Hillsdale College seniors Eleanor Hansen and Colton Duncan were crowned President’s Ball king and queen at the Student Activities Board’s event this past weekend. Hansen is a biochemistry major from San Diego, California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What has your overall experience been at Hillsdale so far?

It’s been wonderful, looking back as a senior I’m very grateful for how I have had four years of consistent growth with friends and faculty. It’s a real privilege to be here.

What are your favorite memories from your time at Hillsdale?

I look back most fondly on my time in the Collegiate Scholars program and unique opportunities to travel. I went on a trip to Greece once. 

What do you hope to accomplish after Hillsdale?

To be happy and to love and serve God, whatever that looks like. I plan on going to medical school.

What has been your favorite class?

Am I allowed to answer “all of my chemistry classes?” The chemistry faculty is simply wonderful. But if I had to pick only one course, it would be microbiology. I loved the material. 

What have you learned from friends and professors?

How important it is to come alongside. My professors and friends alike have met me where I am at, offering graciousness and support no matter the challenge. I didn’t have a lot of good friends before I came here, so learning how to have real friendships and being willing to change and grow with other people has been one of the greatest gifts of Hillsdale. 

Who have your mentors on campus been?

Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Kiledal, and Dr. Maas come to mind immediately. For their academic support but mostly for their kindness and wisdom. 

How do you feel about being chosen as queen and what does that mean to you?

It was a great surprise but a tremendous honor. To be recognized with so many amazing men and women who have shaped my time on campus means a lot to me. I never felt that I was prepared for the character formation or even academic culture of the college, so it felt like being told “no, you do belong here, and as much as you have chosen Hillsdale we too have chosen you.” That was a very kind thing. 

How has Hillsdale prepared you for what you’re setting out to do next in life?

My education here has shaped how I understand human beings and my experiences of friendship. As I pursue a path in medicine, the understanding of people as mind, body, and soul that Hillsdale has instilled will shape everything I do, not just as a doctor but also in and for my family and church. I am so grateful for this place. 

 

Duncan is a double major in classics and international business studies from Cincinnati, Ohio.

What has your overall experience been at Hillsdale so far?

It’s been really wonderful. It’s been a place of great friendship and really strong community; the community focused on the mission of the college has made it that. We’re all sharpening each other toward the same goals.

What are your favorite memories from your time at Hillsdale?

My time with the Niedfeldt guys. A lot of our experiences at homecoming, like winning Mock Rock for the first time in Niedfeldt history last year. We had a massive party in the lobby and so many people came, that the building was basically shaking. It was the most crowded I’d ever seen the dorm. 

What do you hope to accomplish after Hillsdale?

Hoping to do some post graduate studies, I would like to go into education. I’m good at organizational things and building community, and I enjoy mentorship rules. I would like my future to be a blend of politics, academics, and education.

What do you hope your Hillsdale legacy will be?

In general, I hope that when my friends remember me, they will think of how deeply God loves them and wills their good. I have been treated so generously by my friends and mentors, and hope that they have experienced the same from me.

Particularly, my legacy rests in the men of Niedfeldt. Students speak of the “Golden Age of Niedfeldt” which began five years ago. This is only the start. I hope people will remember how, from humble beginnings, the strong leadership of several Head RAs and House Directors has forged a tight-knit, masculine community focused on the highest things. I hope they remember me as someone who carried the torch passed on to me by Hillsdale legend Nick Macaluso, and as someone who in turn handed that torch to Ryan Perkins, who will do great things next year.

What has been your favorite class?

I think my favorite class has been Western Heritage with Dr. Gaetano. It was really that class that opened my mind to what we are trying to accomplish here at Hillsdale and that was a really exciting experience.

What have you learned from friends and professors?

So much. I’ve learned to rely on others. I learned from Dr. Bart how to do research. I learned from Nick Macaluso how to run a dorm. I learned from Michael Hoggatt how to make the most out of life. And I learned how to grow a sick beard from Dr. Young.

Who have your mentors on campus been?

Brock Lutz has been a big mentor to me, as well as Colin Brown in the President’s Office, who has been a great friend and support and has helped open up a lot of doors for me. Father David from St. Anthony’s has also had a massive impact on me. And, Dr. Wales has helped me a lot both personally and with my academic prospects. 

How do you feel about being chosen as king and what does that mean to you?

Being crowned monarch is exhilarating. You feel the power coursing through your veins, but that delight is short lived when you realize that many envy the crown and will go to any length to seize it from you. After the first night I had trouble sleeping and I’m looking for a successor. 

How has Hillsdale prepared you for what you’re setting out to do next in life?

Hillsdale has taught me how to be humble, how to stay curious, how to seek out opportunities, and most importantly, the importance of having good friends and forming good friendships.