were dealt with in far more constructive and gracious ways than I had experienced in the past. I am grateful that the lines of communication were always open to professors like Dr. Ritenour and Dr. Herbener. They were instrumental in the development of my understanding and love for free markets.
How did your time at Grove City College prepare you for your vocation?
Quite simply, I would not be working in my current field of work if not for Grove City College. I grew to love free market economics, not because it creates prosperity (which it does) but because it is the greatest poverty eradication program known to man. This fundamental understanding is important at the Commonwealth Foundation, a public policy think tank based in Pennsylvania. In my fundraising role, I interact with numerous people and get to tell the story of why I believe in free markets. They are not only intrigued, but inspired by the story.