Get to Know TFC’s New History Professor
With the retirement of the History Department’s former head, Dr. Jalovick, the title has been passed to a new member of the TFC community, Dr. John-Paul Hill. Dr. Hill currently teaches Historiography, Western Civilizations I and United States History I. Next semester, he plans to teach Western Civilizations II, United States History II and American Church History.
Growing up, Dr. Hill enjoyed reading books about the Civil War and ancient Egypt. The bright pictures captivated him and caused him to ask questions although he was too young to understand the complexity of the texts. Whenever he would come across his parents’ old encyclopedias, Dr. Hill’s father would read the entries to him. During the professor’s youth and college experience, he was compelled by events in American History such as the Revolutionary War and Custer’s Last Stand.
Like many other TFC professors who play an important role in the spiritual lives of students, Dr. Hill is not only interested in sharing his historical knowledge with the community but his faith as well. Besides growing up with parents who taught him about historical events, Dr. Hill’s parents taught him about Jesus. The professor was raised in a Christian family, and he describes his conversion experience as something quite simple. At the age of 10, he felt the desire to accept Jesus Christ, but he was too shy to go before the congregation. Instead, Dr. Hill and his mother met with a minister in their home, where the three discussed and prayed together over his decision. Shortly after, he was baptized at Riverside Missionary Baptist Church in Drakesboro, Kentucky.
“Being a Christian has had a significant influence on my career path. I find it deeply fulfilling to teach at a Christian college, where I can watch students grow both spiritually and academically,” Dr. Hill says.
Although he can engage well with students in the classroom, Dr. Hill also enjoys investing in his students outside of the classroom. He is caring and enjoys hosting events to bring students together. Dr. Hill says hosting events to get to know the students is one of the things he missed most when he started teaching online.
“Online courses, don’t get me wrong, are beneficial to many people, but for me, I miss that connection,” Dr. Hill says. “[I miss] getting to know who they are as people and just trying to help them as my professors had helped me.”
Dr. Hill hopes to recreate an event he used to host called Grill on the Hill, where students in history-related majors would gather to eat hamburgers and hot dogs, roast marshmallows and play games like corn hole. He may even host dinner parties in the future complete with student-led baseball games, as baseball is the professor’s favorite sport.
Interested in meeting Dr. Hill or helping him host events? Swing by his office on the first floor of Timms Hall in Room 4, or email him at jhill@tfc.edu.