“My time spent at the Alexander Hamilton Institute was easily the most eye-opening and enriching experience in my four years at Hamilton College. In fact, it was the probably the most valuable component of my liberal arts education. The people surrounding me at AHI, including professors, students and other patrons, exposed me to new ideas, influential thinkers and great books but at a much higher level of discourse than I was getting on the Hamilton campus.
“I especially appreciated my time with Professor Ambrose and Professor Paquette, both in the classroom and at AHI. Their meticulous critique and analysis of my papers strengthened my writing, for which I will always be grateful.”
-Ben Swett, Hamilton College, Class of 2014
“AHI programming was a great supplement to my Hamilton education. AHI encouraged me to think seriously and with conviction. Conversations at the AHI often went straight to the fundamentals, which made them all the more interesting and worthwhile. While off the Hill, you have a great opportunity to engage with people in the community, not for a grade or recognition by your peers, but for conversation’s sake alone.”
-Sarah Larson, Hamilton College, Class of 2015
“I first involved myself with the Alexander Hamilton Institute during my junior year of school. I had just resigned from a daily humor publication after harassment from college administrators and activist students and felt lost, both socially and intellectually. What happened going forward would define my time as an undergraduate. Immediately I was welcomed into a community of intellectually curious students from across the political spectrum as well as a group of professors who offered all the resources imaginable to nurture our academic interests.
Thanks to the Alexander Hamilton Institute, I began my first formal foray into journalist through “Enquiry,” which I co-founded with other fellows. Through “Enquiry,” we commissioned columns from students of all political persuasions. Like the Alexander Hamilton Institute, our policy was simple, yet clear: We will accept all work, regardless of ideology or belief, as long as it was of high quality. I’m proud to say “Enquiry” remains on Hamilton’s campus today.
Since graduating, I’ve worked at a number of news outlets including the New York Post, the Daily Caller, and now I’m a campaign reporter for the Washington Examiner. My work has also been featured in publications like National Review and the American Conservative. It’s safe to say none of this would have been possible without the Alexander Hamilton Institute. I owe my career, and my sanity, to the distinguished individuals involved in the organization. I can’t thank them enough.”
-Joe Simonson, Hamilton College, Class of 2015; Political Reporter, Washington Examiner
“When I think back on my 4 years at Hamilton, what has become abundantly clear to me in the time since is just how big of an inflection point it was to enroll in a class with Professor Paquette and thus get exposed and welcomed into AHI. I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but up until then I would describe myself as a student who was just going through the motions, accepting middling results in classes and grades. I’m not sure what it was the professor Paquette saw in me, but thank God he did recognize it and took it upon himself to snap my head around and strive to do better. That reality check was what I most credit for my in-class success the following 3 years. Past just our relationship in the classroom, being welcomed by Professor Paquette, Professor Ambrose and so many others at AHI opened my eyes to so many ideas, and histories which I didn’t even realize I had a passion for. It challenged my intellectual curiosity and intellectual rigor being surrounded by so many bright people, people I respected and considered brighter than myself. The lectures, conversations, and conventions hosted by AHI were consistently among the most intellectually engaging and stimulating as any other forum I experienced while a student. Finally, as I was preparing to make my transition into the professional world, Professor Paquette was probably the first person who I who sensed I would be a passion for entrepreneurship and helped set my career on its course working in the Venture Capital and technology startup world. I can safely say the skills, mindset, and composition required of me in my career was developed during my time at Hamilton overall, but most especially through my experience with the AHI.”
-Brian Warager, Hamilton College, Class of 2015
“The conference [at Monticello] was absolutely phenomenal. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to join you all.”
-Sarah Contant, Graduate Student, Rochester Institute of Technology
“It would be hard to catalog the extent of the opportunities AHI offers. Looking back through a whirlwind of reading groups, dinners, lectures and film screenings, a summer internship and an editorship at the AHI Undergraduates’ flagship publication, what I remember best is the people I met, many of whom have become lifelong friends and mentors. I’m grateful to have close friends who I first met during late nights with AHI Undergraduates, gathering in dorm rooms for hours-long conversations. I’m also tremendously grateful to Professors Paquette and Ambrose, who carry their commitment to their students beyond the classroom, and who shared with us so much energy, so many meals, and so much of their time, and who continue to do so well after graduation.”
