Brief Biography:

‍Anastasia grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio, as the second of seven children. She was classically schooled and homeschooled K-12, and she loved the freedom it gave her to learn deeply and widely. After taking two gap years, she entered Cedarville University in the fall of 2020 as an English major, concentrating in creative writing, minoring in Bible, and participating in the Honors program. There, she had her first serious exposure to critical theory and the Western philosophical tradition. The MACE program unites her interests in raising children well, learning more about the Western tradition, and honing her skills as a writer and thinker. Anastasia has loved language since at least the age of three and delights in antiquated syntax and vocabulary, the precision of a clean topic sentence, and occasionally communicating her opinions in lines of iambic pentameter (rhyming or otherwise). She has taught elementary Latin and middle-grade composition, literature, and poetry writing to homeschooled students.

Extracurricular Academic Activities:

‍I love riding horses, cooking and baking, attending classical music concerts and recitals, literary and theological conversations, and trying to write stories and poetry in the styles of previous centuries…just to see if I can.

What brought you to Hillsdale?

‍I was interested in a master’s degree, but I didn’t want the specialization required by most programs. I saw the MACE program as a way to deepen and broaden my knowledge of Western history and tradition, getting to explore how the different times and disciplines speak to one another. Most importantly, I feel that through this work I can combine my love of children with my love for truth.

What has been the thing you’ve appreciated most about your time here?

‍So far, I have loved the supportive atmosphere. The students in my cohort, the students ahead of me, my professors, and the department leadership have all expressed a desire for me to thrive here, and their kindness has helped me achieve that.

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