WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Lived and Learned: Stay Focused with JoAnn Arendt

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

Galloway’s house mom gives her best advice to the young adults!

Hello everyone. This is Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Grace Novak on the Live and Learn podcast where we discuss advice for being in your 20s. Today we're talking with Mrs. Joanne Arant, the house director of Galloway Dorm at Hillsdale College. Welcome to the show today. Thank you. Right off the bat, since this is a topic, just the whole conversation today is about advice for being in your 20s. Why don't you just walk us through now, now you're, you're just, you're you're here at Hillsdale as a house director. But what did your life look like back when you were 20? Like, how did you get to be where you are now? Well, when I was 20, I had two little kids. So my life was busy. Wow, at 20. That's so cool. And I guess it's taken it a day at a time when you've got two little kids. So, yeah, so I was pretty busy. Not like the college kids, a different kind of busy. Yeah, how many kids do you have now? I have 11 total. We got the Brady bunch. So we have yours, mine, and ours. And I have two in Michigan, two in Florida, six in Ohio, and one in Hawaii. Whoa, that is so cool. Wow. So, okay, so when you were 20, you had two kids already. So you're probably looking around now here working at the college. And us in our 20s are in a pretty different phase of life. than you would have been at that time too. Yes, that's true.

Yeah. So then when, okay, so then I guess I'll break this up and ask two different questions to you. Starting off with, first, what is one thing that when you look back when you were 20, but also just when you were young in general in that time, what is something that you think, some advice that you've learned or some areas that you've grown in insight that you wish you could have known back then or that just has really tremendously benefited you? Well, I don't think I would have changed anything, but the advice I think I would give is to guard your heart. Okay.

You know, because things can change, as did in my life. And it was, I had three children and ended up with a divorce. And my late husband had four children and ended up in a divorce. and we got married in the Catholic Church with seven kids and had four more. But we had 34 years of a good marriage. So I would say guard your heart. Wow. Yeah, that's a really compelling story about God working in your life with all of that.

So then when you think about like scripture that has stuck with you throughout the years, is that scripture about guarding your heart? Well, I think, you know, you can learn from all scripture. So I think prayer is an important part reading your Bible. I know at Galloway we have Bible studies. The guys have about six of them. And it's really good because they're focused on God and their studies and prayer and having a good time. Yeah. No, that makes so much sense. So then just looking specifically, like I'm just thinking about myself and my girlfriends, you know, what practical advice do you think you would give for guarding our hearts as we step into our adult years?

Well, with the Galloway, I usually email them and cheer them on. But I always end with, and they probably get tired of this, but I always end up with studies. well, go to class, eat good, drink lots of water, have some fun, make good choices, get your rest, wash your hands, wash your hands, because cold and flu and COVID are no fun. And then I tell the men of Galloway to take on the day. So, yeah, it's just sound advice for, you know, staying healthy and having a good time and staying focused. So that's so good. That was a lot in there. I mean, You said that fast, but there was some solid pieces of advice in there. So in Galloway, how many guys are you are in your care in Galloway? There's 87.

Wow. That's a lot. So your house, mom, to quite a few people. So then, okay, I guess this is a similar question. But so now looking at this specific generation of Hillsdale students. And I mean, I know you particularly have. insight into the Galloway world. But what do you think is something that you look around and you're able to see now that

you've had experience that would be beneficial specifically to the like to our, us as students to know? Well, I think the students should realize that Hillsdale's a great, and they already do, I'm sure, but it's a great college with probably the best college in the country. and it's so hard to get into that if they're in Hillsdale College, they should stay and do their best because it's worth it.

And I know a lot of my students have gone on to be teachers and lawyers and one was in the Collegian just a couple weeks ago. Rassusa, he was appointed by Trump to the USDA for the state of Minnesota, Michigan. Wow. So, yeah, there's teachers, lawyers, PhDs, and we even have a priest that will be ordained this year. So it's exciting to see if they stay focused, the good they can do. Because Dr. Arna always says, what's the good? And these men of Galloway are doing good things. So that's so cool. So, okay, wait, now I'm just kind of curious. How will have you been in Galloway now?

