Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed
Episode: Applying Lessons from the Liberal Arts to Life-Long Learning
Host: Lily Fay Kramer (Beyond the Bubble)
Guest: Carissa Moshell, Hillsdale College Class of 2020
Date: February 15, 2026

Overview

This episode of Beyond the Bubble explores how a liberal arts education from Hillsdale College equips graduates for lifelong learning and adaptability. Guest Carissa Moshell, a 2020 alumna and current elementary teacher, shares her journey from majoring in French and History at Hillsdale to teaching at both Christian and Jewish classical schools. The discussion touches on the significance of the liberal arts in developing resilience, curiosity, and a love of learning, especially when applied to teaching young students and adapting to different educational contexts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Carissa’s Hillsdale Experience

• Academics & Involvement (01:42–03:48)
  • Double-majored in French and History.
  • Worked on campus security and admissions; contributed to launching the admissions social media.
  • Social life in campus libraries, especially “Heaven.”
  • Lived in multiple dorms, contributing to dorm culture, notably “New Dorm” and its traditions.
  • Spent summers in diverse roles: camp counselor on a remote island, admissions work, intern at a relocation company, and grocery clerk during COVID-19.

Discovering Teaching and Education

• Early Career & Teaching (06:34–10:04)
  • Began teaching fourth grade at Seven Oaks Classical School (a Hillsdale-affiliated K12).
  • Entered teaching with reservations but found a calling, especially in stewarding children’s souls and instilling a love for beauty and knowledge.
  • Example: Taught a month and a half on soil (“sounded boring, ended up being the best science unit”), reinforcing the long-term impact teachers have on students.
  • Reflected on how classical education sows seeds that grow over years:
    • "It's just amazing to me how education works so slowly to slowly transform our souls." (09:36, Carissa Moshell)

Liberal Arts Curriculum’s Lifelong Impact

• Adapting to Teaching Multiple Subjects (10:04–11:11, 16:16–17:42)
  • Developed a love for math and English through teaching, especially exploring the structure of the English language.
  • Emphasized the value of being comfortable without immediate answers—a concept rooted in liberal arts.
  • “Hillsdale offered me a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. And that frustrated me at first. And now... they love the unknown, they love the puzzling, and the challenge.” (13:38, Carissa Moshell)

Teaching in Different Faith-Based Classical Schools

• From Christian to Jewish Classical School (11:11–14:44)
  • Transitioned from a Christian charter school to Hadar Jewish Classical Academy in Austin, TX.
  • Hadar is pioneering a model that blends strong Judaics with rigorous academics; students split their day between Hebrew immersion and core subjects.
  • Witnessed children’s impressive linguistic fluidity and cognitive agility.
  • Noted how early exposure to challenging material develops resilience and a capacity to embrace the unknown.

The Importance of Early Language Learning

• Benefits of Language Immersion (14:48–16:16)
  • Advocates for early foreign language exposure for cognitive development and mastery.
  • Immersion may initially slow progress in English, but then accelerates advanced skills in adolescence.
  • “They can absorb... so much... the minds of young people are made to memorize things. I cannot memorize things at the pace and the speed and the excellence that young kids can do.” (14:53, Carissa Moshell)
  • Emphasized that dealing with unclear or difficult material early on helps students confidently approach challenging texts and ideas later in life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Classroom Realizations:
  “I looked at these kids, and I was like, oh my gosh, what a responsibility. And that's when it really hit me how important education really is.” (07:48, Carissa Moshell)

• On Teaching Science Creatively:
  “I had to teach a month and a half on soil, which sounds like the most boring thing ever. It ended up being the best month and a half of science.” (08:34, Carissa Moshell)

• On the Liberal Arts & Embracing the Unknown:
  “The Greek word is aporia... it's like this state of puzzlement and wondering and being okay with the unknown.” (13:22, Carissa Moshell)

• On Teacher Adaptability:
  “A kid says something random and you have to respond quickly or your plans just get derailed and you have to figure it out.” (17:16, Carissa Moshell)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Carissa’s academic background and campus life: 01:42–03:48
• Summer and work experiences (including reflections relevant to education): 03:53–06:34
• First teaching position, transformation through teaching: 06:44–10:04
• Falling in love with multiple subjects through teaching: 10:10–11:11
• Teaching at Hadar Jewish Classical Academy, language immersion, resilience: 11:27–14:44
• The value of early language learning: 14:48–16:16
• How liberal arts prepares you for teaching and pivoting: 16:16–17:42
• Final career advice for students considering teaching: 17:52–18:57

Practical Takeaways and Advice

• Embrace puzzlement and the unknown—both as a learner and in professional life.
• Early career experiences, even outside your intended field, often equip you with valuable transferable skills.
• Teaching elementary school can be deeply rewarding and cultivate lifelong joy and curiosity.
• A liberal arts background prepares graduates for adaptability, critical thinking, and the ability to teach or learn new subjects on the fly.
• Exposure to challenging material and language immersion creates resilient, open-minded learners.

Conclusion

Carissa Moshell’s journey underscores the transformative power of a liberal arts education and its lasting impact on one’s adaptability, curiosity, and approach to lifelong learning. Her passion for teaching and her openness to new experiences model the core values that Hillsdale College and classical education aspire to instill.