Patrick Lambdin

Patrick Lambdin joined the “Great Conversation” after a required Western Heritage class. Every Carthage student must take Western Heritage I and II. For Patrick, the courses introduced him to a new passion: studying classic literature and Western thought.

“Western Heritage was probably my favorite class, simply because it was in Western Heritage that this whole new world of literature was opened up to me,” he said.

But it wasn’t just the subject matter that held his interest. It was his professors. To Patrick, the Great Ideas Program centers around a true conversation of learning between professor and student alike, not a lecture. “These professors excel because they are committed to understanding the greatest minds all of Western thought and reinforcing the practice of approaching problems broadly, while realizing that they are as much students of the great texts as the 20-year-olds sitting beside them,” he said.

Patrick now works as a Heritage Fellow, assisting students in the Western Heritage Program. He plans to further his studies and someday become a professor.

At Carthage, he also keeps busy by working in the Honors Office, heading a student-run publication for analytical essays, and playing cello in the orchestra. To relax, he rejoices in a Carthage favorite: the lake.

“Whether it’s nice outside or not, walking along Lake Michigan on the way back from class is a great experience,” he said. He’s also vice president for the Meditation Club.