Podcast Summary: "Finding Fulfillment: Rewarding Moments Found Through Education and Serving Others"

Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed
Episode: Beyond the Bubble – Career Services, “Finding Fulfillment: Rewarding Moments Found Through Education and Serving Others”
Host: Lily Fay Kramer
Guest: Sam Clausen (Hillsdale College Class of 2017, Math & Religion Major, Teacher at Atlanta Classical Academy)
Release Date: October 28, 2025

Overview

This episode of "Beyond the Bubble," a Career Services podcast from Hillsdale College, features alumnus Sam Clausen discussing his journey from student leader and math major at Hillsdale to his career as a high school math teacher and coach. Clausen opens up about formative campus experiences, influential mentors, teaching philosophy, the challenges and joys of serving as a teacher, and the significance of liberal arts education in shaping well-rounded, service-oriented individuals. The conversation is rich in anecdotes and practical advice for students considering education as a career.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Hillsdale Experience & Activities ([01:39]–[02:21])

• Background: Class of 2017; B.S. in Math and Religion.
• Campus Involvement: Resident Assistant (RA) in Simpson and Neifelt, Bible studies, "Goal Program" involvement.
• Favorite Extracurricular: Participation in the now-defunct Renaissance School, working with at-risk youth who attended school as an alternative to juvenile detention. This left deep, vivid memories and a sense of purpose.

Sam Clausen: “At one point I even remember talking to a student through why he had just punched his best friend in the face and thinking what a bizarre conversation this is. [...] In some ways it was terrible. These students were in really rough places. But to have some part, and kind of a light part, of their day was just an incredible opportunity.” ([02:21])

2. Inspiration to Teach & Impact of Mentoring ([03:45]–[04:34])

• These early mentorship experiences, plus tutoring at Hillsdale High, crystallized Sam’s calling as a teacher. Personal relationships and being a consistent presence for students in need became a major draw to the teaching profession.

Sam Clausen: “So many of those students didn't have someone that they knew would be there. And so school became a place where there was someone who's going to be there every day or every week and they could count on it. And that made a huge impact on some of their lives.” ([04:11])

3. Influential Professors and Classroom Practices ([04:41]–[05:54])

• Sam credits Hillsdale faculty, especially Dr. Copeland, whom he still consciously “mimics” by welcoming each student to class daily.
• Also inspired by Dr. Murphy and Dr. Gabler's enthusiasm for math and interdisciplinary teaching.

Sam Clausen: “Every single class, I like to welcome my students and say, I'm glad you're here. You may not feel like you had a choice to be here, but you did, and I'm glad you chose to be here with us today.” ([05:03])

4. Teaching Challenges & Improv Skills ([06:06]–[07:05])

• Improvisational theater experience at Hillsdale helps Sam adapt on the fly when lesson plans fall short.
• He emphasizes relinquishing some classroom control to students, remaining confident in his subject area, and being receptive to unexpected directions in class.

5. Career Path: From Michigan to Atlanta and Back ([07:22]–[09:16])

• Job search included attending fairs and following connections to Atlanta Classical Academy, thanks to a Hillsdale alumni community.
• After initially leaving Atlanta for Toledo Christian to be closer to home, Sam returned (post-pandemic) to Atlanta for the strength of the community — describing a whirlwind ten-day turnaround sparked by a summer teacher conference at Hillsdale.

Sam Clausen: “It took about 10 days from going to the teacher conference in the summer at Hillsdale, meeting up with all my friends that were still in Atlanta, calling the principal, saying, is there any way I could ever come back? And them saying, we have a job opening in first grade or eighth grade physics. And I said, I'll take whatever one, just tell me that I can come back.” ([08:21])

6. The Value of a Liberal Arts Core ([09:27]–[10:49])

• Hillsdale’s broad education allows Sam to connect with students across disciplines — discussing literature, history, math, and more.
• This breadth deepens his understanding of, and connections with, students beyond their performance in math.

