When he arrived at Hampden-Sydney, he found a home seven hours away from his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.
Jack started considering Hampden-Sydney during the college lacrosse recruitment process when he was in high school. He also knew several people from the Charleston area who attended Hampden-Sydney and had heard about their positive experiences including Greek Week, football games, and live music on fraternity circle. These exceptional bonds and experiences combined with a rigorous academic curriculum and a chance to play lacrosse for a fantastic program were exactly what Jack was looking for.
His grandfather, Bill “Coach” Steadman, gave Jack the final push to choose H-SC. “Coach is my biggest role model. He is everything I strive to be: compassionate, caring, selfless, hardworking, and positive,” Jack says. “He coached football, baseball, and basketball for 30 years at the high school level and serves his community in so many ways. He puts his family before anybody else. I would not be the man I am today without him.”
Jack has excelled at Hampden-Sydney, putting his best foot forward as a Tiger lacrosse player, Phi Beta Lambda president, Ferguson Career Center student and alumni relations intern, a student-athlete mentor, and a member of Tigers Serve and the Center for the Study of the Political Economy Reading Group. Crediting Hampden-Sydney for pushing him out of his comfort zone, Jack says, “My professors, peers, coaches, and colleagues have pushed me to be the best possible version of myself. I don't think I would have been as challenged academically, athletically, or socially at any other college. Everybody on campus wants to see you succeed and is willing to help if you put in the effort.”
“Our professors want to see us succeed but are only willing to award top marks to the students who go above and beyond,” Jack continues. “I wish people realized how demanding the Hampden-Sydney curriculum is and how difficult it is to make an A.”
One professor that has pushed Jack to dig deep and think more critically is Elliott Assistant Professor of Asian Religions Gardner Harris. Although mainly interested in economics, Jack says that World Religions is the most engaging course he’s taken at Hampden-Sydney, crediting that to Dr. Harris’s unique teaching style and ability to facilitate discussion. “I genuinely looked forward to each class with Dr. Harris,” Jack notes. “But be prepared for him to critique and refine your writing tremendously; you’ll be thankful in the long run.”
After he graduates this spring, Jack will step further outside of his comfort zone and add a few more miles between him and home as he heads to Washington D.C., having accepted a management consultant position at Booz Allen Hamilton. “Hampden-Sydney taught me discipline and how to adapt quickly,” Jack says. “Because of my time on the Hill, I’m prepared for any endeavor after I graduate.”