I was hired in 2015. I actually cooked for Kai Omega before that. But my husband got sick, so I had to let that go and take care of him. And then he passed in 2014, and Dean Pete called me about the job in 2015. Wow. So are there, what do you think is one of the biggest lessons or things? you've been able to learn since being in that position and just being around so many young college, I mean men specifically, but just watching us and all of these Hillsdale students grow up and into

their vocations. Well, at Galloway, we just let them live. We try and stay under the wire, as I say. But there are times that, like in the morning, I never know what I'm going to wake up because I don't know if we're getting pranked in the middle of the night. So it can be a little challenging. But, no, I think just to, I let them live and they do a great job. Yeah. They just do a great job. So, okay, I'm curious, taking a step back from Hillsdale, even, and from Galloway and from your role here,

when you just look back at your life at large, what do you think? is one of the biggest lessons that you had to learn through experience. That every day is a gift. And children grow so fast. You know, my children are all grown and giving them, you know, the love that they need to even live in a way, you know, that's far away. I guess shares the moment, you know, because time goes by. faster than you think. Yeah, no, that makes, that makes so much sense. Yeah, that's really good. What about like, what about spiritually? Like, what are some ways that, I don't know, I guess, I guess I look, and sorry, I'm just drilling you with all the questions right now, but I'm so

curious for all of this, but I look at my own life and I'm, I mean, I'm 19, I'm not even 20. The title of the show is kind of a lie. I'm not even in my 20s. But I can look back even on the past a few years and see how much more I've been able to grow in wisdom, but especially just in closeness to God and an understanding of what God's love really means and all of these things. And so I'm curious, I mean, I know just naturally being a parent and going through all those experiences, you're going to understand God's love so much more. But is there anything like really specific that stands out to you that has like spiritually grown you?

Yeah. I think as I got older, faith was more important. And I guess I stress that God loves everyone unconditionally. And there's many churches. There's many students with different religions. But Jesus said there's many houses in heaven. So I think there's room for everybody. up there. But I think faith is, if you're young, just hang on to your faith and it will guide you

and will help you throughout your life. Yeah. No, that's so good. I know for myself, I tease with my friends sometimes, but I actually truly mean it. I think it's so much easier in the way my brain works to be able to focus on just one or two specific things. Like, for example, sometimes I look at the Fruits of the Spirit Bible passages. And I'm like, okay, love, joy, peace. This is a lot to focus on all at once, which I know is not the point of the fruits of the spirit. But then I look at passages like, faith, hope, and love remain, but the greatest of these is love. And I'm like, sometimes I think God wrote those things just for me specifically to give me one solitary thing to focus on, you know? And yeah, so I'm curious because I, and I'm asking because I do this for myself,

I always have like a little mantra in my mind of like, okay, just focus on this thing, you know. Do you have anything like whether it's a scripture verse or a specific piece of, I don't know, just encouragement or truth that you rely on more than others, like that you would say like have kind of impacted the way that you make your decisions and the way that you draw strength from God throughout your life? Well, I like Psalm 23. But working at the college, we have to come up with three goals. Oh, they make us do that over the goal program, too.

Yeah. And so one of my goals, the one time was they say you mess up seven times a day. So I wrote on my goals that I was going to try and do seven good things a day. So I call it the seven. And I like to focus on that throughout the day. I also, if I have a hard time getting into paperwork, I will set my timer for 10 minutes and I'll start the paperwork and before I know it. So I guess that's a tip if you hate to study.

Set the timer for 10 minutes and just start. I'm taking notes of everything you're saying, but I'll definitely have to file that one away. Okay, wait, this is slightly off the top. Well, it's not off topic, but slightly off what I told you to anticipate with this. But I actually, I'm a firm believer that speaking scripture is so powerful. Like, it's wonderful to read it, but also when you say it, it's so powerful. And would you like to, do you know Psalm 23, just in your memory? Lord is my shepherd. Do you want to just go and share it? Yeah. The Lord is my I shall not want.

Related with me. Wait, while you're pulling that up, let me reset. You guys, anyone who is just now tuning in, this is Radio Freehillsdale 101.7 FM, and I'm Grace Novak on the Live and Learn podcast. Today we are talking with Mrs. Joanne Arant, the house director of Galloway. She's about to share one of her favorite scripture passages, Psalm 23.

A Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil.

For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy. shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen. Thank you for sharing that. It's so funny. I've been reading that one myself lately, but I just looked at my phone

and here I'll show you. It's my Bible verse of the day. Oh, cool. God's funny like that. In my family, we always say God winks. It's good God wink. Anyways, all right, back to the topic of lived and learned, but that was really, really good. I'm wondering, what's a piece of advice that somebody told you, like something maybe that you didn't learn through experience, but that someone told you that you have found to be very, very true? Oh, there's a couple. One told me that you're stronger than you think, which that helps.

One is your peace is your power. So, interesting. It's good to, you know, keep your peace. So I would say pick your battles. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I like that. I like that you're stronger than you think.

