What's a Gilder Lehrman?

A couple of months before Christmas, Hannah struggled with an important decision. Should she graduate in May and go on to graduate school to pursue her doctorate in history, or stay another year at Liberty University? Hannah had already tested out of her first year of college. (I tell folks she inherited Jan’s amazing mental abilities. As my brother testifies, it certainly didn’t come from me. Hannah has maintained a 4.0 grade point average, but she wouldn’t want me to mention that. So I won’t.). She has taken full academic loads during her 3 years at Liberty and could graduate this spring.

On the other hand, the IMB gives a 4 year scholarship which, when coupled with Liberty’s scholarships, means we don’t have to pay much for Hannah’s tuition. There were several subjects Hannah still wanted to take. She also wanted to be there for Martha’s first year, and then graduate with her friends. Plus, there were some unique, but long-shot opportunities that just might happen if she stayed another year. Well, each of those long-shot opportunities have happened!

First, Hannah wanted to serve as Spiritual Life Director for her dorm at Liberty. This is a special responsibility and privilege for a select number of upper-class students to lead, counsel, and serve the students in the dorms. It’s competitive, but Hannah recently learned that she was accepted as a SLD for the coming school year.

Second, Hannah was accepted as an intern at our National Archives in Washington D.C. She’s there now, involved in a variety of projects from teaching to researching. At the end of the internship period, and if budget allows, the Archives likes to hire one or two of their interns (the really good ones) to stay on for 7 weeks into the summer. Hannah was selected!

Thirdly, Hannah’s history professors urged her to apply to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Scholars Program. As her professor explained, it is “one of the most prestigious awards that an undergraduate history major can earn.” Hannah learned a couple of weeks ago that she won! So, immediately after she finishes at the Archives, she will travel to New York City and spend 5 weeks at Columbia University doing research with prominent historians (and get paid a nice amount!).

How’s that for my little girl! But I remember telling David, Sara, and Hannah when they went off to college, “Don’t feel pressured to make good grades. If you make it through college with high moral standards and a growing relationship with the Lord, that will be enough.” It pleases me to no end that they have done that. And, as Hannah is showing, when the Lord is first, other good things can happen.