Beyond the Bubble: Navigating Professional Life After College

Karissa Moschel (’20) talks about her time at Hillsdale as a French and History double major, and her current role as a science, English, and math teacher at Hadar Jewish Classical Academy  in Austin, Texas.

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Elizabeth Stovicek ('13) joins Beyond the Bubble to share her experience at Hillsdale as a Biology Major, Spanish Minor and her campus involvement, in addition to what her day looks like as she works in Emergency Medicine and Palliative Care. 

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Christian Tracy ('99) shares his experience as a student-athlete and as a finance major at Hillsdale College, and how it led to his current job. He discusses the question he always asks when interviewing an applicant: what books are you reading and what are your current hobbies? 

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Sam Clausen ('17) joins Beyond the Bubble to share pivotal moments spent volunteering with the GOAL program during his time at Hillsdale and teaching math and coaching baseball at Atlanta Classical Academy.

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Elizabeth Mitchell ('24), a White House Correspondent at The Daily Signal, shares her experience at Hillsdale majoring in Politics and minoring in Journalism. Mitchell discusses the value of internships, and the importance of having an open mind with each one. 

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Mark Vandegrift (‘92) discusses the importance of running toward your passion while remaining versatile, a skill he learned through his time at Hillsdale as both an accounting and German major. Mark’s career took him from working in the Big 6 of the accounting world to seminary to holding almost every position at Innis Maggiore, the nation’s leading positioning ad agency, before being named its CEO in 2023. Mark is also the father of a ‘21 alumnus.

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Caroline Koperski (‘15) shares how she prepared herself for PA school while studying Economics and Spanish, balancing her love for the humanities with her desire to practice medicine. While at Hillsdale, Caroline volunteered at the local hospital, was on Mock Trial, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and so much more. Since finishing her master's, Caroline has journeyed back to Hillsdale with her family, practicing medicine via Telehealth.

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Daniel Higbie (‘98) discusses how business owners and entrepreneurs can work to impact and grow the cultures they live in, focusing on good work over profit. At Hillsdale College, Daniel pursued a degree in Rhetoric and Persuasive Communication before getting his master’s in international relations. Since finishing school, he has been running The St. James Tearoom in Albuquerque, New Mexico —a business he co-founded with his mother to bring the tradition of British high tea to their community.

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Christa Green (’20) discusses how her passion for psychological counseling and her faith led her to pursue a career in Christian counseling. At Hillsdale College, Christa pursued a psychology degree and worked as a resident assistant, where she was first drawn to counseling as a career option. After getting her master's in social work and seeing how current agendas affected the children she worked with at a crisis center, Christa switched to adult group counseling. She currently works in Portland as a Christian counselor, working towards her license.

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Nate Stewart ('95) shares his journey to Hillsdale, the value of waiting before law school, and the importance of prioritizing family and creative passions. Tune in for insights on balancing career, life, and what truly matters!

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Listen to Episode 60 of Beyond the Bubble, where Caroline Greb shares her inspiring journey. Discover how she’s carved out a successful career in art while juggling the responsibilities of being a full-time wife and mother, emphasizing the significance of taking action and maintaining consistency in pursuing artistic passions.

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Susan Peterson
Principle Gifts Officer at Mayo Clinic

Making Philanthropy Possible
Susan Peterson is the Principle Gifts Officer at Mayo Clinic. She meets with benefactors and institutional leaders to match Mayo Clinic’s programs with philanthropic efforts. Peterson shares her experience working at Harvard as a journalism fellow, making a positive impact through her career, and her favorite Hillsdale memories. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

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Adriana Maljanian ('21)
Associate Trust Manager at Private Trust Management Group

The Power of Time Management
Adriana Maljanian (‘21) is an Associate Trust Manager at Private Trust Management Group. She discussed the importance of time management and attention to detail in her role, as well as her favorite classes at Hillsdale.

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Ben Murrey ('12)
Director of Policy at the Common Sense Institute

Making an Impact in the World of Politics
Ben Murrey (‘12) is the Director of Policy at the Common Sense Institute, a role he recently started. At Hillsdale, Murrey majored in Politics and promised never to work in politics, but after graduation took a job working on Ted Cruz’s Senate campaign. He shares his experience starting as a campaign volunteer and continuing in his career working at multiple levels and realms of state and national politics. His previous roles included a Legislative Correspondent and Aid...

Adam Stockford ('15)
Mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan

Applying Lessons from the Politics Classroom in Public Office
Adam Stockford (‘15) is the current Mayor of Hillsdale. Stockford majored in Politics and reflects fondly on his relationship with the Hillsdale College Politics department. Mayor Stockford shares his understanding of the duty to serve your community, the most important realms of local politics, his responsibilities as Mayor of Hillsdale, and his current campaign for State Representative.

