King’s set me up for future success.
I went into that tall gray building on 56 Broadway as a sheltered homeschooled kid who got flustered when debating people and occasionally got shy when speaking in front of crowds. I could only generously describe my writing as clunky and occasionally long-winded. I knew what the Bible said was true but didn’t know if I could present these truths to people who disagreed.
The professors at King’s soon changed this. Dr. Tubbs and Professor Loconte demonstrated what graceful disagreements looked like. Professor Brenberg intentionally choose the most awkward room for our class and then made me publicly present for my peers. Dr. Mueller made me write clear, concise text and then made me rewrite it again and again…and again. Dr. Talcott and Dr. Innes forced me to reason through what the Bible said and then articulate it to a world that desperately needs it but still does not accept it.
This process was not always enjoyable. I had sleepless nights. New York food prices and city living ensured I lost 10 pounds every semester. I wrote so much I developed calluses on my fingers. I worried the anonymity of the school outside conservative American Christendom would preclude me from getting into a good graduate school or getting a good job.
Despite the difficulties, I am glad I went. I am about to graduate from the LBJ School of Public Affairs with a graduate degree in Global Policy Studies. I am one of a few Christians on campus. My degree program has put me in front of former CIA directors and Navy Admirals. King’s prepared me for this. King’s ensured I could live in this world but not sell my soul to it. King’s gave me the skills to deliver inconvenient truths, to reason clearly, and to stand up for what is right. The professors at King’s set me up for success, and I will always be grateful to them and the process.
Zachary Wagner
Former House President | House of Sir Winston Churchill | Class of '20
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