2:00 pm Speakers
Rebekah Dell
ABOUT: I’m from a big family and the first of all my siblings to attend Hillsdale College. I’m from a close-knit community in southern Ohio and always planned to move back to pursue a creative career. I decided to work for the college in the Student Activities Office for a few after graduation and little did I know then that it would launch into a long career in Student Affairs and now my role as Dean of Women. I’ve been blessed by this community and love doing life in Hillsdale.
Hobbies: Traveling, cooking, anything creative, spending time outside
Favorite Bucket List Item: I’m going to have to say my goal of visiting Antarctica. It’s high on my list and not the easiest place to reach.
Proudest Accomplishment: Convincing my sisters running a half-marathon was a good idea and completing our first one together.
Favorite College Memory: Senior Year Spring Break - a trip to Paris, Florence, and Rome with my sorority sisters
Becky Galvan
ABOUT: I live in Hillsdale with my husband, Nick (and our cat Rocky J everyone needs to adopt a Hillsdale stray, right?). We are just about to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. Nick is a Defensive Backs Coach for the football team and I work as an Assistant Director of Career Services.
Hobbies: Crafting, hosting people, game nights, travel, planning trips and events, hiking, kayaking, baking
Favorite Bucket List Item: I ran a marathon in 2017, hoping I can get the courage to run another in the future!
Favorite College Memory: My final collegiate race was pretty memorable, each team member ran PR times and we broke the school record. OR freshman year the football team beat Grand Valley which broke their long long long streak of being undefeated and we rushed the field.
Proudest Accomplishment: I hope to have many of these in the future. I may be mushy because our anniversary is coming up but our wedding day was a pretty proud day.
Mary Margaret Spiteri
ABOUT: I live in Hillsdale with my husband and two boys, Dominic (2) and Bruno (2 months). I fell in love with small town hillsdale my senior year of college and decided to stick around. I started working at the college in 2017, and became Director of the Contact Center in 2018. My husband owns Handmade and life is very busy but very rewarding.
Hobbies: Reading, walking, I just started knitting!, canning, and cooking. Also sometimes pretending I can craft
Favorite Bucket List Item: I’d love to visit every state! I’m about half way down.
Proudest Accomplishment: My babies
Favorite College Memory: Being outside in the springtime— it’s by far my favorite hillsdale thing.
Tori Hope Petersen
ABOUT: I am married to Jacob who loves restoring furniture! Together, we parent two biological babies, our two year-old son, Leyonder, our baby girl, Ezzeri, and our soon-to-be adopted adult son, Sar. I founded a nonprofit called Bring Beloved that aims to empower foster youth and be a resource for those interested in foster care and adoption. I started as an influencer on social media, which has also given me the opportunity to write a book with Lifeway/B&H Publishing. I am looking forward to life slowing down a bit in the spring, since I recently accepted a part time job at the college to recruit underserved populations. I live in Minnesota now, and am hoping to move to Hillsdale in the spring.
Hobbies: I am a Sculpt Yoga instructor and I love attending group fitness classes. I think that is the athlete that never left me.
Favorite Bucket List Item: I didn’t know that having a home birth was on my bucket list until I wanted to have one, but it’s checked off now.
Proudest Accomplishment: After coming from an extremely dysfunctional home, making a home.
Favorite College Memory: I ran track and took my shoes after right after every race. I was walking off the field after a race, and an athlete from another school accidentally stepped on my bare foot with her spikes. So while I was getting my toes bandaged up, I was watching all my teammates. They looked pretty bummed so I assumed the race didn't go well after I handed off the baton. They were all watching the screen as I was watching them. And then suddenly they all started to scream and jump up and down and cry. I didn't have to look at the clock or screen. I knew we were All Americans by their reactions and we'd all ran and worked so hard that season to make each other All-Americans.