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Trent Kramer ('13)
Headmaster at Ascent Classical Academies 

The Havoc-Filled Life of a Headmaster
Trent Kramer (‘13) is the Headmaster at Ascent Classical Academy. He discusses the diversity of work as a Headmaster, which includes strategic planning, teaching, relationship building, and sometimes cleaning up bloody noses! Mr. Kramer shares the beauty of preparing kids for life rather than just college and vocation, building strong character rather than perfecting standardized exams, and teaching kids to pursue goodness and virtue for the sake of itself.

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Brittany Baldwin ('12)
Founder and Owner, Illuminate Consulting, LLC

How to Become a Presidential Speechwriter
Brittany Baldwin (‘12) is the former speech writer to President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. Ms. Baldwin speaks to her experience making a career out of writing, working her way from the front desk of Senator Cruz’s office to a role as the sole speech writer on his campaign, and her role in the White House. She advises students to proactively search for jobs, prioritize faith, and maintain friendships during busy seasons of life. Currently, Ms. Baldwin is the Pres...

Lauren Carl ('14)
Vice President of Digital Operations & Integration at Pinkston

Adapting in the Ever-Changing World of Public Relations
Lauren Carl (‘14) is Vice President at Pinkston, a strategic communications firm. Her role at Pinkston focuses on operations and working with clients on the design and creation of PR materials such as digital marketing and web design. After graduating with an economics major, Lauren began her career as an economic research assistant, transitioning over time to her current VP role at Pinkston. Lauren shares her experience adapting to a constantly changing industry, being a proactive employee, an...

Frank Maisano (‘89)
Government Relations Senior Principal At Bracewell Law Firm

How To Make an Impact In Government Relations
Frank Maisano (‘89) began his career on the Hill and has spent the past 20 years as a non-attorney working in the Government Relations section of Bracewell Law Firm. The Government Relations section is a specialized practice that takes on clients facing regulatory and legislative challenges, which often play out in the press. Mr. Maisano shares his experience working in a fast-paced work environment, building credibility within an industry, and advocates that students interested in politics go on WHIP!

Stephen Ford (‘10)
Owner of West Exec Writing

Writing Speeches for the Vice President
Would you rather serve pizza or write speeches for Mike Pence? Mr. Stephen Ford (‘10) joins Beyond the Bubble to share his experiences navigating life post-grad in Washington D.C. with a Politics degree, where he built a full-time writing career and served as Head Speech Writer to former Vice President Mike Pence during the Trump administration. He shares stories about finding humor in ordinary life in the White House, as well as from the extraordinary experiences he had traveling internationally with former Vice...

Carley Ross (‘14)
National Account Manager at Ferrero

A Career in the CPG Industry
On this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, Carley Ross (‘14) shares about her experiences working in the CPG industry. As a national account manager at Ferrero, she manages value customer accounts like Aldi and Big Lots. Her responsibilities include planning, executing, and managing the customer plan. On a daily basis she manages supply forecasts, uses data and insights to validate new item performance, and builds relationships. Listen now to hear her advice about working in the industry!

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David Stanton (‘98)

Headmaster at Oakdale Classical School 

From the U.S. Navy to Education
David Stanton (‘98) shares his experience as the Headmaster at Oakdale Academy and from a career of teaching History and Religion. His career in education is intertwined with a career in the U.S. Navy Reserve, where Stanton developed leadership skills and experience. Stanton imparts advice for students interested in teaching or administration and encourages students to embrace the liberal arts in order to develop a passion for those things that are true, good, and beautiful.

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Kevin Roberts (‘05)

Director of Industry Insights and Analytics at CarGurus

Insights into a Career in Business Intelligence
As the Director of Industry Insights and Analytics at CarGurus, Kevin Roberts (‘05) analyzes economic and macro trends in the automotive industry to create impactful insights for his company. He shares the importance of developing critical thinking skills and learning how to share dense information in an understandable way. He explains the core skills students pursuing a similar career should develop, and he emphasizes the value of learning a coding language like R in addition to building proficiency in d...

Candace Corrales (‘16)
Lead Program Manager, Apex Legends Esports at Electronic Arts (EA)

In this episode of Beyond the Bubble, Candace Corrales (‘16) shares how her passion for video games scored her a career in the gaming industry. She talks about her early experiences in the industry and explains how she utilized diligent networking to land a job at Electronic Arts working on a program management team at Apex Legends Esports. Listen now to hear her advice! 

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Caleb Bowers (‘15)
Mission Software Engineer at Andruil Industries

Applying Math to Defense Technology

As a software engineer at Andruil Industries, Caleb Bowers (‘15) works on coding backend software and creating customized solutions for clients. Join Beyond the Bubble this week as he describes how he went from a computational and applied mathematics degree at Hillsdale to working in defense technology. He explains the importance of research, Hillsdale’s core curriculum, and his transition from an undergraduate degree to a master’s program. He also talks about his previous experiences working with the Navy.

