Artrez (Archi) Alexander ’23 dreams of becoming an English teacher. “My classes at Hiram have shown me that this is, in fact, where I want and need to be,” says Alexander. Currently, he works for the YMCA, serving the Willoughby-Eastlake school district as a before and after-school care programmer, is a head chef at Young Chef’s Academy, and is heavily involved with his church as the music department president.

As a student, Hiram helped Alexander manage his workload. “I make sure that I am at least three days ahead with my coursework,” he says. “Culture and Society” is one of his favorite courses so far as his professor pushed the class to collaborate with one another on various hands-on projects. “We had very valuable conversations.”

Alexander is pursuing his degree in education and will focus on Integrated Language Arts. He believes Hiram has helped cultivate his success by setting clear expectations from the very beginning of his college career. “After graduation, I aspire to work in a school district that supports its teachers, students, and community. I hope to one day be an administrator in some capacity,” says Alexander.

Overall, his time at Hiram has been fruitful. He says, “I would tell prospective students to be their own leaders and make decisions with the long-term effects in mind. As a freshman, I was very introverted. Today, I have become more social with my peers.”