Brief Biography:

‍Caitlin grew up in southern Arizona, where she experienced an academically rigorous but non-classical charter school education that led her to seek deeper, eternally valuable ends in her undergraduate life. At Hillsdale College, she eagerly embraced the joy of learning subjects for their inherent goodness, under a holistic pedagogy that insisted upon moral and emotional formation in Christ rather than intellectual development alone. This specifically manifested in her study of English literature and both ancient and Biblical Greek, and she expects to share her love of great stories and the languages that compose them in her future teaching. She also completed the challenging and highly rewarding process of writing a Collegiate Scholars honors thesis in her senior year, examining and defending the connections between metaphor, objective truth, and nature in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Since she did not have the privilege of a classical K-12 education, she hopes to gain wisdom from excellent classical teachers before embarking on her own teaching journey, joining the graduate program directly after earning her undergraduate degree in May 2025. She intends to foster connections between the graduate student community and the college’s larger culture, building meaningful, steadfast friendships with her peers as she grows alongside them and learns how to share the treasures of the Western tradition with the next generation.

Research interests:

‍Poetry as the basis of all language, Martin Buber’s view of the inherent dignity of creation, education of the emotions.

Extracurricular Academic Activities:

‍Classical Voice Lessons and Opera Workshop, Intervarsity Worship Leading, Hillsdale Free Methodist Youth Group Volunteering, Publishing Essays and Poetry in the Hillsdale Forum and Tower Light magazines.‍

What is distinctive about Hillsdale’s Graduate School of Classical Education?

‍What led me to remain at Hillsdale for my graduate education is precisely what sets our program apart: the teachers. When examining what institution would be best for continuing and deepening my studies, I was hard-pressed to find a school that embodied its principles like every member of Hillsdale’s faculty does. Many schools can claim to champion classical pedagogy and curricula, but the faculty at Hillsdale live it, every single day. It shows up in all the small ways that become invaluable: their personal relationships, the way they conduct office hours, the evident love and enthusiasm they have for their subjects, and their tireless dedication to handing down the classical tradition. Further, their example cultivates an environment that attracts thoughtful, kind, and hardworking students whom I am honored to know and learn with.

‍