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Garrett West (‘15)
Associate Attorney at Paul Weiss Law Firm

The Philosophy of a Career in Law

On this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, Garrett West (‘15) shares about his experiences working for Paul Weiss within their appellate group. On a daily basis, he works on drafting briefs, conducting research, and helping prepare for argument. He talks about his transition from Hillsdale to law school and how Hillsdale’s rigor helped prepare him for work as a lawyer. 

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As a Classical Education Instructional Coach, Trinity Wright’s (‘17) primary job is to observe teachers and help them improve their ability to teach classical curriculums. She also uses her knowledge of classical education to upgrade curriculum and teach additional classes. Listen now to hear Trinity explain the importance of gaining exposure to teaching as an undergraduate and the value of minoring in Classical Education if pursuing a career in teaching.

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As an Account Coordinator at Altus Marketing, Gracyn Hawkins (‘22) serves an integral role in managing events, fundraising, and communications for nonprofits helping youths facing homelessness. Listen now to hear how Gracyn combined her prior experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with her skills in marketing to continue driving positive, impactful change on a daily basis.

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On this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, Hank Prim (‘17) shares how he blended his interest in teaching with his passion for law enforcement as a Supervisory Special Agent & Training Administrator. In his daily work, he functions like a teacher as well as a police officer through his responsibility for the education and training of South Dakota law enforcement officers. Hank also talks through the process of becoming further involved in law enforcement and the requirements for becoming a special agent.

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As a Certified Financial Planner, Jimmie Plaskey (‘12) loves the variety that he gets in his daily work. Join Beyond the Bubble this week as Jimmie talks about the ways to break into financial planning, the importance of soft skills like personability, and the excitement of helping other people achieve their financial goals. He also shares tips on how to stand out as an applicant in finance.

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Beyond the Bubble is back for the semester! On this week’s episode, join State Representative Andrew Fink (‘06) as he describes his journey from Hillsdale College to the Michigan Legislature. He walks through a day in the life of a legislator, shares how his experiences as a Judge Advocate for the Marine Corps helped shape his passion for politics, and offers insightful advice for students looking to pursue a legal or political career.

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On this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, listen to Ryan Goff (‘21) share about the variety of work he does as an M&A Analyst at a middle market investment bank. He also explains the value he found from participating in extracurriculars like The Collegian, Investment Club, and the ACG Cup as well as how useful strong writing skills are in the workforce.

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Ben Thompson (‘09) spends his day hunting down the best barrels of oil and negotiating the price as a Crude Oil Trader at Shell Trading. He explains how companies make money through trading and talks about the basics of the industry, entry options, and how he utilized his finance degree in a highly technical field.

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As a Director at Spell Capital Mezzanine, Stephen Hann (‘08) works to manage investment portfolios, source and underwrite deals, and build relationships across a wide range of industries. He talks about the importance of developing soft skills in the communication and articulation of complex concepts as well as the necessity of practicing math, excel, and modeling skills for success in an exciting career where each day is a little different from the last.

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Scott Keenan (‘07) innovates on a daily basis as the head of growth strategy for a startup merging real estate with hospitality. Scott shares how his different interests and love for problem solving led him from a chemistry major at Hillsdale to environmental consulting and finally to driving growth for a company restructuring the traditional approach to hospitality.

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Ally Eads (‘19) took her passion for running and turned it into a career at New Balance. Ally describes how she utilizes the communication skills she learned as a team captain for Hillsdale’s Track and Field team and shares how speaking with alumni helped her pursue her interests as a career.

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As a legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, Christy Hirsch (‘16) serves on the Church & Ministry Alliance team advising clients on religious freedoms and preparing clients to defend religious liberty lawsuits. She shares how she utilizes the skills and values she learned at Hillsdale in her work on a daily basis.

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As a Criminal Investigator for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Caitlin Watson (‘07) uses the skills she learned at Hillsdale College on a daily basis to prevent export violations. She speaks about what a job in national security looks like, shares tips for pursuing a similar career, and explains how Hillsdale’s classes helped her develop the critical thinking capabilities she needs for her job.

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Lauren Peacock (‘14) shares her experiences working as an Art Director for AHC Hospitality. She explains the importance of finding objective opinions for reviewing creative work as well as learning how to communicate with clients and work as part of a design team.

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Through her job working with the Hillsdale Football team, Lix Laux (‘19) turned her enthusiasm for football into a career. She shares about the importance of internships and networking to build genuine relationships as she explains her biggest takeaways from working in professional sports.

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