Students who earn the CLT10 National Award stand among the top academic performers in the country, with the freedom to attend virtually any college they choose. The question for many of these scholars is often not where they will study, however, but where they will thrive intellectually and, in the case of Catholic students, spiritually. For Jude Hollis of Austin, Texas, and Maria Trujillo of Crozet, Virginia, that place ended up being Christendom College, where they will begin their studies this fall.
Christendom was one of the first ten colleges in the nation to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and remains one of only two institutions that offer up to five full-tuition scholarships each year to CLT10 award winners. The college’s embrace of the CLT reflects its dedication to the classical liberal arts tradition and its growing popularity among students seeking an education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. Today, the majority of Christendom applicants choose to submit CLT scores rather than SAT or ACT results.
Both Hollis and Trujillo were among those students who took the CLT instead, eventually becoming two of only 50 students in the nation to be awarded the CLT10 National Award for their exceptional test results. When it came to choosing a college, both desired a school where they would be challenged intellectually but also be encouraged to continue growing in their Catholic faith.
For Hollis, he first discovered Christendom during high school, immediately drawn to the college’s mission and academic approach.
“I mentally converted to Catholicism in 9th grade, a time when one naturally begins to think about college,” said Hollis. “It was not long before I found the Newman Guide and began scrolling through the list, and Christendom College instantly caught my attention with its all-gold recommendations. I quickly became interested in the school and was attracted by its emphasis on theology and philosophy, its all-Catholic faculty, its beautiful campus, its small student body, and the overall college culture, which was palpable even online.”
That early interest only deepened after attending the Best Week Ever high school summer program and later learning he had been honored with the CLT10 National Award.
“I felt specially called to Christendom, and it always remained in mind as my ‘ideal’ college,” said Hollis. “Thus, when I learned that the CLT10 National Award enabled me to have a full-tuition scholarship at Christendom, it immediately became the one school that I wanted to attend.”
Hollis is particularly drawn to Christendom’s liberal arts curriculum, which he believes offers the foundation necessary for true intellectual freedom.
“Liberal arts is the study of the greatest things which enable a man to think freely,” said Hollis. “In general, I love Christendom’s core curriculum that all the students have in common, with the freedom to go in-depth into particular liberal arts. Things that make the college in particular stand out are its Thomistic emphasis on theology and its more scholastic — rather than Socratic — mode of teaching.”
Trujillo’s path to Christendom, like Hollis’, was shaped by a deep process of prayer and discernment.
“I chose Christendom, to be blunt, because it is God’s plan,” said Trujillo. “I joke that I did not make the classic ‘college decision.’ After much prayer and discernment, the Lord in His kindness eliminated my stress by making it clear where I should go.”
She was first introduced to Christendom when visiting campus early in high school, an experience that left a lasting impression.
“When I first visited campus at the beginning of my sophomore year, I had a feeling that I would end up at Christendom,” she said. “I didn’t dwell on it at first since I hadn’t visited other colleges yet. But over time, through challenges and discernment, it became clearer that Christendom was where I was meant to be.”
Trujillo later attended the Best Week Ever, even going the same week as Hollis, and was especially struck by the boldness of the college’s mission.
Hollis and Trujillo both sharing a meal during Christendom Best Week Ever high school summer program last year.
“I do not know any colleges so bold as to make their mission ‘to restore all things in Christ,’” said Trujillo. “That caught my attention when I first learned of it, and I have adopted it as my personal motto.”
As they prepare to begin their studies at Christendom this fall, both Hollis and Trujillo are already looking forward to the academic formation they will receive from the college’s faculty. Hollis plans to major in theology while pursuing the college’s liturgical music track and is also considering a minor in philosophy or history. He says his interactions with professors and staff have left a strong impression.
“Not only are they kind, friendly, and helpful,” said Hollis, “but they also take the extra step to make me feel valued, even though I’m not yet a part of the community. I’ve been blown away by the ability of the people in the Admissions Office to remember everyone’s name, including my own.”
Trujillo will pursue a major in Natural Sciences, and she is particularly excited about the opportunity to study with Christendom’s faculty. During her campus visit, she met Dr. Aileen Foeckler, an encounter that strengthened her enthusiasm for the college’s academic community.
“Every Christendom professor I’ve met very clearly takes his or her job very seriously,” said Trujillo. “I have no doubt that they will impart wisdom to us as if we were their own children.”
With their CLT10 National Awards and full-tuition scholarships, Hollis and Trujillo will join a growing group of high-achieving students who have chosen Christendom for its trademark combination of challenging academics, vibrant campus life, and faithful Catholic formation, seeing the college as an ideal destination for students seeking a classical Catholic liberal arts education.