Meet Brad Singer ’24 A Washington Term class with a real-world focus prepared Singer for post-graduate work in the federal government.

W&L News Office
April 16, 2024

Brad Singer ’24
Hometown: Aiken, South Carolina
Major: International politics

Why did you choose to come to W&L?
I was named an alternate for the Johnson Scholarship initially, and I always say you never know how much you want something until it seems like you aren’t going to get it. That’s how it felt about W&L. In the admissions process, I fell in love with the campus, the students, the opportunity and idea of what life could be like here. But, I honestly couldn’t complain, because I had received full rides from a few other great schools. So I waited … and waited … and waited, until one week before the college decision deadline when Grace Loughhead (associate dean of admissions) called me. She said, “Brad, you got the Johnson!” After the immediate feeling of joy, I knew this would be the place for me.

Have you discovered a course or topic that you didn’t expect to study when you first came to W&L?
My favorite surprise course was Professor George Bent’s Art History of Leonardo Da Vinci, which I took in Spring Term of my first year. I had to give a 20-minute lecture on da Vinci’s lost painting of “Leda and the Swan,” which was difficult because the painting is, you know, lost, and apparently one of the first examples of eroticism in modern Western art. Imagine presenting, as a first-year, on the meanings of the nude female form for 20 minutes. After that, no public speaking engagement has ever been too scary.

Where is your “home” on campus?
I walked on to the wrestling team in my first year despite never having wrestled in my life. After being a member of the varsity team, I have spent more time with and feel closer to those gentlemen than I ever thought possible. While I have a close group of friends outside of wrestling from my first-year hall, I still think of the team as my home.

Have you found a mentor on campus? Who is it, and how have they helped you develop as a student?
I think it’s difficult not to find mentors. In the W&L Politics Department, Professors Robin LeBlanc and Brian Alexander have been tremendous helps. Dr. Matthew Loar, director of fellowships, literally changed the course of my life by giving me the chance to be competitive in international fellowships. Not to mention Head Coach Nathan Shearer and Assistant Coach Alex Radsky from the wrestling team. Plus, many, many others.

What was your favorite class and why?
It’s hard to choose a specific course, but, if forced to choose, I would say Washington Term with Brian Alexander. Working in Washington, D.C., meeting with top officials and developing a portfolio around a real-world focus area all prepared me for work in government post-graduation. I can’t imagine getting a better real-world experience with so many talented classmates at any other institution.

What are your hobbies/interests? How has W&L helped you develop and pursue them?
One of my favorite things to do is teach. W&L has helped me develop that through teaching opportunities with local schools. Now I serve as vice president of ambassador development for University Ambassadors, so I get to teach and train for the Office of Admissions. I also love all the extracurricular clubs put on by the Office of Inclusion and Engagement and the dance classes I have taken with Around the Globe WLU.

What do you like about being a DIII athlete?
I enjoy the high level of competition with the deliberate collegial feel. Rather than semi-professional athletics like Division I, we compete against some of the best wrestlers in the nation, but out of love for the sport more than financial incentive.