Sam Clausen: “If I could only see them as mathematicians, I would miss out on the students that are brilliant in some of these other fields...” ([10:49])

7. Most Rewarding Teaching Moment ([11:33]–[14:06])

• Sam recounts an emotional transformational moment: comforting a struggling seventh grader who felt she “didn’t belong” and “was stupid” for not making the honor roll. Years later, at her graduation, she returned with a letter thanking him — an example of how small, compassionate gestures can bear fruit years later.

Sam Clausen: “That was so amazing that five and a half years later, one of those little moments that was unplanned, that could have gone a thousand different ways, really had sprouted and I got to see some really wonderful fruit from a seed that had been buried for a long, long time.” ([13:31])

8. The Service-Oriented Nature of Teaching ([14:26]–[15:02])

• Teaching is described as a vocation of service, not about “getting what you deserve” but about serving students and appreciating mutual service.

Sam Clausen: “This is a service minded job. You don't want to get what you deserve as a teacher and you don't want to give students what they deserve. You want to serve each other and appreciate when students do that and don't take for granted when they do their homework and don't expect that you get thanks for grading that homework. It is a very service-oriented job.” ([14:26])

9. Coaching and Extracurricular Involvement ([15:12]–[16:48])

• Roles include middle school volleyball coaching and head coaching boys’ baseball, helping to build a varsity program.
• Coaching gives Sam additional avenues to connect with, empower, and see students thrive outside the classroom.

10. Advice for Aspiring Teachers ([17:04]–[18:41])

• Recommends all aspiring educators get in a classroom — through TA roles, the apprenticeship program, summer opportunities, or by sitting in on classes.
• Observe all facets of classroom management and ask, “Would that give me life?”

Sam Clausen: “Even if you can't get into say the apprenticeship or you can't do a summer TA opportunity, which look for those as well...just ask an academy teacher if you can sit in on a couple of their classes...watch the teacher, not for necessarily the content, but for what they're doing. Notice where their eyes go, notice where their body goes, and see all the thought that goes into it. And then think to yourself, would that give me life?” ([17:54])

11. Most Influential Out-of-Department Classes ([19:08]–[21:48])

• Required writing-heavy courses—Great Books and History of the World Wars—significantly improved his communication skills, which benefitted him far beyond his majors.
• The challenge and growth from feedback (“you just frankly have no writing voice”) catalyzed Sam’s growth as a writer and thinker.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “To have some part, and kind of a light part, of their day was just an incredible opportunity.”
  – Sam Clausen on working at Renaissance School ([02:48])

• “The need that young people have for role models, for people that will even just show up consistently...”
  – Sam Clausen ([04:03])

• “You may not feel like you had a choice to be here, but you did, and I’m glad you chose to be here with us today.”
  – Sam Clausen, on his daily classroom welcome ([05:03])

• “You want to serve each other and appreciate when students do that and don’t take for granted when they do their homework...”
  – Sam Clausen ([14:34])

• “Would that give me life? Is that a thing that I would like to do or is this not from me?”
  – Sam Clausen’s advice for students considering teaching ([17:54])

• “As I look back…he was being kind and generous. To say I had no writing voice, it was really bad.”
  – Sam Clausen, on tough feedback improving his writing ([20:13])

Key Timestamps for Segments

• [01:39] – Sam's Hillsdale journey and activities
• [02:21] – Renaissance School experience
• [03:45] – Decision to enter teaching
• [04:41] – Most influential professors
• [06:06] – Handling unplanned teaching moments; improv skills
• [07:22] – Transition to teaching in Atlanta; importance of community
• [09:27] – Impact of liberal arts/core curriculum on teaching
• [11:33] – Most rewarding teaching experience
• [14:26] – Teaching as service
• [15:12] – Coaching and connecting outside the classroom
• [17:04] – Practical advice for aspiring educators
• [19:08] – Most influential non-major classes

Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is friendly, encouraging, and deeply reflective. Both host and guest embrace a tone of gratitude, humility, and humor, with an emphasis on the profound rewards—often hidden and long-term—found through education and serving others.

Conclusion

This episode provides listeners with an inspiring look at the vocation of teaching, the lifelong ripple effects of small acts of mentorship, and the practical value of a liberal arts education. Anyone considering education—or just interested in the ways fulfillment and service can intertwine—will find Sam Clausen’s stories and advice both illuminating and motivating.