Nearly four years ago, I, a simple fellow from Pennsylvania, arrived at SMU armed with no small amount of anxiety, self-doubt, and dubious writing skills. Though the transition was jarring, the Hilltop Scholars Program provided both an effective path to academic enrichment and an invaluable sense of community and belonging throughout that challenging first year and beyond. Indeed, I met my best friend during an HSP service event. I learned to improve my writing through the tough but constructive criticism characteristic of my professor for both semesters, Dr. Krogh (who is also HSP’s director). She excelled at rewarding hard work while also spurring us to continue refining our writing. These argumentative and academic writing skills I learned in HSP classes have proven to be vital over the past three years. I remain deeply involved with the Hilltop Scholars Program as its Writing Mentor, guiding students to write papers on the same texts and themes and develop the same skills as I did. For this privilege I am grateful to Dr. Krogh, whose faith in my abilities convinced me to take on the mentorship role and boosted my confidence immeasurably.
Outside of HSP, I have pursued a major in Real Estate and minors in Latin and History. I am the treasurer of the 3D Printed Prosthetics club. Last semester, the Latin department awarded me the McLamore Scholarship, which is particularly gratifying after nearly a decade of studying the language. Now, I am preparing to graduate and go on to law school. Venturing alone 1,500 miles to Texas forced me far outside my comfort zone. It was a gamble that paid off. I will miss SMU and Dallas, but I am eager to continue my education.