Because immediately when you said that, I was like, oh, no, I'm not very strong. But it's kind of like, you can't, well, now I'm thinking it, you know. Okay. On the opposite side of things, is there any advice? I have definitely been thinking about this lately. I think people are really quick to throw around just platitudes and typical advice that everybody hears and knows, you know? But it's like, is that actually really true? So do you have any advice that you've heard that you actually now disagree with?

Or like? Well, I just finished a book called Let Them. Have you heard of it by Mel Robbins? No, I haven't. And it's pretty much if, oh, she talked about her. kids if, you know, she wanted to, like, help her son with his homecoming dance, where to go for a restaurant, that kind of, like, taken over. And it was pretty cool to hear her say, just let them, you know, you don't have to figure things out for people. You can just let them be themselves

and accept them. And it was a pretty good book. Yeah, that sounds really, really interesting. That sounds really interesting. So, okay, we've been talking a lot about like, obviously you're the house director of Galloway, so you're very plugged into the young adult men world with all of that. But I'm curious just as a woman, and so I'm an R.A. and old, so definitely I'm seeing all of the young women. what's something just as a woman that you would I guess I'll say advise but even more than advice just something that like you think if every woman would focus on this at age 20 it would either benefit their life or their walk with the Lord or the lives of those around them well I think

daily when I go through the dorm, I pray for the guys. But just talking to them and seeing how their day goes, you know, kind of asking them how things are going. And they usually tell you, you know. And just listening, sometimes they come in to visit and just they'll sit and, you know, some of them have parents that have passed away and hard times. So it's just being there, I think, knowing that I'm there and that I care about them is a good thing. But I would just say have fun, you know. This is a time where, you know, the studies are hard and just there's so many good things in the college that you can go to and do and just have fun and enjoy this time in your life.

So, because it's going to go by very fast. Yeah. What more is there for men, but to do good and be happy, right? From Ecclesiastes, that makes sense. And I believe you that it's going to go fast. I mean, it's already flying by. It's crazy. Okay, I kind of have a for fun question.

This is less serious, but I'm actually pretty curious about it. When you look back on your life, what do you think is something that you almost didn't do, but you did? and you were so glad. And also I did not prepare you for this, so I apologize. Something that I almost did. And I did go to Megigori. Wait, into what?

Medjugary in Yugoslavia. I was pregnant for Susan. And my husband read this Wayne Weibo book, and he said we were going. I was pregnant for my daughter, Suz. So it was like to go on a tour. trip that far when you're pregnant is kind of iffy, but I'm so glad I went. Wait, that's crazy. So you just went to visit? Yeah, it was a pilgrimage to Medigori. And basically the Meggiore message is that God is real. And so, yeah, it was in Yugoslavia. And it's still going on today.

But I'm so grateful that I want. That's so cool. Wait, that's such a crazy story. Yeah. And pregnant too. Wait, how far along were you when you went on the trip? I was about three months, three, four months along. So it's like usually I wouldn't travel when I was expecting, but that was a trip of faith. That's a genuine pilgrimage. Wait, that's so cool. Okay, we're almost at time. So I'm just going to ask a summarizing question. So looking back, I mean, we've discussed a lot of advice throughout this, just about enjoying the time while we're here and focusing on doing seven good things. And I'm just wondering, let's just pretend right now that you have the ability to impress a piece of knowledge and make every 20 year old in the

entire world care about one thing. What would the number one takeaway that anybody who listens to this should leave and feel like, wow, I have to do that? I would say to stay focused. And there's a lot going on to your left and your right, and it's easy to, I don't want to say stray away, but stay focused because this is a time. In fact, I will use my head array, Chris Prudence. I asked him one time, what advice you could give to the freshman. And he said, study well the first year. It's the hardest.

Communicate and don't do land battles. So I would say stay focused and you'll be glad you did. And so will Dr. Arn. All right. Yes, ma'am. I will take that to heart. Thank you so much for joining us today. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?

No, I feel like my job is more of a ministry than a job. And I always tell Chief that my goal is to love them into the kingdom. So I would I hope the students here do the best they can because they're very blessed to be here. Yeah. Love them into the kingdom. I love that. I like that very, very much. Yeah, that's why Charlie Osborne.

Okay. Awesome. Yeah, that's so good. All right. Well, thank you so much for joining me today on this show. I so appreciated hearing all your wisdom about this stuff. Our guest has been Mrs. Joanne Arrant from Galloway. She is the house director over there.

And I am Grace Novak from the Lived and Learned podcast once again on Radio Freehillsdale 101.7 FM.