Alumni

Join the Hillsdale in D.C. Alumni Network

Are you an alum, fellow, or student of Hillsdale College? We’d love to connect with you! There are multiple avenues, ranging from alumni events to becoming a mentor for an undergraduate student. Here are just a few ways to get involved:

Looking for a new job, networking, or need feedback on your resume? Contact Leah Whetstone, our Manager of Professional Development, to support your professional goals and learn about ways to participate with HDC’s alumni network.
Sign-up for events and make sure you’re on the alumni email list. HDC hosts many events throughout the year, ranging from educational public policy lectures to the alumni Washington-Lincoln Toast, to the annual Hillsdale in D.C. Christmas Party.
Give back to Hillsdale in a variety of ways including speaking opportunities, participating as a panelist at WHIP events, or becoming a mentor in the new WHIP-Alumni Mentor Program.

Not sure where to start? Contact Leah Whetstone: [email protected]

Contact

Leah Whetstone [email protected]

Four students conversing in front of the White House.

Hundreds of Hillsdale graduates work in diverse professional fields in the D.C. area, contributing to a vibrant alumni community. Our graduates are always eager to share their experiences with current students and other alumni and help them network in a city built on connections. The Kirby Center helps foster those connections through its lectures and programs as well as alumni networking events. Regardless of where you live or work, we invite all Hillsdale alumni to be a part of this unique network.

Featured Alumni

Elliot Gaiser, Class of 2012, Associate Attorney for Boyden Gray and Associates

“Through hard classes, old books, and a community of intellectual excellence, Hillsdale equipped me to think like a free, self-governing citizen. The classical and Christian education I received prepared me to excel in law school and instilled my ambition to serve the common good, which I’m pursuing through private legal practice in the nation’s capital.”

Victoria Watson, Class of 2018, Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State

“At Hillsdale, I learned to produce good work in a short amount of time on a variety of complex topics in the classroom. That has definitely carried over into my professional day-to-day! You never know when you’ll have to write a quick 5-page report on something you’ve never heard of before. My first job out of college also happened to be for Hillsdale’s Admissions Office and I am so grateful for all the organizational and strategic professional skills I learned while recruiting great kids for the college.”

“DC is always changing - it always has new bars and restaurants, new cultural experiences, and new jobs. It is also FULL of Hillsdale grads. It’s insane how many familiar faces I see on a weekly basis. Having that pool of professional connections and good friends at my fingertips is not something to take for granted!”

Noah Weinrich, Class of 2018, Press Secretary for Heritage Action for America

“Most people don't think studying Plato would help in writing press releases, but it does. Studying English, philosophy, journalism, economics, and more in the core curriculum gave me a broad range of skills and helped me learn to adapt and succeed in new tasks. Hillsdale classes also taught me how to see through the simplistic narratives we tell ourselves and our children, and how to understand our current moment in the context of millennia of human experience.”

“While it's very different from our college years, the alumni base is an extension of the collegial spirit that brought us together at Hillsdale in the first place. I wouldn't trade my college years for the world, and I can't imagine a life without my community in D.C.”

Megan Heinlein, Class of 2014

“The College’s devotion to pursuing the truth of things and defending liberty by forming educated citizens not only nurtured an even deeper love for our country within me, but it helped me understand the principles that have governed our nation since its beginning and what’s at stake if we betray those principles. In the day-to-day work at the Department, I am able to understand the larger questions in play and the implications of decisions made. None of what we do here is without impact on the rest of the nation.”

“The alumni base in D.C. is dynamic and rich with individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving our nation. Interacting with this group of people is heartening, edifying, and greatly enjoyable. The College’s impact in Washington D.C. is evident and it is a great joy to be a part of it!”

Alex Miller, Class of 2019

“My Hillsdale experience was a terrific blend of personal growth and the discovery of my unique place in an ever-changing marketplace of ideas and skills. My participation in WHIP proved invaluable as lessons from campus gained real-world clarity in the capital. Blessed to work with both the Heritage Foundation and Republican Study Committee, I was greatly enriched by the internship program.”

“Hillsdale College is a very challenging place to spend one’s college years, but it is so worth it. The work is taxing and relentless, but one’s collaboration with authentic classmates and accessible professors makes it rewarding and purposeful. It is a special place that reveals talent, character, and what constitutes a purposeful life. Every facet of my life is richer for the experience.”