Assistant Professor of English Dwight Lindley described the newest addition to the English department as straightforward, honest, and what-you-see-is-what-you-get.
Assistant Professor of English Kelly Franklin began his adventure at Hillsdale this semester. After studying at four different universities, Franklin said he is thrilled to find a school that supports his values.
“It was really the application in which I could actually be completely myself — a place where I could speak as a Christian in my application,” Franklin said.
His teaching style reflects his honest, open personality.
“He begins class with a moment of silence,” junior Mary Catherine Meyer said. “I think that by doing that he puts into practice what a lot of professors talk about it, which is approaching literature with reverence and openness and a prayerful mindset. It helps me to focus myself. I think it helps the entire class to have a moment of contemplation.”
Franklin attempts to make every class perfect. Though sometimes this has resulted in late nights, it hasn’t deterred his passionate spirit.
“Everyone here comes because they absolutely, desperately love what they do, and they want it to be perfect,” Franklin said. “I completely love it. I love being in the classroom. There’s something so exciting that happens in the classroom when the students are making that active interpretation in literature. You can see the light bulb come on.”
His students attested to his ability to create an engaging classroom environment.
“He asks a question and gets a lot of responses. People are willing to respond, which is probably a testament to his engaging teaching style,” sophomore John Olberding said.
His creativity in the classroom may stem from his unique childhood. One of two children, he spent three years as a child in Latin America with his parents, who were missionaries. He attended school there, and later earned a master’s degree in Spanish.
In fifth grade, his family converted to Catholicism. He wasn’t quite old enough to understand the philosophical meaning behind the reasons, but said he is glad he trusted his parent’s judgment enough to follow their conversion. His wife, Jessica, now works at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Hillsdale.
“[Franklin] and his wife are a power couple,” Lindley said. They are both super high-energy, intense people.”
One of Franklin’s many passions, according to Lindley, is binding books. Franklin chooses the paper, crafts a design, and hand-sews the books into journals, either for himself or as gifts. Other hobbies include playing ukulele, playing guitar, writing poems, reading, and watching movies.
“I like his passion for things that he thinks are important,” Lindley said. “It’s so common to find people who are jaded, and hold everything at an ironic distance. I like the way Dr. Franklin finds something good and is all-in.”
His passion extends beyond his work, representing the balance he has in his own life between intellectual work and relaxing. He ended with two final pieces of advice.
“If you’re going to pursue the intellectual life and learn, you also have to be pursuing the moral life,” Franklin said. He followed this statement with a piece of advice every Hillsdale student needs to be reminded of.
“Hillsdale students need to chill out,” he said. “You guys are all in 25 clubs, you’re stressed about your grades, you’re grappling with big ideas. Be young people. Play Frisbee, watch chick flicks.”
Though not everyone may choose to bind books as their hobby, Franklin encourages students to find some free time to relax in order to best enjoy their college years.
