Alumni reflect on work, friendship, and community in town after college

While many graduates venture beyond Hillsdale County after earning their degrees, some choose to make the town their new home. 

Frank Lucchetti ’21 is one such student. After earning a degree in politics, he and his wife Grace ’21 bought their first home in Hillsdale County. But unlike many Hillsdale grads who settled in the area, Frank did not accept a position at the college. Still, the Lucchetti’s, as well as other alumni who don’t work for the school, have found an even closer community in town.

After considering law school, Frank decided to delve  into law enforcement and currently works as a correctional officer for the Lenawee County sheriff. 

“It’s an immensely educational job if you want to learn about human nature,” Frank said. “It’s also a good way to begin a career in criminal justice.” 

His wife, Grace, grew up in a small town like Hillsdale and began working for Hillsdale in institutional advancement.

“We loved the small town life, which is how I grew up, and what Frank fell in love with in school at Hillsdale,” Grace said. 

Positioned between both their families in Illinois and Virginia, the couple thought Hillsdale County was the most geographically-convenient place to start their new life together. 

“The political situations in the respective areas that we are from aren’t good either —for us, that is,” Frank said. “The state government of Illinois has very high state taxes and restrictive gun laws, and Virginia is sort of headed in the same way, I speculate.”

Despite being raised in a densely-populated area, Frank said he always envisioned a more rural lifestyle. Hillsdale, with its expansive landscapes and low property rates, seemed like the perfect place to begin his life as a graduate and newlywed, he said. 

For some students, the decision to remain in Hillsdale is more intuitive.  Isaac Waffle ’23, who grew up in Coldwater, said Hillsdale is a short drive from his family and his fiancée.  

“My brothers and I are the eighth generation on the land that we grew up on, with most of our extended family and friends living nearby,” Waffle said. “ I have deep roots in southern Michigan and a heart for all the small towns in the area that were a part of my upbringing. Going forward, my hope is to contribute to the health of the towns and counties around home and Hillsdale.” 

Waffle said living near the college has already helped that mission.

“Having the college is an obvious help to the town and county of Hillsdale, but to really breathe life into the community, we will need people with a vision for the good of those beyond just the college,” Waffle said.  “Fortunately, I have a few friends who already share that vision.” 

Waffle, who was a member of the cross country team and involved with the Anglican Student Fellowship, said he has maintained strong ties to the college though he now works in insurance. 

“Despite not being at the college daily, I still am maintaining relationships with students, faculty, and alumni from the college,” Waffle said. “I’ve stopped by a few events and gotten meals with friends.”

For the Lucchettis, the  thriving community of friends they had developed in college also motivated them to stay in town.

“We have a lot of friends here: people who work for the college, people in the graduate program, and a few professors and their families,” Frank said. 

Having attended Hillsdale during the pandemic, Frank said he remembers a time when the importance of friendship was emphasized both inside and outside the classroom. 

“We learned the importance of friendship in the classroom and in the world where, if you go back to Aristotle’s ‘Nicomachean Ethics,’ you will find that the highest kind of human relationship is not one of utility or business but one of mutual love and good will towards others,” Frank said.

A life of faith also played a role in their decision.

“There’s a vibrant Catholic community here,” Grace said, pointing out its rarity in the rural Midwest.

Still, Grace said the couple’s friendships extend beyond the college and friends they had already made through church. 

While Grace initially worked for the college post-graduation, after the birth of her first child, she dedicated herself as a full time homemaker, fully immersing herself in the life and rhythm of Hillsdale.  

“We melded into non-college life with ease,” Grace said. “We are passionate about participating in our communities, which is clear from Frank’s job. We have great relationships with our neighbors and, when life settles down a bit, want to take in more active roles in our community. We adore Hillsdale and the surrounding counties and are proud to live here.”

Now that the couple have lived in Hillsdale for over a year, Grace said they have become less attached to college and more involved in the town.

“I wouldn’t say I’m particularly connected to Hillsdale still, other than just happening to have friends who are alumni, faculty and staff, or current students.”

The Lucchettis said were immediately welcomed by their neighbors when they moved.

“When Grace and I bought our house last year, the owner had just moved out and the house had been empty for a few months during the summer. The grass was about a foot tall, but as soon as we moved in, the next door neighbor immediately came over and mowed the grass,” Frank said.  “Everyone was wanting to be helpful in whatever way they could.”  

Frank, content with his job in Hillsdale County, said he is thankful for the career opportunities Michigan provides.

“You don’t have to work for the college if you don’t want to do that. There are other career paths that you can explore,” Frank said. “We are not far from Jackson, Adrian, or Coldwater, and there are several bigger towns within a very commutable distance. It’s very doable to live in this area and commute elsewhere if you’re willing to drive a little bit.” 

With his college days behind him, Waffle said there is a stark contrast between student life and the professional world. 

“It has been nice to settle into a regular rhythm, and especially to leave work obligations at work, rather than have assignments and studying always looming in the background,” he said. 

More importantly, he said work has made him identify less as a graduate and more as a community member.  

“Our relationships and identities are centered around our family, faith, community, and work,” Waffle said. “Most of us don’t see ourselves primarily as alumni, but rather as spouses, parents, churchmen, neighbors, and workers.”