Brief Biography:

‍Nathan Payne was born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa. After graduating from Augustana College, he taught English and Latin for several years at schools in Michigan. He has written on literature and education for several publications. After the program, he wants to continue teaching and also be involved in developing curricula and articulating schools’ missions.

Research Interests:

‍I’m interested in the science of reading and writing, especially on the secondary level, the role of literature in moral formation, and the particular role of Catholic schools in the classical education world.

What brought you to Hillsdale?

‍I’ve always been vaguely aware of Hillsdale, but since living in Michigan, I kept encountering people I greatly respect who have been formed by Hillsdale in one way or another. There always seemed to be something distinctive about their way of being in the world, which I attribute to Hillsdale’s distinctive emphasis on human formation. When I heard about the MACE program, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to become a part of it. Since being in the program, I’ve only grown more enthusiastic. The professors in the program have thought deeply about the teleology of classical education and do not make the mistake of reducing it to a methodology or to a collection of slogans. My fellow students in the program are careful readers, insightful thinkers, and great people in general.

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