Finding a Home at Magdalen –Persis Johansen, Class of ’25

Flying from Texas to New Hampshire to attend Magdalen College was a huge change for me, but moving from Seton’s curriculum to a collegiate liberal arts program was easy.

The emphasis on classics, theology, and language I received in high school transferred into my first semester at Magdalen, where I fell more in love with my Faith and the world’s masterpieces. I am continuing my education begun with Seton at a higher yet deeper level.

At Magdalen everything goes into the cultivation of the whole person—the swing dances, competitions, campus work, pro-life hours, icon painting, and daily Mass. What I learn in the classrooms I also experience personally interacting with the beautiful New England nature, my friends, and God.

When I was researching colleges, Magdalen stood out to me as closest to what I had been striving toward, a place where God is the center of an ordered life of learning and recreation.

Each day begins and ends in prayer, and classes surround the focal point of the noon Mass. Excited as I was, I anticipated a difficult transition from homeschooling to in-person classes and schedules. However, the reverent and familiar liturgy made me feel at home while I met students who would become some of my closest friends.

A Priceless Experience

As a young freshman, I have a ways to go before I understand Faulkner, Aristotle, or Hegel, but my experience thus far at Magdalen has been priceless.

I have come to look forward to the diverse conversations among the dinner tables, the hallway hot chocolate socials, exposure to different liturgical traditions—including the Traditional Latin Mass, wandering through the campus’ woods, and watching the sun setting between the mountains.

At Magdalen, I have found a unique balance and life that Seton students especially would appreciate, oriented to grow not only the mind but the soul.