Written by Stephanie Gordon
Born and raised in Hillsdale County, Abby Titus Strehle, ’19, grew up in the small farming village of North Adams. Attending Hillsdale College was her dream and ultimate goal as a K-12 student. In fact, Hillsdale was the only college to which she applied.
“My story is kind of rare in that I grew up here in Hillsdale County,” Abby smiled. “I grew up in the house I was born in, lived next door to my grandparents, and graduated from Will Carleton Academy in Hillsdale. I didn’t have any family who worked at the College or went to the College, but I wanted to go to Hillsdale College for as long as I could remember.”
Calling herself a “book-ish nerd,” Abby loved to read and talk about philosophy as a child. She spent a lot of time with classmate and close friend Judy Moreno, ’19, whose father is Dr. Paul Moreno, the William and Berniece Grewcock Chair in Constitutional History, professor of history, and dean of social sciences. “The conversations were fun, and I enjoyed them,” Abby said. “They fueled my desire to attend Hillsdale even more.”
When the College’s admissions team visited Will Carleton, Abby was the only student interested in their presentation. “Most Will Carleton students in recent history hadn’t gone to Hillsdale,” Abby said. “Most locals wanted to leave Hillsdale. Others said I should get out of Hillsdale, but it didn’t matter if I was just ten minutes away when it was the best place to be. And once I visited campus, I was in a completely different world.”
Abby received her acceptance letter on a chilly Saturday before Christmas. She calls that experience “memorable, amazing, and the perfect Christmas gift.”
The history and politics double major decided to stay home and not live on campus. “My acquaintances told me I wasn’t going to have any friends, but the opposite was true,” said Abby. “It was absolutely wonderful. I didn’t leave my childhood bedroom until I got married. It was only a 10-minute drive to campus, and I never really saw my parents because I would be on campus at 7:30 a.m. and wouldn’t get home until midnight. I always feel like it’s a testament to Hillsdale. I would do it again.”
Her Constitution 101 class with Dr. Kevin Portteus was “fabulous” and inspired her to complete the politics major. “His class blew my mind,” Abby said. “I remember sitting there in class thinking that this stuff is so amazing.”
Along with her classwork, she enjoyed singing in the College Choir and participating in the tech side of theatre. “I wasn’t too heavily involved my freshman year, as I was trying to get used to the rigor of my academics,” said Abby. “Working with the Theatre Department was among my best memories at Hillsdale College. I loved working with the costumes, quick changes, hair, and makeup. It’s also how I met my husband, Dylan.”
Dylan, ’19, and Abby were set up on a blind date by friends during their sophomore year. Both were very involved in theatre and hit it off. The two married in July after graduation and settled down in Hillsdale. “The more Dylan and I parceled it out, the more we decided that starting our lives in Hillsdale after graduation was the right thing to do,” said Abby. “It was interesting to exit college life and enter into community life again. We were around other Hillsdale alumni and had a great social sphere. It just made sense. In reality, I’ve never left Hillsdale, but my experiences have given me a deeper appreciation for where I grew up.”
As a junior at Hillsdale, Abby interned for local lawyer Karlye Horton, ’04. After graduation, Abby worked with Horton Law for six years as a paralegal. “The amount I learned was invaluable,” Abby said of her job. “It showed me another side of the greater Hillsdale community, which gave me an entirely different perspective on life.”
Abby worked in that capacity with Horton Law until she and Dylan welcomed their first child, Carson. “After I had Carson, it was growing increasingly clear that I couldn’t work full time,” added Abby. Now, Abby works part time as a paralegal in Coldwater, Michigan.
Outside of work and motherhood, Abby stays busy with the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Early Pregnancy Loss Association, a local non-profit. “After having a miscarriage, I knew I needed to do something with what I had experienced,” Abby said. “I came on as a board member in 2023 and acted as the treasurer. It’s very fulfilling, and I now have a basic understanding of how a non-profit organization works.”
From the small village of North Adams to the city of Hillsdale, the Strehles’ long-term goal is to stay where Abby’s roots were planted. With family in the area, including her husband’s brothers, nieces, and nephews, Hillsdale is and always will be home. “The community that we love is here,” said Abby. “I grew up in this rural setting, and we really embrace it. As I get older, I now understand why people move to Hillsdale. It’s really where we love to be. In a funny sort of way, it really is the people.”
Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children – Eloise, Flora, and Jack. She enjoys baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, Detroit Lions football, and breaking a sweat at the gym.
Published in October 2025
