How did Grove City College’s emphasis on Christian faith impact you?
My time at Grove City was the first time I really encountered the intellectual side of my faith. Studying the church fathers and church history and pondering how faith interacts with politics and the public square really broadened and deepened my understanding of the rich and meaningful traditions of Christianity. Grove City College began the process of making my faith multi-dimensional.
How did your academic work and relationships with faculty challenge you while here?
The field I am in today is the direct result of the personal attention, care, and kindness of the faculty in the history and political science departments at Grove City College. Without exception, each of my professors made time to take an interest in me and my coursework, and their challenge and encouragement meant the world to me as a young student. Dr. Paul Kengor, in particular, was intentional about nurturing my early interest in politics, which gave me the confidence to pursue a job in Washington, D.C. I am so grateful for his continued mentorship and friendship.
How did your time at Grove City College prepare you for your vocation?
I really benefited from the political science core, in particular Dr. Coulter’s Classical Political Thought. It was the first time I was given the opportunity to grapple with the “big ideas” that form the foundation of the American ideal, politics, and Western civilization, more generally. It was where I learned to root the “why” of the various questions in modernity into larger normative concepts. Particularly in Washington, where decision making is often done quickly and superficially, the ability to perceive the world through a larger set of philosophical principles sets people apart. (As it happens, it also makes our decision making more sustainable in the long term!)