I grew up in a small town in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. It was a unique town, founded during the Manhattan Project and still dominated by the Los Alamos National Lab. The town has the highest Ph.D. concentration in the US and a laudable public school system. I am grateful for the K-12 education I received, but I am increasingly aware of the influences of the laboratory on the schools and the shortcomings found in my education. Many fundamental pieces of learning are absent in contemporary education but are found in the Classical tradition. I continued my studies at Colorado Christian University where I played soccer and majored in Health Science with an emphasis in biblical studies. After graduating, I ran leadership, character development, and fundraising programs in elementary and middle schools in Denver. I witnessed the full spectrum of schools in the city, from Title I schools to the most expensive private schools and caught a glimpse of the educational status in America. A few years later I read Thomas Sowell's, Education in America, published in 1993 but addressing the same problems we have today. Seeing the degradation of education in America over the last century and the lack of progress over the last 30 years sent me searching for other methods ofeducation, which inevitably led to classical education. I started teaching history and writing at a classical charter school in Nashville, TN. Unfortunately, the school was classical in name only. While looking for better options for 6th-grade history, I found the 1776 curriculum, which led to the discovery of the Masters in Classical Education program at Hillsdale College. I was gripped by the vision of the master's program as well as the positive impact of the K-12 office in American education. I knew if I wanted to do anything worthwhile in education, I needed to grow in knowledge and virtue and Hillsdale College was the place to be. Hillsdale College is the premier place in higher education to discover truth and develop as an individual to positively impact education in America.
Research interests:
Boys education, athletics in classical education
What is distinctive about Hillsdale’s School of Education?
Hillsdale's School of Education is intentional about building a solid foundation of knowledge, rooted in truth, in order to properly align oneself with reality and positively impact the world of education. The focus on 'why' you do something, over the 'how' or 'what' you do, is unique in today's world of education. The Classical Education program at Hillsdale is developing school leaders who think deeply about the 'why' of education and have a deep knowledge and appreciation of the classical tradition. The small cohort size, in-person learning, rigorous curriculum, and incredible faculty lead to rich classroom discussions and rapid individual growth. The program is balanced in the theoretical and practical aspects of education, providing opportunities to meet weekly with current educational leaders as well as work in the K-12 office or the nearby K-12 Classical Academy. Hillsdale's School of Education is truly unique in its ability to implement a bold vision for a renewal of classical education in this country, while properly equipping individuals to fulfill and develop the mission.
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